Re: Stainless vs. Aluminum
I think the answer to your question lies in what your goals are. If you merely want to go faster, and have the "WOT rpm room" for more pitch, you can surely do that without buying a SS prop. If you want more "holeshot," the same is true. You can drop down an inch in pitch, buy a 4 blade prop, etc.
One thing that you do have to realize, however, is that SS props behave differently than aluminum props in some ways. I had no experience with SS props until I bought the one that I now own. It is the same number of blades, the same diameter, and the same pitch as the aluminum prop that I replaced. I bought it because I wanted to be able to get on plane more easily, and wanted to be able to hold plane at slower speeds. Upon advice that I received here at iboats, I opted to get the 3 blade SS prop, rather than an aluminum, 4 blade prop. The logic was simply that a SS prop is stiffer, and has better resistence to blade flex. That part proved to be true, and I ended up getting the performance that I wanted. What surprised me, however, is that contrary to popular opinion, I actually ended up with a 150 rpm increase in WOT rpm. That fact really pleased me because I expected the WOT rpm to drop slightly, and I was running lower in the WOT range than I really should have been - still in the acceptable range but right at the middle point of that. So, I ended up improving performance both where I expected to, and where I didn't expect to.
One downside to SS props is that they are expensive. This being the case, you have to figure out what you want/need accurately, before buying a new SS prop. You can, however, get help in doing this. Many outboard motor dealers sell used SS props. If they know you via prior business or referral, they will sometimes let you try a few props to see what works best for you. You can then go ahead and buy the used prop that you like best, or buy a brand new one. I ended up buying a used prop right away because my dealer had exactly what I was looking for, and he gave me an incredible buy, which brings me to my next point.
You very much can get deals on SS props. The one that I bought is a cupped, Powertech wheel. Although I didn't ask, I think it had been brought in to be rehubbed and dressed. My dealer sold it to me for $50.00! My guess is that he did that because the customer never came back to pick it up, and the my guy just wanted to get his costs back. Given that the prop involved is a $350.00 wheel if purchased new, I was pretty darn happy!
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