5 blade?

[krowey]

i was preparing to order my new prop today and was doing some shopping around to find the best deal, and i found a 5 blade prop. i was just curious what everyone's opinion was on this prop. i've already figured out what prop i want and i was curious about the 5 and if i hear some good things i may consider buying it instead, as we just do water sports of tubing and wake boarding

 

[90stingray]

Re: 5 blade?

I went from a 3 to a 4 now have the 5 blade stainless. I love it! Just spend the money and get a high five. The signature brand props look good because of price but the are not balanced very well. Btw- You never said what prop you were looking at. Goodluck!

 

[ttugrad]

Re: 5 blade?

i"ll second the not being balanced. I think that the only ones being made in a 5 blade for recreational use are the high 5 and the Quicksilver QST 5. I thought the main difference was going to be a lack of prop vent holes (not an issue with my I/O) and level of polishing. My QST vibrates at low RPMS, probably vibrating at higher too, I just can't notice it.

Put up the extra money for the High 5 if they are balanced better and save yourself an extra trip to the prop-shop for rebalancing like I did!

 

[jeffbyrd66]

Re: 5 blade?

I know I am new to iBoats and this last year I picked up a 21' Rinker with the Merc 350 MPI 300HP and it came with the High 5 Prop and I will say I thought it would only provide a good hole shot but let me tell you it is a Great all around prop for pulling toys of all types. Oh and I almost forgot the boat still tops out in the mid 50's.

Have Fun!!!

 

[walleyehed]

Re: 5 blade?

i was preparing to order my new prop today and was doing some shopping around to find the best deal, and i found a 5 blade prop. i was just curious what everyone's opinion was on this prop. i've already figured out what prop i want and i was curious about the 5 and if i hear some good things i may consider buying it instead, as we just do water sports of tubing and wake boarding

Big question here is not as much about blade number or Make as it is about what boat/engine combo you have and what it's NOT doing that you want it to do...at that point we can make an educated choice of blade design as well as number of blades. Same as in some cases with a hydrofoil, a 5-blade can be a band-aid fix-not saying thats always the case, they do have their place-sometimes there's a better way to get what you want and maybe more.

 

[fossill]

Re: 5 blade?

Great prop

 

[Pacoson71]

Re: 5 blade?

What boat, weight, size, motor, HP, and Gear ratio do you have?

I use a High Five with a 200HP v6 Yammi Outboard on a 20 ft barefoot Falcon. Great Prop

 

[ttugrad]

Re: 5 blade?

I love the prop...makes my 3.0 bowrider handle like it is on rails. I have never been able to break it loose in turns regardless of trim level and the hole shot is great. My only issue is that I bought the QST 5 online and it came to me out of balance. If the High 5 is better balanced it is a better deal.

 

[lrdchaos]

Re: 5 blade?

I'm gonna have to recommend the high five as well, I have tried a 3 and 4 blade as well. In fact I have a 4 blade in the garage now that never comes out of the box. For the type of playing I do, skiing, tubing, wakeboarding the high five does great. My boat will also run 58 with my wife and I, and 3\4 tank of fuel.

 

[krowey]

Re: 5 blade?

i'm not having any specific problems with what i have already, i was just trying to get the boat to plane at lower speeds, so i don't beat the little one's up to badly, my boat is 19' seaswirl with a 5.0 and volvo sx outdrive. i have way more power and speed than i really need. the current prop i have is a 19 pitch 3 blade and i have figured a 17 pitch 4 blade would get me where i want to be. i was just curious what the 5 blade would offer if i decided to go that route, as i have never saw one before.

 

[ttugrad]

Re: 5 blade?

Merc per their website reccomends that you stay with the same pitch going with a 5 blade if your WOT is where it needs to be with a 3 blade. I believe the 5 has a smaller diameter to reduce drag. Based on my experience, I think that you could go with the 19 pitch on a 5 blade and still get the lower plane speeds you are looking for. You would get the best of both worlds: lower plane speeds and only a slight reduction in top end. Best thing of course would be to try both the 17 and 19 but unless you are lucky enough to live near a shop that allows it, you have to make a choice.

 

[180shabah]

Re: 5 blade?

Tabs are another option...