Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

[dingbat]

The most efficient trim changes on a daily basis and is typically set by feel so setting the trim to position X wouldn?t necessarily mean much tomorrow.

On top of it I've never seen a gauge with enough resolution to make them useful. You can trim up and down an inch or two and the needle barely moves.

What do you say?

I have one and can?t tell you without going out to look if it even still works

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

something else to break and aggravate you. i know by the feel of my boat where my trim is. as is a tach.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

Ayuh,...

The Best trim gauge is the Seat of your Pants....

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

If you can't see the engine then it has some usefulness. Otherwise it is merely decoration since as you say, trim changes depending on lots of things.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

I don't pay much attention to the guage when the boat is in motion. I go by sound. However I do use the guage in shallow water and to make sure the outdrive is up or down at the boat launch. Also when the boat is parked for a week or more I put the outdrive down. So the guage does serve a purpose for me. My problem is I can't see the outdrive on land because of the swim platform so I either have someone watch it for me as I lower it if anyone is around or I get in and out of the boat a couple times. That can be a pain.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

They're pretty much equivelent to a speedometer and a tachometer. Nice to have but not necessary. Pretty easy to judge speed by feel and RPM by sound. Lots of boats out there without any of them (speedo, tach or trim gauge).

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

If you are a gauge guy, actually look at them frequently, and understand what they are telling you, then a water pressure gauge, water temp or cylinder head temp gauge, tachometer, voltmeter, and fuel gauge are the gauges of choice. They actually provide meaningful information that can save you an engine rebuild and the tach can help you determine the proper engine/prop setup.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

I replaced my outboard's trim gauge with a water pressure guage, for all the reasons cited.

Even on my old sterndrive, I found the feel of the boat told me the trim of the drive. In shallow water you can listen to the sound of the motor throwing water up into the air, and know what the trim of the OD is.

 

[jlinder]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

I don't use it for checking trim but for knowing roughly where the drive is positioned. I also have a swim platform and can't see where the drive is. When in the driveway (yes, keep it down to avoid storage with the boot stretched) or launching I want to have some idea where it is.

 

[chicknwing]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

They fill a hole in the dash and nothing more. I judge my trim by how my motor sounds and how my boat is moving through the water.

TC

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

Don't have a trim gauge and don't miss it.

But I'm curious why some don't feel a tach is useful? I may not watch it constantly, but it is helpful to know what rpm your motor is set up for.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

Don't have a trim gauge and don't miss it.

But I'm curious why some don't feel a tach is useful? I may not watch it constantly, but it is helpful to know what rpm your motor is set up for.

People with outboard motors don't need a a trim guage. Only with I/O's

 

[boat1010]

Re: Trim gauges. Are they practical or just fill a hole in the dash?

Like most have said, they don't use it a lot. I like to have it working so when my kids use the boat I have told them to make sure it is all the way down when starting and up when coming into the beach. When they get a little more experance they won't use it much either..