i know props are gonna wear. i know they'll wear faster if you run through alot of sand. i just put on a new prop 9" last spring. i dont recall running through enough sand to wear a prop down under 8" in less than a year. i can only think of 4 maybe 5 times i hit sand and shutdown and walked the boat out, i didn't sit there and wash out huge holes. i bought the prop from the manufacturer. maybe the grade of stainless wasn't as tough as the original? are yall seeing this kind of wear on replacement props? gonna put the original back on, it's down to 8 3/8" and see about getting this one rebuilt.

having a long tail prop wear down an inch in a year is very odd, ive never heard of a LT prop getting that worn that fast

I've seen my brother and buddy wear therir props down in a day. One has a prodrive and the other a long tail. Hit the sand down on the delta and its gone.

sand is the devil

Just those 4 or 5 times you hit it is enough!! You can hit it 1 time and take away that 5/8 you got missing!!

New vs. Old

Like DW said.... Sand = Devil

This was just 1 summer of driving and getting up with a load was pretty much non existent

prop comparision.jpg

When the sand is real fluid you can be running the prop in the sand and not even know it. Also, all sand is not created equal. Some is much more abrasive and wears the prop quicker. During one moose season I took a 25 hp longtail with a new prop up a river in Alaska's interior for a week hunt. After 16 running hours the prop went from 9 inches to 6 inches. I seldom felt the prop hit and I never grounded the boat. The leading edge of the prop was sharp enough to shave with and scalloped like a bread knife. That moose was tasty but expensive. The important thing is I was able to go where standard outboards and jets couldn't. Airboats were not a factor because they couldn't carry enough fuel. It turned out to be just me, the moose and one big ole Grizz. Those are good odds for an old man.

UHMW prop