AB Equipment Marine Power has announced the arrival of the Flexball 5000 Series marine engine control systems—hardware designed to give skippers simple, durable, and precise control over their boats, whether commercial or recreational. If you’re running twin screws on a pleasure cruiser or operating a workboat day in, day out, this gear has been engineered to handle both.
Flexball is an Italian manufacturer with a long track record in marine controls. While their flagship 4500 Series has already proven itself in fishing boats, riverboats, RIBs, and passenger ferries across the globe, the new 5000 Series brings that same dependability in a fresh format. Housed in tough 316 stainless steel and designed to last for years in a saltwater environment, the new series takes the hassle out of engine control, offering plug-and-play setup with options to suit modern and older engine configurations.
What makes the Flexball setup appealing is that it’s not just for one engine type or boat design. The system is modular. That means it can be tailored to suit all kinds of setups—electronic or mechanical, single or twin engine, new build or refit. It’s also suitable across a wide range of brands including FPT, Cummins, Caterpillar, MAN, MTU, and Scania, among others.
At the heart of the system are just a few main parts: a control station (the throttle and shift lever at the helm), actuators that move your engine and gearbox components, and data cables to link them all together. If you’re dealing with an electronic engine, those actuators connect via simple wiring. If you’ve got mechanical throttles or gears, they connect using traditional push-pull cables. Either way, the system removes the lag and guesswork some older controls are known for.
The controls are CANBus-based—basically a fancy way of saying all the devices on board talk to each other using a single 4-pin cable, keeping installation clean and reliable. There are also features like start-up lockouts if the gearbox isn’t in neutral, trolling control for slow manoeuvres, and multiple station capability if you need helm access from more than one place.
For Kiwi operators looking to simplify control without sacrificing reliability, the Flexball 5000 Series is now available through AB Equipment Marine Power.
For more info or pricing, contact Adrian Penman on 0272 131 495 or adrian.penman@abequipment.co.nz.
