Best Sea Strainers
 

Whats the difference between a Marine Machine seastrainer and a Hardin? I am having Doller Offshore install one on my 27 power quest. Need it to be able to filter sand and any other garbage.

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

The Marine Machine sea strainers is a better quaility compared to the Hardin.I have had both.

But does MM make a sand strainer?

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

These are nice. Latham Marine.

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

:d

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

I like the Hardin Design just as well as the Marine Machine. You can get a cooler built into the Hardin as well.

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

In an attempt to explain just some simple features we will clarify from here. Marine Machine makes an excellent part and we distribute both product lines. The difference is simple just features. I would like to clarify what the hardin marine "Swirl-away" unit offers that is different from the Marine machine unit. The Hardin marine sea strainer offers simple one hand operation there is no additional wrench to be used that will mar the finish common in the Marine Machine unit. Use of the sea strainer in less than perfect water conditions in a common mounting location usually mounted deep in the bilge. Imagine being in some what rough water leaning upside down over your back seat trying to remove a lid (A) with just one hand (B) or with a big wrench at a bad angle and commonly galled to the cans threads. Next, lets say you actually get the top loose the hardin lid lifts out with the handle as it is connected to it. The Marine Machine unit now requires you to take some sort of tool or object and pry the lid upward to get it to release. Now as you lift the Hardin lid up out of the way the o-ring is encapsulated and stays with the lid. the Marine Machine unit the lid is seperate and the o-ring falls somewhere in the bilge ?. Ok remember were still upside down over the back seat floating in the water in our boat. Ok lets take into consideration both lids are off and out of the way. The Hardin unit uses a cone shaped screen assembly this design provides 40% more filtering surface area and provides a direct contact patch to the water flow allowing the Hardin Unit to mulch and chew up the incoming debris. (Optional Dual screen available with two different sized filtering orifices) Why ? so that as you easily lift the screen from the sea strainer (oh yeah it has a rubber seal to contain debris) the debris stay in the screen you now merely turn it upside down over the edge of the boat and shake out the debris and rapidly replace it. The marine machine unit the screen is flat and fixed to the unit itself you will have to dig your hand in the sea strainer and scoop the debris out one handful at a time remember all the while you are upside down and trying to throw the debris out without slinging it on your custom painted or mirrored hatch. So i guess at the end of the day its all obout convenience. Both units are manufactured from 316L premium stainless steel and do an excellent job of protecting your cooling system. Neither offer a sand provision. I know that the units that are manufactured from aluminum have a 3M scotch brite pad installed in them but a discussion with Mike Livorsi confirmed that that design clogged rapidly and was eventually removed from all of there inventory. At this time Hardin manufactures a sand strainer it is designed for intercooler use (625-4620) . I have not seen anything yet that can supply enough water volume retain the sand and not risk rapid clogging and reduction in water flow. For more information on the Hardin Sea Strainers click here

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

This is a picture of the lid off of a brand new Marine Machine Sea Strainer.This unit was in a new 2007 39' MTI that had to be removed with channel locks and a pipe wrench. Unfortunately the dis-similar metals of the threaded aluminum top even though it was coated with anti-seize galled itself to the stainless steel can of the strainer. When they finally got the lid off the threads were destroyed. Enough said day ruined. While any part can fail this is a very common problem becuase of the threaded lid design.

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/2158/1000870vw4.jpg
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/3862/1000871qj0.jpg

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

I just purchased a set of strainers from TRICK (see post #4 above). Some advantages that I see are: One had operations, multiports, adjustable mounting bracket, sand filtration. Will be installing them this weekend and will advise. As always it is a pleaslure to do business with Fred.

Dail

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

stainless marine, excellant product, no sea strainer filters sand, you can put 3 lbs of weeds and still not clog it

Re: Best Sea Strainers
 

Okay, some of you guys are claiming sand filtration and some of you are NOT making that claim. Sand seems like it would be a pretty difficult thing to filtrate in a sea strainer and still maintain the proper volumn of water that an engine demands---but what do I know, I just kill bugs for a living. Anyway, I'd like to know the true skinny on this without being taken down the primrose path. Any of you weekend warriors out there that has experience with a sea strainer that actually/truly filtrates sand successfuly??? I'd really be interested in knowing.

The sea strainers I have now (Teauge??? not sure) are about 10-12" long and work well and are nice looking, easy to mount, however when you need to remove the lid it is a Major Pain in the Arss!!! The small lid/cover bolts require an allen wrench and these bolts each have an O-ring around the shank---and once you losen all the bolts and lift the lid the O-rings want to strip/fall even tear off all/most of the bolts---extremely frustating. I have lost some of the O-rings in the process. Not totally sure, but I think the sea strainers I have, have been discontinued. If it's for the reasons I stated above I can certainly see why.

I am not blaming the folks I bought them from, but I wished I would have done a little more in-depth research before I made my purchase. So, now I am on the hunt for 2 more user friendly sea stainers. And whether they filtrate sand or not they MUST BE USER FRIENDLY!!!

I kind of liked what CPP had to say about the Hardin sea strainer, but if anyone can get me close to what I have listed below, then please let me know and I will take a closer look, but here's what I am looking for...

1) QUICK, USER FRIENDLY, No tools for ease of maintenance/hand removable lid/cover and filter screen without parts falling all over and feeling like you need six hands
2) 8"-12" deep
3) Ease of installation/fit, adjustable bracket for mounting
4) Cone shaped filter
5) -8 fuel cooler option
6) -16 water fittings

Thanks all !!!