Laser II vs. Tempest Plus -OR- Which should be on my Verado?

[moose-hunter]

Originally Posted by ZWALLEYE

I would give that Power tech rk prop a try. It has a great hole shot and has a tone of bite. Top end will be good also.

Sounds like a decent prop. But a call to Powertech and I found out it's only available in a 23 pitch at the moment. Later in the year the smaller pitches will be available, but nothing right now.

[moose-hunter]

Originally Posted by chico

In my trials the Enertia was 2-3 mph faster but a lot looser,i opted for the control and ride.Half tank fuel 2 adults and gear 53mph GPS with total control,2008 175V-rod on a 1800 Superhawk hope that helps.Chico.

Thanks Chico! Good info here!

Could you describe what "looser" felt like to you? Just seeing if we're on the same page.

[Burr]

Originally Posted by chico

In my trials the Enertia was 2-3 mph faster but a lot looser,i opted for the control and ride.Half tank fuel 2 adults and gear 53mph GPS with total control,2008 175V-rod on a 1800 Superhawk hope that helps.Chico.

Interesting you observed that. I've found Enertia to be faster than my tempest too, on the bigger Verado. First time I've heard of anyone try an Enertia on the mid range Verado. My preferance is the Enertia, but the Tempest does work well too.

[propmann]

Originally Posted by moose-hunter

Sounds like a decent prop. But a call to Powertech and I found out it's only available in a 23 pitch at the moment. Later in the year the smaller pitches will be available, but nothing right now.

I think I'm the only shop that has the new powertech rkr 3 and 4 I have 17,18, 19, 21 pitch 3 blade and 17, 18, 19 4 blades in stock. For the couple of people that have tried them so far they are doing very well.

[chico]

Originally Posted by moose-hunter

Thanks Chico! Good info here!

Could you describe what "looser" felt like to you? Just seeing if we're on the same page.

Will blow out in the corners & loss of solid boat control,unlike the Tempest which gives all around better handling and solid ride.In the future i will call on propman to match me up with one of his new four blades,(when the other 1/2 is sleeping)just think that would even get better handling and not sacrifice much in performance.Chico.

[moose-hunter]

Originally Posted by Burr

Interesting you observed that. I've found Enertia to be faster than my tempest too, on the bigger Verado. First time I've heard of anyone try an Enertia on the mid range Verado. My preferance is the Enertia, but the Tempest does work well too.

Okay... Another player in the prop the mid-range V-Rod game. Enter the Enertia.

I want top end.... but NOT at a cost of loss of control. If the Enertia will give me that extra MPH but not the squirrelly feeling of the Laser II, this might be a contender. Then we also have the PowerTechs waiting in the wings to steal the show.

- The 19p Tempest Plus seems to be the most popular. BUT... Given my need for top end, does this prop come in 1" pitch increments or the typical 2"?

- What is it about the Enertia that causes the "looser" feeling? Is it in it's design? Too much rake? Blade cupping? Diameter?

- And what of the Power Techs? Anyone have first hand experience with this RKR series prop? Any end users care to comment?

(Ricky, I don't doubt you, buddy. Just looking for more knowledge.)

- As we all know, engine height is also critical to performance. Those of you running a more aggressive prop than the Laser II, where do you have your engines mounted? I'm at the second hole down from the top. Is this the same for you folks?

Oops... gotta run. The new Pro V was baptised yesterday with the first blood stains in the carpet. Walleye of course and that's what's for breakfast!!

[Burr]

Moose Hunter - I'll watch for your observations. I'm going to post what I think might be happening with the Enertia, but keep in mind, these are just thoughts.

My setup is a Pro V with a 275 Vrod. I've got both a 21 P Tempest Plus and a 21 P Enertia. I've heard, read, and been advised the Tempest was the best prop from several sources - having an Enertia, I wanted to try one, so I added the Tempest. I wanted a second prop anyway.

There are some differences, and I'm not certain my understanding is right on all fronts, so these are my suspicions more than "facts". If other people observ the same things, maybe my observations will be confirmed, or replaced by what is really happening.

