Transom Savers

[silverside]

How many of you use transom savers? I did years ago but now I'm wondering if it is really helps that much.

[catchNreeleaze]

I think they help protect the orings of the trim unit more than anything and keeps your motor from swinging around

Sent from my SM-N970U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[CrappiePappy]

Had them on all 3 boats I've owned. 50HP, 70HP, and my current 90HP outboard.

One thing I can say .... always have a good stout strap on them, and if it start showing wear or starts losing it's "stretch", get a new one. I've had one transom saver bar come off and lost on the way home, somewhere on the Parkway. Had another slip off and drag down the highway until half of the U end was "sanded off" by the road, and I didn't know anything about it until I stopped for gas and happened to see it.

[Rojo]

I use the inserts between the trim rams and the Mid Section. My E-Tec and most OMC Outboards has a build in one in the Mid Case. Attaching any device from the trailer directly to the lower unit is a No No by any engine manufacturer. If you film a normal sized boat & trailer, the trailer is not over sized or beefed up and play it back in slow motion you will see the trailer & Bunk Boards deflect on impact of a hole Hammering the Hydraulic unit (the most expensive part to replace & why you need a strap to hold them on when this happens) valving in the internal Hydraulic pump and seals. Aluminum Trailers are the worst for this. All my trailers (Steel) get a extra set of boards with beefy double U-Bolt bunk brackets. Also I use the bunk brackets with the place for a bolt to prevent slipping out of adjustment. Just my .

[J White]

I’ve always used one up until about a year ago. Have had a few incidents over the years with them getting loose, dragging. Went to these 2 products now instead. Don’t know if I’m right or wrong, but we’ll see.



Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

[Rojo]

I’ve always used one up until about a year ago. Have had a few incidents over the years with them getting loose, dragging. Went to these 2 products now instead. Don’t know if I’m right or wrong, but we’ll see.

That is the exact 2 products I recommended to all of my customers. Thanks for posting. Few actually read their owners manuals or read the TSB's produced by Outboard Engine Manufacturers. All say do not connect the engine to the trailer with only the Hydraulic unit in between.

[M R Dux]

I use both of those devices when trailering locally. If I hit the road, I ad my motor-toter from trailer to Suzuki.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

[thill]

Had them on all 3 boats I've owned. 50HP, 70HP, and my current 90HP outboard.

... Had another slip off and drag down the highway until half of the U end was "sanded off" by the road, and I didn't know anything about it until I stopped for gas and happened to see it.

I had that exact thing happen last time I used one. The trailer side came off, and I'm SO glad the front didn't catch on something and do serious damage!

[justinp61]

I’ve always used one up until about a year ago. Have had a few incidents over the years with them getting loose, dragging. Went to these 2 products now instead. Don’t know if I’m right or wrong, but we’ll see.



Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

My Yamaha dealer told me not to use the one on the left, suggested a motor toter.

[CrappiePappy]

I had that exact thing happen last time I used one. The trailer side came off, and I'm SO glad the front didn't catch on something and do serious damage!

Yep, Thill ... that's exactly what happened to me. The transom saver somehow popped off the trailer roller and was dragged along the highway. Not sure why no one honked at me about it, or drove up beside me & motioned to me that it was dragging ... as I'm sure there were sparks flying at some point along the way. Luckily I saved what was left, as sometime after that the replacement saver got damaged & I used the other damaged one to replace the broken head of the newer one. ("head" meaning the end that cradles the lower unit ... the rubber bumper tabs were damaged, leaving the bolt heads showing & potentially rubbing against the lower unit. Luckily I saw it before that could happen & switched out the transom saver heads.) Saved me some $$$ not having to totally replace it with a brand new one, which I would have done had I not had the remnants of the previous one.

Like you, I was amazed that it hadn't hung up on something on the highway and potentially done great damage to the lower unit.