which prop for a suzuki df140

[rmb]

I put a small ding in my prop this weekend and have decided in addition to getting this one repaired that i would like another prop as a backup. Hate to be out over a long weekend and end up boatless due to a stupid mistake.

boat is a trophy 175 and the current prop is an aluminum 3 blade 14x23 that will push the boat to about 42 plus or minus on the gps.

it seams to be pretty good and i'm not super concerned about max top speed so i was kind of thinking of going to a 14x21 still in al. wouldn't this give me just a bit more jump up on plane?? i'm guessing i would lose a couple mph but that wouldn't be that big of a deal to me.

i am little hesitant to trust myself/wife enough with stainless props in the rock infested lake that the cabin is on.

what is everybody else with df140's running for props? thanks in advance for your advice.

[marine_man]

You are correct, going down to a 21 would put you on plane faster, and you'd give up a couple MPH.

One thing to watch would be your RPM to make sure you're not hitting the rev limiter.. do you have a rough idea where you're running today at WOT?

marine_man

[rmb]

i don't know the exact rev number but it is between 57 and 58. i believe the rev limiter is set at 6K on that motor, so i am a bit worried that i would be close to hitting that if i went to a 21.

with the 23 pitch the boat really does jump up on plane very quickly except when i am really loaded down. The one drawback of the jump seats in the back of the boat is that everybody migrates to the very back of the boat and i end up with 4 or 5 people all behind the windshield and the front gets a little unweighted. was kind of thinking of having a 21 to throw on for days when i knew i would have a bunch of people in the boat or i was going drag people around on skis. then put the repaired 23 on for normal use 2 to 3 people in the boat.

[SkunkedAgain]

That's what most people end up doing....having a spare prop that has different properties for different situations.

[skyking]

I have 3 different props for my DF140.

1. alum Suzi 14x21

2. ss Suzi 14x20

3. alum Solas 14x21 4-blade

All of these props give me the same top-end speed (41-42 gps), but the stainless starts hitting the rev limiter a lot easier that the other 2 ( limiter is supposed to kick in >6200+ rpm). I decided to try the 4-blade out since it was fairly cheap online and it has made the hole shot a little quicker and keeps a decent bite in rough water. It's nice to have these options, but the 4-blade is the only prop that I use anymore.

I think you'd be just fine stepping down to the 21 pitch on your Trophy... big thing I've found is slow trim adjustments at WOT will keep you from hitting the rev limiter. Good luck with your decision.

[marine_man]

I think you'd be just fine stepping down to the 21 pitch on your Trophy

That's what I'd recommend as well... the 23 will get it done (and has been getting it done for you), but the 21 will give you a little more holeshot and you shouldn't have too many issues with keeping it under 6k unless you're running with a empty fuel tank, by yourself in the boat w/o a bunch of gear.

marine_man

[rmb]

thanks for the input, i will throw on a 21 and see how it goes. will be nice to have two different pitch props to play around with