# Prop help



## scoobeb (Apr 2, 2017)

I have a brand new 20hp 4 stroke suzuki and I must replace the stock 10 pitch prop due to over revving easily. I have thrown on a 11 pitch aluminum solas which works well but I was wondering if anyone knows what is the best overall prop for speed? I was looking into the turning point hustler props as they look promising . I know I won't gain a tremendous amount of speed but I would take even a couple to a few mph extra if any one prop (aluminum only)would do the trick. I was looking at an 11 pitch suzuki prop also but they are made from solas I believe and expensive to say the least. I know I'm only getting so much out of my 20hp but hopefully someone can guide me to a great speed prop. I like to get in the upper 20s if possible ,I'm expecting like 25ish or less so if I get say 27-28 with the right prop that would be so sweet. 2 people on board to,I know 3 people forget it,I would need to move up to a 25hp even know I bet the 20hp would get us up on plane and near 20 or so mph. It is on a 1648 flat bottom jon boat (alumacraft )so we know,the boat is extremely light at 310 lbs so any help on this would be awesome,thanks.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 2, 2017)

Any help??????


----------



## Sinkingfast (Apr 2, 2017)

With my lightest setup that I'll ever run with I try to slightly over rev at wot. That way there is something left when the boat is loaded. 

Are you over spinning with your lightest load? You didn't say what your load was. Or what the tach read. 

Probably minimal prop selection might narrow your choices. If you are not racing for pink slips think in terms of utility not top speed. 

My 1232 with a 76' 15hp omc works so much better with a 4 blades stern lift. Is the boat a tiller steer?


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 2, 2017)

I know I need an 11 pitch prop,I over Rev with a 10 and wot rpm is 6300 so with the 11 pitch prop I'm at or real close to 6000. I know like I said I need an 11 pitch prop, I just want to know from people's experience what prop they used on any 20hp 4 stroke outboard that gave them the best wot speed. What brand seems to work for just speed . I have seen very positive feedback on the Turning point hustler props so I'm hoping someone has used one here on a similar type outboard or maybe they found another manufacturer thst worked best for speed,that is all I'm looking for,basically user experience with different prop manufacturers and how they performed. I am in no way wanting a ss prop, only aluminum.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 2, 2017)

Yes,I absolutely need a tach but I'm not sure which one to get. I want a easy to install one that is accurate ,any opinions on this would help to,thanks. I want to keep track of mostly hrs and rpms as well


----------



## Sinkingfast (Apr 2, 2017)

I bet you will drop 5-600 rpm with an 11p. Just sayin...

Yes you need a tach before settling on a pitch. But I am confused with the 6300rpm without a tach..or did you borrow one..

I don't want to sound like a prosecutor but without a tach..


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 3, 2017)

The outboards wot max is set at 6300,I was over revving with the 10 pitch so I know I need a 11 pitch. Every person who has bought this outboard has had to buy an 11 pitch prop due to the same issue so it's an extremely common issue . The motor just has so much torque and wot power that the 10 pitch prop over revs with ease. Even if it drops say 500 rpms which I doubt because I've seen tons of people use a tachometer with this outboard on boats similar to mine and they were at or really close to 6000 rpms using a tach. I know I need an 11 pitch no question,a 9 pitch would seriously over Rev and a 12 pitch would just be to much pitch and more than likely give me close to what the wot speed is with the 11 pitch just a bit lower rpms so I know for a fact an 11 pitch prop is what I need. I've tested a 10,11 and 12,the 11 performed the best and I can tell it's where it needs to be by listening to the engine rev. I've had 3 of these 20hp suzuki's in 5yrs but have never really used anything but an 11 pitch solas prop which performed well,but like I said I have tested the 3 one time. I just figured someone may have experienced with a different manufacturer/brand of prop not pitch. 11 pitch is where I need to be. I can hear the motor and just tell by ear not what the exact rpms are but if you know your engines you can tell by ear if the engine is running well or lagging in speed and hole shot by ear and performance. Plus watching thousands of YouTube videos I know close to where the rpms are at with a 11 pitch prop because alot of them have tachs and like I said on a aluminum jon boat similar to mine with near the same weight they were at 6000+ rpms but not over the 6300. So again a 11 pitch prop is just right. I just want to know if a certain brand of prop is cupped differently or whatever makes them have a better wot speed run. If I gain a couple mph or so I'm extremely happy with that. Maybe in time I may lift the engine a bit but more than likely not. So now knowing I'm set on the 11 pitch prop what is the best brand of prop known for given great wot speed is all I want to know,please if anyone can chime in.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 4, 2017)

