Power tech propellers - A review
 

after doing a health check on my boat/ engine, I came to the conclusion that over the last few years she has gained too much weight ( added 2 group 27 trolling motor batteries. an on board charger, 30 gallon fuel cell, lobster gear, electronics etc.).. My former prop was a Quicksilver ( mercury) 13X18, it no longer allows my boat to reach the upper end of the desired operating range ( 4750 -5250) and was struggling to get on plane quickly..
I chose power tech for several reasons, #1 made in USA..they offer a variety of props, in many styles to fit any engine boat combination, after doing some math, and even consulting a tech from Power Tech, I narrowed down 2 propellers, a RBX 4 ( 4 blade) 13.25 X16 and a SWW 13.50 X16..
My needs were something that would give me a good hole shot, while not over exaggerating bow lift ( my boat tends to porpoise when trimmed too high).. I run a hydraulic jack plate so I needed a prop that can run an extended engine height when needed.. and of coarse I wanted the best bang for the buck fuel mileage, I purchased the RBX 4, thinking that, that would provided all I required and maybe plane at a lower speed, I found the prop to be all that advertised , good stern lift, low speed planning ( on plane@2500) plenty of good hole shot, great control backing down... what I didn't like, was it was noisy, it made a high pitched whine at 4000- 5000 RPMs.. it also was a hog on fuel, 10.2GPH@ 4000 RPMs..( as opposed to 8.6 GPH with the old 13X18)
I returned it ( Power tech has a one time free trial return policy) and got the SWW 3.. this 13.50 X16 gave me a little more blade diameter,it has a hard wall cup( the most cup I have ever seen on a prop in 50 years messing with boats), the low rake , tear drop blade style made for an easy turning propeller...
This prop performs like no other prop I have ever used. the boat comes out of the water like a rocket, you can feel every nudge of the throttle, it does provide a little more bow lift than I need but I have trim tabs nad motor wedges, I ran the engine up 3" above the bottom of the boat and it still held a grip.. the boat stays on plane as low as 2800 RPMs, hits the max 5250 @ 37mph, and WOT 11.6 gph fuel burn, but at 4000 RPMs, ( my sweet spot) she burns 7.8 gph.. for $380 it is like getting a brand new boat..

So anyone considering a new propeller, especially if your need are for something a little different than stock, or you have an odd propeller question or problem, talk to the people at power tech, they have great customer service based in Louisiana..

I never would have thought the GPH would be so different because of a prop

If you think about it, boat engines can't shift, their performance depends on the efficiency of the prop, that prop, co trolls the angle of attack and amount of throttle required to make that engine work, both props were tested under different conditions on different days, but the feel of the boat and amount of used fuel tells me alot, I have the capability of running on a remote 6 gallon tank, which I often do between trips to the fuel dock that is closed more than its open, 6 gallons with 4 blade prop, takes me out to my lobster pots and back to the mouth of the river before I need to run on the main tank, the SWW 3 blade allows me to make it 3 more miles to the marina with fuel to spare in the 6...pretty overwhelming evidence in my book.
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People underestimate the differences between props. Both my old boat and the new handle VASTLY different with different props. In both my situations a 4 blade was what I needed for stern lift. (and economy in my situation)

I also like powertech props. One thing to know is they can be a bit inconsistent. More so than merc props. But a huge selection and they will work with you to get the right prop.
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