4-Blade Mercury 'Spitfire' Boat Engine Propeller
This was my first time experiencing what a 4-blade vs 3-blade propeller had to offer. Of course, I'd read all the prior reviews which indicated better 'hole-shot' performance, ability to 'plane' at a lower speed, better overall fuel economy, and perhaps just a bit of loss of top-end. Well, they're all true!! My experience mirrored these claims exactly, with great delight I might add. My biggest concern was the hole-shot performance. When purchasing my boat my biggest let-down was the fact that, compared to every other boat I've ever owned, this boat was VERY slow to come up on plane. After some research, I found the dropping prop pitch was helpful. And, this produced both a 'better' hole shot, and the engine RPMs were then right in 'range'. But still not being 'completely satisfied', and in doing some further research, I found a lot of recommendations indicating the switch to a 4-blade might be in order. So, I looked around, found one, and 'WOW'!!! The boat now comes up on plane almost instantly, and it will plane at about 600 to 700 rpm LESS than what was necessary with the 3-blade prop, AND the 'peak' RPM still remained right where the manufacturer recommends it be; like 5200! In checking my GPS 'speed' indicator, I can't even say I lost any 'top end', as my boat isn't fast in the first place. I think that the 200 or so RPM that I gained over my prior prop, which maxed out at 5000 rpm, I believe the 5200 with the 4-blade allowed me to retain my prior top-end speed, while still giving me the benefits I was looking for out of the hole. In all, I'm quite happy, and I would HIGHLY recommend swapping from a 3-blade to a 4-blade to just about anyone. For the record, I've owned a LOT of boats (like maybe 35 to 40?), I live 'on the water', and currently have 4 power boats in my small fleet. I'll never buy another 3-blade prop again!!
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned