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Has anyone thrust tested the different propellers. I can't believe there is much different in any of them. I run a whilwind superduty 4 blade 84" at 12 degree tuning 5000 rpms. Hear now that a 3 blade stump puller 78" would push harder,I am sure I have more blade surface with a forth blade,and 4" longer. It would be nice to hear what the true # are. Power shift, sensenich,warp drive,teminator,whilwind all post #s they like ,I think there is only about 50# diffeents in any of them. Would like to hear from others on what they think. I would love to have added horse power that we lose running at 4300 feet in utah.
 
Airboats in Utah? Now, that would be a trail ride for sure. Sign me up.
First airboater over the Continental Divide - now, that's running dry ground.

Not a prop expert - but..... my experience is there are differences in props, wooden and synthetic and like most all airboat points, there are many differences of opinion.

My experience is limited mostly to "hunt" conditions where an airboat is put on dry ground for long stretches. No question about it, a wide blade composite set to bite to max rpm (my case: 0-540 strait valve, 13'6" fiberglass hull - 2,750 rpm) performs better on my boat than any thin blade combination I've tried.

Best thing is I get away from the narrow blade high pitch whine that offends so many listeners.
 
I have tested all of them. A Power Shift, Whirlwind, Warpdrive, Terminator and a Sensenich. I ran them on a 2 to 1 a 2.38 to 1 a 2.68 to1 a 2.88 to 1 and a 3.23 to 1. I learned first hand take all the MAX trust numbers and throw them away these numbers are worthless information. All the prop manufactures thrust comparison test’s are done by running an airboat on a trailer. They hold it wide open and wait until they achieve max thrust and use that as their performance ratting. The most informative test to do would be measuring thrust over time. All I care about in my ride boat and my race boat. Is making more average thrust and doing it rapidly. All of the props that showed the most thrust on a scale sucked performance wise in either of my boats. Now if you have a barge tour boat and don’t care about response then go for max thrust. I have found the higher the max thrust the longer it takes to reach it. In my ride boat and race boat the power shift won hands down. The powershift would develop thrust noticeably quicker and the boat would jump out way before any of the other props started performing. The Terminator, whirlwind and Power shift Maximums took to long to spool up. Now on a huge slow reacting tour boat they will perform better. The only instance I would rather run another prop over a Powershift would be if you have a low performance motor that rev’s slowly. Then run a warp drive because they don’t push that much air at low RPM’s so the motor can rev up into its power range then they push real good. This is exactly how a high stall torque converter works in a race car they slip a little so the motor can rev up into its power range. And then they quit slipping.
 
Hey Cracker I know somebody who ran a Warp drive and a standard three blade sensenich. The just put on a new sensenich quite three blade prop. The swear it performs better than their old sensenich 3 blade and his old 6 blade Warpdrive and he claims it snaps like a warp drive. He truly loves it.
 
Waterthunder,

Thank You, once again for your thoughtful input. I learn much every time I read your comments. You fail to mention which of the PowerShift blade designs produced the best ballanced performance. Would you elaborate?
 
The Power Shift (power plus series) is the best prop I have come across for a gear box car motor. I have only seen one aircraft motor that could swing a 3 blade power plus. They do manufacture a signature series for aircraft motors that balances out good in a two blade configuration. Another important issue is never run a two blade wide blade composite prop. It will shake your boat to death I’ve seen it 10 or more times two wide blades are not enough blades to balance out well during rotation. No matter what wide blade you run try to come up with a combination that will allow you to utilize a three blade prop. Oh ya The quite Sensenich prop I heard was the quietest single prop I have heard yet but it wasn’t as quite as a counter rotator.
 
Hey thunder,

I am running a 76" 2 blade whirlwind stomp puller. Been thinking of moving to a 3 blade power shift signature series. Is there that much more push at top end to justify the extra $ ? Its on a 0540 straight valve.



Any thoughts welcome, Kevin
 
How good can you swing the two blade whirlwind. The whirl wind will show a little bit more max thrust at max RPM after she rev’s all they way up. The POWER SHIFT performance comes from the instant snap and quick thrust. At max RPM they are very close in thrust numbers however the power shift will kill a whirlwind in performance because it get's there much quicker. Does your two blade Whirl wind shake your boat.
 
