Cobra Jet vs. Thrust Vectors: Another perspective

[JDFester]

As there are already countless threads with opinions on which is better, etc., I will start this post with a consideration I haven't seen on here before, and then move on to my review/$0.02 opinion...

Something I haven't seen discussed in any of the threads is wear. I just bought a new-to-me 2013 AR-190, which came with the Thrust Vector XLs. At initial inspection, I noticed that they were missing a screw into one of the cross bars, and that they did not hang straight; the flat metal U bracket had some twist, and even the plastic fins appeared to have some slight warp. I insisted that the dealer repair them; all they did was add a screw (with no thread-lock; another reason I like to do things myself). They did not straighten anything. Long story short, it improved the handling a little (it was never bad, in my opinion), and I figured I'd fix it right after the season ends.



Meanwhile, I'm reading through as many threads as I can whenever I get the chance, and am intrigued with the Cobras. Enter the Labor Day sale, and I figure I'll give them a try; I get 30 days free after all! Emailed Jeff (@Cobra Jet Steering LLC) to ask which system to go with in my situation, and he responds within an hour with what and why, and I order the Ultimate system with fangs, and an EZ-Lock. As I wait for the USPS, I keep reading threads, and come across one where someone was replacing TVs and asked if there was anything they needed to know... Jeff responds that you need the original Stainless spacers that were removed when the TVs were installed; CRAP. I don't have those, being a used boat and all. Check my local dealers, fastest I can get them is 1 week, maybe faster online with ridiculous shipping, but I'm a cheapskate. On a whim, I emailed Jeff and asked if he happened to know the dimensions of the spacer so I could by them elsewhere. Again, he responds right away with the dimensions. I buy them local and have them that afternoon when my Cobras arrive in the mail!

Now on to the install, or so I thought. When I take the TVs off, the first thing I notice is the wear on the starboard standoff ... all the way through it to the threads under the reverse gate. Then I put the spacer in the hole in the reverse gate ... Uh oh. The mechanical engineer in me starts screaming "what idiot replaced a stainless bushing with Aluminum on Aluminum contact at a pivot point?!?" Still haven't figured that one out. Anyway, another email to Jeff asking options; do I need to replace the reverse gate at this point? 1.5mm of non-circular wear in the gate, and this thing isn't going to be right even back on the stainless spacer... upon his recommendation, I order larger diameter bushings and bore out the holes in the reverse gate to be true and circular again, and to match the larger bushings. Adds a day to my install, but no harm as I can't get to the lake until the weekend anyway.





Ok; I can only speak to my own experience here. I did not install the Thrust Vectors, so I cannot guarantee they were installed correctly, nor can I say how long the screw had been out, etc. I will say that the boat has higher hours than most on here: 495 now. Having the misalignment over time would contribute to the amount of wear to the section of the standoff under the fin, and therefore put slightly uneven force on the reverse gate contributing slightly to the wear on that. However, from an engineering perspective, replacing a stainless steel bearing surface with aluminum on aluminum friction was a TERRIBLE idea, and I am honestly surprised the damage wasn't worse.

That was a lot longer than I intended, but I wanted to get all of the info in there. Now, if you're interested in my opinion of the Cobras coming from the TVs, read on to the next post!

 

[JDFester]

Now on to the review!

As highlighted above, Jeff's service and responsiveness were phenomenal before and after the sale. If you've read any other posts regarding Cobra Jet Steering, you already knew that, but it can't be overstated. I haven't read any complaints regarding customer service from either company, but even going into the sale expecting the awesome service I've read about, I was impressed!

First reaction when I get the boat to the lake? WOW!!! I loved the boat before, but WOW!!! To begin with, I went to a different ramp than usual, which is a lot narrower than my usual. (Not intentional, just forgot how narrow it is; less than 1' on each side as you back down...) Oh well, guess I get to test that reverse response coming right off the trailer! And it went straight as an arrow. What the heck; I'll just back into a slip 90 degrees off from the ramp (a maneuver I wouldn't attempt in my previous stern drive). Boom! Not sure I could have done better in a john boat with a trolling motor! I've had this boat less than a month, and never had any problems with control at the dock, with the old system, but wouldn't have attempted such a close proximity backing corner except I wanted to find the limit of responsiveness... haven't found it yet!