I'm mounting on my 11 pitch solas prop today and I'm going to open her up today or possibly tomorrow morning to see what kind of wot speed I can get. I'm hoping mid 20s or better which is my prediction. If I can get say near 25-27mph with near or over 1000lbs of total weight in the boat then I have 0 complaints and I'm good to go and may never need the 25hp since she does the job well. I was getting around 27.5 mph with my 20hp 2 stroke merc so if I can get near that I'm a happy man. Heck even 24mph would not be to shabby but when I went out with my original 1436 heavyweight lowe jon boat which weighed around 200lbs ,with me at 325lbs, friend was 215lbs and the boat was well over it's max of like 600-650 lbs of total weight. With us and motor ,gas,gear,live well we were easily at 800+lbs and we did near 27mph and even touched 28 for a brief few seconds,lol. Now this boat is a 1648 and while it's 100lbs heavier it has a much wider planning surface so it will run way better and it should be just as fast. We will see here hopefully in a few hrs or by tomorrow.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 4, 2017)

Well,here is something I found interesting. My stock suzuki prop, even know it's a smaller pitch and same diameter as the 11 pitch solas the blades on the suzuki prop are so much wider then the solas which would lead me to believe that if I got the 11 pitch suzuki prop it would perform better due to wider blades,am I correct on saying that or it really doesn't matter? The suzuki blades are near 4 inches wide while the solas is like a hair under 3.5 inches. Like I said maybe the suzuki 11 pitch prop would give me that extra couple mph I'm looking for.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 5, 2017)

Well i may as well ask here for this info for the heck of it.I have always been told that a ss prop is no good to use on a small outboard because they are usually to heavy and put a ,lot of strain on a small outboards lower unit.Is this 100% true?I was thinking of trying a ss prop but according to what i have been reading they really don't do much for a small outboard on a jon boat.Also it says most ss props are good if your going like 50mph or better.Anything under that aluminum is just fine and will give near the same performance.Is there any truth to this?


----------



## wmk0002 (Apr 5, 2017)

Can't offer anything on the prop, but in my experience the best budget induction tachometer is made by Hardline. Google Hardline tach and you will see all of their versions. You should be able to find one that also tracks hours and has a replaceable battery for about $25. I got mine off of Amazon.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 5, 2017)

So I called a few places and what got was about the same answer from all of them. The solas props are completely unpredictable, thet said you could put 2 of the same props on the same boat and one will,perform completely different than the other. They said that's why their so cheaply made. Only buy one if your crunching penny's they said. The oem props are 99% of the time right on with what the dimensions show on the box but they cost quite a bit more but they are way better in performance they said and very predictable,meaning you get what you will actually pay for and have no regrets.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 5, 2017)

scoobeb said:


> So I called a few places and what got was about the same answer from all of them. The solas props are completely unpredictable, thet said you could put 2 of the same props on the same boat and one will,perform completely different than the other. They said that's why their so cheaply made. Only buy one if your crunching penny's they said. The oem props are 99% of the time right on with what the dimensions show on the box but they cost quite a bit more but they are way better in performance they said and very predictable,meaning you get what you will actually pay for and have no regrets.



Thank you for the info,checking it out as we speak.


----------



## PGRChaplain (Apr 5, 2017)

Here's a calculator from Michigan Wheel. I've always had good luck with them.
https://www.miwheel.com/outboard-propellers/outboard-sizing-analysis/


----------



## PGRChaplain (Apr 5, 2017)

Here's a calculator from Michigan Wheel. I've always had good luck with them.
https://www.miwheel.com/outboard-propellers/outboard-sizing-analysis/


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 5, 2017)

Thanks,I'm going with a brand new oem prop. I know they are a bit more expensive but as all the people I talked to said,they are predictable for reliability and to be exactly what you are getting for your money unlike solas props even know I've never had an issue with a solas prop. I just noticed by looking at my stock suzuki prop it has nice and wide blades unlike the solas props and the blades seem just a bit better defined.


