Bennett BOLT 12x12 Electric Trim Tab System (No Switch)

The Bennett BOLT 12x12 Electric Trim Tab System is Bennett Marine's modern electric trim tab solution for 17-28 foot trailered boats - a complete tab kit with two 12 inch by 12 inch tab plates, two electric actuators, hardware, and wiring, requiring a separate control switch (sold separately) to operate. Bennett Marine invented the electric trim tab in 1960 and has been the standard reference brand for trim tabs in marine applications ever since.

What trim tabs actually do for your boat. Trim tabs are small adjustable horizontal plates that mount at the rear of your hull (one on each side, port and starboard) just above the waterline. When you tilt them down via the dash switch, water pressure on the angled tab pushes the stern up, which trims the boat's running attitude: the bow drops, the boat sits flatter on the water, and several practical effects follow. (1) Faster planing - with the bow dropped, the boat reaches plane faster and at lower speed, saving fuel and reducing the bow-high transitional period where visibility is worst. (2) Smoother ride through chop - a flatter running attitude lets the boat slice through waves instead of pounding bow-first. Substantially reduces back / spine fatigue on long runs in choppy water. (3) Side-to-side trim correction - independent port / starboard tab adjustment corrects for uneven weight distribution (catching fish on one side of the boat, passenger seating loads). (4) Better fuel economy at cruise - with the boat running at the optimum attitude, fuel burn at any given speed drops 10-20 percent vs running without tabs. For 17-28 ft boats running gas outboards, that adds up to meaningful annual savings.

Why the BOLT line vs older electric tabs. Bennett's BOLT line is the modern redesign of electric trim tabs - addressing the field failures that plagued older electric tab designs from competing brands. The legacy electric tab problems Bennett designed around: (1) Water intrusion through low-mounted seals - older designs had the main actuator seal positioned where marine growth and constant submersion eventually compromised it, water gets into the actuator, the motor corrodes, and the actuator fails. BOLT designs the main seal high on the actuator above the typical water-line and growth zone. (2) Marine growth fouling - older designs accumulated marine growth on the actuator mechanism, eventually binding the mechanism until it stalled and burned out the motor. The BOLT's smooth black nylon housing is harder for marine growth to attach to, and the concealed hinge design eliminates the gaps where growth typically anchors. (3) Exposed wiring corrosion - older designs ran wires externally where they were constantly exposed to salt spray and water. BOLT routes the wiring through the upper hinge entirely concealed - NO external wire runs. (4) Loud operation - the older electric actuator designs were noticeably loud when running. BOLT runs substantially quieter, important for fishing applications where motor noise scares fish.

17-28 ft boat range. The BOLT 12x12 is sized for boats in the 17-28 ft range - typical bass boats, bay boats, runabouts, center consoles, and small cruisers in this size class. The 12 inch by 12 inch tab dimension (144 square inches per tab) delivers enough trim authority for the 17-28 ft hull range. For smaller boats (under 17 ft), Bennett offers the smaller BOLT 9x9 (9 inch by 9 inch tabs) - sized for compact boats where 12 inch tabs would be oversized. For larger boats (over 28 ft) where you need more trim authority, step up to hydraulic tabs - Bennett recommends hydraulic over electric for boats above 28 ft and for any boats kept in the water full-time.

Trailered boat application. Electric trim tabs are most appropriate for trailered boats - boats that come out of the water between uses, so the marine growth and constant immersion stresses that electric tabs are weakest against are minimized. For boats kept in the water full-time (slipped in marinas, on lifts at home docks), Bennett recommends hydraulic tabs - the hydraulic actuators are more resistant to the constant marine environment exposure. The BOLT 12x12 is designed for trailered use - the BOLT design is more resistant to marine environment exposure than competing electric tabs, but hydraulic still wins in full-time water applications.

Single actuator per tab. The BOLT design uses one actuator per tab (one actuator driving each 12 inch by 12 inch tab). Hydraulic systems can use two actuators per tab for redundancy and balanced load distribution - electric systems can't synchronize two actuators on the same tab, so single-actuator-per-tab is the only viable configuration. For 17-28 ft boats, single-actuator-per-tab delivers the required trim authority and balance. The lack of dual-actuator option is one of the reasons hydraulic remains the standard for larger / higher-performance applications.

Concealed wiring through the upper hinge. The wires from the actuator to the boat's electrical system run entirely through the upper hinge of the tab - completely enclosed and protected from the marine environment. No external wire runs exposed to salt spray, no wire-routing gaps where marine growth typically anchors, no chafing risk against the hull or transom. This is a meaningful design improvement vs the legacy electric tab designs that ran external wires - the wiring is one of the most common field-failure points on older systems.

Quiet operation. The BOLT actuator runs substantially quieter than older electric tab designs - meaningful in fishing applications where motor noise scares fish during slow-trolling or active fishing near structure. Older electric tabs were loud enough that anglers would adjust trim only when not actively fishing - the BOLT is quiet enough to adjust during active fishing without disturbing the area. Not as silent as hydraulic (hydraulic systems are essentially silent), but a major upgrade over legacy electric.

Install. Plan for 3-5 hours for an experienced installer. Tasks: position the tabs on the boat's transom (each tab mounts at the lower-rear corner of the transom, one on each side, positioned so the tab sits just below the waterline at rest with proper clearance for the running propeller wash), drill mounting holes through the transom using the included template, seal the mounting holes with marine-grade adhesive sealant, mount the tab plates with stainless hardware (included), mount the actuator above each tab (the actuator drives the tab up and down), route the wiring from each actuator through the upper hinge into the boat's interior, run the wiring forward to the helm position for the control switch, connect the control switch (sold separately) to the wiring harness, wire 12V power to the control switch through a 15A fuse, test full range of motion before launching. Most installers handle this in a long afternoon.

Control switch sold separately. CRITICAL purchase note: this kit does NOT include the control switch - the dash-mounted rocker control that operates the tabs from the helm. You must order the Bennett BOLT control switch separately (the standard Bennett rocker switch is the typical pairing, but Bennett also offers position-indicator and automatic-trim controls). Verify you have or are ordering the appropriate control switch before purchase - without the switch, the tabs can't be operated. Don't try to substitute a competing brand's control switch - the wiring and signal protocols are Bennett-specific.

Hydraulic vs electric guidance. Bennett's own recommendation: hydraulic tabs for most applications, electric tabs for trailered boats in the 17-28 ft range. Why hydraulic: synchronized dual-actuator operation, more resistance to marine environment exposure, no motor noise, longer service life in full-time water applications. Why electric anyway: simpler install (no hydraulic lines to run through the boat), lower upfront cost than hydraulic, easier DIY install for trailered boats, no risk of hydraulic fluid leaks. For the typical 17-28 ft trailered boat owner doing his / her own install, electric BOLT is the right choice. For larger boats or boats in the water full-time, step up to Bennett Hydraulic tabs.

Warranty. Bennett Marine's standard limited warranty applies. Save the receipt and the original packaging. Warranty service runs through Bennett's authorized dealer network. Most field failures Bennett sees in the BOLT line are install-related (sealing failures at the mounting holes, undersized power wire causing voltage drop) rather than actuator defects - careful install delivers many seasons of trouble-free operation. The BOLT line specifically addresses the legacy electric tab failure modes - field reliability is substantially better than older electric designs.