I guess it really depends on the type fishing/boating you will be doing and where...and also your boat setup. Mine will absolutely not blow out in rough water and I have been caught in some very rough stuff on Texoma. It is setup to run 5900 rpm at WOT so it is right where it should be for max speed. Different props make a huge difference in the handling.

thank you

The difference is the same as any other accessory on your boat. If you have the $-bucks-$ to add any of them on, and learn how to use, then they are worth it. Right now a hyd jackplate, for me, is low in my list.

Had a HJP on my last boat, never seen a benefit for me. Have a MJP now and it does the job just fine. I won't own another HJP.

hydraulic is a must with a tunnel hull

If you run more of high performance hull then you will see the most benefit. My boat and motor like to ride high to get the best performance.

So, the benefit I see is I can sink the motor all the way down in the rough stuff, my boat would blow out in rough water with a manual. The other benefit i see is idling, you can idle a lot quicker with the plate all the way up and the nose doesn't ride way high out of the water so you can see where you are going better.

Last 2 rigs had Hydro JP. Need JP gauge and WP gauge. On hole shot-drop it down a tad and no cavitation when it breaks over-then raise it up. When stretched out, raise a bit and gain a bit. When it gets rough, drop it down and keep prop in water.

I have had 3 of them, I can honestly say about the only advantage I have found is while figuring out which prop to run at what height, that being said my new boat will have one, maybe I will spend a little time figuring out its best uses.

A Hydraulic plate will allow you to gain around 3mph on top end. You can also adjust the height to run big waves, and you can run certain waves faster. I rank a HJP above powerpoles. Different days, different loads, different waves.

I use mine when idling in timber as well. Can lift most of the lower unit out of the water to avoid most direct hits. A big help on lakes like Monticello. I also use it to fine tune at speed.