Time for a new prop for the 36, I've gone through 5 stock ones in the past 2 yrs and thinking of giving Hophins a try. The word on the street is that they wear better than the stock props. Truth or fiction ? Also heard that the stock is a little fast?

Preston, i need a new prop also. I have been wondering the same thing.

Or another option.

I was telling my dad i was wearing my prop down in no time. I was telling him i need to send 2 off to get re-worked. So when they rebuild it why not use the same welding rod that they use when welding on a dozer blade, a road grader blade or a plow sweep?? They are all in the dirt constantly, thats what they are made for. Our props are in the mud/sand (sand not by choice), thats what they are made for too.

My dad had chisels off of sweeps re-worked all the time and they would use that rod that was much harder. Anyone thought about this???

Anyone know numbers off those types of rod?

Yah true, but if a prop guy has to add material to a prop, how does he do it????

when a prop is re-worked and material is added it is done so by welding...... adding a harder material to da edge has been done, I used to have a tunnel prop with a stullite (sp?) edge (da same shit dat a "hard-band" on drill pipe is made out of... (not dat most of you would know what dat is either.lol)). Da problem is... da harder material is more brittle & does not bond well with da original material. It will eventually chip off and break away.... we've tested it.

As for da original question.... I find very little to no difference in longevity between Hopkins & PD wheels.

havent had experience with testing but thats exactly what i was about to say...when props are reworked extra material isnt added by welding and a lot of the time extra material isnt even added do to extra labor and material costs which would make simply reworking a prop more expensive then buying a new one

With that also being said I'm no porp FE by any means and have no idea what would be better as far as longer wear but I can tell you hopkins will make a solid SS prop that is balanced vs. the molded casting of a stock prop

not bashing the stock prop i just know that 2 I've gotten in the last year have had one blade 1/8-3/16 bigger then the other and not anywhere close to being balanced

ALSO then (im sure most know this) when you send props off to be reworked when they are heated to be reworked ESPECIALLY the stock cast props they lose strength and wear that much quicker vs. a pure SS prop

Hopkins will tell you this if you talk to him and dont know but a cleaver is a true surface driven prop and will make itself climb to the surface and make the rear of the boat lift so if your bow happens to be heavy already (like my boat minus the hooks) you're better off runnign the stock prop OR having hopkins build you a true SS tulip prop that is balanced and he can make you any pitch or cup or whatever you want

Since I have been trying to find more speed out of my boat and having a modded motor I sent him two stock props to rework and pitch up JUST TO SEE the difference...he pitched one to a 13 and one to a little more than 14

I tested them both and couldnt even turn the 12x14 with my motor over 3600 rpms at WOT and would bog the motor during take off

The 12x13 tulip showed to be the best of the 3 props (stock, 12x13, 12x14) as far as speed and load carrying

Just givin little info for folks

My experience, I got my PD 27 in 04 and that stock Hopkins prop lasted me 120 hrs in Venice(sand).

I got a 32 pd wit a stock prop and it lost all hole-shot in 20 hrs.
I took it to a friends shop and got it red hot and put it over a trailer ball and put a cup back in it and it lasted the rest of the season

Then this year I got my 36 PD and the stock prop fried in 23 hrs in the same place as all the others. I sent the prop to Benji (Iberia prop 337 229-0213) and he put a cup back in for 30 bucks and It lasted the rest of the season.

I went to Hopkins and had him make me a 12x13 for my 36, It runs good but I have not tried it in sand yet.

I'm gonna save it for summer runnin and use my stock PD prop for sand huntin

I know Stump and DA don't like Hopkins due to slinglin blades but so far I've had good luck.

My 02

Hopkins is sharp...... but don't take everything he says as gospel. He ain't half da prop god his daddy was.

every stock PD prop dat leaves PD is balanced..... just cuz a blade may look a little off because of da way it came out da mold don't make it out of balance. Dey balance by weight.... not by looks. U say urs weren't anywhere close to being balanced.... how did u check it? Next time ur near L'ville stop by PD and dey'll be glad to show you how it's done.

As for slingin' blades after a good heat & beat cession.... dat stands evenly for all props, not ESPECIALLY da stock prop as per Hopkins via Mr. Willet. I've been heatin, beatin, & poundin on da same stock tulip for da past 6 months and made at least 10 adjustments to it and ain't broke it yet..... it's just da luck of da draw. Wanna know how many hopkins wheels I've seen broken both before & after being worked over????

I have only " heat and beat" on stock tulips and have had none of them sling blades.

So stump you sayin better off to run a Hopkins till it's dead and then toss it and not " heat and beat" so it don't sling a blade ?

not really...... it's a crap shoot regardless of what prop. I ain't sayin Hopkins' are any worse about it..... just sayin they definitely ain't no better as it was put.

On da other side, I've heard Hopkins don't warranty his props.

I ain't had to test this myself but if you have a major problem wit a PD prop I bet you get a prop in da mail real quick

its all good

good questions and answers and debates

Hey bayou boy,If you want to ride over to Slidell I will let you try some props!! I will show you the difference!! PM me

buaman propeller
Houston, tx
713 926 6908
They can do exactly what you want for a good price.
Pm for any questions bout em.

that's it? ya'll didn't even get to 2 pages. pansies.

i've got 4 or 5 hopkins cleavers laying around the shop that have come apart. that's props that haven't been reworked. got 2 more that i had added that 'hardened material' to the leading edge, only to rip off in a few trips.
i did have a prop that had sum type of coating on it that lasted the longest of any prop i ever ran. i average 120hrs on a prop. got 200+ hrs on dat one.

i prefer the cleaver prop, but i run the stock pd prop cause it don't leave me stuck wif 1 blade missing.
this was 2 yrs ago, he might of got those issues fixed by now. at 300$ a pop i ain't gonna risk it. if i had a modded motor i'd get one.

btw, peck or one of them other boys balenances every prop before it leaves the shop. they might miss one every now and then. i bring mine in every now and then to rebalance.

Hopkins last longer in sand! I have tried both and the Hopkins is a better prop.I had 2 people on this site .That know a lot about props and motors tell me they were better and i would not be disappointed.They were right.I have had very good work from him and i tested the material of the two props and Hopkins is stronger.

I wonder if Hopkins can take some old bucket teeth off a Cat 980 or the router bits off a scraper and smelt them down into a prop?

I gots a propellar querston !!!!

Why do some of the high output BassFish fish'n rigs some of them fellers gots properllars that can cost as much as 1800 dollas ??

I thank that at 250-300 dollas for the abuse that some of us put them thru ..... we be gitin' a deal ..... I don't care who built it !!!!

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