----------



## Weldorthemagnificent (Apr 5, 2017)

When you get it and test it, post results. And pics or it didn't happen! Lol. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 6, 2017)

Weldorthemagnificent said:


> When you get it and test it, post results. And pics or it didn't happen! Lol. Good luck!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well,first I'm going to do a test on my original factory 10 pitch prop that over revs. I want to see what type of wot speed I'm getting before it hits the Rev limiter, then I'm going to test my wot speed with my new 11 pitch solas prop with my gps,then I'm going to do the 11 pitch oem suzuki prop for wot speed and see what I get. Whichever gives me the best hole shot and wot speed is what I'm going with. If I can get awesome wot speed results with the 10 pitch suzuki prop I may just get the prop done by adding another pitch and a half to it to make it a 11.5 pitch. I think a 12 will be a bit sluggish out of the hole but not to bad,but taking back that half pitch to make it an 11 5 imo may be perfect. If I get great hole shot like I did on my first 20hp suzuki yrs ago with the 11 pitch prop then I will be good with that. My first 20hp suzuki was on a heavy 1436 Crestline flat bottom jon boat with me at 327 lbs and my friend at 215lbs and the boat was 210lbs and motor is 97lbs and gas,tackle,coolers,etc...we were at or near 900lbs on a boat rated for a 20hp but total weight was suppose to not exceed 675lbs and it was 900lbs,yikes. It floated well though and man the boat flu at 27mph with all that weight so with my current boat a 1648 that is 310lbs but is much wider on the bottom it will plane much,much easier so I should be at or near the mid to upper 20s or so which is where I want to be. That would make my day and I won't have any reason to upgrade to the 25hp which I had originally thought I needed to. With 3 people in the boat it should get in the low 20s for sure so I just may have finally found my keeper outboard. The only other outboard I may trade it for depending on specs is the brand new 2017 20hp efi tohatsu that is coming this fall. If it has more displacement then the suzuki with the awesome 2.15 gear ratio it already has then I will sell this engine and no questions get the tohatsu. I love tohatsu engines but I just don't like the cheap plastic flimsy shifter handle on it now and a few other small things. From what it looks like though it has the almost exact same body as my suzuki with the same new shifter on the tohatsu and the cowling is the only difference between the tohatsu and suzuki that I can see. I'm waiting for the specs to come out. Also changing the oil on the tohatsu is a piece of cake compared to the suzuki. The suzuki is a pita to do but still relatively easy. If I get great wot speeds and great hole shot with this suzuki I may as well keep a good thing because a new redesigned engine can have some kinks in it that need to be fixed so I may wait a yr or so to see how they hold up. So once I get the boat in the lake I will do all the tests and post results. We have a strong front coming here in fl in early April which is highly unusual for spring time here but the wind will be howling for a week the weather said and be extremely cold by Florida's standards,lol.


----------



## tomme boy (Apr 7, 2017)

Pitch is not the only thing that can raise and lower the RPM's DIAMETER and # of blades make a HUGE difference. 

I offered you a prop a while back that will solve your problems but you never responded. So I will give you a little hint. POWERTECH

https://www.nettleprops.com/store/p/877-PowerTech-SRT-4-Blade-Stainless-Propeller-Suzuki.aspx

The 10" is going to lower the RPM's about 300. It did on mine anyway.

Still have it. It is a 10 pitch


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 7, 2017)

I'm not going ss,it is not good for a small outboards lower unit. The prop shaft on a smaller outboard is just not designed to run a super heavy prop like ss. If I strike something hard there goes my shaft and gears as with a aluminum prop it will give and bend or break before the shaft or gears break. Plus from all I've read and watched on YouTube a ss gives very,very little to none wot speed increase over a aluminum prop. The hole shot is much better due to no flex on the ss prop but overall I rather stay with my aluminum choice. I'm sure you can run a ss prop on it and may never have a issue but I'm not chance g it. On a much bigger outboard with a much larger and stronger prop shaft it would work much better. Like I said I talked to alot of people at boats.net and iboats on the phone and they both as well as my local marina agreed a ss prop for a small engine can give u big trouble if I were to hit something hard or it just in general puts alot of strain on the shaft and gears making them work much harder.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 7, 2017)

