This video looks at self leveling trim tabs and how they work. Are they right for your boat? Make sure to check out the new website @ www.lostangler.net!
To Lost Angler; Thanks for including us in your video. One of the comments that I would like to address is the function at high speeds. One of the more important features is the varying lift pressure which is built into the pneumatic actuator design. At pre-plaining speeds Smart Tabs provide more lift at the stern and at higher speeds they provide less lift. The result is that you get the maximum stern lift to get up on step quickly and a reduced ride control tension for that eliminates porpoising and chine walking. The Bennett Self Leveling tabs use a simple coil spring. Coil springs by nature provide less resistance a lower speeds and increasingly more resistance (lift tension at higher speed. The increased resistance at higher speeds creates more stern lift than needed, driving the bow down, reducing the top speed, and reducing the ability to properly trim the prop angle. Nauticus Smart Tabs ( the original automatic tabs) provide seven (7) actuator choices to match your boat size and HP, plus five (5) fine tuning adjustments to insure the best overall performance, ride and handling. Nauticus also sells a plate retractor kit (# PR500) which brings the trim plate up flush with the bottom of the boat when desired.
The Bennett line is bulletproof and their customer service actively reaches out to help people. Have the original hydraulic system from an 84 sleekcraft and all the parts are still available to purchase. Have had 2 other boats with SLT systems. Awesome products
For anyone trying to decide between these type tabs and the AutoTrim Pro, I installed the AutoTrim Pro and found if the water is rough as in 2'-3' seas (my boat is 18') the AutoTrim pro is kinda too slow to react and you find you are better off manually adjusting instead of waiting for the controller to decide what to do. In little smoother seas the AutoTrim Pro is awesome. Just wanted to put this out there for those boaters that are here because they are trying to decide which version to buy.
Can't say I've heard anyone mention what about backing up trying to dock your boat in slip at a mariner or for any other reason, pass over a good hole, avoid potential emergency, how these affect control !
Thanks for posting. I was looking at getting smart tabs. But since I own a Excel bay pro, I also run in a pad. You saved me some money, a few holes in my boat, and sum curse words. Thanks
So did you remove the tabs? I have a bow rider that is a bit stern heavy and requires full throttle to get on plane, I'm not that concerned of top speed it'll hit 50 and that is fast enough on a 18' boat. Smart tabs allow me to get on plane easier and the bow doesn't lift near has much.
Hi, your video was very helpful in understanding smart tabs.I have a 18ft center console Stripper fishing boat and its porpoising at sea. Can I use the self leveling tabs or what do you recommend.
I had a 18 foot flats boat with a 90hp and a lot of weight in the back with the batteries and polling deck. It would porpoise very bad and you had to play with the jack plate and the trim to make it stop. After putting on the self leveling trim tabs, the problem went away. Now I have a 20 foot Falcon King Striper with a Chevy 305 I/O and it chine walks very bad. Same thing though. Very heavy in the back especially with the bait tank full of 40 gallons of water. The tabs arrive today and I can't wait to see how they impact the chine walk and the need to go WOT to get on plane.
@@gregorysaunders6005 I haven't put them on yet. They will interfere with my transducers. I have a new transducer mount I need to install and after that I'll try it
Great video, I have a Ranger RP190, it has a padded hull with the bennett spring loaded tabs. 90% of the time I have the tabs retracted/raised. When I have a full load of anglers and lower tide, I'll release the tabs and give up top end, but get a better holeshot. My tabs were on the boat when I bought it. I was researching proper placement of tabs with padded hulls when I found this video. Most tabs I have seen look like they are 3-4 from the outside edge which is what the Install instructions recommend. I was planning to move mine wider so when not in use and running on the inner pads the tabs would have less impact. Now I'm wondering if I should just leave them as is. They are 11.5 from outside edge and 13.25 from center. Did you remove the tabs from your bay boat?
Nice video , my Carolina skiff 178dlv goes bow up almost straight up then planes out , I just added these Bennett 10” ones yesterday I sure hope they help .. also added a hydrofoil to the outboard
I want to find these auto tabs from Bennet for a 15 ft stingray but I could not see that they have them. The other ones are so expensive and don't think they would do a better job save maybe for leveling the boat sideways?
