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Random Quote: This is the most fun I ever had with my clothes on.
CMC is cheaper, does not require a seperate pump location/installation, and generally considered very sturdy.
Bob's is more popular, faster, gives more lift, sturdy, and has less weight hanging on the transom. I would suspect it is more durable because the pump is located inside the boat, ... but that is just supposition on my part.
Personally if I have the room for the seperate pump I would go with Bob's, if not CMC.
If you have room in your boat for the hydraulic pump assembly of the Bob's and if you can spend the extra $, go with the Bob's, you will never regret it
__________________ Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once
2004 Boston Whaler 270 Outrage
Twin 225 Opimax
2006 Coastal Bay 2310 by Action Craft
225 Optimax SW
JP.... If you're looking to add one to your Kenner I don't know where you would put the pump. I have the Cook's unit and love it, 6" setback and 6" lift (best I remember) Best price going is from Cabelas click here for info
We did this Bobs Jack Plate*on a 22 Whaler. Works great. Good company to deal with except for cash up-front only. No credit cards.*Not sure why they do that.*
We went with it because the pump can be remotely mounted. The supplied hose's were way*to short (but we knew that)*because we installed the pump inside at*the helm station. We*sell and crimp hydraulic hoses here so its not that big of deal.
Not sure if I would go with the LED height gauge again. When I was sea trialing it I always found my self looking back at the engine to see the engine*height. The gauge unless its angled right at the driver's eyes*is hard to see.
I heard good things about CMC too, but we liked the remote pump so we went*with Bob's.
SIM
__________________ Andy Munao Our new parts site: www.simyamaha.com Yamaha Outboard Sales, Parts and Service 1-800-213-3323 parts@shipyardisland.com Click the logo to see our THT Vendor Forum
There is no comparison between a Bob's and a CMC. Yes, they both raise the motor but the Bob's is a far superior product. First and foremost, a Bob's is substantially faster than a CMC. Bob's are easier and cheaper to repair in the unlikely event it has a problem - I have seen many CMC's that are either completely broken or don't operate as well as they used to. I have NEVER seen a Bob's break and if one did, the typical fix would be to replace the pump which is only ~$125. A CMC pump costs more and is not as easy to just "fix" since it sits in the water. I dunno about you, but I prefer to keep pumps and such out of the water as much as possible.
I could go on, but I can sum up by saying this..
Most boats that run in the shallow bays of Texas are running a Jack Plate and the Bob's is the one that people either already have, or that they are are going to get.. Of all of my friends that have CMC's, all wish they had a Bob's and I am not advertising for them either. I actually almost bought a CMC myself because many of my friends had them, but after talking to them, they all said to go with a Bob's. Out of those 5 or 6 folks with CMC's, 2 were broken and 1 was on its last leg. Compare that to EVERYONE else that had a Bob's recommended it and EVERY ONE still worked great.
Now that I've had a Bob's for close to 2 years, I understand why... Go Bob's and never look back!
__________________ - Chris
Guess What?? I got a Fever.. And the only prescription is.. MORE COWBELL!
-2011 Blue Wave 2400 Pure Bay / Yamaha F300 4.2 with Command Link Plus
-2003 Sea Fox 195 Bayfisher - Mercury 125 Saltwater Classic (Sold)
-1994 Wellcraft V-20 Step Lift (Sold)
I have had 2 Bob's on a cat for ~5 years. I chose Bob's because of the separate pump, the construction of the frame, the additional inch height you get in the setback, and an additional inch of travel. It is durable and works well (no problem with either one). I don't really go that shallow fishing the Galveston Bay complex but there are places where I can get into by jacking up the motors on plane and going over a shallow flat. I just can't jump out of an extremely shallow spot, but will raise the motors to max height, and idle out if the boat floats (so far I haven't stopped anywhere less than the draft of the cat). Also going offshore, if it is smooth, I'll raise the motors for max performance, while if it gets rough I can drop the props to get a good bite.
I have a CMC on an 18 flats boat that is IN the water( no lift) 7 mos a year. On my 4th year no major probs w/ unit and is holding up great( saltwater only).
Traverse speed of a jackplate should not be too fast for high speed driving just like the trim range on your tilt & trim. You can miss the sweet spot. Most racers prefer 20-30 inches per minute of stroke speed.
Bob's jackplate has a fundamental flaw in it's design. As it is raised less of the plate is engaged in it's slot. This increases the leverage that the motor has on the plate. There have been several serious failures with Bob's where the plate and motor detached while underway or trailering. This is not a problem with the Detwieler or CMC designs. They have the same strength at any position.
CMC, 3 years NO issues, half the time in salt. 198 DLX Carolina Skiff.
__________________ Ron
We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to
visit violence on those who would harm us." George Orwell
I have a CMC on an 18 flats boat that is IN the water( no lift) 7 mos a year. On my 4th year no major probs w/ unit and is holding up great( saltwater only).
Ditto ........... I've had mine 6 years , live on the water, and run it shallow a lot. No problems is all I can ask for. Nothing against Bob's, never had one.
Check out the TH Marine Hydro Jacker that is 5/8"thick anodized aluminum and happens to be a One Piece jackplate configuration and Bob's is not. This is a much sturdier Jackplate and is Patented. Bob's was supposed to be working on a one piece Jackplate when I spoke to them some months back, but I don't believe it is finished yet. Go to TH Marine's website and check it out. The motor is electric and made out of composite material just like all of the newer Tilt/Trims on todays 4 stroke engines.
I have a Detweiller (sp) on my flats boat. Put it on there about 7 years ago and it's pretty cool. Uses the same pump as K-tabs. I installed the pump in the center console and had long hoses made for it. What I really like about this jack plate is the adjustment knob. It's just a twist knob with marks. You just twist the knob to where you want it and in a few seconds the plate is where you want it. You don't have to keep pushing a button or anything.
CMC vs. Bob's jackplate 
