[Rushin]

I'm in the market for a new prop. I have heard and read posts that state, hit something with a Stainless prop and you could damage your lower gear case. Hit something with aluminum prop and the prop gets trashed not the lower end. I was considering Stainless but now I'm not so sure?Any opinions please!Thanks

[DJ]

Rushin,Where and how do you boat?If you are in a lot of sand or silty water, an SS prop will outlive and AL prop.If you are prone to hitting things, I'd go AL.Both have rubber hubs that protect the L/U somewhat. You can bend a prop. shaft with an AL prop. too.

[sloopy]

I'd go with stainless it last alot longer and will cut through most rotten logs floating in the water, also you might want to change your boating habbits if you hit alot of things.

[radsrh]

I would go with a SS I boat in some shallow water loaded with old rotton stumps and have had to fix or replace three al props at a cost of $50 to fix and $150 to replace. My new motor has a SS and I am with sloopy on this one a SS will cut the rotton wood and move on where a al will bend up a blade, if the hit is to bad the rubber hub should take the shock and then you would just have to replace it.

[sloopy]

this post was worded wrong

[Rushin]

The specific aluminum prop I was considering, Hustler. By the way, I seem to be able to find any rocks a lake may have.Rushin

[KennyKenCan]

If you have a hard time avoiding rocks, then you had better stick with an AL prop or face the consiquence of a damaged lower unit. Logs are soft, rocks are hard. Need I say more?

[bonitoman]

convert it to jet drive and the problem is solved. This way you can run over boulders.

[Beaux]

if you like rocks.... look into the composite props which will not damage your lower unit when you smack into the ground. Of course, you will be buyinga new one after each OOPS!

[Trent]

I have to agree with djohns on this one. If your prone to hitting underwater objects dont buy stainless steel. Propshafts cost lots of money. But if you boat where you dont hit objects, Stainless steel is the way to go. It really depends on where you boat and how you boat.

[Jim@KSC]

I tend to find the oyster bars. So far, not at speed.I must have gone through 10 aluminum props on prior boats. If my boat got within earshot of an oyster I'd find a new ding, and they weren't minor, either. I have completely torn blades off.Since I went to stainless, I never changed. A rebuild is relatively cheap if you can find a good welder.All stainless I've seen have a rubber hub that slips if you really hit something hard, but, once spun, you need a new hub pressed in. Again, relativly inexpensive.The bottom of this page has a link, and you can get some ideas about cost. There has also been a lot of opinions written on this board; search (link above) for " stainless aluminum prop ".Good luck!

[Trevor]

what type of boat do you own if you are looking for something that perfomrs well for high speeds and acceleration go ss it will also stand up to light nicks.

[Rushin]

I have a 2003, Lund Mr. Pike, 18' with a Mercury XR6 150HP, (carb model)Rushin

[cpasseno03]

I hear that SS are better high speed/high performance props. Why is this? / how much of an improvement? I think what they were talking about was less flex at high R's... myth or nonfiction?Craig

[Boatist]

RushinBuy a depth finder with a shallow water alarm set it deep enough to give you time to take motor out of gear. If you hitting stuff at high speed only a matter of time before find whole lower unit missing. Stainless Steel preforms better but is more likely to dammage shafts as does not bend like aluminum.

[roscoe]

Reality check: There are no affordable depthfinders that will tell you about a rock 120 feet away, the distance traveled in 2 seconds at 40 mpg, so you can get it out of gear. Also, have never heard an alarm on a finder that you can even hear with an outboard screamin away.Sloopy, rotten logs don't float."pushes harder on the blade of an aluminum prop, "Sorry, the force exerted on the prop is the same regardless of the material it is made from. F=ma. Rushin, go with aluminum, they can be fixed too, and if you have to replace it, it won't cost you an arm, just a leg.

[sloopy]

well from what I have noticed (some rotton logs do float, there are three boats on cheat lake {one sunk} that would be happy to prove it to you) I have looked at the log and props that have hit it the aluminum ones always shear off and the pieces of aluminum stuck in it don't help much!) with stainles the blade can travel through, also there are composit props were you just replace a single blade, I know 2 bass fishmen with the fast boats with the cool graphics (sparkles!!!!!) one has an evinrude fitch 225 and the other a 200 fuel injected merc they have high performance cleaver props and nose cones, I have seen them both hit the same log (bass tornoment day) they hit the log and then took off again, not a single worry! Good news! the log was taken out of the lake by me! But I got in trouble too! by the fish and game department (what fo they care about a tree??) !!!! (Allegany power again yelled at the department of fish and game) apearantly you can not move stuff away put of the lake because it will hurt the fish's!?!?!?!! but what about the people this log can hit? this was a big log and a big part of it was in the water and the other part was not! so when some one say it they changed corse and went to the side and then hit the other underwater part!@!@!!!! ask any boater in cheat lake and they will tell you the storie of the log!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!my niehber will also tell you about his 20 alluminum props broken and his relation ship with Skip's Props! he now has a stainless and LOVES it to death I'll check the spelling of this later, its lunch time

[OBJ]

Hey Sloopy....just a thought...do ya' spose those folks at Skip's put that log there on purpose??Jim

[sloopy]

its a big conspiracy

[roscoe]

slooper, you need to buy stock in that prop shop. your neighbor will make you RICH!!And after you get the turbine thing worked out, you need to built a sub, so you can go on covert log moving manouvers.

[AndrewB]

I recently investigated the pros and cons of alum and ss props and am a big fan of ss and stayed with one however during my research I was told that the extra weight in a ss prop over a long period of time can cause some damage to the lower unit. Ive got a 1986 135 black max merc, dunno if he was being specific to this motor or speaking in general. Does anyone have an opinion on this or was this guy talking out of something other than his mouth???

[wilde1j]

AndrewB, he's faking ... I've been running a Michigan Wheel SS prop on a J 140 for 750 hours w/o any LU problems. He doesn't know what he's talking about, but as you know, opinions are like *****holes ... everyone has one!

[Rushin]

Thanks to everyone for thier input on the prop question! If I go with Stainless Steel, would a Mercury prop be best? If I go with aluminum, what are some thoughts on the Hustler by Turning Point?Thanks,Rushin

[AndrewB]

Rushin, Ive got one of the SS mercury laser II vented props. Intially i was running a 19' pitch, now a 17' and cannot fault them. Did a bit of research myself as I was opting on going aluminum at one stage but from my research I was told that the ss was by far the stronger prop by some of the best guys in the business. Based on this thats what I would advise - however to be fair I cant really help you with regards to the alum prop because Ive been so happy with these I havent experiemented with one.