Mercury Maximus
 

I am considering trying the new maximus and was wondering if anyone had some advise? I have an Advantage 32 victory with HP 500's. I am currently running Bravo 1 30's and am looking for more top speed. Any input?

The Maximus is pretty heavy compared to the Bravo's. You'll probably have to drop a couple sizes so it may not be your fastest option.

Personally, I have not found the box stock Maximus to work well on anything. Out of the box, you are buying the raw material. They really need to be labbed for the application. Brett @ Bblades does a fantastic job with the Maximus.

Kurt

On my boat a Maximus out of the box gives better mid-range than the other props I've tried, but the top end is not there. I guess because you have to drop down in pitch. My slip (10% ?) is lower with the Max.

I'm getting a Max labbed by Brett right now. I'm expecting to increase top RPM and speed, but I'm not expecting to beat the top end I've got from a bravo.

The Maximus is just a better "everyday" prop for my boat.

The Maximus is just a better "everyday" prop for my boat.

Same here for me, great cruising prop, and the slip is lower with the maximus also, = better MPG!

My Maxs were labbed by CEP.
Dean

seanmcg,

Going from the Bravo 1 propellers to the Maximus propellers is pretty much a guaranteed cruise speed and fuel economy enhancement. How much of a increase depends on multiple variables.

Making this move can produce speed gains at the top end only if the boat has set up issues with 4 blade props. This could be X dimension or weight distribution issues.

In 2003, Dennis Cavanaugh and I wrote the original recipe for Labbing the Maximus propeller. Since that time we have created numerous versions of that recipe to be used specific to specific hulls and their current performance numbers.


seanmcg, if you are looking for more speed, supply me with the current rpm and speed at wide open throttle and we can offer some suggestions as to your options. Also, we have test propellers to help you try before you buy.

Brett

Thank you for the input/advise. I will contact you shortly.

Bb

Lower slip does not guarantee better MPG you can be lugging the motors to get that lower slip and that makes the MPG worse. My experience with them has been better cruising MPH at a given RPM but worse MPG than a Bravo at the same MPH. On my current boat stock 24p Maximus and stock 26P Bravo give the same top end, Bravo is better on MPG, but the Maximus will hold the boat on plane at a lower speed and gives more bow lift, but you hear the drives clunking a lot more than with the Bravos around the docks. I have been looking for a set of 24P Maximus that have been labbed to see how they compare.

Every application is slightly different.

However there are some generalizations you can make between 5 and 4 blade propellers. Here are some of the generalizations.

4 blade props are faster on top end. This is true if the prop is hooked up well/slip is low. This is due to less drag as there is less metal in the water.

5 blade props will have better planning ability, stay on plane at lower speeds, cruise at higher speeds creating better fuel economy and have slower top speed. This is simply because there is more blade area to stay loaded with water on the face of the blades and there is more drag at WOT.

These statements are true simply from a physics standpoint. You can't argue these statements.

However, when you through in variables like aerated bottom designs and prop depths and torque curves etc., these physical attributes can change. For instance, a 5 blade propeller will tend to have better fuel economy at 3500 rpm than a 4 blade at the same rpm in "most" cases. Especially on vented bottoms. But, if you are accelerating hard to reach the 3500 rpm range, the 5 blade may consume the same or more fuel than the 4 blade. Likewise very low slip numbers with 4 blade set ups can cause a slightly higher fuel consumption with 5 blades (kind of rare though).

Again, the physics are hard to dispute except for the fact that we are dealing with boats and motors and propellers and drives and CG's and fuel loads and people and the list goes on.
So, every application needs to be looked at as its our scenario.
This is why BBLADES has a test program. Most often, using your performance numbers and set up description, we can be spot on with 3 versus 4 versus 5 versus 6 blade performance responses. But, the test program allows the boater to try variations before buying. Using these numbers we adjust Lab Finishing recipes from a standard set of numbers to get you where you need to be. We use all the physical knowledge as well as 80 years of combined experience to get you there.

So I guess I turned this post into a little advertisement. I guess I have a habit of that. By the way, we sharpen the blades on all Lab jobs (LOL). However, there are even different level of sharpening depending on the usage. Seriously.

Thanks,
Brett