I had a detwiler jack on a Puma a few years ago. It was a maintenance nightmare. In the shop several times for expensive repairs. In addition, I found that the only time I found it an asset was in very shallow water, wheather at idle or on plane. Most boats have a “sweet spot” for WOT in terms of engine height and once you find it changes are not normally required unless there are significant weight and balance issues. This sweet spot can be found easily with a manual jack plate and is a lot less expensive. Mercury Marine once produced a jack plate that varied engine heigth and offset simultaneously. I had one of these also and didnt find it worth the money, although it was far more reliable than the detwiler. I think everyone buys a hydraulic jack plate with the expectation that its going to significantly enhance performance. It is not gonna happen, at least not enough to justify the expense.
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