The 4 blade whilwind that I run doesn't push hard til it gets to 4200 rpm then you are going to fast . When I am loaded [5 dozen duck decoy ,3 dozen goose decoy , 4 coffen and 4 guys I want to move slow in the tricky places not blowing out of the channels. The boat is a 8x18,may have to try a powershift, just wish the guy didn't have such big ego.
 
I am turning a twin blade power shift, signature series, 72 inch, on a 0-540 angle valve. Have it turning about 2750 max. It is a fairly new and still very tight engine from Jurnigan. Had one of the early older style power shifts that were the same mold as the 350s, but had plug in the mold to shorten the blade length from 76 to 72 inches. Had to replace a blade and that style are not available anymore so had to get a signature set to replace it (Ouch). The old blade was wider, didn't have the snap the signature has, but seemed to have a little more thrust at 2400+. Some of the Sensenich around here seem to have better snap, but don't know what pitch they are set on.

Water Thunder - Wish I had heard that the new "quiet" sensenich seemed to produce better thrust. I know someone that just bought a new sensenich 3 blade for a 0-540. Didn't get the "quiet" style because hadn't heard anything about it yet.

I like those power shifts on 350s. Hard to beat them.
 
What is the best prop to use on an angle valve 0540 on a 12' Kline 3/4 deck? Would a 3 blade Sensenich (quiet blade) or the narrow 3 blade be better than a 72" Powershift Signature series?
 
Running a 0-540 angle valve at 2800 rpms turning a 78" powershift power plus 2 blade.
Tried a 3 blade signiture at 2750 with a 74" diameter and lost about 100lbs of thrust.
Measurements were done by Mark Robicheaux himself with his shop instruments.
We also removed a 3 blade Maximus for a 4 blade power plus on a 502 2.3:1 gearing and gained about 100lbs thrust.
In each of the above experiments we also ran the boats on dry ground and in the water against each other to prove the performance difference.
We concluded that the wider diameter was better and the power plus was a very good peforming prop.
To compensate for vibration, each boat was dynamically balanced at max rpms with chadwick equipment. The balancing doesn't add rpms but sure makes the bost more enjoyable to operate and much less fatiguing
due to vibrations.
Another friend with a 502 and power shift prop cut his diameter back 2" per blade so as to increase pitch for more thrust but lost thrust.
Wider diameter the better.
 
Just looked at that old style blade. It was a 74 diameter (a 78 inch set of blades that had 2 inch plugs in the ends of the mold. Probably where we lost some of the thrust when going to a 72 inch signature series.

Hogman - I believe I will go over to Mark's if I ever do anymore propeller shopping, just so I can try a comparision. The only way to do it.

RJ - Nice hull, want to sell? He He He. My hull is a Kline 3/4 deck like yours but, another foot longer and wider. IF a 78 inch blade would fit a power shift would not be a bad choice. But if you had to go with a smaller size prop, 74 or 72, I would look at the Sensenich. I wish I had done that or gotten a longer blade again.

I would be a paycheck that 12 foot boat handles like a dream.
 
I don’t know for sure if the new quiet Sensench produces more thrust or not. I personally haven’t tested one but a buddy of mine who I must admit is very anal retentive absolutely loves his. I will have to test one. Sensenech loaned me a four blade wide blade for testing on my race boat a few years back. They were super nice guy’s and stand behind their stuff. They are just not interested in racing too much. I have heard a lot of people mention that the power shift guy is a bit arrogant. I did talk to him once and he offered to customize a prop for my race boat free of charge. I think his attitude my come from having the best product. When this happens everybody else tries to sell their product by trash talking their competition. When you have the best product your competition will always talk negatively about you. I’m sure after a few years of this he realizes what they have and is tired of all the snake oil peddlers.
 
How good can you swing the two blade whirlwind. The whirl wind will show a little bit more max thrust at max RPM after she rev’s all they way up. The POWER SHIFT performance comes from the instant snap and quick thrust. At max RPM they are very close in thrust numbers however the power shift will kill a whirlwind in performance because it get's there much quicker. Does your two blade Whirl wind shake your boat.
Click to expand...



