Hill Marine 4x4 bravo 4 props

laureniac1

My 2005 270 is in the water with the new Hill Marine 4x4 bravo 3 props 20pitch. Wow what a HUGE difference. The boat jumps up on plane and is like driving a new boa. WOT  4900RPM 37mph! My boat has never went 37mph! Hill Marine said I would probably not get any top end speed but I did! They have a great product if you are in the market for new bravo 3 props. 

laureniac1

212rowboat

you'd have picked up even more if you'd have trimmed up some!

212rowboat

i have a ron hill marine pleasure 5... love it... 
a buddy bought one based on my experience. his was trash- terrible idea of balance, and just badly made. 

as it turns out, there is some sort of strange family and business squabble with them- a father/son/sold to someone else type situation where quality was spotty.  one fella ordered a prop tells a story the prop never showed, and they started hanging up on him when he called after lighting him up with curses... 

but i love mine.  it is precisely what i sought and perfect.  the cupping on it is visually impressive which is something folks actually notice where most props that are cupped aren't that visually obvious.  if i hadn't seen that prop my buddy ordered, i'd have believed the trolls to be fos... 

J3ff

I did NOT need to see this right now.   (all out of boat $$ for upgrades!) 

Please try and do some test results for us..

Mainly interested in time from a dead stop 0 mph to when you think you are on plane.  Your rpms at 27mph gps. 

reneechris14

I put a set on 270 last year and it did bring my cruise speed RPM up to 4000 at 27mph,was 3700 RPM.

Dream_Inn

As soon as I get some good numbers with my current props over the next week or two, I'm going to buy the "big cow" hill marine 4-blade props for my B-2s.  Looking forward to seeing what difference it will make.  I'm also looking forward to having a replaceable hub!

Handymans342

Dream_Inn said:

As soon as I get some good numbers with my current props over the next week or two, I'm going to buy the "big cow" hill marine 4-blade props for my B-2s.  Looking forward to seeing what difference it will make.  I'm also looking forward to having a replaceable hub!

Waiting on you Dream

Dream_Inn

Just give me a couple weeks Handy!  Still gotta get the boat back.  Supposed to actually be today.  I paid one bill earlier this week.  I want to make sure all is good and get some numbers for comparison before switching props.

Handymans342

You should do a prop slip test

Dream_Inn

Handymans342 said:

Dream_Inn said:

As soon as I get some good numbers with my current props over the next week or two, I'm going to buy the "big cow" hill marine 4-blade props for my B-2s.  Looking forward to seeing what difference it will make.  I'm also looking forward to having a replaceable hub!

Waiting on you Dream

Just ordered them today....we'll see how it goes!

Handymans342

Handymans342 said:

You should do a prop slip test

Dream, why didnt you do this test??????????????????????

Dream_Inn

Handymans342 said:

Handymans342 said:

You should do a prop slip test

Dream, why didnt you do this test??????????????????????

You mean insert your numbers into the calculator and see what you get at the end?  I did that and got like 16%

Handymans342

Dream_Inn said:

Handymans342 said:

Handymans342 said:

You should do a prop slip test

Dream, why didnt you do this test??????????????????????

You mean insert your numbers into the calculator and see what you get at the end?  I did that and got like 16%

My numbers? 16% is good if you did it right. I guess we are the only 2 who have ever done this test on the forum.

212rowboat

mine was 4~5% at full throttle if the shop tach and GPS were right.  that is likely too much.  aiming for 10% is good.  more is cutting too deep into performance.  

the biggest caveat is the design of the dynamic blending of pitch on most decent props. they 'say' 22p, for instance, but that is the average pitch.... when you're on top and the props are flipping the water all the way off the cup, that 22p may be behaving more like a 23.5 or 24p instead of the 22p... during the hole shot it may be behaving like a 20p as the angle closer the hub is the surface doing the work.

knowing this, it kind of makes that 16% slip (which is high in my opinion) look like it was recorded off of a prop that has less blending of pitch (and likely less cupping, too).   

Handymans342

Well mine is 32%

Dream_Inn

Well, I'll see how much better things get with my props next weekend (delivery looks to be next Tuesday).  Only thing I will state up front is, my prop slip numbers are based off of last year.  Since then, I added a coat of paint to the bottom and that seems to have significantly affected top speed.  My current numbers are more like 24%.  I can't even reach 40mph right now, and before it I reached 44mph.  So, I now have a challenge to use the heck out of the boat and wear that paint off (it's ablative)!  I'm on a lift, so only reason I put the paint on was because she came used with paint on.  I figure it's better to maintain the paint than to let wear off and look worse.  (we'll see, I may do a light sanding or pressure wash at some point)

Handymans342

I can't believe that would drop your speed 4 mile per hour

Black_Diamond

Something like a Micron CSC can add a fair amount of drag. Using the likes of a VC-17 is a lot smoother, hence why sailboaters use it, esp racers. 

wm61356

Dream - Please post results when you've run the Big Cow props. I've been considering them for some time now for my 320 (350 Mags/B2s). I'd like to pick up some efficiency at cruise speed and I've read that those props are good for that. Maybe you, me, and Handy will all buy Hill props (can you say volume discount?).

Handymans342

I have to be careful with props because my motors can't go over 3600rpm

floater212

2005 captiva 212 rx1 350 mpi ron hill 5 blade pleasure 19" for watersports... love it!!!!!

JonnyM

I launched last night and got to test my new hill marine 22p 4x4 props.  I had 5 people on my 270 and I was able to get up on plane without trim tabs.  I would have had much more trouble doing that with my old props.  One thing I also notice that others have said is how quiet the boat was.  It also ran super smooth.  I am very happy. I cranked it up and hit over 37 mph which was where I was with the old props.  This work day is going to be very long... can't wait to get back on the water.

Handymans342

Awesome!

JonnyM

UPDATE:  I went for about a 30 mile trip on Saturday with around 6 to 8 people aboard (we had two boats).  I cannot believe the difference in the way my 270 runs with these props.  I have the "low" platform and the boat did not struggle at all getting up on plane.  I had a full gas tank too.  The only time I struggled to get up on plane what when I had my drive trimmed up and didn't know it.  Once I put it back down the boat shot up on plane.  I was running with a SeaRay 290 Seadeck open bow with a 496 merc and I actually was able to keep up.  Not quite the top end speed but I didn't get blown away either.

laureniac1

Great update!!!