I'm sure I will be happy with the oem suzuki prop that is coming today. I'm just trying to get mid 20s or better but the design of this oem prop is much better Imo then the solas. The blades are much wider so it should give a little bit of wot speed edge over the solas. Like I said if I get a couple mph or more,or heck even a mph is fine with me. I like to see around a 2 to 3 mph increase but if not I will take what I can get. I can still lift my engine also a few inches if needed to gain posibly another mph or so. So I have a few things I can do to get a little more speed. I'm hoping for 26 to 28mph overall. That is my goal. If I can accomplish that then I've done pretty good pushing a 1648 with 2 people and over 1000lbs of total weight with a 20hp 4 stroke outboard. Then once the new 20hp 4 stroke efi tohatsu comes out this fall I want to see the overall specs and difference between the suzuki and it. Can't wait to see that engine for sure.


----------



## DaleH (Apr 7, 2017)

Right up at the top of the Motors forum is a prop calculator by Turning Point Props where you can enter the exact model you own, or an equivalent model, and enter in the motor and weight you're pushing.

https://www.forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37433

*A bonus of buying Turning Point props is their exchange process*, where for $35 (IIRC) you can swap it out for another one. Their Tech Supprt is awesome too! I've had them recommend 3 props in the past 5-6 years and every one has been dead nuts on for what I needed ... no prop swapping needed.

Off the record and I've never seen a Solas prop worth the money or perform anywhere close to what the pitch & diameter would predict ...


----------



## tomme boy (Apr 8, 2017)

If you think that a SS prop is bad on a lower unit then you are the still living in the 60's. The SS props have the same rubber hubs that a aluminum prop has. 

When was the last time you actually heard of a bent prop shaft? You haven't. You are repeating what everyone used to say about SS props from back in the 60-80's. It is an old wives tale. You want to know what takes out a prop shaft. Running a aluminum prop that has a chunk of the blade missing and creating a imbalance. I thought I would help you out and make a hell of a deal for you. But you still seem to be searching for a cure that you have not been able to find in the last couple of years. You keep buying motors over and over again and still have not been happy. 

I will take my old 1988 25 Merc over anything Suzuki made any day of the week. I sold mine off after having it rebuilt 2 times under warranty and they sent techs in from California from the Corp office and they still could not find the oil leaks and why it was missing under load. They also replaced the lower unit housing as it was a bad housing and was trapping air bubbles and was burning holes into the case from the air that was trapped in those two spots. 

I wish you luck in your search for the motor of your dreams but I feel you will have two new ones by the end of the year in your search.

And remember, just because you heard it on the net does not make it true!


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 8, 2017)

I do appreciate the help,i just don't want ss.I will take the advice of techs who work for marinas or a store.I'm going by people who have also done real world tests on youtube with the ss props and most said they had issues with the ss props pulling the boat to the left or right hard,etc....If i get near what i'm hoping for i will be pleased.I don't need 30+mph i just would like to get in the mid to upper 20s.That would be perfectly fine with me.I fish around nothing but rocks,oyster beds,etc....I will not take a chance with a ss prop no matter what hubs they have in them now.Iv'e seen it time and time and time again someone running over an oyster bed and they said goodbye to their lower unit. I'm going out here when the wind calms down and i will test all 3 props i have now.I just got the suzuki 11 pitch prop and i like what i see.I love that the blades are a bit wider than the solas.I have also read tons and tons of articles and looked at videos and also looked at other forums and most have said the biggest improvement using a ss prop over an aluminum besides they hold up forever is the hole shot.The overall wot speed on little outboards are so minimal that a ss prop is not needed.It's not like if i switch from an aluminum to a ss prop i'm going to gain 5+mph,i may gain a few just as with me using the oem prop over the solas due to the larger blades. Hey,i may gain nothing either way,who knows. I 'm sticking with aluminum but thanks for the help anyways.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 8, 2017)

Here is the solas 11 pitch and the suzuki 11 pitch side by side and i also measured the blades which had the suzuki prop just a bit wider than the solas.Also the suzuki is a different designed prop all together so i can't wait to test them out soon and post the results.I'm not going to have a speed demon of a boat,i understand that,i just want to try and hit the mid to upper 20's with whatever prop works best with 2 people or with myself and my large cooler with some blocks in it to weigh the front down.