• I suspect the reason the Enertia is faster for me might be due to one simple thing. I suspect it is a lighter/thinner prop to spin.
• The Tempest sure feels like it gives the boat more lift, rides higher in the water, which should make it faster. But so far, the Enertia seems to be just a bit faster. about 1.5 mph faster for me.
• The Enertia is absolutely a quieter prop to run. Not sure why, but the Tempest has a very evident exhaust noise that is heard when on plane. The Enertia does not. It's not "Loud", but the Vrod is so quiet, running the Tempest is about 3 times louder than running the Enertia. More of just an interesting observation than related to any performance item. But I suspect if you are running a Tempest, and then try an Enertia, the first thing you will probably notice is how the sound is different, and there is no exhaust noise.
• Just about all reports seem to identify the Tempest as a better prop, and I wonder if that might be due to purchase price? How many people even tried the Enertia? How much will an Enertia cost you in comparison to Tempest? I suspect the reason why there is so little comparison, is people just don't spend the extra money on the Enertia, when they can buy a Tempest for less, and everyone says the Tempest is the best... It will be interesting the hear if you find a big price difference between Tempest and Enertia. Prices vary, and I was able to purchase a new Tempest "very reasonably". My boat came with the Enertia, so I did not perform an extensive search for best Enetia pricing - but the numbers for me were materially different. Why spend $200-$300 more for an Enertia when everyone says Tempest is best?
• I did not have any blowout problems cornering with the Enertia. It stayed hooked up really well on corners. But it does not lift the boat as responsively as the Tempest. On a straight run, trimming up, I can virtually trim it out of the water. Where the Tempest you will feel the trim changes more in the ride. The Enertia is very predictable, and stable for me, but changes in trim level do not give the boat a significantly different feel.
• It's somewhat confusing, because the Enertia is faster for me, but the Tempest will lift the boat more. These two don't usually coincide. Maybe I'm wrong?

With all that said - I really have not switched back and forth, this one to that one, made sure everything else is the same, cuz I really don't care about 1 or two mph. I've gone from Enertia, to Tempest, to Enertia, to Tempest - and that's it. I'm currently running the Tempest, but I would prefer to have the Enertia on right now, I just have not taken the time to switch them, and the Tempest works fine. I was primarily wanting to switch back mostly for the quiet, to see if it's as much quieter as what I recall. I've adjusted to the Tempest sound levels, and I wonder if it will be as dramatic to me in the noise level as it was going the other way? Plus, I don't expect to lose any speed, I'll pickup a bit. Maybe I just got a good prop? Not every one with the same part number is the same... The way props are made at Merc is an interesting process if you ever get a chance to tour the prop facility.

I have some other things happening that are not completely answered, that may not even be prop related. My 275 it's said will run different on 87 Octane fuel, than it does on 92 Octane fuel. I've always selected 92 Octane when available. Sometimes it's not available, sometimes the computer might not recognize it? What if you have a half tank of 87 Octane and half tank of 92 Octane? I surpassed 500 hrs on my motor this year, and for an unexplained reason, my boat is consistently 2-3 mph faster than it has been before, I'm hitting 6400 rpm when I got 6200 before? I might have identified why, I'll know more the next time I'm out. If I have identified where the extra speed came from, it's a bad thing now corrected. But it might be from lots of different things. Fuel, weight, weight distribution, or my "bad" thing. I might find out why, I might never know, you might confirm or dismiss some of my thoughts.

One thing for sure, not may people have commented on the Enertia. I will be interested to see what your observations are.

[moose-hunter]

Again... Many thanks to all for the info!!!

Here's the latest and greatest of the prop search...

I made a few calls and came up with two props I can test tomorrow. The first is a OFS, 3 blade, 19p prop from Power Tech. The other is a Merc Rev 4 in a 21 pitch.

I'm told the OFS prop is a larger diameter with "larger" blades and "a little more cup". But... He has never sold this model to a 175 owner so he really doesn't know what the results may be. He can only go "by the numbers".

The Rev 4 kind of has my attention. I've always liked the performance of a 4 blade but not in "top end" applications. Seems the 3 bladed wheels are typically "faster". I'm going to test it hopefully tomorrow so we'll see if the mid range V-Rod can pull the revs and get me the speed I'm looking for.

And comments on those two props?

BTW... I also called my dealer and asked about a swap or even a partial swap for the "correct" prop. I'll know more on that front tomorrow as well.

[chico]

Hey Dan:Waiting for results on the 4 blade.but a little worried for the choice of 21P.Do not leave anything out thanx Chico.

[moose-hunter]

Originally Posted by chico

Hey Dan:Waiting for results on the 4 blade.but a little worried for the choice of 21P.Do not leave anything out thanx Chico.

The 21 pitch was not really a choice but more of what was on the shelf ready to go... I'd have rather gone with a 19p, and went pitch-to-pitch with the popular Tempest Plus as that would seem like a better baseline.

Is there any specific info you're looking for?