Smart Tabs - honestly ?

Tafflad

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
536
I have a Maxum 1800 SR3 with 4.3L Mercruiser, Alpha One drive.

Swapped standard prop to a High 5 .. giving better holeshot, but very bad bow rise, can only see sky !
Minimum planing speed is also quite high at 20mph.

My thought was to fit a Hydrofoil (Stingray XPII) ... but suggestion is that I double the spend and go for SMART Tabs.

I researched some of the posts here - and know there are fans of this product.

I guess I'm looking for help on the decision ...

Looking at Smart Tabs web site - the Smart Tab SX would seem the logical choice, how good are these compared to Smart tabs ?

Performance improvement for spend - are Smart Tabs at twice the price going to be twice as good as a Hydrofoil ?

Anybody any experience of use of these (and fitting them ) on a Maxum ?

Boat is used for skiing, tubing, kneebaording etc.
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

the SX is newer technology. they do a great job, good in salt water. they also stand 100% behind their product. i would never put a foil on a boat.
 

tmh

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Messages
1,136
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

I just had a part break on my Smart Tabs so i temporarily removed them - oh the horror of having that bow rise BACK!!!!!!

Not to worry, called Nauticus Inc. and the replacement parts are in the mail same day NO QUESTIONS ASKED, no charge. I even got the upgraded brackets free.

Smart Tabs will totally change your boat for the better! You have no idea how nice it is to always see the horizon and be on plane in just a few seconds.
 

wca_tim

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
1,708
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

honestly: different boat with them on. My 17 foot checkmate has a 383 in it making over 400 horsepower - without the tabs add a little trim and I can just about stand it on end. hydrofoil barely made any difference. With them on it handles chop like a 2 foot longer boat, planes out as low as 13-14 mph (without them it is coming plane right at about 15-16 so wants to go less than or step up over 20... sucks when pulling wakeboarders), and ALL of the mid range porpoise that the hull is known for (and did with the v-6 in it last year) is gone.

The sx series worked a little better than the stainless replacements I got from Nauticus, and I think if I still had the v-6 in it and was staying in the mid 50's they would have held up ok. I broke them both off skipping across 1 - 1 1/2 foot "chop" on the open river... They worked fine before that. Nauticus was great to deal with and replaced them free of charge.

If it's between the fin and the smartabs, I would say no comparison. Note that to try and get the boat planing better so we could wakeboard when waiting for the replacements (we were on vacation! but to nauticus credit, they got them out in a day and we had them in 3), I put a foil that I had laying around on to see if it would help. no comparison... barely made a difference on planing speed, bow rise and porpoising, but did take quite a bit off the top end.. If you instal them correctly, the tabs will be out of or barely touching the water when you're running all out...

Hope this is helpful

I should note that I was seriously considering a good set of helm-adjustables, but since my 13 year old daughter is learning to drive the boat, I tried the smartabs first so there wouldn't be yet another thing for her to worry about adjusting, etc... I was very pleasantly surprsised
 

Hitech

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
290
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

Just to add, they really do live up to their claims.
 

woodee148

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
178
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

Mine are getting installed on Friday and i hope to try them out saturday. I will let you know how they feel. This past weekend i had skiers behind the boat for the first time and I realized I need something better. for the experienced skier that could hold on long enough it ws fine. but for the new skier 8-9 seconds of snow plowing is a little tough. I realize my boat was not menat to be a ski boat but i never thought it would be this bad. I hope these smart tabs are miracle workers. I will let you know once I try them out
 

geezlouise

Cadet
Joined
Jun 28, 2008
Messages
11
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

I went with the stainless smart tabs...too many folks here talking about the plastic ones breaking. That said:

Bow Rise - Fixed...Completely!

Top Speed - Maybe one to two mph gain. No gps before and after, only speedo.

Ride improvement in rough water - Depends on adjustment. More downforce seems to improve the handling in chop, but causes other negative stuff like becoming super sensitive to load balance. Got to constantly ask people to move around to keep the boat level when running. Less downforce improves the balance issue but then there is a loss of ride quality in chop and more planing time.

Turning: I haven't noticed much difference with or without them.
 

craze1cars

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
1,822
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

You got some VERY good advice. Skip the foil and buy the tabs.

18 foot Rinker runnabout, 3.0L Mercruiser. Put smart tabs on about 2 to 3 years ago, after experimenting with a hydrofoil first and seeing little help from it.

Took the foil off, put on Smart Tabs, and found them to be at least 10 times better than a hydrofoil. And I am NOT exaggerating.

Single best improvement I have ever made on my boat. My 4 cylinder can now pop me out of the water on a slalom better (with 5 adults on board) than my buddies 19 foot V8 boat can with only 3 adults on board. (and yes, both are propped at the peak of their powerband) Why is mine better? Because the front end settles down and the boat planes out at a MUCH lower speed, to allow easier/faster accelleration.

Bow rise is now pretty much zero. And I can hold the boat on plane at 14 mph. Never could even come close to that in stock form, or with a hydrofoil.

