Aluminum or stainless steel props?

[Glenn]

Which is better?  

 

 

[T-Billy]

Aluminum on small outboards. Too hard to spin up stainless Imo.

[gm4511]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

Aluminum on small outboards. Too hard to spin up stainless Imo.

Havent' heard that.  Seems to me, because a stainless prop bites better and some are cupped, you drop down in pitch making prop easier to spin up.  Top speed should increase.  Also, the old adage that if you hit something with a stainless you'll damage your engine just isn't true due to modern hubs ability to break away if prop hits something.

 

Last, aluminum hubs bend and break so easy, a stainless steel prop could save money in the long run.

[gim]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

Aluminum on small outboards.

What do you consider a small outboard?

Just now, gm4511 said:

a stainless steel prop could save money in the long run.

The problem with a SS prop is that if it gets damaged, its toast.  An aluminum prop can be repaired fairly easily at a reasonable cost.

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

What do you consider a small outboard?

1 hour ago, gm4511 said:

I'd say 25hp or under maybe? When I got my 20hp Suzuki I was researching props and everyone I saw that tried stainless went back to aluminum. Aluminum is definitely the better choice for me as I run a shallow river a good bit. No biggie replacing a $60 prop now and then..

[gim]

7 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

I was researching props and everyone I saw that tried stainless went back to aluminum

 

I did this exact experiment this past season.  I had always used a 4-blade aluminum prop on my 75 hp 4-stroke outboard.  It gets up on plan quick and runs smooth.  I can get about 34 mph.  I found myself wondering if a 3-blade or a SS would work better.  So I went to the prop shop and he talked me into trying a 3-blade aluminum with a steeper pitch.  He was fully convinced that it would get me to a higher speed.  FALSE.  It actually lowered my top end speed and took forever to get on plane.  I took that prop back a week later and chewed him out for it.  Well then he tried to talk me into a $450 SS prop.  I walked out the door.

 

[TOXIC]

Under 150hp is where I would consider an aluminum prop.  Especially if I was running rocky waterways.  As for repair costs, I’m sure aluminum is cheaper but stainless can be repaired.  I messed up and ran my $700, 3 blade Yamaha stainless T1 prop into the rocks one year in Wisconsin and rolled all 3 blades really bad and actually lost metal.  Luckily I had my spare prop with me.  I sent it to the prop shop when I got home and for $200 it was repaired as good as new and I actually had it customized for a little more bow lift.  Yes, stainless are designed to spin the hub if you hit something but they still damage lower units and prop shafts more than aluminum. 

[TnRiver46]

I’ve never owned a stainless prop, but I have 50 horsepower. My current aluminum prop has lasted through 3 different lower units! First one, I was rear ended at a stop sign. Lower gave out about a year later, prop still intact. Then I hit the bottom of the river, put a hole in the lower unit. Prop still intact. I still have the same prop to this day, I would imagine it’s at least ten years old. Where I fish, I’m always hitting floating logs and driving for miles on plane in 2-4 feet of swift water full of rocks. I would imagine I am harder on props than most and I’ve had the same aluminum prop for a decade 

[Log Catcher]

I went with a S/S prop on my boat. It is only a 40 HP outboard. This did help me get a little more speed out of it. I have some aluminum props that have been rebuilt. I got tired of this which is why I went with S/S. So far it hasn't had to be rebuilt.

[desmobob]

I have a small, aluminum boat (Tracker 170 Pro) with a 40HP Mercury four-stroke.  I switched my stock three-blade aluminum prop for one of the newer Mercury four-blade aluminum performance props (which I think come standard on the Mercs now).  Actually, I have two of them, as one is pitched so its works well when I'm fishing alone and the other is pitched right for when I have another person or two on board.

 

I've always wondered if it would be worth the expense to try a stainless steel prop.  Since I now have three aluminum ones, I hate the thought of buying another prop!  

 

Log Chaser,

Do you think your aluminum prop was worth the expense?  (How much did it cost?)

 

 

[cyclops2]

Why S S is / can be better.  It can be made THINNER than a Aluminum prop. So a great SS prop will always be better than the THICKER / more draggy Aluminum prop.  That is all folks.

[TOXIC]

Stainless is also heavier than aluminum and doesn’t flex near as much as aluminum.  That’s why you get better performance, flex = loss of cup and lost performance.  

[GaryH]

On 1/28/2022 at 10:25 AM, TOXIC said:

Under 150hp is where I would consider an aluminum prop.  Especially if I was running rocky waterways.  As for repair costs, I’m sure aluminum is cheaper but stainless can be repaired.  I messed up and ran my $700, 3 blade Yamaha stainless T1 prop into the rocks one year in Wisconsin and rolled all 3 blades really bad and actually lost metal.  Luckily I had my spare prop with me.  I sent it to the prop shop when I got home and for $200 it was repaired as good as new and I actually had it customized for a little more bow lift.  Yes, stainless are designed to spin the hub if you hit something but they still damage lower units and prop shafts more than aluminum. 

OUCH…….

[Deephaven]

My boat came with 4 stainless props...I keep meaning to do a back to back to back to back, but that takes away from fishing time.  Perhaps next year before the season opens.

Aluminums cost me more as they always seem to have little nicks in them and I then get them fixed.  Either I am more protective of my stainless props, I am  luckier or they are better at avoiding little dings.

[Log Catcher]

22 hours ago, desmobob said:

I have a small, aluminum boat (Tracker 170 Pro) with a 40HP Mercury four-stroke.  I switched my stock three-blade aluminum prop for one of the newer Mercury four-blade aluminum performance props (which I think come standard on the Mercs now).  Actually, I have two of them, as one is pitched so its works well when I'm fishing alone and the other is pitched right for when I have another person or two on board.

 

I've always wondered if it would be worth the expense to try a stainless steel prop.  Since I now have three aluminum ones, I hate the thought of buying another prop!  

 

Log Chaser,

Do you think your aluminum prop was worth the expense?  (How much did it cost?)

 

 

I think it was worth the expense. I ordered it from Cabelas and it cost somewhere around $235 if I remember right. I got it close to 20 years ago. My boat is a Tracker 175 with a 40 HP two cycle engine.

[slonezp]

Fishing the same body of water, I had a Mirrocraft with a 90 ELPTO for 9 years and sent a prop out for repair almost annually, always had a spare on hand. Had a Lund with a 225 Optimax with a SS prop which had gotten 1 knick in it after 9 years.

[cyclops2]

DO we see a common pattern to prop dinging ? smaller boat & engines Go into more risky water !!  

As cost & size of boat gets bigger.  NO WAY am I risking it.

 

Why I have my fish boat of a 1986 Lowe Aluminum 16' SHORT SHAFT boat & motor. I can safely motor thru 12 " WITH the drive down .....LOCK RELEASED !!    The motor slides up & down over everything. Black paint chips on the 1986 Evinrude 30 hp  Still a virgin. with original prop.

[Alex from GA]

I have an old ,'88, Grumman Renegade 16' bass boat with a Merc Classic 50, 45hp and run, during the winter, a rocky river and some times inshore salt with oyster beds and rocks.  I've gone through several aluminum props hitting rocks and logs.  I now have a steel prop and have run into the same stuff without hurting it.  When I bought the boat the prop shaft was bent and I'm positive the boat always had aluminum props.  I agree with Glenn.