Hot take: Kirby 17 vs. SuperLite 17 on a 90-foot repair job

I had to choose between using a Kirby Morgan 17 and a SuperLite 17 for a pilothouse repair off Galveston last month. Picked the K17 and ended up with neck strain after 5 hours of work because the battery pack kept shifting the weight. Has anyone else had that issue, or am I just not used to it yet?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke5331mo ago

That battery weight issue got me too. I switched to a SuperLite 17 for long jobs like that, way more balanced on the neck. Try adding a counterweight or running the battery cable different to stop the shifting before you write off the K17.

xena_taylor641mo ago

Wait... you had the same thing happen with the battery pack shifting around? Man, that's exactly what got me on a 90-foot repair job off the coast of Louisiana a few months back. I was using my K17 for about six hours and by the end I was literally tilting my head to the side to try and balance it out. The pack was sliding all over the place, and it totally messed up my neck for a week after. I tried tightening the harness differently and even thought about sticking a piece of foam in there to hold it still, but honestly it just seems like a design flaw for long hauls. I've been borrowing a buddy's SuperLite 17 for the longer jobs now and it's night and day difference... way less strain and I'm not fighting the gear the whole time.