stainless or alumanum props

[wheelerboy920]

Looking to buy a stainless prop for my boat dose it make any diffarce in speed or handling of the boat or dose it affect trolling speeds because when I troll I try to keep it about 2.0 -2.5 mph.

[PerchJerker]

Stainless props can make a huge difference in how your boat handles and performs. Stainless is stronger than aluminum so it allows prop builders to do things with blade design and thickness to enhance performance.

There's a few things to remember. One is that when you're dealing with props everything is a trade-off. You gain something in one area like hole shot or top speed or slower trolling or better handling, but you will give up something else in another area. The trick is finding the best overall prop for what you want out of your boat. There are tons of options you an experiment with ... pitch, diameter, number of blades, rake, etc. Everything you change will give you a boost in some performance aspects but will hurt in other areas.

Also, motor size is a key. IMO putting a stainless prop on anything below a 115 is probably a waste of money as there's just not enough horsepower there to take advantage of the benefits you can get with stainless props.

[wplatehunter]

I went from an aluminum prop to a stainless and I can see the difference. You can buy two aluminum props for the cost of most stainless props. The stainless last longer, but I have been told if you hit something hard there is a better chance to cause more damage to the motor. So far I have not found out personally. Anyone else know?

[knoppers]

pitch of the prop determines how it trolls down, or its top speed. I had a 4 blade on a 175 that would troll down to 2.7 mph, which is perfect for the laker trolling I did. my new boat has a 3 blade, and it trolls down to 3.0 mph.

the 4 blade is better for that and its better for boat controll at higher speeds when trimmed out.

I wish I had my 4 blade on my new boat, its something I need to look into. and again the prop gets very spendy, that 4 blade prop will get close to 500 clams.

[boatfixer]

It is true that hitting something with a stainless prop has the potential to do alot of internal damage. Anything from broken pinions to bent prop shafts and worse. The advantages to aluminum are initial cost, cheaper to repair and will take the brunt of force if you do hit something. You can still do major damage to internal parts by hitting underwater objects. The main advantage of stainless would typically be performance. They will cost much more-enough to justify gained performance? Thats up to you to decide.

In theory, If you had a 3 blade 19 pitch aluminum now, you would drop down to a 17 or 18 pitch 3 blade SS and see some changes both in hole shot and top speed. In regards to your trolling speed, again in theory, You should stay the same if not slow down slightly. Enough to notice? hard to tell.

[Trollin226]

I have a SS michigan wheel raptor prop. The difference between that and aluminum is huge not so much in top end speed, but more so in bow lift and general handeling. On the michigan wheel their is a hub assembly that fits over the prop shaft that is supposed to break loose allowing the prop to spin free on the shaft in the event of hitting something...

[Chode2235]

I dont think I would ever own an aluminum prop, especially if you do any type of river fishing. There are so many small rocks, sand, etc that one can run into out on the water.

Nothing like plowing into a reef of rocks (that will put any boat out of commission) but there are so many things to hit out there, stainless is the way to go. And out on the lake too. Oh you spit up a little sand going through the channel, you just chipped the heck out of your aluminum prop, but the stainless doesnt even have a scratch.

Stainless all the way, you will spend less time and money getting it repaired.

[Northlander]

I disagree. Especially on rivers where there is so much floating around and hidden in shallow water. A aluminum prop is a good idea in areas like this. A stainless will only get nicked in some spots but if you hit something big your going to be looking at lower unit damage and at times worse. A alum prop is much more forgiving when you hit something.

I run a alum on the river and a stainless on biger lakes.

[boatfixer]

Yep, welding an aluminum prop is much cheaper than gears or a bent prop shaft.

[marine_man]

Stainless all the way, you will spend less time and money getting it repaired.

You'll spend less time repairing the prop.. that is true.

The lower unit on the other hand, if you hit a deadhead square and the prop bites into it, you'll spend more money with a stainless prop.

marine_man

[snoozebutton]

Also, motor size is a key. IMO putting a stainless prop on anything below a 115 is probably a waste of money as there's just not enough horsepower there to take advantage of the benefits you can get with stainless props.

That's interesting. I was thinking about trying a stainless on my 90 HP 4s this summer to see if I could get a few more MPH's out of it. You don't think it would help?

[boatfixer]

You should see a differernce.

[PerchJerker]

Originally Posted By: PerchJerker

Also, motor size is a key. IMO putting a stainless prop on anything below a 115 is probably a waste of money as there's just not enough horsepower there to take advantage of the benefits you can get with stainless props.

That's interesting. I was thinking about trying a stainless on my 90 HP 4s this summer to see if I could get a few more MPH's out of it. You don't think it would help?

It would help, the question is how much would it help and is it worth the price you'll have to pay for the stainless prop. Another consideration is if you use your 90 for trolling or backtrolling and prop it to increase speed, what will it do to your trolling speeds. Hole shot and handling will also be affected. It's something to be aware of before you spend the money on a prop. The best thing to do is try the props before you buy them.

[Trollin226]

I have a 70 suzuki on a 165 dominator SS prop makes a world of difference. About 5mph on the top end, the biggest difference is in handeling and bow lift. Also the prop has less of a tendency to blow out...