I have a 17ft. Targa, deep V. Takes off on plane great, the problem is it leans LEFT at full speed! Weight and level is perfectly level when sitting. The boat tracks straight. I feel i don't need a trim tab for taking off, just at full speed. What could i do?? One Tab on left side?? Fixed position tab on Left side??
Great video and explanation. I was on a friend's 2014 Nitro Z6 with Mercury 115 HP Optimax recently. I noticed his boat leaned to the left most of the time the boat was running. However I did not remember seeing trim tabs on the back of the boat. But the boat was level while idel. What else could be causing the lean?
Update since my last comment: Finally installed 18x9 bennett bolt tabs with AutoTrim Pro controller. Dead stop to up on plane and accelerating at pretty good speed is like 3 seconds or less!! BUT, if any tab is touching water flow in the LEAST amount to control lists caused by prop rotation slows top speed down 5mph. So, to still get top speed tabs must be fully raised and motor trimmed like before the tabs were installed. Owners manual indicates after tab install motor can then be trimmed where prop is positioned at parallel with water surface for optimum efficiency. We found for top speed motor still needs to be trimmed up and both tabs need to be fully up. My conclusion then is if I would have installed self leveling type tabs I would have been guaranteed to lose speed.
Trim tabs really have very little affect at slower speeds. Sometimes in rougher conditions, the best thing you can do is speed up and get on top of it if you can. I think at those lower speeds a hydrofoil may be more helpful.
I have a question. I have a 20' Aquasport Osprey that has a 150 Mercury that was put on it instead of the old 88. I play hell trying to get on a plane. Would these benefit my boat? I have to run my motor in the full down position all the time, even at full throttle or the bow will jump up to the point water comes in the back of my boat
I saw that you had a G3 bay boat. I have a 18'DLX. In mine, the sides where you have installed the trim tabs are foam filled. Are yours filled as well and if so, how did you do a through bolt to mount the tabs?
@@LostAngler Thanks. I had actually already ordered the SLT6s so I'm glad I went that route. There isn't a ton of information for that size boat being dead center between the two. Tight lines and thanks again!
I knw this was posted a while ago but I just came across it and subscribed today...thanks for the info. My question is I have a 17' G3 Angler V with a 60hp Yamaha. My issue is the 60hp is under powering the boat and it takes time to get up on plane, it is rated for a 90hp. I have been told a set of 10" Self Levelling Tabs will allow the boat to plane quicker (for tubing etc...) but I think it also reduces the top end speed.
They do a great job with some pitfalls. Because they auto deploy at low speed which is why you bought them to get you out the hole and stop proposing that is good however if you fish out wide and find the wind has unexpectedly blown up and you need to punch it home through over a meter of swell and your bow is roughly a meter high and you have to back down to just planing speed to deal with the sea your tabs will be fully deployed when you want them out of the water and when fully deployed into such a swell and or chop it will make them come over the bow as you punch it so they can be a little dangerous in the wrong conditions.
Yeah depending on the size. According to Bennett they are not intended for boats over say 20 ft. Also Contender has a 24.5 Degree of deadrise. I would strongly suggest going to hydraulic trim tabs.
They are Bennett Self Leveling Trim Tabs. SLT 10. You can order them on Amazon. But I just took mine off so they are available if you want to buy them.
