Choosing the right boat propeller.

Choosing the Right Boat Propeller can be easy
To some, choosing the right boat propeller can seem like a job for a marine service center. Anything that has to do with the backend of the boat can be a scary thing. Despite popular belief, choosing the correct propeller for a particular boat and motor is actually a fairly simple thing to do, once you understand what a propeller really is.

First think of propeller as a gear, whether it be on a car or even a bicycle. The lower the gear, faster hole shot, more power, but revolutions are much faster so at a point you can only turn that gear so fast until you over rev the engine (or you legs). Now think of your car stuck in only 5th or 6th gear, very slow out of the hole, little torque, but eventually it will catch up with itself so you can cruise to a good speed.

The same basic concept applies to propellers, except with a prop you are committed to only one ?gear". So what to do now? Find the prop size that will give the best overall performance. Sound difficult? It's really not.

Your engine has a recommended wide open throttle rpm range. Let take an example of an18' boat with a 125 hp engine with a rpm range of 4500-5500. In most cases you purchase a boat with some sort of propeller on it. Let's say this motor has a 21 pitch prop on it and at wide open throttle under a normal boat load, the engine turns 4900 rpms. Well it's in the range so it's the correct prop, right? Well yes and no. For the health and longevity of the engine it's okay, but for overall performance, you want to run a propeller near the top of the range. Well how do you change the size to get that?

Remember this rule of thumb: For every 2" of propeller pitch, rpm's will change approximately 400 rpm's. As you drop in pitch, rpm's increase, and as you go up in pitch, rpm's decrease. So if we want to raise our rpm's we should choose a lower pitch prop. Following the rule, going down to a 19 pitch should raise our rpm's to about 5300. That would help the hole shot and also gain us some more speed.

As you follow the rule of thumb, remember that sometimes rules are meant to be broken. This is not an iron clad rule, sometimes varying 2" of pitch will only change rpm's by 200. Switching prop brands or manufacturer, it can sometimes throw off the rule too.

At this point the most important thing to understand is that less pitch means more rpm's, more pitch means less rpms. For your boat to perform at its peak, you need to run at the upper end of your engine's recommended rpm range. That's it. Once you're there and still want more speed, handling, lift, etc, that's when choosing the right propeller brand comes into play.

Here's a simple adjustment you can make to improvement performance under varying boatloads: If you normally run with one other person on board, use that boatload as your measurement when determining your wide open throttle rpm's. But if you sometimes load the boat with 2-5 more people or try pulling a water skier or tube, get another prop 2" of pitch lower than your normal prop. It will compensate for added weight and drag and make a huge improvement on performance in these circumstances. But remember to keep an eye on you rpm's when running a lower pitch for these circumstances.

Most props have the size marked somewhere on the prop, either on the barrel, on the blades, or in the front or back of the propeller. Use that pitch that you're currently running as your starting point. If it's already running correctly then that pitch is your pitch.

Performance Boat Propellers Make a Difference

All boat propellers are not created equal. When you buy a 17 pitch prop from one manufacturer, it can have a night and day difference over another 17 pitch. But how? It's all in the prop design. So how do you choose? Many boaters think OEM is better - "I only buy Mercury". While there is nothing wrong with that thought process, it doesn't mean you are buying the best, you're just buying the easiest.

Aftermarket manufacturers can sometimes produce upgrades to OEM parts. Turning Point Propellers produces boat props that are designed increase your performance, not simply replace a prop. Turning Point's design process includes testing all competitive propellers against our prototypes, until our designs run the best!

A better boat propeller can provide faster top end speeds, better handling, quicker acceleration and increased fuel economy! Next time you are looking for a propeller, try a Turning Point.

Boat Prop Run Faster, Pull Harder and Handle Better

Turning Point Propellers - High Performance aluminum and stainless steel propellers are designed to out perform!

Achieve maximum top end speed with Turning Point's High Performance blade geometry. Our blade designs incorporate industry leading high rake patterns, fine tuned pitch progression, aggressive cupping, and sharp trailing edges. Increase horsepower, acceleration, and top end speed with our maximum exhaust flow hub kit systems.

Higher RPM hole shots reduces planning times over OEM and other aftermarket propellers. Turning Point's High Performance stainless & aluminum propellers are also vented to further increase performance. The perfect RPM can be found with Turning Point's wide range of high performance pitch options. Take time to accurately tune in the optimal pitch & RPM for any application with the Prop Wizard.

Fuel efficient blade designs allow for maximum performance while maintaining low fuel consumption. Turning Point's efficient-slip technology allows for faster cruising speeds at lower RPM - Saves fuel, saves money!

Patriot Stainless Steel Propellers

Turning Point's new stainless steel propeller series - Patriot - is designed to increase the performance of other OEM and aftermarket propellers. New high performance boat prop designs provide boaters with outstanding top end speeds, quick acceleration, and secure handling in tight WOT turns.

The new Patriot Series includes the industry's top performing stainless steel designs perfect for Runabouts, Pontoon, and Fishing Boats. This series includes counter rotation 3 blades, Suzuki DF90, DF115, DF140 specific 14" propellers, and 4 blades for 6 & 8 cylinder engines. Patriot propellers incorporate a "square hub" design that is compatible with our MasterTORQUE™ Hub System as well as Michigan Wheel®'s XHS® and Mercury's Flo Torq® hubs.

Visit Turning Point's site today!

Turning Point launches it's new Web site

Turning Point Propellers, Inc has launched it's new web site. The site has updated information on the new MasterTORQUE Series propellers and hub kits. Prop Wizard 2.0 is also incorporated in the site with enhanced features making choosing the right propeller easier than ever.

Visit www.turningpointpropellers.com today!

Boat Propellers - not created equal

Not all boat propellers are created equal. Take a high performance aluminum propeller from Turning Point and put it against a Michigan Wheel Vortex aluminum propeller. The result is the Turning Point prop will run faster, accelerate quicker, handle better, and save fuel over the Michigan Wheel aluminum prop.

Turning Point's designs are truly upgrades over other propeller manufacturers, even OEMs. While even Mercury makes a good propeller, it is simply not the best. Turning Point designs its boat propellers to outperform.

With the addition of the new MasterTORQUE Series, now boaters can put a high speed boat prop from Turning Point onto their existing XHS or Flo Torq hub from either Michigan Wheel or Mercury. The new MasterTORQUE Series will provide boaters with an easy way to upgrade the performance of their boat inexpensively by not having to replace the hub kit. And when a boaters XHS or Flo Torq hub breaks (and they usually do), they can replace it with a durable MasterTORQUE hub!

NEW Turning Point Prop Wizard

Turning Point is introducing the new version of the Prop Wizard.

Turning Point has upgraded the Prop Wizard to include new, exciting features:

- New MasterTORQUE Series propeller additions

- Ability to customize which propellers you want to display

- Easier to use engine and boat selection

- Easier Web site incorporation

- Updated 2007 boat models

And coming soon…

- Easy to use electronic cross reference of every major propeller manufacturer

- Other boating accessory suggestions based on the prop selected

- Boater submission testimonials

- Photo contest

- New Prop Wizard banners to easily place in any part of your Web site

The Prop Wizard makes it easy for boaters to choose the right prop, by accurately recommending a propeller for speed and water sports.

Turning Point Propellers, Inc is the industry leader in propeller performance! Visit www.turningpointpropellers.com today!