Will a 4 Blade Really Help?!

[Bassn7]

I have a 1980 50 HP 4 cylinder 2-stroke on my 18 foot fiberglass bass boat. It planes up and cruises at 30 mph max. Fine since I'm just fishing from spot to spot. I ask the Mercury marine mechanic if a 4 blade will help me get up on plane quicker and stay at a slower speed. He said that's witchcraft crap and I wouldn't notice any difference. Whhaaaat? How about any extra opinions? Thoughts....

 

[jcranks]

The guy I bought my boat from put a 4-blade on because, he said, it has faster acceleration which is better for wakeboarding...

My buddy has 1970 century resorter and it had a really hard time getting on plane with more than two people in it unless we crammed everyone up front. We ended up putting some smart tabs on and it gets to plane right away, no problem.

 

[ondarvr]

Props are expensive, and there may be a limited number of designs for this motor, and SS props may cost much more than the motor is worth.

​4 blade props "may" work better at getting on plane and cruising at a lower speed, but there's no guaranty, it's just a possibility, and that's only if you can try a few props and get it dialed in.

​

 

[Sea Rider]

Have not posted max wot rpm achieved with current prop which is ? without those numbers little can be advised. Anyway, a less pitch 3 blade prop will certainly do the trick..

Happy Boating

 

[dingbat]

I run two boats with four blade stainless props. My personal boat with a single 200 on the back and a "work" boat with twin 150s. Both are much heavier and higher powered than the OP boat, but....

Can't speak for staying on plane at lower speed since I'm either running 25-30 kts or 6 kts (no wake). What I can say is that the hole shots on boats both increased significantly. I no longer get the "slipping clutch" sensation when nailing it coming out of the inlet. FWIW: both boats have auto-hydraulic tab controls.

The other noticeable improvement was the virtual elimination of blowout. My boat, more so than the other, had tendency to break loose in moderately sharp turns and rough water. Not good when it's rough more days than not.

Four blades are expensive, no doubt...but they solve performance issues I had with two boats....

 

[ahicks]

I have a 1980 50 HP 4 cylinder 2-stroke on my 18 foot fiberglass bass boat. It planes up and cruises at 30 mph max. Fine since I'm just fishing from spot to spot. I ask the Mercury marine mechanic if a 4 blade will help me get up on plane quicker and stay at a slower speed. He said that's witchcraft crap and I wouldn't notice any difference. Whhaaaat? How about any extra opinions? Thoughts....

There are some pretty inexpensive alum. 4 blade props on the market. I haven't tried one, but on paper, what you say about holding on to a "plane" at a lower speed, as well as the hole shot/time to plane differences do seem to hold some merit. How much difference, and whether or not it's enough to notice on YOUR boat, is likely subject to a debate that can only be ended by trying it.

Point being, if you're up for a new prop, go for it! Let us know your impressions. Before and after tach and GPS speed data encouraged!

 

[Scott06]

That's exactly what I got when I switched to a 4 blade -better holeshot a lower planing speed. For what I do (bow rider, loaded with people and skiing or tubing) they work great in my experince.