So I have a 1984 checkmate exciter 19ft. It has a 5.7 mercury. I don't know much about the engine other that it has an edlebrock intake and holly 600 carb. Alpha 1 drive. I have 2 props right now. High five 21p runs 59mph gps at 5200rpm. I also have a quicksilver cleaver 21p that has run 63mph at 5100 rpm. I noticed with the high five when i hit the power trim it makes a bug difference in the height of the bow compared to the cleaver. I do not know if I should run this old motor at that high of rpms. I mainly just cruise and pull top speed runs for fun. Also, loaded with 6 people ( very tight fit... LOL) it still ran 60mph at 5000rpm with the cleaver. Any suggestions on what I should try?

What gearratio is your drive?

The reason why your HighFive reacts more to trim than your old cleaver, is simply because it has better bow lift. If you want to try something else, try a 21"/23" LaserII and a 21/23" Vensura. I have seen some amazing speeds with the Vensura. As I have posted earlier, I think it's an overlooked prop for this type and size of boat, but the LaserII is great too. The Mirage+ and other bigger props I would say is too big in diameter, and will rob speed. Wether or not you should run your engine at a lower rpm,,, nah. If you change your oil as you should, and use a quality product, also considering your running short bursts, you should be fine. It's more a question of figuring out where you make the most power, and I think your close. That is also why I suggest both props in 21" and 23" sizes. Try it and see what works best for your rig.

Keep us updated.

I have a 1.5 drive ratio. I was thinking of a laser 2 or a mirage +. My cleaver is a large diameter than the high 5. Ill have to measure it and see what exactly it is. It feels like Im just running out of cam or something cause the power between 4500 and 5000 is really strong and pulls quickly up to 5k then just wont rev much higher. I want to try a 23 and see if I can still pull 5k rpms.

I will say that I'm not surpriced that the High5 is smaller than your cleaver, it's tiny in dia. For your amount of power and size of boat, you'll waste the power with the M+. The LaserII has lots of bow lift. If you had a 22'-23' boat, I would try it, but it just a lot of prop for a 19' boat with a small block. If you can get your hands on one, bolt it on and test it for sure, will never hurt. I remember my brothers 21' Baja. It ran 10-11 mph faster with the LaserII compared to the same size HighFive, and the Vensura was about the same, just a little faster out of the hole.

Oh and welcome to OSO. We're always open

Thanks for the input. This is my first boat and Im trying to figure out all this new tech. so wouldnt the vensura be a little slower? When I looked it up it is a 4 blade prop right? I like how my cleaver runs for the most part, just it has a some dings in it and I dont want to put the money into fixing it when there are better props out there. I asked this same question on the checkmate forums and got 0 replies. Seems to be more activity here. I know my boat is light and even with the cleaver and a full load I dont have any issues getting on plane. I have called all the local prop shops in my area and no one has a 23p anything in stock. And I cant find one that will let me test props. You buy it and its yours. I am curious about the vensura now, but if the laserII is faster I might try to find one. I will probably do a 23p as I plan on putting on vortec heads with a new cam and roller rockers. Might get some more rpms out of it.

Your welcome

Wether or not a 4 blade is faster than a 3 blade, depends on the boat. As a rule of thumb, the 3 blade is faster. The reason why I mention the Vensura, is because it has sometimes shown to be faster than the LaserII. It's a really efficient prop. Your old style cleaver will not be as efficient as a modern round ear prop on a boat like yours. Back in the day, cleavers where the standard, but times has changed. Personally I would not spend the money on it. You can contact Brett Anderson from Bblades on 920-295-4435. They got a test program, and he's one of the best in the bizz. Has a long history with Mercury Propellers and Mercury Racing.

I called my local prop shop. The guy also lives about 10min from me. He wants me to try out some solas props because that is mainly what they sell. Any thoughts on that? Or should I stick with merc props. I also called and talked to Brad from Bblades as Brett was busy. He recomended a rev 4 or M+ for my boat. Now Im all confused....

I have no experience with Solas, so can't comment on that.

Choosing a prop is not an exact science, you will need to test different props and find what works best for you. Now why he reccomends those "big" props for a 19' boat is beyond me, but he must have hes reasons. I'll bet you anything that the LaserII is the fastest of the bunch, the Rev4 is a huge wheel.

Well this guy is going to bring some props home with him next weekend and meet me at the local lake to test a few. That seems like a pretty good prop shop. I think he is going to bring some new solas props and some used merc props. Ill post the results and hopefully I find something that works.

He found a 23p LaserII that Im going to pick up tonight. Ill take it out tomorrow and see what happens.