Can anyone comment on this, is a SS prop worth it ? I know they look nice and shiny but what benefit are they on 60ph ?
I have seen a few bargains in the US but I need to get such a thing past the funding committie ie wife so any safety comments would be welcome
If your current alloy prop is covered in dings from hitting things, then definitely no.
If you're never likely to ground the prop during your normal usage, then the right stainless prop can improve your performance greatly.
It all depends on how you use your boat and what you want to achieve.
More info needed to work out if it is worth it for you.
If you want professional advice, ring Steve at Solas Props on the Sunny Coast. He has done a few props for me and is very good to deal with.
Cheers,
Myles
When I made the change and bought my 1st ss from Solas for my 70hp Jonno the difference was amazing!! I had a standard Jonno alloy prop which performed fine... at least up until my brother bought a bluefin 4.0 tinny with a 2s 40hp Merc and it had more top end than my Jonno on a glass 4.3 mtr MustangI could not tolerate being beaten by his rig could I?? It certainly raised the question though, sibling rivalry aside, going stainless fixed things back the way it should be
Holeshot was better, WOT gained between 5 -10kph more. Stainless also is more forgiving unless you drag the boat over rock bars.
Scalem
In short No. They arn't worth it. Do they perform better, sometimes if you get a good one. In a boat I set up recently there was no performance advantage going to stainless aftermarket, won't name brands. Where you will see gains is high performance stuff and when you take the time and effort to find the best prop and motor height setup. Generally they, (SS) offer more grip and theoretically better efficiency.
The only SS props i like are from the Mercury and Evinrude stable. But they just arn't worth the money for a recreational boaty. These days good alloy props are a better bet value for money wise. Also getting some cupping on the standard alloy props helps a fair bit. But specific to boat motor etc.
Yes they are worth it.
A massive difference putting the solas on.
For my normal trip I used 17 lts now down to 12lts.
And it made the boat ride different due to no slippage.
What 60 have you got as I have a brand new Solas here for a 60 yammie.
Bought it for a mate and now not needed. Will do and awesome price for you you won't believe.
Tim
HEAD DOWN BUM UP!
remember if you hit somthing with the s/s prop there will be no give and it will damage inside your motor leg and be more costly, as oposed to the alum one that will break and have some give
s/s is normally for the bigger motors that dont bash around the rivers but used at sea type situations, bigger motors usually come with s/s props
cheers
I have a 60 4st EFI merc.
The price for a Solas in the USA is very tempting at the moment.
Originally Posted by Timfishin4fun
This is like an old wifes tale. Modern day gearboxes are way stronger than in the past. The stainless props all have some means of redusing impact to the gears ie ruber hubs or nylon hubs.
I have many engines in comercial aplications running around the brisbane river cleaning up from the floods.. they all run stainless props.. the prop guys have been busy with repairs from striking uinderwater objects and non have sustained gearbox damage.
Garry
Retired Honda Master Tech
Stainless is the way to go (if you have some spare cash) Merc props seems to be very good for an "off the shelf" product, and pretty good on price too, a stainless prop wrecking your gear box if you hit something is indeed an old wive's tale (as mentioned) why is a stainless prop better? they can be made much thinner, will take a far bigger cup that alloy, what is cup you ask? the trailing edge of the blade is "bent" to make a "cup" on the trailing edge, this in effect propells the water across the blade to the cup, that then sends it rearward far better than a full flat blade does, a flat blade allows the water to move outwards as well, causing slip and loss of efficiency! stainless props are also available in heaps of different shapes and styles to suit many different uses. So, the answer is YES!
Thanks for that !
What would be the effect of putting the same size and pitch SS prop on? Would the WOT RPMS be higer or lower ?
as a general rule (very general) a stainless prop of the same size will see approx 300-500RPM increase, some well setup boats can go the next size up, and retain their max RPM, but in effect pick up some speed and fuel economy (but not always)
I wouldn't be expecting a gain in revs with the same size SS prop. Normally i see a slight reduction in revs with SS due to less blade flex and more cupping than alloy props.
I think they do help performance a bit, although like a lot of performance "enhancers". the degree of improvement will probably vary from boat to boat. IMO I wouldn't use one if I was poking around shallow reef country as I don't reckon they give a lot if you hit something, (with respect to Spaniard King. In deeper open water - no probs.
It would be interesting to see if there were any underwater slow motion film comparisons between the various prop materials that showed any deflection or distortion, as I guess that is what will be the ultimate difference between them.
What size and pitch is the one you have for sale? I have a 50hp yam and I could do with something that can handle a little more punishment from the sand and rock bars when crabbing!
I tried a SS prop on my 480 Hornet / 60hp yammi 4stk combo - and I really got nothing out of it
I did better when I dropped down in pitch from a 13 to 12" in a alloy prop.
From my understanding, the real advantage is gained in bigger motors on high performance boats or ones used offshore
Gaining a 100rpm or so here and there does little in a 60 HP situation.... 4 or 5 times the price is a lot of coin for a shiny prop
Chris
Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
Teach him how to fish
& he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
TEAM MOJIKO
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