Brand X Controls

[STB]

My boat has 40 year old Morse MT2 controls. They work fine, but show their age. This is true even at the lower helm.

I figured I'd put in new brand-name controls on the flybridge, where I actually run the boat and where they are more exposed to the environment, but try Brand X controls for the lower helm.

I ordered a set from eBay. I returned them. The chrome was thin and pitted and in some cases over obvious file marks. The seller was fantastic and my money was nearly instantly returned.

Not to be deterred, I ordered another pair, this time direct from the supplier with lots of good reviews via Alibaba. They arrived and, while not as cosmetically nice as the brand name controls, they were very, very passable and much nicer than 40 year old controls. And, they moved well with crisp stops.

Then I opened them up to set them up for the install. I spun the piece that needs to be spun for push vs pull throttles. But, no dice. The tolerances were off. Upon more careful inspection, I saw the tolerances were off on the other side, too, but those had been corrected by filing, I guess by hand.

I guess I could have filed away at it myself to make it work like fitting a part while gunsmithing. But, I guess I lost confidence in the product. I'd bought two of them, and they were both different and factory corrected.

I gave them to a neighbor to make a toy helm for kids.

I'm going to pay up for quality -- for both helms.

Just a note about what to expect for anyone who might go down the same path.

 

[kapnd]

It is very difficult to “mix and match” control heads with satisfactory results.
It’s usually a good idea to replace all cables as well, the mix and match rule applies there too.
Quality cables and controls are worth the extra money, they run smoother and last longer than their lesser cousins.
Consider Kobelt controls, guaranteed not to blister your hands!

 

[STB]

In my installation, because of the way the Seastar/Teleflex dual station system works, the controls work independently, not in coordination. There is a hard mechanical switch mechanically selecting between them. As a result, unlike systems where one control pulls or pushes the other, my upper and lower stations can be calibrated and operate separately.

Having said that, after seeing the tolerances on the BrandX internal castings, I'm happy to pay extra for the SeaStar/Teleflex product -- even significantly more than double.

 

[LarryM]

It is very difficult to “mix and match” control heads with satisfactory results.
It’s usually a good idea to replace all cables as well, the mix and match rule applies there too.
Quality cables and controls are worth the extra money, they run smoother and last longer than their lesser cousins.
Consider Kobelt controls, guaranteed not to blister your hands!

Absolutely! Consider Kobelt, hands-down the very best controls. Also consider Felsted/Orscheln or Glendenning Pro-X control cables.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

when your done messing around with Morse and teleflex junk, Kobelt control heads and green cablecraft cables...

 

[Conrad]

Another vote for Kobelt; all you have to do is compare the internals of a Kobelt control head to that of say a Morse.