Worth the $$?

[JP Heintzman]

Prop Question - Jumping on the "prop" thread, a quick question as I have no experience with this issue. Got a 75 Merc on a TF 170 that has minor dings/scuffs on the original prop. Boat has fine holeshot/speed, handles well. How much does it cost to have the prop re-conditioned and is it worth the money? Will I notice any difference in the performance? I know it's a crap shoot on opinions without a pic of the prop, but again any damage would be considered minor. Thanks.



JP

 

[Drew Dennis]

An aluminum prop...not worth the repair cost..stainless would be. Performance difference will depend on how bad the damage is... It does not take much to decrease performance and lose fuel economy. Not to mention the added vibrations you could be sending into your lower unit...causing accelerated wear.

 

[Larry Harp]

I had an aluminum prop on my old 50 horse Tracker. I had it rebuilt several time after hitting stumps and stuff. If I remember right it was $37.50 to make it look brand new. I never thought I'd see a performance increase that would warrant the expense of a stainless steel prop on that 50 hp motor.

 

[Marty Klein]

If the prop is giving you the performance you desire, then returning it to original condition is the right COA. Now, whether or not a re-conditioning is worth it or not depends on cost comparison-new vs re-conditioning. Find those costs and make the decision. If it is running well now [with the dings, etc], why mess with success?

 

[XMYTRUCK XMYTRUCK]

I was in the same boat as you my prop had a lot of dings it and opt to buy the same prop and keep the old one as a back up. Either way in my opinion I have notice a small difference the motor does not shake as much at a lower speed and the motor runs soother. I was told by a couple of mechanics that a damage prop can cause excessive vibration, which may cause lower end unit damage. The key word is may cause, my theory on boats is you better safe than sorry I replace a lot of stuff before it has the chance to leave me strained on the water.



Thx

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[JP Heintzman]

xmytruck, sounds like pretty good advice and I think that's what I'll do, having a spare is always a good thing. Any idea on what a stock prop on a 75 Merc will run?



JP

 

[XMYTRUCK XMYTRUCK]

Hey JP

I have 25HP 4-STR bigfoot and a Merc prop cost me I think 130 or 120.



Thx

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