Should you use a ( motor to trailer type) or ( lock and haul type) ?

thanks,
EB

You mean a transom saver? Absolutely go with a motor-to-trailer type. The whole point is to relieve pressure on your transom when the outboard pounces up & down while trailering, and this type provides support from your trailer frame.

I agree with the Greek.

As long as you keep it from bouncing what's the problem with not having it tied to the trailer? The transom is designed to handle the motor and the stresses it creates. I fear that when the trailer hits something and that motor is connected to it with a TS you get more road shock going straight to the motor.

The boat sets on the trailer, a transom saver goes from the motor to the trailer. When the trailer hits a road bump the springs are what gives. The trailer boat and motor move together with no added stress to the motor. That being said there are a few good products out there that allow you to tow without a transom saver. I'm old school and prefer the transom saver.

rx, if the motor is sitting almost vertically, then it's not a problem, but most of our boat trailer ride too low to the ground to do this. Visualize the weight of the lower unit suspended at about a 45 to 60 degree angle from the transom while it bounces up & down with no water or transom saver to cushion it. Eventually, you can have bad things happen.

Yes, the transom is made to handle lots of stresses, but most of those are pulling and pushing forces front to back, not up & down or side to side forces.

Get either one you like. What you are really wanting to do is stabilize your motor and keep it from moving side to side or up and down. Both help do that. The old style "transom saver" do little to support the weight of your motor but do help some to keep it from moving. I have used the Lock and Haul and Lock and Stow type for many years and have never had an issue. I quite using the old style because it kept rubbing the lower unit where it rested.

They both do an ok job, but if your transom really needs saving, you need to have your boat checked, not your tansom saver.

+1 I'm old school and prefer the transom saver.

There are definitely different schools of thought on this. I personally feel that with the old type transom saver, you are going to get vibration transferred to the motor regardless of springs or anything else. I have not used that type of transom saver for years and have never had a problem. The main thing you want is for your motor to be held absolutely still so there is no movement. I have been using a Lock-n-Haul on a ProXS for several years with absolutely no problem. It's lightweight, simple to use and will hold your motor rock solid.

Thanks for the input guys!

I used the newer version for a year then at 50MPH on the water one day the motor mount failed and the motor came off the boat(motor was still attached by cables and hoses). No I didn't hit anything, there was not a mark on the lower unit. With that being said the motor manufacture requested the lower unit and later sent me a new motor. Not sure if the new support had anything to do with it but I'll never use one again. I feel the traditional support links the boat to the trailer if the boat is properly secured to it.

It's not really about linking the boat to the trailer. It's about taking the stress off of the transom. When the motor's down there's not much torque on the transom. But, when the motor is raised it acts like a lever with the transom as a pivot point. when the trailer hits a bump the force of the lower unit causes the motor mounts to try to twist the transom from top to bottom. This puts a good deal of unnecessary stress on your transom.

Lock n Haul.

My motor weighs over 500#. Does anyone believe that a piece of 1" square aluminum or steel tubing is going to take any stress off the transom with that much weight hanging off the back? Stabilizing the motor is the important thing. I would suggest that a traditional style "transom saver" does more to damage lower units that it does to "save transoms".

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Bass Wishes,
Nitro Man