What are the pros and cons (beside the price) of a cleaver, and what application are they used? Just curious, because they sure do look cool when on a trailer.

Typically used on cats.
Cleavers create stern lift, so they are not typically used on vee bottom boats. Vee bottoms need bow lift normally, so they use a round ear prop.

Cleavers are also typically top end props.

Cleavers are best suited for air entrapment hulls.... tunnels, cats, ModVP style hulls.... not too good for boats that need lots of nose lift..... vary fast on air entrapment hulls... good lift on the back of the boat.... cleavers seek the surface....

Most of them are designed to be surfaced, which means they are used on high x-dimension I/Os, surface drives, and of course, outboards.

so your saying a cleaver woudlnt be good on my donzi?

Thanks for the explainations.

Lots of 80's boats came with cleavers (my 84 Formula, prior 86 Donzi). They work (at least the boat moves with them), but not as well as newer props. Have two pair of them on the shelf (one over-hub, one thru-hub) and they are sitting there because they are as much as 7 mph slower at top end and mid range than my 4 blade Bravo 1's or my 3 blade Mirage's.

-Greg