My top speed gained about 1 mph max...pretty much stayed the same. Turning manners improved a bit, and cruising comfort in choppy water improved a little. But the single best improvement is in accelleration and planing speed. OUTSTANDING product for the money. Worth every penny. I'd urge you not to waste your time on a foil. In the end you'll take it off and just end up with an outdrive with 4 holes drilled in it like mine!

My tabs are the older stainless version. Trouble free thusfar.

ONE disadvantage, as I'm now becoming a wakeboarder. My wake has shrunk from what it used to be. I find it to be kind of a bummer that it's hard to get the boat to go slow enough to plow water like the good ol' days and create a nice big wake to jump...but then again this isn't a good wakeboard boat anywho so no big deal. For any other purpose than wakeboarding the smaller wake would be seen as an advantage.
 

bhammer

Ensign
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
963
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

I installed them on my boat a couple months ago after removing the foil. Couldn't be more impressed and I'd say it is one of the best investments made. I too have had an actuator bracket break. After calling them, had a couple UPSed to me so I could make it to the lake. They included a set of the old brakets and the newer style ones.

Dropped hole shot in half
Bow Rise was eliminated
Picked up 2.5 MPH via GPS
oh and my minimum plane speed was reduced by a couple mph as well.

The only difference is the wake off the back end. You can now see a jet/stream/wake off each tab at cruise speeds.
 

triumphrick

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
Messages
1,737
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

Ditto bhammer. Hole shot, top end and also eliminated a slight porpoise that I was getting right at a comfortable cruising rpm. I would run below or above a 300-400 rpm range to get the porpoiseing out.

Now, however the ride has changed completely.

An easy install and even better results than I was expecting.

I also used the SX series.
 

tcindie

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 31, 2008
Messages
76
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

These are the first thing I plan to add to my boat (which I am getting this weekend)...

Have any of you noticed the improved fuel efficiency they talk about? I mean it makes sense, if you get on plane quicker at a lower speed, you don't have to totally gun it, and can probably get by running lower average speeds which would in itself save fuel.. I can't really imagine any other way that would work out though.

At any rate, any comments to that?

I'm excited to get my (first) boat, and after reading about smart tabs, and watching demo videos I'm even more excited to get them on the boat -- even without having ever had the thing on the water yet! :)
 

Hitech

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
290
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

ONE disadvantage, as I'm now becoming a wakeboarder. My wake has shrunk from what it used to be.

They make a device that replaces the top bracket that will allow you to flip a lever and raise the tab up for it's not working. You will then have the wake back for wake boarding. Flip it back down for everything else. They were made to install the other way and lock the tabs down to use as brakes, but, straight from John, they can be used this way. :D
 

craze1cars

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
1,822
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

They make a device that replaces the top bracket that will allow you to flip a lever and raise the tab up for it's not working. You will then have the wake back for wake boarding. Flip it back down for everything else. They were made to install the other way and lock the tabs down to use as brakes, but, straight from John, they can be used this way. :D

Hmmmmm.....very, very intriguing. A freind and I were actually discussing the idea of rigging up some sort of pull cable with a hook above each tab so I could somehow manually lift them up and lock them in that position, for those very few times I don't want the tabs down and choose to plow water for wakeboarding. I had no idea they made something that might make this an option. Thank you! I'll probably contact them and consider this possibility!
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

They make a device that replaces the top bracket that will allow you to flip a lever and raise the tab up for it's not working. You will then have the wake back for wake boarding. Flip it back down for everything else. They were made to install the other way and lock the tabs down to use as brakes, but, straight from John, they can be used this way.
I love SmartTabs, but with that said, this alone is a good argument for helm adjustables . . . ;)
 

craze1cars

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
1,822
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

Absolutely. I agree electric tabs would be best of all worlds. But then I priced 'em. And I'm a cheap bastage.

Smart Tabs win the price war in my wallet!
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

Absolutely ^^^^
 

Hitech

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
290
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

A freind and I were actually discussing the idea of rigging up some sort of pull cable with a hook above each tab so I could somehow manually lift them up and lock them in that position, for those very few times I don't want the tabs down and choose to plow water for wakeboarding.

The suggest a small rope line and cleat. You need to visit their web site and look through the info there. The answer to your problem is there! :D
 

Don Dickinson

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 10, 2007
Messages
75
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

yup, get them, you can't go wrong. i put them on my 18' skeeter bass boat w/ 150 evinrude. i plane almost instantly, have no bow rise anymore, and i can actually run the boat at 10mph. all of these things are far better then before where it would take longer to get on plane with huge bow-rise and couldnt' really travel on plane at under 20mph or so.

-don
 

Tafflad

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
536
Re: Smart Tabs - honestly ?

yup, get them, you can't go wrong. i put them on my 18' skeeter bass boat w/ 150 evinrude. i plane almost instantly, have no bow rise anymore, and i can actually run the boat at 10mph. all of these things are far better then before where it would take longer to get on plane with huge bow-rise and couldnt' really travel on plane at under 20mph or so.

-don

sounds exactly like the symptoms I have ... just need to decide whether to get SSteel or the sx versions.
 
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