Anyone had any experience with 4 blade SST props on a 20ft boat.
Good or bad…
Depends on the boat, the motor and the pitch of the prop. Often folks go to a four blade for a better hole shot but you will lose some top end.Take your current prop to one of the prop shops and talk to them. They can often work the prop or help you select the one that will do what you want.
big dog
If not running hydraulic steering run a four blade and suffer the top end speed at the gain of reduced steering torque.
If you have hydraulic steering go with a good 3 blade.
Ive run 3,4,5 bladed outboard props, and found that the more blades the better hole shot, more torque, and slower topend but will stay on plane at lower rpms, I run a 5 blade on my striper boat,a 20’ 1970 Glassmaster trihul origonaly built with a 427 chev inboard/outboard for N.C. DNR
I closed up the transom and installed a bracket and a 250 Etec and its super heavy with a 50 gal bait tank and battery for 24V t motor,
started with a 19 3 blade and it would tac over 6000 to get out of the hole but run wot 49.9 mph, a 19 4 blade would get out of the hole at 5500 and to out at 44 mph at 5300, the 5 blade 18 would come out of the hole at 4000 and top out at 45mph at 5900, I also have a 23’ old Robalo CC with a 200 Merc that I pull a 35’ shrimp net and the
the 5 balde works wonderfull but for fishing I run a 19 3 blade
If you do allot of inshore fishing, such as running in creeks on plane, you can make sharper turns without caviting with a 4 bladed prop while still keeping your motor trimmed up…
Fishing is a prefectible art…in which nevertheless, no man is perfect – Gifford Pinchot
Ice Blue Pathfinder 2200
“Kemosabe”
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Thanks folks for your input. The used boat I’m looking at buying has a 4 blade prop. Just didn’t have any experience with them. Will be doing mostly inshore fishing. If I’m not losing to much top end speed and the RPM’s are where they should be I may try it out for a while. Does a 4 blade prop put more stress on the lower unit or make the engine work harder?
no more stress or more work- a 4 blade will also provide more stern lift and are great for a boat that is stern heavy
For what it is worth. I’ll give you some numbers from my boat between a 3 and 4 blade.
172 Sea Hunt CC
Suzuki DF115
Bought the motor used, had a 20p 4 blade SST prop. Great hole shot. WOT I was getting 38mph and turning 5500rpms
Bought a 22p 3 blade Stiletto and that what I am running currently. Still a decent hole shot. But top speed I am getting 44-45 mph and turning 6000rpm.
Hope this helps.
G & W Boatworks, LLC
Detailing & Bottom Painting
843-991-1495
You should use whatever prop gets you to the top-rated RPM of the engine at the highest speed.
quote:
Originally posted by DillyDallyYou should use whatever prop gets you to the top-rated RPM of the engine at the highest speed.
Boom.
Generally speaking, 3-blade props usually get more top end speed, and 4-5 blade props get you better acceleration out of the hole.
But at the end of the day, the prop with the pitch that gets you closest to the manufacturer’s recommended RPM-to-Speed ratio is going to be the best prop.
thanks folks again for the info. Sthrnby, those numbers were kinda what I was after. Thanks for providing them. I prefer the top end a little over hole shot. I’ll keep testing to see what I can get.
If you want to really know props and numbers, contact Prop Gods in fl, Ken may already have some test numbers for you’re setup and he is great to work with.
SEMPER FI
30 gw marlin
35 donzi sfc (sold)
25 pursuit cc(sold)
45 egg harbor sportfish (sank hurricane)