Prop selection

I just bought a new to me 1997 Ranger Cherokee 237t its 17.5′ tiller with a 75hp merc this is my first deep v boat and my first tiller (I am used to flat bottoms and bass boats) and I was looking to see what some of you guys are having luck with.
I have a special place in my heart for the Trophy line by mercury. however, I am not sure how it will run on the deeper hull.
any ideas, likes, dislikes on props you use would be appreciated.

I plan on using it on big water so I would like something with bite that wont sacrifice top end to bad

I assume the boat came with a prop? What don’t you like about the current set-up?

Stainless or aluminum? I have personally liked the Black Max better for tillers running aluminum on the boats I’ve ran, but it is quite a bit slower out of the hole than the Spitfire. For stainless I would seriously consider a Spitfire X7. I have ran them quite a bit and was pretty impressed.

not sure it did not come with a prop

I have tried a 17 trophy and a 3 blade 18 pith off brand prop I fish the river so I need stainless. I hit lots of things….

hole shot sucks top end is around 30 mph seems slow to me about 4700 rpm

im guessing it will hit 4800 in cold water and 4900 with a light load not sure propping down is the answer

keppenhiemer wrote:

not sure it did not come with a prop

I have tried a 17 trophy and a 3 blade 18 pith off brand prop I fish the river so I need stainless. I hit lots of things….

hole shot sucks top end is around 30 mph seems slow to me about 4700 rpm

im guessing it will hit 4800 in cold water and 4900 with a light load not sure propping down is the answer

Each person’s version of “hitting something” is a bit different, but if you’re truly hitting things regularly with considerable force… I’d first change your approach, and second be sure to have 2 aluminum props and the tools to change on the water. Aluminum is considerably cheaper in most instances, and on a 75hp motor I’m not sure how measurable the gains of stainless would be. There are different theories about lower unit damage with different props, but I’m of the belief that I’d rather foil an aluminum prop than send that force into the lower unit.

30mph on a deeper 17.5’ boat with a 75hp motor isn’t probably too far off. I’d be more focused on getting it on plane, and finding the lowest planing speed you can get. No matter what prop you probably won’t get much more on the top end.

Most outboards are designed to run at around 5200 to 5500 rpm at wide open throttle. If your wide open throttle (WOT) is is less than that you are lugging your outboard. Lugging your outboard is very hard on it and shortens it life.

Based on the info provided about your off brand prop, I would reduce the your pitch by 2 or 3 inches. For every inch change in prop pitch the rpm should change about 200 rpm. Reducing the pitch will raise the rpm and increasing the pitch will reduce the rpm.

Stainless props only help because they deform less at high high load and high rpm. At low rpm and reasonable loads there is very little difference between aluminum and stainless. Except they look pretty.

Try a local prop rebuild shop to see if they have different props you can try before you purchase.

I fish lake pepin (I’m learning anyway) and the big river. I’ve hit 2 submerged ? Things ? , that damaged the same prop each time. I’ve got a Yami 70 and an aluminum prop. Both times the damage was minimal and cost me $25 & $42 respectively , to get the prop repaired while I waited. I don’t figure a stainless prop is worth double the price of aluminum but I’m also very cautious. These were both unavoidable instances of bad luck. One was on Pepin , in 35 ft of water & the other was in 12 ft on the main channel on the Mississippi River.

In most my research on the subject one doesnt see the benefits of stainless until you start getting above the 100HP range. There are flo torque hubs to be used for stainless that get rid of motor damage ive been told.

A 75HP on a 17′ boat is only gonna get you so far. Ive heard nothing but good things about the spitfires in that HP range, personally would be top of my list to try.

I’m pretty sure (verify to be sure) that your 75HP max RPM is 5250… you’ll want to target that. djshannon’s recommendation is spot on.

I run a Spitfire 13×17 on a 90 Merc. 1875 Pro Guide. The boat came with a 12.5×19. No hole shot and 4800 rpm. With the 13×17 it pops right up on plane even with 3 in a the boat. It also keeps it on top at lower speeds which is nice in rough water. Find a dealer that will let you try a few different props. Really no need for stainless on a 75. The Spitfire is a great prop for tillers.

I have a 1998 482V Ranger, it has a Raker 14 1/2 X 24 P SS prop. I am running 5500 RPMS at 55MPH. I am curious if I should increase/decrease the pitch, or if this is the best prop for my boat. I have 150 HP Evinrude Intruder motor. Thanks so much!