M-Y Wedge

I bought one of these. Guys on FB Triton Owners Group giving me heck. What’s yall’s Opinion? Dang transom saver rubbing paint off lower unit.

My transom savers never did that. That thing you are using doesn't take the load off the transom when the motor bounces. A transom saver puts the load on your trailer. Something is wrong with that transom saver. I've seen guys put a washcloth on theirs. Sand it down, prime it with Aluminum primer and repaint it. No one will know.

Perch is right about the transom. All it does is take the pressure off the trim cylinders seal and motor. However, that's almost all people use one new boats. I've used both.

What about the motor mate?

Paging Hevi - what is your take on this?

I figure if the transom can take the force applied by a powerful outboard engine, it should be able to take the flexional torque of bouncing down the road.

I used a motor toter for about a month once and then never again. When my buddies claim I'm not right in the head I reply "if the transom is weak enough to fail under the load of it's own engine, it needs to be repaired and reinforced anyway".

Your buddies are only stating the obvious. Motor toters(transom savers) have been around a long time. While those things like AC has are fine for short trips, I believe a real transom saver is best for long trips. You never know what you might run into like road construction. Just because a transom should be able to handle something doesn't mean it isn't good sense to protect yours. A motor on a water doesn't produce flexing like a stationary boat on a trailer when subjected to roadway jolts. The transom saver transfers the force to the trailer, not the transom.Just for the record having a transom rebuilt is not inexpensive. Kinda like wearing a seatbelt. Pesky, until you need it.
Anthony a motor mate still transfers to the motor bracket. It only prevents motor from bounceing. just another form of the type you have. Below is tge one I always used. I don't understand that paint coming off. I can only think of two things that could cause that. Metal on metal. or it had been repainted already without proper priming of metal. A good transom saver has rubber that contacts the motor. One more thing. The people selling(recommending) that new type also sell them. You also should know they are not going to repair any transom damage. Their product is for the motor. I read one company that makes them talking about force being transferred from trailer to the motor. I found that funny. There is no way to stop any force from trailer to boat. The motor bouncing is what the transom saver helps. You should always strap the boat tight to the trailer at the transom. I had the ratcheting straps installed on my trailers.For years trailer companies had them built on to their bass boat trailers.



transom saver

I saw one of those things in person yesterday. I was not impressed. It will save your trim cylinder, but it's not doing anything to protect your transom. I wouldn't worry about the paint coming off the foot.

I use this
http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/rite-hite-motor-holder?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions

I use a motor mate. It's perfectly fine and does it's job.

My opinion is that transom savers are unnecessary. I would use the m-y wedge, motor mate, rite hite, etc before I'd use a transom saver.

Here's the deal. Your transom takes more of a beating on the water than it takes on the trailer. If you trust your transom to carry the engine while you're bouncing across a rough lake with the prop breaking loose and grabbing, then why is a transom saver necessary? While some state that it transfers shock from the motor to the trailer while riding down the road, I believe the opposite...they transfer shock from the trailer to the motor. No matter how well you think you have your boat strapped down, there's still movement while you're going down the road.

I use them on aluminum boats but not on glass boat. My ranger has a huge step where you can't use a toter on it.

I completely disagree with that. Simple physics would show that a motor tilted to the normal angle while trailering will put much more force on the transom than one at a riding angle in the water. Also the water slows the force of the strain the motor puts on the transom while on the water.

What's not to like about a transom saver? With one in place, a triangle of bracing is created and that, in itself, is very strong. Anything less in my opinion is considerably less.

The M-Y wedge nor the other thing posted braces the motor to the trailer. All the force is still absorbed by the transom. You guys to know that stressed fiberglass cracks, right?

Has it become "uncool" for bass fishermen to use transom savers? IMO these new things are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

Transom Saver for me. Screw that new crap.

The boat weighs more than the motor. When getting on plane the motor / transom lifts the boat out of the water. I also believe the transom is under a lot more stress on the water than when trailered unsupported.

AC, that’s what I’ve been using.

used one of the motor mate styles, till it wore out my steering assembly, gone back to old style transom style.

I just lower mine down in a rag onto the transom saver and use a bungee on the top and bottom sides. Been doing that for 10 years and no paint damage yet.

Unless you've been behind a boat crossing some bad RR tracks you've never seen one bounce. One of those that just transmits the bounce to the motor bracket and transom does nothing to prevent that. The water gives more than a boat on a trailer.

My .02 doesn’t really matter in this but I’ve always just used a transom saver with fresh carpet cutouts. I had new carpet put in my rental property and my home in Trussville and I’ve got loads of new carpet scraps that I can cut a square off of anytime. Never had any issues. Also, wouldn’t it make sense that if your boat is ratcheted down tight to the trailer and the motor is securely tightened down with motor mate the boat and trailer become one piece. Side note, I use the TH marine blocks to put on the steering ram to prevent any steering pivot/torque on the foot when trailering too

You might have a point - I've been dragging boats around since the mid 80's and the only one to fail was a metal one. I repaired it and reinforced it and no problems afterward. It failed on the ocean with a bad sea though - not on the road.

My .02

The m-y wedge is a gimmick and really only takes the pressure off the rams.

All Aluminum boats benefit from a properly installed rigid transom saver.

Over the last 20 years I've repaired and replaced more transoms than most have owned boats from the motor tearing the transom from unsupported trailering so I can speak from experience.

Transoms fail for 4 reasons in order -
1. Water intrusion causing rot. Once this happens the whole system starts tearing apart.
2. Unsupported trailering (continuous or long trips on rough roads)
3. Too large of motor exceeding the limits of the transom
4. Bad design/inferior build

Perchjerker is correct - Transom savers create a rigid span from the motor to the trailer so when you hit a bump the whole "system" moves as a whole and eliminates the hinge effect where the motor pivots and creates undue stress on the mounting points of the transom.

Run what you want as it's not my boat but on the 3 I have right now all of them have transom savers.

Ive used motor mate for 6 years now, IMO the best I've used.