I am thinking about getting a jackplate for my 04' 185 Ranger w/150 merc. My questions are:
Is the money worth the performance?
How much more speed may my rig get? I do about 55 on GPS now
Manual or hydro?
What brand is the best?
How much should the setback be? reason(s)
Will it cause the boat to porpus since smaller boat?
**What other pro's vs. con's should I be aware of?
any info would help me decide weather or not I will spend the money on a jackplate, so I am ready to hear from all
Get a manual 10" plate. That will get you the most performance for the $$. Hydrolic is sweet for shallow water, but set the jack place where you want it and go!
If you want something in-between a manual & Hydro plate check out Rapid-Jack. They sell them in all different set-backs. The nice thing is that they can be adjusted on the water vs on the trailer like most other manual plates are. They have an audible "click" that you hear that lets you know your moving up or down 1/4 inch at a time. They will also powder-coat them to match your motor or boat. Good Luck!!!!
If you want something in-between a manual & Hydro plate check out Rapid-Jack. They sell them in all different set-backs. The nice thing is that they can be adjusted on the water vs on the trailer like most other manual plates are. They have an audible "click" that you hear that lets you know your moving up or down 1/4 inch at a time. They will also powder-coat them to match your motor or boat. Good Luck!!!!
I have a 2004 185VS with a merc 175. I was getting about 63 MPh on the GPS with the stock set up. I bought a detwiller 6" manual jackplate and with the setup approx. 3" below the pad I get 67.6 MPH on the GPS now. I can say that a jackplate makes a big difference. The boat gets tons of lift now. I would get a manual jackplate with a 6" setback for a 185 because it already has a setback built in. No need to spend tons of money on a hydraulic plate. The brand is not all that important but I do like the detwiller because of the black anodized finish and the ease to adjust (1 bolt). With the 150 you will probably get at least 3 to 5 mph improvement. If you have any questions, send me a pm and I will try and help. I am very happy with the jackplate purchase.
Call boatmasters in Dublin and ask them their opinion.
Guys I talk to run a 6" on larger Rangers and a 10" on smaller Rangers. Take a look at your next tournament. Maybe things are different in So Cal, but on the delta that extra length helps. Like I said, call an expert which I am not one. good luck!
Whats a matter, you dont trust the 185vs frog? 6" jackplate is enough for the 185. Call ranger direct or any ranger dealer, they will tell you the same. I already did the homework.
I was in your position back in 02 when I was debating installing a jackplate on my 520. I did end up getting one installed at C & C marine.
Performance increase will depend on the hull and motor. Like 185vsfrog stated, he gained quite an increase in speed. I on the other hand, didn't get as much as he. Overal performance andl handling did increase with a lot of bow lift.
Between manual and hydraulic, it depends on a few things. I personally went with a hydraulic for two main reasons. The first is because I fish a lot of skinny water on the delta, in areas like Big Break and Sherman Lake. When the tide is low, it's possible to get a big boat like the 520 up on pad by jacking up the jackplate to it's maximum. Bringing the motor height up that high allows the boat to get on pad in a shoter distance. While under way, I jack the motor back down so I don't lose water pressure. The second reason why I chose hydraulic was the ability to raise and lower motor hight while under power for specific driving conditions. For instance, a heavy load or when the waves/rollers are big. I can change the height for the best comfortable ride.
The big downside of going hydraulic is the cost. Also, depending on what model you decide on, a hydraulic will require additional space to install the hydraulic motor. Some models build the motor right on the jack plate so space isn't a concern.
The downside of going manual is it will require a lot of seat time with adjustments to motor height. You'll have to compromise on the best "all around" height. Your boat will perform better/worse depending on water conditions and boat load. Either way, you can't adjust the motor height like a hydraulic for optimum performance.
Ranger boats uses Bob's Jackplates for all it's OEM installations. That is the brand that I personally used. I would call Ranger direct and ask their lead installer what he suggests. For the 520, a 6" jackplate was the model of choice. I notice on the new Z20's that a 10" is best. Every hull is different.
check out the detwiller, very nice products, you can install your self, You can addjust the detwiller right on the water, with one wrench, they warn against addjusting while running but I think you could
I believe your warranty would be void if you put more than a 6" plate on that boat. Like 185 said, you should expect a few MPH increase and better lift.
You may also want to look into a different prop to get max performance out of your boat.
I run the same boat down here in Texas; except I have the 175 HPDI and I get 63 MPH. I want to add a 6" plate and a 25 pitch tempest to add a few MPH.
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