@@1sayisuggadaddy I am sorry about the late reply, I have been out of town for the past week and I am trying to play catch up. email me at pjordan.lostangler@gmail.com
@@LostAngler I tried that. I do get on plane a few seconds faster but not much. I lost about 3-4 mph on the top end. I saw this was another inexpensive option to try. I fish sometimes in 1 foot of water and need to get on plane very quickly
Some boats, like bass boats, have a part of the hull called a pad. This helps the boat go even faster while on plane at high speeds. Basically a flat spot on the bottom of a v-hull boat. A quick Google search has numerous videos and explanations
own an aluminum 15 by 52 alweld 60hp tohatsu 4 stroke. The boat is podded, tunneled, Lifted transom, and a breakaway plate. I have tried everything to get the speed and motor height outta my motor that I know it should have. Problem #1 porpoising!!! Boy this is the most aggravating thing to deal with. Boat planes out quick with motor trimmed all the way under boat, trim it up one bump and slap slap slap slap. Almost throw u outta the boat. Problem #2 motor height. If u know anything about tunnel boats u know that 1 blade of ur prop and fin should be the only thing that is hanging past the bottom of the boat to allow for proper water pressure to the pump. I had to keep a little over half of my prop below my boat so the tunnel wasn’t able to do its job of hiding the prop as it should have.this caused issues of running in really skinny water. Problem #3 and it’s the most IMPORTANT SPEED!!!! If ur anything like me and put a over powered motor on a small boat this is a big deal.. Each problem of trimming, height, porpoising, and planning out all add up to a huge speed lose. I was very skeptical about these trim tabs, figured they would be just a waste of 100$ but I am hear to tell u now every issue has been fixed with these tabs. I was able to raise my motor to proper height, I can trim the motor till it’s in just few inches of water, no porpoising, jumps on to plane quick, and let me tell u now speed!!!! I bet I gained 10mph and running in 6” or less of water.. can prove it with video. 100% recommend this product to anyone. It’s a one stop fix for all!! Sorry for the long review but I am truly satisfied and wish I could have read this about a river boat rather than all the reviews on bay boats. By the way the only thing extra I have done is i went and had cup added to my prop to cut back on cavitation because of high everything is now. Which wasn’t a bad problem but remember every little problem adds up. Thanks yal keep it skinny 🌊🚤
To Lost Angler; Thanks for including us in your video. One of the comments that I would like to address is the function at high speeds. One of the more important features is the varying lift pressure which is built into the pneumatic actuator design. At pre-plaining speeds Smart Tabs provide more lift at the stern and at higher speeds they provide less lift. The result is that you get the maximum stern lift to get up on step quickly and a reduced ride control tension for that eliminates porpoising and chine walking. The Bennett Self Leveling tabs use a simple coil spring. Coil springs by nature provide less resistance a lower speeds and increasingly more resistance (lift tension at higher speed. The increased resistance at higher speeds creates more stern lift than needed, driving the bow down, reducing the top speed, and reducing the ability to properly trim the prop angle. Nauticus Smart Tabs ( the original automatic tabs) provide seven (7) actuator choices to match your boat size and HP, plus five (5) fine tuning adjustments to insure the best overall performance, ride and handling. Nauticus also sells a plate retractor kit (# PR500) which brings the trim plate up flush with the bottom of the boat when desired.
Your comments are confusing because you seem to be comparing smart tabs against Bennitt tabs? Bennitt makes both types. The auto trim pro gives you manual or auto leveling capability. The auto spring loaded cheapies are only going to help you get a better hole shot but will also eat more fuel.
So these are the smart tabs I was referring to: nauticusinc.com/products/smart-tabs/ and I wasn't referencing electric or hydraulic tabs. I've been in the marine sales industry and a guide for my entire life. I'm well aware of the difference in the two. I'm sorry if I confused you
This type of tabs must be extremely dangerous! When slowing down to cross a big wake produced by a shrimp boat or tug, the tabs lower which will cause the wake to swamp the bow and throw passengers toward the front. Bennett needs to video this scenario.
@@zash008 the tabs don't produce that much down force. It's not like a hydraulic tab system. I live on Mobile Bay and I dont believe that I have ever heard of this scenario playing out
@@LostAngler I fish next door out of Pascagoula. Heading out using the ship channel toward Petit Bois and Horn, passing the pogey boat or a shrimp boat heading toward Ingall's or Chevron. At some point you must turn to cross these big wakes, come to a complete stop, or stay the course and the wakes take you from broad side....slowing down to cross straight into the wake is the best maneuver which will cause these type of tabs to possibly lower which is NOT a desired or safe result. Now, you say above you don't think the tabs have that kinda force or pressure. Why didn't you just say that in the first response? I haven't experienced or purchased these type of tabs first hand because this scenario made me concerned. Now that you say they don't have that kind of pressure will help others make the right choice for them if they think of the same scenario that kept me from buying them. I purchased the Bennett Bolt tabs already but have not installed them yet. I think this year tho I will start fishing out of Dauphin Island. It seems to be the same distance from my house. Thanks for clearing this question up! So others can make more informed decisions
@@zash008 No worries, sometimes leaving or responding to comments, things get lost in translation as it were. When the boat is on plane the tabs are up and really don't affect the boat as much you might think. I think they are a great addition for a boat that does not run on a pad.
