Buying a Stainless Steel prop?

[RockyRaab2]

I just replaced the factory aluminum prop on my 50 hp Merc with a stainless one. The best price and service I found was at PropellerDepot.com  in Florida. I got a Michigan Wheel Apollo prop for $180 plus the hub kit ($30) and shipping. Best deal I could find anywhere, and they shipped within an hour of getting my order.

The hub kit came with clear instructions and installation was less than a 5-minute job. And they threw in a can coozie.

[Bduck]

Nice choice, I wish my SS prop was as inexpensive as yours. I paid $420 for mine but well worth it. Now you have backup if you ever need it.

[Kent]

And they threw in a can coozie.

I will bite.  What is a "can coozie"?

[RockyRaab2]

Ken, a can coozie is one of those foam sleeves that keep a can cold.

[Kent]

Ken, a can coozie is one of those foam sleeves that keep a can cold.

Not sure who Ken is, but I trust you were replying to me.   I should have Googled "can coozie" instead of just "coozie".  I'm sure receiving that, with your prop, made your day.

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What are the advantages you plan of obtaining from upgrading to a stainless steel prop?

[wiperhunter2]

Ken, a can coozie is one of those foam sleeves that keep a can cold.

Not sure who Ken is, but I trust you were replying to me.   I should have Googled "can coozie" instead of just "coozie".  I'm sure receiving that, with your prop, made your day.

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What are the advantages you plan of obtaining from upgrading to a stainless steel prop?

Maybe Rocky can confirm this or deny this statement but I have heard the a stainless steel prop has less flex, so it gives you a little more speed. If that is true I'd be interested in getting one, if it improved my top end speed by 3 mph or more.

[RockyRaab2]

Kent, my finger didn't hit the "t" key hard enough, I guess.

Aluminum props shatter if they hit a bubble, apparently. That's the main advantage of going to stainless steel. The generic factory prop on my Merc 50 has a pitch of 11" which doesn't account for boat types, weight, etc. There are several "prop calculator" sites on the web, and when I plug in the numbers for my boat, I get 12" or 13" as better choices. Also, when I went to wide-open throttle, the RPMs went to 6100, which is a bit high. Every inch of pitch changes top end RPM by about 200, so I should now be under the book redline by a comfortable 300 RPM or so. That matters more to me than max speed.

[Kent]

Aluminum props shatter if they hit a bubble, apparently.

Huh?  I've been running aluminum props for years and never had one shatter.

[wiperhunter2]

Kent, my finger didn't hit the "t" key hard enough, I guess.

Aluminum props shatter if they hit a bubble, apparently. That's the main advantage of going to stainless steel. The generic factory prop on my Merc 50 has a pitch of 11" which doesn't account for boat types, weight, etc. There are several "prop calculator" sites on the web, and when I plug in the numbers for my boat, I get 12" or 13" as better choices. Also, when I went to wide-open throttle, the RPMs went to 6100, which is a bit high. Every inch of pitch changes top end RPM by about 200, so I should now be under the book redline by a comfortable 300 RPM or so. That matters more to me than max speed.

Rocky, did you take our altitude here in Utah into consideration when you ordered your prop?

[RockyRaab2]

Yes, the "prop selector" websites take altitude into consideration.

[wiperhunter2]

Yes, the "prop selector" websites take altitude into consideration.

Good to know, so is this the correct website:

https://www.propellerdepot.com/propeller-selection-tool

[RockyRaab2]

The Mercury website includes more boat factors like weight, and also altitude, intended use, etc.

[Bduck]

This a link as to the pros & cons of selecting between an aluminum vs stainless steel props. There are many sites that have their own version but most agree.

Aluminum vs Stainless Steel Prop: 10 Pros and Cons to Help You Choose | Top Ten Zilla

[Kent]

That is a good read.  I have occasionally hit a rock (Utah Lake) or a ramp (Bear Lake) and based upon the following and the cost differential I will stick with aluminum props.  Quoting from the article:



"Oddly enough, because of a stainless steel prop’s extreme durability, having your prop take a substantial hit could seriously affect the rest of your boat. Those blades won’t give if they are struck with something hard but the rest of the boat may give.




Be very wary if you have a stainless steel propeller and hit something very hard under water. Just because the prop looks okay does not mean that the rest of the boat is. More often than not, there will be an underlying issue within the boat due to a hit on the prop.




These appear to be the major benefits, but to me getting to my spot a minute or two later is not a problem:



"Overall Performance




The difference in performance between an aluminum and stainless steel prop is substantial. Stainless steel props have virtually no flexing compared to an aluminum prop. This makes them a lot more efficient in their performance compared to an aluminum prop."




"A stainless steel prop can outperform an aluminum prop by up to five MPH or around three MPH while cruising.




While this has been known to be a huge selling point when comparing an aluminum vs stainless steel prop, it is worth noting that this has changed over time. Due to different industrial breakthroughs such as different alloys and casting techniques, some well-produced aluminum props can outperform a stainless steel prop."

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I deleted the extra row spaces, but they are still there.

[RockyRaab2]

I wanted a spare prop, and I also wanted a slightly higher pitch, and what I think is a more durable prop. Since there was very little price difference between a Mercury aluminum and a Michigan Wheel SS prop, the choice was easy.

[nofish2]

I will give my two cents, a prop is like the tires on your car and there is allot of thing to look at. The best way to finger out what prop will work best for for you boat is try a bunch out and let your tachometer and speedometer tell you what works best.  I ran 9 different props to find the one that works best on my boat.

The advantage of a ss prop is they can take some abuse I E hitting stuff the other is they don't have much flex so they can get your boat on plain quicker and you can get a bit more speed on the top end.

[EyLayo]

Thanks Rocky. I’ve also been looking into SS props. What Kent and that article mentioned about the hard impacts to the SS prop damaging drivetrain internals instead of the prop itself worried me a bit. Seems like that might have been the case with the older versions, but with the newer “hub” technology, it all but eliminates that scenario. If there is a hard impact, I’ll likely only need a new hub kit. So unless I missed something, I’m assuming it gives you the best of both worlds. Here’s a little video that briefly discusses the topic

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3qnXzpEZSnE

[RockyRaab2]

Yep. Mine came with a hub kit just as described. It's as simple to install as he showed, except that it is a very good idea to apply some marine-grade grease to the prop shaft so the hub kit doesn't corrode into place and become difficult to remove.

I'll be trying mine out as soon as some good weather rolls in. (Also got my new Hummie Helix 7 installed yesterday!)

[RockyRaab2]

I can report that the new prop and the Helix 7 performed exactly as hoped. The Helix is going to take a lot of time to learn! What a leap over a standard "look down" fish finder.