feathering propeller

[Bill1565]

Gonna pull our boat soon for fresh bottom paint. Want a 3 blade feathering prop. Wanted an auto prop, but they only want to sell me 18" dia. Can't mount any more than 15''.

Will have to set at square or over square (15" pitch or more). I have a
2.46:1 tranny, 1200 shaft rpm at 3000 engine rpm. Current 15X13 red lines easily doesn't ever get to hull speed.

Had a max prop in the '80's. Lots more choices today. Anybody have any favorites?

 

[Cayennita]

I've had Max prop since 98'. My Idylle 15.5 runs a 3 blade 22" prop. I get 7.5 knots at 2100 RPM. Great going in reverse. Why ask for anything more. It feathers easily and good service from the company. They'll even though the calculations for you. 8 knots at 2500. BTW I have the variable pitch model. it was worth it to be able to fine tune it with it's adjustable collar.

 

[Cayennita]

Max-prop.com From 15" to 30" diameters and from 1" to 2" shafts. Also metric shafts as in mine. When I first mounted the prop, I had the pitch at 13 because I read the matrix wrong. Very low speed. I dove and adjusted it to 18 and has been great ever since.

 

[Jim Seamans]

Bill,
Have you checked out Kiwi prop
www.kiwiprop.com

Been running one for years...

 

[fstbttms]

Steer clear of AutoProp, IMHO.

 

[All U Get]

I've had Max prop since 98'. My Idylle 15.5 runs a 3 blade 22" prop. I get 7.5 knots at 2100 RPM. Great going in reverse. Why ask for anything more. It feathers easily and good service from the company. quote]

I have had difficulty getting mine to feather. The PO said to get moving over 5 kts, idle down, and bump it in reverse. What do you do?
All U Get

 

[Paul Mermelstein]

Also, as a option, consider some of the better folding props. I have a Gori 3 blade and it works very well. The blades are geared to each other and flip 180 degrees in reverse to present the correct leading edge and blade shape.

 

[duality]

ok, since i have an autoprop. i need to know. why stay clear of them

mike

 

[Cayennita]

When the Max prop won't feather and the shaft is still turning after either in neutral or reverse to stop the shaft or after shutting the engine, I would sail into the wind and come almost to a stop. This usually works. I can also reach down to the shaft and stop it by hand when I go into the wind since it is hardly turning at that time.
Not the best, but it works.

 

[Alex Dare]

Duality,
In areas with a lot of fouling sometimes critters grow in/around the open bearing races on the Autoprops and tend to keep the blades from pivoting properly. Something similar could happen to a Autostream or Maxprop but since they're geared together one or two blades tend to force the stiff one loose.

 

[fstbttms]

ok, since i have an autoprop. i need to know. why stay clear of them

Duality,
In areas with a lot of fouling sometimes critters grow in/around the open bearing races on the Autoprops and tend to keep the blades from pivoting properly.

Not to mention their propensity for throwing blades.

 

[Ed Caldwell]

We have a 3 blade MaxProp on our H340. We stop the engine while in gear and moving slowly ahead (2-3 kts). Blades rotate into their feathered position immediately because of the flow of the water. I then usually shift the transmission into neutral to minimize chances of starting the engine in gear. I believe this was in the Maxprop instructions.

Once when I forgot to shift into neutral first, then shut down, the shaft kept rotating which I verified by checking below. I stopped the rotation by hand, prop feathered, then I let go - no shaft rotation!

 

[All U Get]

I stopped the rotation by hand, prop feathered, then I let go - no shaft rotation!

That's exactly what I told my wife to do. Uh... do you want the response? "*#^%?! and $&*_+@#$?<" Then I went down below to try it, didn't work probably because of the speed. Hanging off the swim ladder with your head under the transom to see what's going on doesn't work either. I'm going to try the "Go slow" method.
All U Get

 

[Gunni]

Thanks Ed, that advice on how to assure feathering is really helpful! This has been a big subject with Beneteau owners and our Kanzaki hydraulic transmissions - they need to be in neutral when the engine isn't running. However it can be hit or miss getting the prop to feather if you shut down in neutral.

Real happy with our Maxprop. Good low wind boost to boatspeed. Outstanding reverse power. If I was to buy again it would be the self-pitching Ecowind or at minimum, the externally adjustable pitch model.