Its not necessarily the weight but hard bumps make the motor bounce up and down, applying a twisting force on the transom. Attaching the bottom of the motor to the trailer stops it from pushing down. Not to mention, most boats have jack plates that make the pressures on the transom worse It's basic physics.

I've been using the old style transom saver for 35yrs. Never had a reason to change. To be honest i have pulled my boat thousands of miles over the yrs with no support and no problems. I think alot of people spend the extra money on the new style to be in with the cool crowd.

Switched to TH Marine - Sticks and Motor Clips. Same thing and alot cheaper.

Check with boat company and see what they recommend, if one is wrong you would think it would void your warranty.

I switched to a Motor Mate after reading dozens of these threads!

That is just an old wives tale. The old style "transom saver" does not take the weight of the motor off the transom. It is still bolted to the transom. All it does is create a point of stability between the lower unit and the trailer. The motor will shake more with the old style than with the newer designs. All the trailer vibrations are also transferred directly to the lower unit with the old style. Driving down the road puts less stress on the motor than driving the boat in rough water also. How much stress on the transom do you think come from power poles? No one ever talks about that.

OMG, finally a voice of reasoning and intelligence. The name "transom saver" was merely a selling point and did not accurately describe what it did. Bear in mind, when this contraption first came out most transoms were made of wood and often when motors were bolted to them the holes were not sealed and the wood over time rotted. The cause of failures were not the weight of the motor but rotted wood caused by faulty installation of the motor. Actually the only thing a "transom saver" might do is keep the motor from tilting from side to side and it really doesn't do that well unless it's a small motor.

#wejus'abunchadummies

Proof we way overthink this ^^^^^^

I�m thinking the stress of that prop trying to push the boat to the right at whatever miles an hour is way more stress than the weight of the motor.

I still use an old school transom saver, but when I think about the physics I see no difference. Both types brace the motor against downward force... if you eliminate the movement there is no force and therefore no stress to the mounting locations. I recently got some of the rubber clips that eliminate the side to side movement as well and things seem a lot more stable back there.

I know most of you run glass boats, so take this w a grain of salt. I am a licensed, college educated welder (as a hobby when oil and gas is up) and repair aluminum. I have repaired transom area cracks on 3 boats in the last couple years that were running the newer savers. Can't say how these guys run their boats on the water, but all 3 were using Motor Mate or equivalent style devices. 2 Xpress boats (X21DC and a X19) and one Tracker. HP varied from a 225, 150, and I believe a 75 not sure on the Tracker.

And I have run Xpress for the last 12 years with the old school transom saver without an issue.... But I am not hard on my boat on the water so who knows.