Believe it or not my 0540 swings the piss out of the 76" prop. RPM's are there in a heart beat (Not like the old wood paddle props where you can hammer the throttle and count to 10 before the RPM's kick in). No vibrations to talk about, but i do take real good care making sure each blade is pitched exactly the same and the run out is with end 1/16". Now i have a couple of friend running the 78" 2 blade power shift on some 0540's, they have vibration problems and i find that there props push much harder at mid-RPM than the whirl wind.

Don't get me wrong the prop performs well, but i am always looking for that little bit more. Thats why the NOS is being installed this summer when i break down my boat and rebuild a few things.


Kevin
 
Waterthunder":pydlxo5p said:
How good can you swing the two blade whirlwind. The whirl wind will show a little bit more max thrust at max RPM after she rev’s all they way up. The POWER SHIFT performance comes from the instant snap and quick thrust. At max RPM they are very close in thrust numbers however the power shift will kill a whirlwind in performance because it get's there much quicker. Does your two blade Whirl wind shake your boat.
Click to expand...

Believe it or not my 0540 swings the piss out of the 76" prop. RPM's are there in a heart beat (Not like the old wood paddle props where you can hammer the throttle and count to 10 before the RPM's kick in). No vibrations to talk about, but i do take real good care making sure each blade is pitched exactly the same and the run out is with end 1/16". Now i have a couple of friend running the 78" 2 blade power shift on some 0540's, they have vibration problems and i find that there props push much harder at mid-RPM than the whirl wind.

Don't get me wrong the prop performs well, but i am always looking for that little bit more. Thats why the NOS is being installed this summer when i break down my boat and rebuild a few things.


Kevin
 
Don’t get me wrong they both push great but if you run them back to back and set the pitch where both of them turn the exact same RPM. The Power Shift will wax the Whirlwind in a 400 ft race it’s not even close. The Whirl Wind and Terminator are very similar. The Terminator has big thrust numbers too but it wouldn’t even come close to the power Shift in a 400ft race. Terminator even made me a custom 76’’ for racing. I have timed and tested both of them there was no comparison to be made. That’s my whole point it aint pitch it ain’t RPM it aint max thrust all I care about it’s which one get’s me 400ft the quickest. As for a ride boat, think about where do you want your performance. I don’t ever want to run more than 400ft and when I run the hill I want the quickest broadest pushing prop. But that’s just me and I have found on a 11 to 15 ft boat with a gear box car motor a Powershift prop is the only way to go.
 
Thanks for all the imput, and thanks Rick for a great website. I have a 72" Powershift and it does great ( some vibration), but I heard the 3 blade Sensench's is smoother with more snap and power. It would be interesting to know if anyone has had experience with the comparison, especially the new Quiet Blade. I would like to make my boat quieter and smoother. What are the best mufflers for a 0540 angle valve? What is the best composite prop for an angle valve (180- 200 hp) 0360? I have been told the 72" signature series and the 2 blade narrow Sensenich are good. Marshmaster Pat, I have a 1997 Kline catalog, the last one he printed. Your hull is a B- model Bottom width 5 ft 3in, beam 90 in, sides 22in, Stern @ corner 19 in, stern @ center 16 in. My hull is an A-model, corresponding numbers are 5 ft, 87in, 18 in, 16 in, 10in. My boat does handle great!! Kline makes all size hulls. There is one in LA that is 16x8'8" with a 350 original crate motor with a belt drive and 2 blade wood paddle prop that will run with the Alumintech 16x8 454 boats and is faster and more responsive. I am the third owner of my boat. It was originally owned by an Alligator farmer who used it to pick up eggs and the second owner used it to do the same. It was the first owners first Kline and I was told he still has 5 other newer one. The second owner now has a Mark Robicheaux. He bought it because he has to cross open water to get to some of his eggs and needed a safer boat. I also heard, after I bought the boat, that he sank the boat full of eggs one day when he was about to load his boat.
 
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