Transom Savers

[Vollmer]

Yes or no?
I've heard that a guy shouldn't use it because all the vibration from the trailer is directed to the transom through the transom saver. I've also heard that they were only useful on really rough roads. What's your thoughts?

 

[NDwalleyes]

I've heard both theories too, but I've never heard or seen one actually cause problems. I use one.

Good topic for Myth Busters!

 

[Vollmer]

Need a product Review. Hopefully that section gets built soon

 

[Fishmission]

Depends on who you ask but I have never had a problem.
Important to make sure boat is cinched down tight to trailer, if not the boat can bounce and move which will put stress on the lower unit and transom with a saver
I had a trailer on another boat that did not cradle my boat good at all
No way I would have used a saver on it due to boat moving some no matter how good I cinched it down.
Just used a wood wedge on that one

 

[Colonel Angus]

I've always used them on my boats without any problems. Reason for adding one on previous boat was the oil reservoir being on the engine. Propped on the kickstand and the oil would leak in the cover. My current engine has a scuff on the cover due to using the kickstand where the front of the cover was rubbing on the interior, so I added the transom bar.

 

[KDM]

I have had a boat with one and had a boat without one. I don't see a transom saver doing any harm to the boat or motor unless you don't secure the boat very well and allow the boat to come off the trailer bunks. My current boat does not have one. I just put a 2X10 under the motor and use the tilt and trim to keep the motor shaft from bouncing around. Given my druthers, I'd use one. However, with the trailer I currently have, the back of the trailer is tucked about 2 feet under the transom so a saver would be more horizontal than vertical and provide very limited support.

 

[Wild and Free]

I have tried a couple and found the my wedge to be the best option.

http://www.m-ywedge.com/

 

[Colonel Angus]

I have tried a couple and found the my wedge to be the best option.

http://www.m-ywedge.com/

I'm intriqued. A little spendy for a chunk of plastic/rubber?

 

[Wild and Free]

Yeah one could easily make one, just need to source some material and possibly a good fine detail wood saw or something like that. Works awesome though, I use one on my pontoon with extended transom and F150Yamaha on back.

 

[SupressYourself]

Yeah, if you just had a thick chunk of rubber, you could use it like KDM uses a 2x10.
My brother uses the m-y wedge on his Ranger, and it is pretty slick.
If my aluminum transom saver ever breaks, I'll probably go that route.

 

[MuskyManiac]

I have had a boat with one and had a boat without one. I don't see a transom saver doing any harm to the boat or motor unless you don't secure the boat very well and allow the boat to come off the trailer bunks. My current boat does not have one. I just put a 2X10 under the motor and use the tilt and trim to keep the motor shaft from bouncing around. Given my druthers, I'd use one. However, with the trailer I currently have, the back of the trailer is tucked about 2 feet under the transom so a saver would be more horizontal than vertical and provide very limited support.

So is mine and here's the one I use.

 

[Wild and Free]

So is mine and here's the one I use.

That's the last one I used on my pontoon and trailer but to work I had it extended to the max position and it lasted one season and broke at the bend in the rod, had very little support at that point being extended so far and it was such light material to start with, never liked it from the start and should have returned it but live and learn, was just there for decoration more than support as the hydraulic cylinders were still holing the majority of the weight.

 

[MuskyManiac]

That's the last one I used on my pontoon and trailer but to work I had it extended to the max position and it lasted one season and broke at the bend in the rod, had very little support at that point being extended so far and it was such light material to start with, never liked it from the start and should have returned it but live and learn, was just there for decoration more than support as the hydraulic cylinders were still holing the majority of the weight.

I've used mine for 9 years with no problems on my Optimax, and I put a lot of miles on my boat trailer. I have had to replace the rubber "V" 3 times, however.


This one looks pretty good as well KDM.

 

[WormWiggler]

A cheap block of wood appeals to the tight wad in me, what angle should one be shooting for as I have the oil leakage issue when it is left up on the factory stop.

 

[Colonel Angus]

A cheap block of wood appeals to the tight wad in me, what angle should one be shooting for as I have the oil leakage issue when it is left up on the factory stop.

I just set mine so that if I backed up to a curb stop it wouldn't hit the lower unit.

 

[westwolfone]

I built a custom one for my boat out of 1 inch square tubing. Only a 30 HP motor so plenty strong.

 

[Wild and Free]

I've used mine for 9 years with no problems on my Optimax, and I put a lot of miles on my boat trailer. I have had to replace the rubber "V" 3 times, however.


This one looks pretty good as well KDM.

That design is way beefier with square tubing and a better center section than the one I had which was a tube type exactly like the diagram in the prior post which already had a weak point designed into it where it was preform bent.

 

[eyexer]

the wedge or a block of wood does not take any stress of your transom. It does help take pressure off the trim and tilt hydraulics but doesn't help the transom at all. These new motors are very heavy and our roads suck. A transom saver is a great idea as long as you transfer the weight to the trailer. Another benefit to a transom saver that nobody talks about is saving your swivel bracket bushings. I bought a boat a year and a half ago that had a pile of miles/hrs on it. The swivel bracket bushings were shot. I will now be pulling the motor and removing it from the swivel bracket to change them out. I'm hoping they are shot to the point they are wearing into the swivel bracket. That would suck and be very spendy. Transom savers also keep you motor from turning to the left or right while running down the road.