Park the truck, load up the family, and head out. First chance to see how the Cobra Jet Ultimates work in one of the situations I wanted to address: a long, narrow no-wake channel. With the damaged/misaligned TVs, I could not hold a straight line, and figured if DNR saw me I'd be breathing in a tube. (I am NOT blaming the TVs, I knew they were damaged and not performing like they should. Repaired and properly aligned, I have no doubt they would have performed this task flawlessly. With their increased surface area, I expect they would do even more to keep the boat straight than the cobras) Boat went straight as an arrow, even with hands off the wheel. Quick, agile steering response even with very little thrust (first detent in fwd, no throttle or no-wake-mode throttle). Issue #1: solved!

End of channel, on to open water: time to test issue number 2. I told Jeff I was interested in faster planing, as I have a little guy who was initially scared to "go fast" on the tube, and who now brings his friends along who have the same fear. We'd start off slow and gradually increase speed as the kids got comfortable. However, the jets kinda suck until they get on plane, and with no ability to adjust trim/attitude of boat in water, the in-boat passengers didn't like the ride, and the 6'4" captain had trouble seeing over the bow passengers heads, even standing up, until we got to about 10-12mph and planed out. Well, when I gave the boat throttle, the difference was astounding! Didn't test with a stopwatch, but it felt liked it planed in half the time. I found this a bit surprising, as the Cobra Jet website mentions that the Vipers plane faster, but didn't make that claim for the Ultimates, and they don't have near the horizontal surface area of the Vipers. Anyway, Issue #2: Solved!

So, given the above, why go with the Ultimates over the Vipers? My family loves "exploring" up the rivers that feed our lake. They are fairly narrow and shallow, and not all that clear in places, with some rocks and submerged stumps that used to scare the poo out of me with the old stern drive. We generally just go up at idle speed anyway, as we like checking out the scenery; old abandoned buildings and forgotten areas that aren't accessible except via the river anymore. Jeff recommended the Ultimates with their spring loading and greater influence at low speed for this situation. Haven't had a chance to run up the rivers yet, but thought I'd throw that detail in, anyway. I'll revisit with my experience on the river once we get the chance!

Before I got to try planing with a tube behind me, I got an extra, unexpected chance to test the low speed handling, this time on open water with some chop. We were meeting some friends a few miles up the lake who had just put a new engine in their boat and were taking their kids out for the afternoon. We get up to that area and spot their boat: dead in the water a half mile from the ramp. So, got my second opportunity to "pay it forward" with a tow in this boat; first with the Cobras. Unfortunately, this is the "busy" end of the lake, and even though its late in the season, there were still plenty of jerks who don't slow down or swing wide around a boat-in-tow. I really appreciated the improved slow-speed response for the next few minutes!!!

Once we got them back to their ramp and their boat trailered up, we invited them to hang with us for the afternoon. This loaded us to person capacity at 8, with 3 of them kids, but this was the first time with more than 4 on the boat. Really gave me an appreciation of the seating layout in these Yamahas, but I digress. Due to the crowd, I wasn't going to break out the tube, but then they told me their kids (2 & 3) had been so excited that their boat was fixed and they'd finally get to try out tubing for the first time. So, we got out the tube, and my 7 year old offered to ride with them and "keep them safe". Needless to say, we got to try out the slow starts with a tube, and I must say, I was impressed! No where near the bow rise we had before, and the slow handling and ride quality as they gained confidence was everything I had hoped for!

Finally, the other feature so many talk about is the "power steering effect." This was honestly not a concern or consideration for me. This is my first jet drive, and first boat that wasn't at least 20 years old when I bought it, so it handled FAR better than I expected, given the numerous complaints I had heard about jet boats, and I had no complaints whatsoever about the at-speed steering before. But that said, WOW! It was the same feeling as I got when I learned to carve rather than snowplow when downhill skiing. It was good before, but this is a whole new world of fun and control!

