Hamby's keel protectors question

[Bill P]

Hi guy's I haven't been on this board for a while, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. I want peoples opinions, that actually own different brands. Are Hambys keel protectors worth the extra money, over the self installed brands? Also, what about the tech 5 keel guards? I can get a decent price, for a hambys, but it's still triple the price of the "keel shield" ,or the "keel guard" brands, seen in BPS catalogs. Any, and all opinions wanted. Thanks.

 

[Michael Snow]

YOU can't install a Hamby's (except the "light" version). There's so much that goes into the installation. I've READ good things about Tech 5, but again, it's not a self-install. The big difference is the weight of the material and the adhesives used. What I've read from others on the self-installs that you can get at BPS is that they usually don't last. The reason is the installation process, not the product. You're paying for installation on a Hamby's or Tech 5. They use equipment to install them that you simply don't have.

 

[Michael Snow]

On 12/3, EdW asked a question about options (currently on page 2). If you read through that thread, you'll see where I got most of the above info. For some reason, I was thinking it was on another board.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Here in Missouri, where we have an abundance of shallow, rocky Ozark streams, many people put kevlar keel protectors on their canoes.....



When I bought my Old Town about ten years ago, I had asked about installing one immediately. The owner of the store where I bought it suggested that I wait until I had scratched up the keel a bit..... He said that the adhesives work best if the surface area is roughed up and that the keel protectors would often come loose if applied to a smooth surface.



I've never looked at the instructions for any of the keel protectors for bass boats..... I assume that the materials, adhesives and installation proceedures are relatively the same..... Do they recommend roughing up the surface?



me!