1st pic is the suzuki prop
2nd pic is the solas prop
3rd pic suzuki prop
4th pic is solas prop
5th pic is solas left and suzuki right

You can see a slight difference in blade size and design between the 2.I really like suzuki blades and nice and round they are,the solas blades seem like they are a longer blade from the body and a hair smaller blades,around 1/8 of an inch smaller give or take a bit.I'm expecting the oem suzuki prop to perform the best but you just never know,lol.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 8, 2017)

I love this suzuki engine,i should of never sold the original one i had yrs ago.The only outboard that i have ran since then was my 25hp 2 stroke merc and i sold that to get me my new 20hp suzuki.I like when new stuff comes out.Also it's not that i'm unhappy with what i have i just like to experience with new engines and to see what they have to offer.I have always loved tohatsu,imo tohatsu was the best outboard for the money without getting a deal.Now they went up so they are in par with all the other engine prices.I just did not like the cheap features on the 20hp tohatsu like the flimsy plastic shifter,just made bad.The new 20hp efi tohatsu looks very promising but if i like what i get out of this suzuki i will end up keeping this for a long while.I do admit i have a major ocd when it comes to buying the best next thing.I don't know why i'm like this but it's true.It's not true though that i'm unhappy with what i have,i'm just looking at the next technology of stuff.

Remember your words were just because you heard it on the net doesn't make it true.Well i can say what you said about ss props won't hurt a smaller engine today and i'm living in the 60s to 80s is a myth also,lol.Only joking around with ya.Yes,i have seen plenty of bent prop shafts on youtube from a ss prop hitting a log,rock,or something hard.A guy on there just got a new ss solas saturn and guess what he had,a new 20hp 4 stroke suzuki and he had to order a new prop shaft due to it getting bent from hitting something so he's back to aluminum.I never said it happens all the time but why chance it when an aluminum prop will perform great on smaller engines.Also if i hit something and my aluminum prop loses a blade well i reach into my box and pull my spare out and i'm on my way.

I'm only 41 so i wouldn't know anything about the 60's either,lol.


----------



## tomme boy (Apr 8, 2017)

If it takes out the shaft using a SS, It would take out the shaft on a aluminum. That is a the real truth. Heck, on my old Ranger with a 175 Merc EFI, I bent a propshaft by hitting a chunk of barge rope at 68mph. And twisted the input shaft. I would hardly say a rope is hard enough to do that damage but it happened and I was glad I had good Insurance as it was a $2700 replacement. SOO, would that have happened with a aluminum prop or not?


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 8, 2017)

The prop shaft is much stronger than an aluminum prop so in most cases no,the aluminum prop won't take out a prop shaft or gears like a ss prop would,that is just good old common sense. When I first started boating I hit a rock pretty hard with my aluminum prop and it bent the prop pretty darn good where it was unusable again but my shaft was dead on perfect. Had I used a ss prop I guarantee you that rock would of destroyed my prop shaft and gears without question. At least the prop shaft would of bent at the very least. That is one of the many reasons they make aluminum props, one of the reasons is for using it on a engine in rocky areas or where objects can be hit so it won't take out the lower unit. At least that is the thinking by most who use them and that is what the manufacturers of the props say. Aluminum props are cheap in price,light weight, made for use in shallow unpredictable waters where rocky or logs can be,etc.. Can a prop shaft get bent with an aluminum prop on it,I'm sure if you hit just right it can be done but you have a way,way,less chance with aluminum than with ss. Anyone will tell you that if they know boats. I have read tons of articles that a ss prop usually comes in handy for speeds of 50mph+ ,anything under a good aluminum prop can handle. I got near 35mph with my 1993 25hp 2 stroke merc with a 14 pitch aluminum solas prop. That is fast for a 25hp with an aluminum prop. I expect great results with my new oem genuine suzuki prop. It looks good and a well put together prop imo. I think the blades being a bit rounder and wider will give me some great wot speed. I bet I get near 26-28mph which is where I want to be and I believe I can get there. I will be amazed with that speed if I can accomplish that, I will be as happy as I can get,hands down.


----------



## CedarRiverScooter (Apr 8, 2017)

Beg to differ, but the reason they make props out of aluminum is that they are cheaper to manufacture, period. Years ago they had shear pins to protect drive train, now they have rubber lined hub.


