What ever happened to CHOPPER props?

[Flabasspond]

I have looked around at different boats here in Central Florida and I NEVER see a chopper prop on a bass boat! At least for the last 10-15 years. For many years you could not beat the total lift and top end speed especially the second of generation of "wide blade" types .....is it all about gph?

[okiebass]

I had 2 diff boats that would ONLY perform running a chopper prop !!

[Flabasspond]

My fishin buddy says that most of the newer bass boats are too heavy to see good any positives from a chopper. In the late 80s I had a 17' Predator boat with a Mariner Magnum 150 and I could swing a 26 pitch wide blade Merc chopper at 6000 rpm and 68 mph on radar- that prop made that boat ride what seemed like 6 foot out of the water when you looked down the side.

[ProVle]

I could chine walk my Skeeter SW150 with a Johnson 150 with a SS chopper prop.

[rboren]

They work great on light boats that need a prop running the surface. All I ever ran on my Allisons and Laser boats. They run on a older Bullet also. They like to be even with the prop shaft centerline or higher.

[big_o_tom]

I have one on a shelf in the garage. Only has two blades, the other is at the bottom of Norris Lake.

[1Holeshot]

I think post #3 is correct. Newer boats and engines are heavier and the holeshot would be a problem.

[Bass Cat Boats]

The open blade ventilation of the design does not work with the amount of exhaust we have on engines with more cubic inches today. We have Hoss propellers, Lightening ET’s and multiple R&R mod Mercury Chopper propellers that make good paper weights today.

We’ve tried running them and even if you could get one on top from the hole shot, they don’t perform as well as they need to today.

BCB

[Flabasspond]

The open blade ventilation of the design does not work with the amount of exhaust we have on engines with more cubic inches today. We have Hoss propellers, Lightening ET’s and multiple R&R mod Mercury Chopper propellers that make good paper weights today.

We’ve tried running them and even if you could get one on top from the hole shot, they don’t perform as well as they need to today.

BCB

Hmmmm....if its a exhaust problem then why do most race boats run some kind of chopper/cleaver prop? Perhaps open exhaust? ....but its the same in stock classes

[angleiron]

I think post #3 is correct. Newer boats and engines are heavier and the holeshot would be a problem.

This and for a chopper prop to work you need to get as much of the lower unit out of the water which requires the conventional water pickup holes to be blocked off. You would need to add a nose cone to the lower unit which would provide the low water pickups to cool the engine. Back in the day these props worked on the high hp/rpm lite weight 2 strokes like the Merc Pro Max and the Mariner Super Mag which turned a prop to 6800rpm's and was almost always on a lite boat like an Allison.

[1Holeshot]

This and for a chopper prop to work you need to get as much of the lower unit out of the water which requires the conventional water pickup holes to be blocked off. You would need to add a nose cone to the lower unit which would provide the low water pickups to cool the engine. Back in the day these props worked on the high hp/rpm lite weight 2 strokes like the Merc Pro Max and the Mariner Super Mag which turned a prop to 6800rpm's and was almost always on a lite boat like an Allison.

My thoughts exactly. I ran Choppers on my Laser, Bullet 20XD, Allison XB2002 and XB2003 and they were fast and XB2002 even had a good holeshot when loaded light.

This was before hydraulic steering and the steering torque was tough on long runs.

[kacordy]

The 26 or 28 ET were amazing on my 280ss Allison. These props were specifically designed for light hulls and big power. The ultimate for laying you in the seat and top end performance. I just got tired of slinging blades on Thousand dollar props. Best performance was with the center of the prop shaft 1/4 above the pad. I don’t think modern rigs would be able to take off or run well with motors that high with over the hub choppers, ET’s etc. I settled on an Allison cut 26 Trophy for best all around performance. Fully loaded it would idle around at 80 turning around 6800 and 88-89 on the Rev limiter at 7800.

[Flabasspond]

The 26 or 28 ET were amazing on my 280ss Allison. These props were specifically designed for light hulls and big power. The ultimate for laying you in the seat and top end performance. I just got tired of slinging blades on Thousand dollar props. Best performance was with the center of the prop shaft 1/4 above the pad. I don’t think modern rigs would be able to take off or run well with motors that high with over the hub choppers, ET’s etc. I settled on an Allison cut 26 Trophy for best all around performance. Fully loaded it would idle around at 80 turning around 6800 and 8o8-89 on the Rev limiter at 7800.

7800?? Dayum ....fastest pure bass boat I rode in was a XB 2002 with a pretty stock 200 Merc - top was 88 at 6400RPM He ran a reworked Merc 26 pitch Chopper