Re: ThomWV please explain further
Well, this comes from observation, not from measurement, but it would appear that Suzuki props are graded with their pitch overstated by about 3 inches. That is to say, as an example, that if you have a Suzuki prop in hand that is 14.25 x 20" it will have about the same perfomrance characteristics as anyone elses prop that was graded as 14.25 x 17". Their 22" prop acts like everyone elses 19", their 26" acts like everyone elses 23" and so on.<br /><br />I first saw this when I went through the entire range of Michigan Wheel Raptures that would fit my engine. I suspect the difference is simply a matter of how they calculate the pitch at Suzuki as compared to how others do it. As you may know the pitch is rarely the same across the entire surface area of any prop and cupping tosses all the calculations out the windown anyway, but its done by weighted averages. I just suspect that Suzuki uses different weights for different zones of the prop blade. The result comes out to be about 3 inces, maybe a little less, every time.<br /><br />For whatever its worth I can run my boat using a Suzuki 14.25 x 20 that I have on a fresh water lake with the boat lightly loaded and it works out to be what seem the perfect prop. I can change that for the prop I use most of the time, which is a PowerTech 4-blade 14.25 x 16, and they performace is quite similar (but the Suzuki is almost unusable off shore, where the PowerTech really shines). I've used a Michigan Wheel Rapture in 17" (I've owned those props in 15", 17", 19", and 21" at one time or another) on our boat for a good while with great success (and probably should have kept it) but the PowerTech has been the best performer on our boat.<br /><br />So my suggestion to you is that if you are in the market for a different prop and are using an existing Suzuki prop as your benchmark then you need to consider it to be of 3 inches less pitch than stamped in its side when comparing it to props by others.<br /><br />By the way, if you haven't run across Dunk, a Marine Surveyor who has been posting answers to folk's questions for years, you probably should be asking him any questions you have on props. He really knows what his stuff. There is also a fellow named Hawkeye (Billy) who runs a Suzuki DT225 on a rebuilt Formula 23' who has done quite a bit of testing with different props on Suzukis and had a good feel for what fits and what works. Actually I think he might be running some Mercury prop or another right now, or maybe he's back to using a Stock Suziki prop.<br /><br />By the way, as long as I'm at it, I should tell you this, I really like Suziki props. They work as well as anyone elses when you get the right on on the engine, they actually back up (something that many outboards aren't very good at), and seem to be made of materials which corrode less than just about any other props I've tried.<br /><br />Thom<br /><br />Thom
