Capt.Canuck Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 I just purchased a Lund 1810 Predator with a 125hp Merc Optimax. This is my first boat with a console, and in my first drive of it today I found the steering quite heavy. Granted we were in choppy conditions on big water, but steering the boat seemed a lot more work than I expected. The marina I purchased the boat from said that they would put in hydraulic steering if I wanted it, but encouraged me to own and drive the boat for a while first before making that decision. My preference would be to just go ahead and get it now, but would I regret that later? I'd appreciate some input. TIA.
Pigeontroller Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 Sounds like an honest dealer...I have no opinion as I've never used Hydraulic steering.
Nipfisher Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 If it is brand new then it may loosen up a bit with use. Generally when using a boat I never have to turn the wheel more then a 1/4 turn. No real need to crank it all around unless you are docking it.
fish_fishburn Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 What year is the boat and motor? If its more then 5 yrs the cables could be seizing up and making it more difficult to steer. Just get new cables installed and you will be fine. And save yourself about a grand doing it. I run a 175 and just put new cables on and it is so much better now.
Capt.Canuck Posted September 1, 2011 Author Report Posted September 1, 2011 What year is the boat and motor? If its more then 5 yrs the cables could be seizing up and making it more difficult to steer. Just get new cables installed and you will be fine. And save yourself about a grand doing it. I run a 175 and just put new cables on and it is so much better now. The boat is brand new. It may just have been the conditions - it was quite windy and 3 ft swells. I just don't know the difference I guess, as it is my first console boat.
Live2fish85 Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 (edited) Have you played with the trim? I know my friend had his down all the way and when I was driving it, it felt stiff. Then I raised it abit and it was fine and got 5mph more out of it. Edited September 1, 2011 by Live2fish85
hirk Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 Hydro steering is nice, you can let go of the wheel when running and it eliminates wheel torque but a properly setup boat with cable will have lttle to none unless trmmed way up.
DRIFTER_016 Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 Ask the dealer what helm is installed in the boat. It could be a No Feedback cable steering system. If it is it has a clutch which eliminates the torque from the engine feeding back to the steering wheel. It also locks the steering when you aren't actively steering. This is great when tending lines and riggers when trolling. If it is not a NFB system you likely didn't have the engine trimmed properly. Start with the engine trimmed down and as you get on plane start to trim up until the steering starts to feel more responsive. Best to do this with what ever system is in the boat as it takes pressure off the steering points of the motor. I generally rock the steering back and forth between 11 and 1 o'clock while trimming up. You will feel the difference as the motor hits it's sweet spot. Stop trimming at this point. When running in snotty weather it is fine to keep the motor trimmed down a bit to plant the front of the boat (keep it from bouncing in the waves while running) Hydrolic helms are quite a bit more expensive and can easily be hooked into auto pilot systems and can handle bigger engines with more hp.
Lungelarry Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 I have a few friends with 250 hp on bass boats and its a charm to drive with the hydro steering. I have no hydro on my 150 and its alot harder to steer.(brand new cables).Now you with 125 hp, its your choice,personally I love the hydro.
lew Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 I'm thinking the heavy steering may possibly be caused by the trim tab on your motor needing some adjustment. It's a small fin that hangs down just above the prop and can be adjusted either direction to relieve the torque you feel thru the steering wheel. Loosen the nut and adjust the angle of the fin a SMALL bit, then tighten it and go for a test run. You'll probably need to adjust it several times till you get it right, but if that's the problem you'll notice a big difference in how the boat steers. It's been about 10 years since I've had to adjust one and honestly can't remember which way to go, but it seems to me you turn the fin in the same direction you need to turn the steering wheel to fight the torque....I think. As for hydraulic steering, it's excellent. I've got it on my 150 Yamaha and am very impressed with how easy it is to steer and as mentioned above, there is absolutely no torque at all, no matter how fast your going and is very similar to steering your car.
Terry Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 Hydraulic Steering so if you have a kicker motor do you need the key turned on, on the big motor so the hydraulic steering motor is powered..? and how hard is it on the battery when big motors is not running charging eveything
John Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 I personally like my steering a tad heavier. I have NFB system on my Princecraft and as Dave says once trimmed properly it gets much lighter.
mattp33 Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 I had s similar problem on a family boat that was brand new. That boat had a grease nipple on the steering cable at the motor. A couple pumps of grease and that took care of that. it seems that there was a lack of lubrication at the factory, when I asked the marina, thats what they told me to do
DRIFTER_016 Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 Hydraulic Steering so if you have a kicker motor do you need the key turned on, on the big motor so the hydraulic steering motor is powered..? and how hard is it on the battery when big motors is not running charging eveything No, the hydrolic pump is manual. Turning the wheel forces the fluid down the lines. Not really any different than a hydrolic floor jack or the flaps on a Beaver or Otter float plane (That ones fer you Irish )
aplumma Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 I installed hydraulic steering on my 1989 150hp ranger and it works very well. The unit that they put in will most likely be non assisted hydraulic which means the steering column is the pump. You do not need the motor running to use it. The disadvantage of the hydraulic systems are they have 4-6 turns lock to lock compared to a cable of 2-3. The bleeding process is critical just like the brake system and is as easy as a brake system to bleed. The replacement of cables in a finished hull usually requires the removal of the motor to get the cables out and back into the ram sleeve if they switch to hydraulic then it is a matter of just cutting the old cables out and feeding the 3/8 inch tube thru the passage. The ram assy bolts to the motor and the helm pump fits in the place of the pinion system. I have found it is a lot easier with the hydraulic system to make turns and you have zero countersteer. Art
Dutch Posted September 1, 2011 Report Posted September 1, 2011 My bet is that the heavy steering is caused by the fact you were at speed and not trimmed up enough. My boat has hyd. steering and when I am anywhere over 3500 rpm's and fully trimmed down it is a bear to steer, even with the hyd. steering. Get up on plane and start to trim up as you gain speed until the steering loosens up. You just need more seat time in the boat until you get used to it.
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