Has anyone ever done a comprehensive review of jack plates? I mean lots of models with comparisons and testing.
I bought my first plate about 10 years ago when I used to hang out on Scream & Fly. They recommended a CMC ML-65. It sounded fine so I bought it. It did a job.
Later, a guy who actually knows some stuff told me to get a 6" RapidJack from HydroDynamics.
The RapidJack is so much better than the CMC, it's just stupid. The RapidJack has to be 1/2 the weight, or less. It's dead simple. The thing is just four pieces of angle aluminum, although the angles are finished extremely nicely. The sliders are decent and the ratchet jack mechanism is so slick, it's silly. Comparing the two, the RapidJack is dead simple, elegant and effective. Hell... I think it's even cheaper.
Every time I'm skinning my knuckles with a crow's foot down inside the CMC plate, trying to adjust it, I wonder why anyone would recommend it if they knew how good the RapidJack is.
There are a lot of people still recommending the CMC as the best manual plate out there. What do you suppose is up with that?