----------



## tomme boy (Apr 8, 2017)

He heard it on youtube and the regular internet so it is true that SS props are bad. I would rather buy a more expensive SS than 3-4 aluminum props every year. I have only ever had on SS prop that needed to be rebuilt. I was running up a creek and the water dropped out from under me so I knew all I had to do was to keep it up on top and I would make it through. Well I was throwing a 20' high rooster tail of sand behind me at about 45mph. If I would have let off I would have had to call someone with a winch to pull me off the sand bar. I lost about 1/4" of diameter off the tips of the Tempest prop. 

I have bought a lot of expensive props over the years and Powertech has been the best out of everyone that makes a standard prop. Solas are junk. Call the guys at powertech and talk to them. I am pretty sure they have a 3 and a 4 blade aluminum for that motor. Or just buy 5 more motors and maybe you will find the one that you like.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 9, 2017)

I ran my 9.8 tohatsu 2 stroke for 7yrs with the same prop after hitting that one rock in the beginning due to not knowing the area. I put well over 500-700hrs on that prop and I never understood about about motors then other than put oil and gas in it and run it. I was a 15 yr old kid. I just didn't take advice from YouTube, it's all over forums with people with experience with them. I never said not to use ss,do what your heart desires. I choose aluminum and that is that. By the way the solas saturn ss prop has a ton of great reviews as well as the power tech prop.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 9, 2017)

If I get the performance I'm looking for than I'm happy. It's not like I'm going to gain a ton of speed with a ss prop over aluminum. If I get 26-28mph out of my new oem suzuki prop that is all I'm probably going to get out of her no matter what. 26-28mph is plenty fast and hey,if it is a dog out of the hole and my wot speed is say 20-22mph then maybe I may give ss a shot. I understand that ss is superior to aluminum in holding up much longer,possibly forever,but I have boated for 27yrs and have never had a ss prop and have never had one issue with one except the one rock I hit. My props have lasted a long,long,time. So maybe down the road when I go through another 10-20 engines and find one I like I may try a ss prop and I'm sure it will make a little difference but it's not like I'm gaining much from it performance wise. 20hp will only give u so much on a jon boat and again in the mid to upper 20s is perfectly fine with me.


----------



## Weldorthemagnificent (Apr 9, 2017)

What's that boat rated for anyway?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 10, 2017)

35hp but 20hp 4 strokes perform very well on these light flat bottom boats. My boat is 310lbs and my buddy has the same exact boat and we took it down to the lake last yr when I first got it. He has a 2016 20hp 4 stroke tohatsu and with him,2 small sons and pulling a tuber behind him he topped out at 27mph with a 11 pitch solas aluminum prop which imo is plenty fast. I originally has a 1993 25hp 2 stroke merc on mine and it was insanely fast,almost to fast. With a 14 pitch solas aluminum prop I was as 32mph with just over 1000lbs of total weight in the boat,you take one person away and it hit near 35mph and was insane,my buddy said when we would go by him the boat was barely touching water that is how fast we were going. Well I just wanted to go back to a 4 stroke and my 9yr old little girl was really scared going that fast to say the least. I was going to go with the 25hp originally but I said to myself I can't justify spending another $700-$850 for 5hp. So I went with the 20hp and I had one yrs ago and loved it and should of never got rid of it. I love the performance of it,sips gas,no mixing oil and gas,efi,97lbs,warranty. Also another deciding factor was I have insurance on my boat,if by some how (as this day in age we never know) my boat would of got stolen or more like the engine itself my insurance company told me no matter how nice my 1993 merc was I would only get book value for it which would be near nothing,few hundred bucks if I'm lucky. My merc was flawless but I also knew I could get a pretty penny for it so I put her on Craigslist and in less than a week a man traveled 600 miles to buy it because he wanted this exact engine. So I got $1800 for a 24yr old engine. I put alot of work into to so it has nearly everything brand new on it except the powerhead and a few small things. If my 17 suzuki were to get stolen I get a $3700 check and imo it was a no brainer to cover my butt also since I paid only $2450 for it. Sorry so long,just explaining my situation. Now down the road when,my daughter gets a bit bigger I may upgrade to a 25hp suzuki or yamaha. You can,get a new in the box short shaft, manual start 25hp efi yamaha for $3100,that is a killer deal.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 10, 2017)

