3 blade to 4 blade

hvachillbilly

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
87
tring to improve speed on pontoon boat 21' 60hp mercury currently have a 14 x 10 prop running 18mph at 5800rpm what would be a good 4 blade prop to try:confused:
 

Barnacle_Bill

Admiral
Joined
Feb 8, 2004
Messages
6,469
Re: 3 blade to 4 blade

None. you may even loose a few MPH. You go to a 4 bladed prop when you need a better hole shot.
 

hvachillbilly

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
87
Re: 3 blade to 4 blade

ok thats out whole shot on a pontoon lol heres the problem 10 pitch i can run at 6000rpms put on a 11 pitch and rpms went to 5200 at wot thats a lot of drop isnt it maybe the 10 is not for the pontoon or the 11 marked wrong
 

Fun Times

Moderator
Staff member
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May 16, 2009
Messages
9,120
Re: 3 blade to 4 blade

Hate to say it, But your boat is running good with the 10 pitch and yes I have seen the same drop in RPMs with putting on a 11 pitch props while testing pontoons just like your set up. Try playing with this prop selector with your boat specs. But 18 mph [on the speedo gauge] at 5800-6000 with a little trim is right where you want/Need too be at with your set up for over all use.http://appcenter.mercurymarine.com/propSelector/home.do

Do you have the big foot set up?

The 4 blade would help if your set up had a lot of cavitation going on but you would lose some top end performance over all in most cases, But if you wanted to or needed to use a 4 blade, Then you would need to go down in pitch by around 1 pitch some times 2, If they even make them for your set up from merc, I Can't remember right of the top with out looking it up.;):redface::).

Now Mercury does make a cupped prop to work better for most pontoons. And If you look at the part number on the prop you would know if it is cupped or not, Because it would have a "C" in the part number for cupped. The cupped prop would be a 50/50 chance for a better performance, Or better handling if you had a lot of cavitation going on Then you would want to try using a cupped prop also to help with that. But you would not know till you tried it all out to be sure.
 

Synchronicity

Recruit
Joined
Sep 27, 2009
Messages
2
Re: 3 blade to 4 blade

None. you may even loose a few MPH. You go to a 4 bladed prop when you need a better hole shot.
I concur. I have a pontoon boat with 50hp merc, 3 blade prop. Figured it was turning too slow so I bought a new four blade, with a full 1" less pitch.

It cost me 2mph, 100 rpm, and $78.
 

hvachillbilly

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Messages
87
Re: 3 blade to 4 blade

guess i can settle for 18mph may try a cupped prop though just to see if i can get my alarm to stop going off mech thinks it the ecm but thats another thread thanks for all your input
and yes it is the big foot boat tech
 
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