280 vs 380 Mercury K-Planes
08-19-2015, 11:18 AM
#11
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They are interchangeable but there are several versions. Std planes, racing planes & you must know whether you require the bosses in order to mount the digital trim indicators (for use w/ Mercury Vessel View)
08-19-2015, 11:44 AM
#12
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My boat did not have trim tabs when I bought it. The reason I wonder if I should have went with the 380's because isn't bigger always better? Lol
08-19-2015, 12:27 PM
#13
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08-19-2015, 12:30 PM
#14
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I upgraded from 280's to 380's on my 34' CC & I was able to swap my 15hr 280's EVEN for a BRAND NEW pr of 380's (we just swapped the bottom plane plates). The original owner of the 380's was planning an upgrade to his renovated Vee when he ultimately realized that the 380's would interfere w/ his outdrives. So that's the 1st thing to consider.
Personally I think that the 380's are both more efficient & effective. A short 280 has to has to be lowered further in order to provided the same lift a 380 can. The 280 ends up dug into the water & scrubs off more speed. Yes you have to pay more attn as to how much tab you apply w/ the 380's b/c they'll respond quicker but I don't think they are dangerous. After my swap / install I set them at what I measured to be 0 or level w/ the hull bottom. I had someone else run my boat up to 50mph & another hold my ankles while I looked over the transom. As suspected the planes were gliding right on the waters surface w/ no angle ultimately providing additional stability as if my boats hull surface was another 30" longer.
Obviously the the conditions you boat in, the boat size, style, weight & how you boat all play into this decision.
Just my $02.
Personally I think that the 380's are both more efficient & effective. A short 280 has to has to be lowered further in order to provided the same lift a 380 can. The 280 ends up dug into the water & scrubs off more speed. Yes you have to pay more attn as to how much tab you apply w/ the 380's b/c they'll respond quicker but I don't think they are dangerous. After my swap / install I set them at what I measured to be 0 or level w/ the hull bottom. I had someone else run my boat up to 50mph & another hold my ankles while I looked over the transom. As suspected the planes were gliding right on the waters surface w/ no angle ultimately providing additional stability as if my boats hull surface was another 30" longer.
Obviously the the conditions you boat in, the boat size, style, weight & how you boat all play into this decision.
Just my $02.
08-19-2015, 12:47 PM
#15
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I put a set of 380's on my old 24 outlaw to replace a set of lencos. I loved the 380's. They absolutely made the boat ride better in rough water, and made it much more stable when running fast. The boat ran into the 90's on GPS and just dropping a little tab settled it right down. I would wothout question go to 380's. I never found any downsides at all to them even on a little 24' boat.
Last edited by wfo1; 08-19-2015 at 12:49 PM.
08-19-2015, 01:01 PM
#16
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I think you may have a clearance issue unless your drives are set closer together like a lot of the faster offshore boats. I've seen some have a notch cut out for those who wanted to stick with them who did have that problem. I don't think your gaining anything with the 380's in your application.
08-19-2015, 08:51 PM
#18
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If bigger is better, why don't we all have 6 foot of trim tabs hanging out back? What is the largest tab you can reasonably fit and why? I understand the basic principles of tabs but at what point does size become impractical or not feasible with the dynamics of running a boat.
@ NASCAT, I'd love to see a photo of you hanging over the back at 50 with someone holding you by your ankles. lol.....
RR
@ NASCAT, I'd love to see a photo of you hanging over the back at 50 with someone holding you by your ankles. lol.....
RR
08-19-2015, 10:22 PM
#19
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Unfortunately only 3 on board at the time, driver, anchor man & me the daredevil which left us w/o a photographer. A color would have yielded us the view we sought but we didn't have one handy so we impovised.
08-19-2015, 11:50 PM
#20
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I have always heard the same advice if all possible put the biggest tab on as possible and bigger is always better. I would have to agree with Pez Man about not in all cases as too big is not always better. Some boats, shorter hulls with extremely large tabs, the hull can get pulled downward when or if one of the tabs goes underwater at speed. IMO depending on the hull and placement of the tabs is very important more so and not to go too small with tab size or in some cases not to go with way oversized tabs. .FWIW
