Are Propeller Brands really different and worth the extra money?-gctid373086

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I have to reprop my boat and I am moving to stainless propellers..... There are a number of brands out there and some carry a hefty premium on price and my question is a prop a prop? I really want good performance and will pay if there is a difference but I don't know enough in this area and hence some guidance/opinions would be helpful.

I've been looking at the PowerTech models for my Bravo II and my boat is at the lowest HP so anything good boost in performance is welcome!

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With all of the variables a prop manufacturer can place on a prop, there's no saying if expensive is better than less expensive. When I went to a SS prop on my 20' Trophy with an Alpha 1, Gen II outdrive, I tried three or four different props, most with the same pitch and diameter, all performed differently.

I'd go to the Prop shop off of Mukilteo Speedway. These guys know their stuff and have a program for people looking to purchase a new prop. You pay approximately 1/2 the value of a new prop and leave an open credit card slip with them just in case you return a dmaged prop or never return. You can try out a prop, if you feel it doesn't work, you can exchange it for another till you find one that work with your boat. You can then have them close out your slip with the remaining due or go pay them in person and they will return your open slip to discard yourself.

[richardson Seasoned Member Find all posts View Profile Close richardson]

With a Bravo II your selection possibilities will be limited and most will be on the expensive side. If you have access to a dealer that will work with you like myflies uses that is your best bet. Propeller selection is far from an exact science.

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I would check out the composite propellers. I installed Pirana's last year and they work great. The nice thing with them is you can change pitch in a few minutes or replace a broken blade and the performance is near or equal to Stainless at a lower cost

http://www.canadapropeller.com/

[MidnightSun Guru Find all posts View Profile Close MidnightSun]

As mentioned he has Bravo 2 drives, somewhat limited to what is out there however there is a little more to choose from compared to just a few years ago plus prices have come down since the patent is up. Composite props are to weak for a large diameter bravo 2. IMHO I have tried both SS and aluminum and use aluminum today. SS did not do anything performance wise nor economy wise on the Bravo 2 and it was so darn heavy it caused the drive to engage with a small clunk in comparison to silky smooth. Stick with the aluminums.

If your heart is set on SS look at the Solas line. http://www.getaprop.com/content-cate...ropellers.html

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Here is a good link for comparison of the performance of different types and manufacturers of propshttp://www.canadapropeller.com/perfect2.php

[img]/media/kunena/attachments/vb/676873=26742-PB-perfect-8-table.jpg[/img]

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Powertech has been good for finish and performance, wasn't impressed with the MI wheel apollo ss.

[BLCarl Frequent Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close BLCarl]

I bought a power tech from http://www.nettleprops.com/for my B2 . JT was a big help before and after the sale.

The feacher I liked about the SS prop I bought is the torq flex hub. The large diameter heavy props are prone to twisting out the rubber hubs.

The new hub systen has replaceable plastic drive pins instead of the rubber hub so if or when I hit something the pins will shear instead of breaking something. I bought a spare set of pins with the prop but haven't need them yet. I did plow up the bottom of the marina at low tide without any damage.

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Are Propeller Brands really different and worth the extra money?

I think they are. The better ones offer the very best compromise you can get. They are better balanced, offer better flex resistance, and generally have higher quality control in the manufacturing processes.

matthewmoran wrote:
I have to reprop my boat and I am moving to stainless propellers...

Good call. For I/Os and OBs, stainless steel will net you the best performance and the best fuel economy. The extra money spent on a good prop (or Prop Scanning a big NiBrAl prop) will pay for itself in fuel savings in the first season you use it.

[MidnightSun Guru Find all posts View Profile Close MidnightSun]

whiskywizard wrote:
I think they are. The better ones offer the very best compromise you can get. They are better balanced, offer better flex resistance, and generally have higher quality control in the manufacturing processes.

Good call. For I/Os and OBs, stainless steel will net you the best performance and the best fuel economy. The extra money spent on a good prop (or Prop Scanning a big NiBrAl prop) will pay for itself in fuel savings in the first season you use it.

Not necessarily true Mike. I experimented with my 2855 with SS and fuel computer. No hole shot gain, no fuel savings, did start getting corrosion on the drive within a month and ended up with a clunk noise when engaging to drive because the B2 prop is so darn heavy. Put back the aluminum and kept the SS as a spare.

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MidnightSun wrote:
Not necessarily true Mike. I experimented with my 2855 with SS and fuel computer. No hole shot gain, no fuel savings, did start getting corrosion on the drive within a month and ended up with a clunk noise when engaging to drive because the B2 prop is so darn heavy. Put back the aluminum and kept the SS as a spare.

I know what you mean. The best Al will be better than a less than ideal SS. No matter what material you choose, you still need to experiment with pitch, diameter, etc.

Assuming that you've chosen the best example prop of each material, the SS will outperform. The corrosion issue is an anode problem.

[BLCarl Frequent Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close BLCarl]

The two reasons I had to change my aluminum B2 prop is corrosion/electrolisis was causing it to look like swiss cheese and I was afraid it would fail someplace far form the dock.

The other was the hub or cavitation was causing it to suddenly stop pulling the boat at speed. After marking the hub/prop position I was convinced that the hub had not failed "yet".

The local prop shop agreed after inspection and offered to replace the hub anyway with no guarantee. He recomended that I shouldn't waste money on the old aluminum prop, I didn't . I refinished the old one with epoxie & paint as a spare and got a SS Power tech.

[richardson Seasoned Member Find all posts View Profile Close richardson]

Boating magazine in Arpril 2011 had a good article on how how pitch and diameter changes can affect economy. It is a good read.