Aluminum vs. Stainless Steel Props.

I was looking at getting a new prop for my 90 hp Evinrude. I have heard that a good prop can really improve the performance of your boat.

I was looking at getting a stainless steel but a few people tried to talk me out of it. They mentioned that for fishing it is not the best thing because they don't give like aluminum does and you can really screw up your motor if you get into some rocks.

What is everyone using out there and should I stay away from S.S. for my fishing boat? (it's a 17 ft smokercraft)

thanks..........romertrain

[rpieske]

Some people think that if you hit a reef with an aluminum prop, the blades will break off and you won't bend the prop shaft or do other damage. I have hit a reef with an aluminum prop and still bent the shaft. My experience is that Stainless Steel will run faster, not turn the edges or break on minor hits. When I ran aluminum, I went through 1-2 props a year. I always had props in the shop. I've been running SS for 12 years now and never replaced a blade. I hit a reef in LOTW last year, broke off the end of the skeg and it barely turned an edge on the blade. No cavitation, still runs good. With aluminum I would have lost all three blades. SS is real good for hitting wood, or start ups in shallow water where there is rock. I believe they are worth the money.

Hey Romertrain

I fish Georgian Bay most of the time. This is why I stick with al. props. Yes you can still do damage to your shafts on a big hit but your chances are less likly! Al. props do twist out of shape a little when you first hit "the gas". But when you get up on plane they will settle back to normal shape. Stainless won't twist out of shape on the get go, but with a 90 the twisting is very little anyway. So I don't think you will notice much difference.
Remember it is a 17' fishing boat with a 90hp motor "NOT A RACEBOAT".
The money a stainless prop costs is not worth the extra 3-4mph topend difference.
rpieske remember... charts are cheeper then props!
"JUST KIDDING!!!"

Jim

[BigBill]

I'm a big fan of stainless. I've been using stainless for three years now and prefer over aluminum. I've hit one reef at about 15 mph and it didn't hardly scratch it. The aluminum would have been toast for sure. When I had aluminum I always had dents or dings, usually from loading the boat onto the trailer.

[troutman]

Romer,

Hey, my dad has a bass boat and he does use a stainless steel prop. If you are careful, and watch out for rocks I think that stainless steel is the way to go. You can definately tell a difference in performance and balance as you go from a dented aluminum prop to a nice stainless prop.
Yes, if you do hit something you may shear a pin at most, which is not the end of the world, but if you hit something that bad with an aluminum prop I garantee that you will have a good chance at shearing a pin also.
Also, as far as resale value and quality, your prop is like the tires on your car. Cheep tires = cheep ride. They also hold up better and will last a ton longer than any aluminum prop.
Anywho, that is my own two cents.....

troutman

[rpieske]

Hey Jim Grove:

No excuse....I even have a GPS chartplotter with a LOTW chart on micro chip. I just keep finding new reefs that aren't on the map or maybe not exactly where the chart says they are. Good news is I add these to my fishing spots and they often produce well because they aren't fished much. I just added a stainless steel Skegard to protect the skeg and replace the broken tip without welding. Maybe this thing will protect my prop better, too. Happy Holidays!

If you think an aluminum prop is going to absorb hits that would have otherwise turned into lower unit damage with a stainless prop...that's a bunch of rubbish! If you hit just about anything at idle with stainless you aren't going to do much damage. Anything faster and the possiblity exists that you will mess up the gears in your lower unit or knock the shaft out of balance. Same is true of an aluminum prop. Lets face it if you aren't idling you are probably doing 20+ MPH minumm. That's awful fast to be hoping a prop is going to absorb the impact. Those gears in your lower unit are smaller and more fragile then you think.

I agree with the poster above. With only 90hp you may not experience much increase in performance. However, you won't know until you try. Find someone in your club who has the right pitch in SS that you can borrow. Or find a local shop who has the right prop you can try before you buy. You can also check www.bassboatcentral.com for used props. If you decide to stay with aluminum and you are not satisified with your performance, try a different pitch prop. A lower pitch prop will help your hole shot but you need to be careful you don't redline your motor with too low pitch.

First of all, you've gotten some great advice here. The old wive's tale that stainless will damage your lower unit if hitting something is exactly that, an old wive's tale.

First of all, even with a 90 hp outboard, you will notice improved performance, both in top end and if propped correctly, hole shot as well. You'll probably notice improved handling as well because of less flexing of the prop.

Where stainless really shines is when you're fishing shallow, stumpy, waters. Rocks are hard on both aluminum and stainless, but where you might "bump" over a stump with a stainless, you'll probably bend an aluminum. Stainless is much more forgiving for light hits than any aluminum prop. But, hit something at high rpm's with either and you're going to make your mechanic happy.

I fish a lot of the Wisconsin River system with a 21.5' bassboat with a Merc 250XB. Needless to say, I run stainless and hit stuff all the time. I'm still running the same prop, the prop shaft is still straight and the seals don't leak.

There's a couple minor scuffs and one nick in the blades, but I do know that particular hit that nicked the blade would have totally trashed an aluminum prop. My skeg is "sanded" smooth and clean of paint from running in sand and I know that too would have changed an aluminum prop from original specs.

So, I say, keep the aluminum prop you have now as a spare and get a good stainless. Use a little common sense when and where to run on plane and you'll be fine. But you won't have to worry about your prop nearly as much as you did before.

Steve @ G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods.
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

I'll add that you should try several props before buying because all SS props are not the same. Each have a unique application. For instance, the 4 blade Trophy I have on my boat is giving me too much lift in the transom making for a slopy driving boat. My other 3 blade Tempest doesn't give me as much transom lift but not as much hole shot either. Each boat will behave a little differently with each prop. I would not recommend trying a 5 blade prop. Try to make a 3 blade prop work first by chaning configurations in the PVS plugs. If that fails to give you the hole shot you are looking for, then try a 4 blade prop. If you have a Mercury motor, try the Mercury props first before messing with 3rd party mfgs.