Well, this turned into more of a novel than a quick review, but I'll close it off by saying I could not be happier with the Cobra Jet Ultimate Steering System, Mega Fangs, or Jeff's AWESOME customer service. The systems do everything he claims, and then some. He promised I'd feel like I had a new boat, and I thought, "I just bought a new boat, how much difference can it really make?" Well, now I know!

 

[JDFester]

Another quick comparison between the two systems is how far they hang from the boat. In the water, I would guess deeper=more influence, but I was a little worried about how low the TV's hang while on the trailer. It actually scraped the parking lot leaving the dealership (maybe the original source of the missing screw/bent tab? who knows...). I haven't seen it elsewhere on these forums, so I thought I'd post a photo of the two fins, side-by-side. If you have potential ground clearance issues on your route to the water, it could be a consideration...

 

[Trevor Shipman]

I had the same experience between the Vectors and the Cobra’s. Cobra’s all the way.

 

[swatski]

I'll close it off by saying I could not be happier with the Cobra Jet Ultimate Steering System, Mega Fangs, or Jeff's AWESOME customer service.

That was exactly my impression, too, when I had the 190 w/the Ultimates, regular fangs though not mega - the only difference.
Also - made a bigger difference than I thought possible in water sports/towing.

--

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Thank you for the review. Added to all the other comparison reviews it should be a fairly easy decision when deciding what system you want to go with.
Once again people get the straight information from customers.
Remember if you want to know something about my systems just ask me , If you want to know what systems are compatible with other systems just ask if you want to know what system is best for your boat and boating situation just ask . I have been doing this longer than any one else and I do it myself hands on everything about this it is what I do.
You can always confirm what I tell you by checking with people who use the systems and hopefully people will continue adding their steering choice onto their profile , so if you desire more steering influence with less obstruction and so many more features and benefits than just slow speed assistance.
If you really want low pricing ,a money back guarantee and personalized customer support with straight answers with no B/S .
You may want to take advantage of my members only sale because it is rapidly coming to a close.
Just remember I have been making Jet Propelled watercraft steer systems that make jet boat owners smile since 2001

 

[Jameson Clark]

Add me to the list of incredibly pleased Cobra customers!

If there is ever anyone in my area considering buying the Cobras but isn't sure, shoot me a message and I'll happily meet you at a local lake and let you drive and feel the difference they made!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Thank you, Just an update as most of you know the nozzles and reverse gates are now different than they were prior to 2019 I am currently working on the modifications for the new 2019 setups. I tried ordering a new nozzle and reverse gate but still waiting on availability I also took numerous pictures and measurements from the local dealers inventory to assist in my efforts to make the systems compatible. I do have a waiting list for people who just ordered or took delivery of their new boats. I do not see any real challenge other than obtaining the new nozzle and reverse parts to match the systems to them. If someone here in Pinellas County Fl. has a new 2019 Yamaha jet boat and would like to help out in the mean time please look me up . I plan on doing the Magnum A K system first, a followed by a 4th version of the viper and then the ultimate AK and ultimate single engine system for these models.

 

[Dwolfcoach]

Thank you for the review. Added to all the other comparison reviews it should be a fairly easy decision when deciding what system you want to go with.
Once again people get the straight information from customers.
Remember if you want to know something about my systems just ask me , If you want to know what systems are compatible with other systems just ask if you want to know what system is best for your boat and boating situation just ask . I have been doing this longer than any one else and I do it myself hands on everything about this it is what I do.
You can always confirm what I tell you by checking with people who use the systems and hopefully people will continue adding their steering choice onto their profile , so if you desire more steering influence with less obstruction and so many more features and benefits than just slow speed assistance.
If you really want low pricing ,a money back guarantee and personalized customer support with straight answers with no B/S .
You may want to take advantage of my members only sale because it is rapidly coming to a close.
Just remember I have been making Jet Propelled watercraft steer systems that make jet boat owners smile since 2001

Trying to order, lmk how.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

email me jeff@cobrajetsteering.com I can handle it for you I just checked and the site is down for some reason I let them know but I can still handle it personally for you

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

site is back up