I may consider a ss prop if I start having issues with my aluminum props but I have 3 of them so I'm set for a little while. I got the 10 pitch, solas 11 pitch and oem suzuki 11 pitch props I have to test on my local lake here soon. I'm also going to buy a tach soon. I have used aluminum props for 27yrs and only had one issue all that time. I'm sure a ss prop is superior in every way to an aluminum,I have just read forums from all over that say on an engine this small the performance difference will be so minimal if any that it's not worth it. I have also read where people love ss props and would never go back to aluminum. I completely understand that if you hit a rock hard enough that whether ss or aluminum it will probably damage the lower unit. I was always told as a kid and from boats.net and iboats told me to stick with an aluminum prop because more than anything the performance will be near nothing to possibly a bit as I stated before. The biggest thing would be getting out of the hole faster. As of now,when I ran my original one yrs ago the 20hp with the aluminum prop got me on plane in seconds so imo that is good for me. Down the road I may give one a shot. I was also told with the smaller prop shaft and smaller gears they advised me to go with the lighter prop. I'm just stating what all these people told me,I never said it was right or wrong. So that is where we are now. I'm going to test all 3 props and if I like what I get which I'm hoping near the mid 20s to upper 20s I will be happy.


----------



## Rumblejohn (Apr 10, 2017)

I didn't notice anyone mention the fact that a stainless prop will break not bend. It will cost you roughly double the amount to replace it. If you run in shallow water with rocks and logs, it is cheaper to replace a $100 prop than a $250 prop. Just my $.02


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 19, 2017)

Rumblejohn said:


> I didn't notice anyone mention the fact that a stainless prop will break not bend. It will cost you roughly double the amount to replace it. If you run in shallow water with rocks and logs, it is cheaper to replace a $100 prop than a $250 prop. Just my $.02


Crazy as it is a solas ss saturn prop for my 20hp suzuki is less then what i paid for the oem aluminum suzuki prop if you can believe that. I'm going out to test all 3 props by this weeks end so i will post what i get gps.

10 pitch suzuki
11 pitch suzuki 
11 pitch solas

They are all aluminum props so i will see what type of hole shot and wot speed i can get.Watch the cheap $60 solas prop win ,that would be something.I hear a ton of people diss solas and a ton of people who swear by them,more good then bad i should say.$60 is a steal on a prop.


----------



## LDUBS (Apr 21, 2017)

scoobeb said:


> If my 17 suzuki were to get stolen I get a $3700 check and imo it was a no brainer to cover my butt also since I paid only $2450 for it.



This whole thread has been very interesting to say the least. 

A general principle of insurance indemnification is that you would not be paid more than your actual loss. If you have coverage that does that, then good for you.


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 22, 2017)

My policy is based on what the engine would cost to replace at msrp,that is what they go by.My whole rig is covered for $7k total. $3700 for the engine, $1000 for my trailer and $2300 for my boat. That is how it's broke down.


----------



## Bushwhacker (Apr 24, 2017)

havent been on in a while but scoobeb, I recently put a Solas 11p on my 20hp Zuk and have ran it twice now with all my gear in the boat. Was hitting the limiter with the stock 10p at about 6300+ rpm running about 23mph. Now loaded my rpm's are around 5800-5900 and it is running around 25-26mph. Lost a just a little bit out of the hole but not enough that it matters. I'm happy with it for around $65


----------



## scoobeb (Apr 25, 2017)

I just ordered the resetable hardline tachometer last Fri so it should be here this week I'm hoping. I have the 11 pitch solas prop I need to test,11 pitch oem suzuki prop that I need to test and for kicks the 10 pitch suzuki prop. I'm hoping the 11 pitch suzuki prop performs the best but it wouldn't surprise me that the $60 prop out perform the $142 prop. Will see tomorrow morning as finally the wind is going to let up here in fl.


----------



## scoobeb (May 3, 2017)

Ok,wasn't able to make it out the last time but I'm going out this morning because it's going to be calm today and I need a fairly calm day to get a good accurate reading on my gps. So later or tomorrow I will post my tests for all 3 props. I'm hoping for at least 25mph or better from one of the props and I will be happy. Anything over 25mph with a full load will just be an added bonus,even a mph or 2 will make me happy as can be. If I get really bad performance which I doubt will be the case I will have to look into the 25hp yamaha since it's near $500 cheaper than the suzuki. So I will win either way.


----------

