Outboard Prop
 

Ok I live in Calgary and maybe want to get a new prop for my Yamaha 150 HDMI 2 Stroke. Got a couple of irregular grind marks on mine. Aluminum 14.3 21P. Do I go with a different pitch, different size blade or maybe stainless which is big $$$$$. Or just get it repaired. Repair is about 30 less than new. What have others done depending on severity of damage of course?!

Only change your prop dimensions if you want to change your motor's performance, props can get you better hole shot, better top end or better fuel consumption. You can get improvements but typically you trade off A for better
B.
Aluminum props can loose pitch when spinning due to it being aluminum, stainless won't flex. This may not be an issue though if you are running low HP.

If it was me, I'd get a new prop and have your current one refurbed to carry as a spare.

Agree with what Jahad has stated in post #2.

One thing to possibly consider is that aluminium will cause less damage to you gears and shaft in medium strike with an object, vs stainless steel. Stainless is not as forgiving as aluminium.

I have never been a fan of stainless props for the same reasons mentioned above. If you boat, you are going to run over a stick or two and hopefully avoid a bigger log but when that happens with a stainless prop, your trip can be over. Not because you will spin your hub, (most hubs are designed to spin before you shred your spline and gears) but because whatever you hit gets pushed into the skeg as the stainless prop will not give - she will shred and shoot whatever it hits.

Aluminum will bend, break and warp if you hit stuff, but won't cause massive damage to your lower unit. Back to shore, a swap out for a spare and you are back and on the lake in 20 minutes.

Stainless will perform better, they are stiffer, will give you better hole shot and top end - BUT let's be real, a stainless may take a boat like mine from like 48-49 mph to maybe 52-53 mph ......... and that's irrelevant to me. I use a low pitch prop for better holes shot, and control anyways. I have already made the sacrifice in favor of performance that actually counts. Speed boating isn't one of them.

Stew at Prop Masters in Airdrie can refurbish your prop and sell you a new one.
https://prop-masters.com/

This is the route I'm going and with the aluminum prop. Thanks fellow members and boaters for your as always helpful info. With that decision I just might get 2 new ones instead cause a new one is only about 40 dollars more than refurbished. Just gotta transfer hub insert over from old one to a new one and get a new hub insert for the other. Repack with grease and go. Road trip Calgary to Airdrie LOL

Ya stew is Awsome I’ve got two props off him this summer 4 blade alum for my Yamaha f150 200 bucks a piece...gulls been a bitch for me this year..

Back in the day when we would bear hunt on the Peace river, always had a good file, would repair most small bangs on prop, just try to keep material balanced and good sharp edge cut. You cannot do that with stainless prop.

Yup deed is done. 2 new ones and I will keep the old one just in case. Real emergency time. Plus now for the most part lots of props are interchangeable. Just change over the hub as long as it's not spun.

Me too, I have a new one in the box with hub in the truck all the time and kept the old banged up chipped and burred ones and just ran a grinder over it as a fail safe back-up to the back up as well.

You made a good point - I also try and shave them down to get them as balanced as I can, and they will definitely work in a pinch …..

repairs to props are almost not worth it when you can find them sometimes for $150-$180 bucks if you look around. Keep in mind 99% of the motors out here require a engine specific hub kit, but the props (equal diameters) are almost interchangeable between engine brands.

So if you are only getting one "spare item" buy the hub kit and keep a tube of marine grease and an extra cotter pin in the tool box.

:happy0034::happy0034:

I’m in the opposing camp. The performance from a stainless prop is worth the added risk to my lower unit from a hard strike. I ran alloy props in Alberta and dealt with their shortcomings but never liked their decreased performance. I also touched the bottom once in pigeon and damaged the prop instantly.

I’m running a stainless now on my suzi and it’s magnificent. No flex, no ventilation, wicked hole shot and response when crossing bars, excellent speed and fuel economy.
It had a minor amount of damage and loss of cupping when I bought it. Took it into the local prop repair shop and got it back looking like new for $20. I don’t have to contend with much debris in the water and don’t run ‘much’ in the dark so I’ll take my chances. In a few thousand miles on the water I’ve only seen floating logs twice and I was in no danger of hitting them. That said, in Alberta I never hit any debris either, just the bottom once.

I ran props on the Athabasca for 20 years before I went to a jet on everything from 7 1/2 horse to 115's and would NEVER go back to an aluminum prop
After running stainless ones!
That river is shallow and between sticks and gravel bars you tap a lot no matter how long you have been on the river !:thinking-006:
I often had to hammer back a stainless prop straight after coming home late , and I spent a lot of money on rebuilding or buying new aluminum props before I smart end up and bought stainless . Touch with an aluminum and you bust them up here !
The difference in performance as well between Stainless to
and Aluminum is astounding to say the least on hole shots or when hauling a big
load . Nope I'll never run aluminum again.
Cat