trim tabs

[BenL]

If you can spare the money, get the EIC5000, they incorporate the LED indicators into the switches/buttons so you can tell how far up/down, which tab is higher/lower at a glance, worth the extra scratch for sure.

I have been on buddies boats with no indicators and while one with experience can tell what is going on with the tabs and where they are, having the lights and even better, being able to adjust the brightness of the lights/indicators is so worth it.

While I never had tabs on the previous boat to the one I have now, I had run boats with tabs and I can not go without tabs. Being able to level the boat and tabbing to keep the bow down for that smooth ride in the rough is so worth having tabs. I have Bennetts and love them and would get them again on another boat. I've used Lenco's and they are fast.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by offshore

................ That being said I found the Lencos to be far more responsive while using very little tab switch. I could roll my boats with Lencos if I wanted too . .........

That's an important point. Fast response may not be a good thing for trim tabs.

My boat came with Bennett tabs and except for the fact that the dealer reversed the hydraulic hoses so they worked opposite of how they should have worked, they have been fine. A couple of e-mails to Bennett and I knew how to easily fix the situation myself.

Bennett now has an option for a tab control with lights to let you know how much the tabs are deployed and raises them when the ignition is turned off. I added this and it's worth the price.

(edit) That's what BenL is talking about.

[welder]

Lenco also has the lights and return to up when key is off.
I just use my whole boat as the tab indicator .
Tabs down = RPM's down = burn more gas
Lester

[Inspector62]

I have Lenco's currently and the starboard extends down faster than the port. I have to remember this when "bowing down".

As far as performance, I'm not sure what you're expecting. Some people think they make the boat run faster, they do not. They are good for 4 basic things IMHO.

1. Leveling out the boat when people move around.
2. Rolling the boat away from waves / spray cuts down on the spray into the boat.
3. "bowing down" into a chop really helps the ride. The bow can cut through the chop instead of the bottom of the boat slamming into it. This really improves the ride.
4. Tab down in shallow areas to lift the motor skeg higher. This improves the draft of your boat by several inches.

[bluffman2]

inspector i was mainly wanting them for leveling the boat with out moving people around and to help out in smoothing the ride out (keep the bow down)

[Inspector62]

They are very good for that. I think they will help any boat with those things, as well as the others I mentioned.

BTW - I do not have indicators. They would be nice, but not at all necessary. I'm personally not even sure if I'd pay extra for them.

If you know your boat you will instantly know if / when they are down or up. It's very easy to tell. Like Welder said above, your entire boat is a trim tab indicator.

[Kern O]

I have had the module that retracts the tabs when you turn the ignition. It sounds like a great idea, but it drove me nuts. Every time you stop and kill the engines, the tabs retract. The module does not know if you are in the water or on the trailer.

If you'd like to try one, PM me. It is sitting on a shelf.