Has anyone tried OJ's new 5 blade prop?
 

I was just getting ready to pull the trigger on a new 4 blade and saw an ad for OJ's new 5 blade and was wondering if anyone's tried it yet.

Link? Would like to check that out.

The ad was in the July 2011 issue of wakeboarding mag. Towards the back I think.

We're supposed to be getting one from OJ. I can't wait. My source says it's absolutely amazing. Not sure I'm allowed to out who that is, but word on the street is that it's the new prop to have for hauling weight. I'll report back if/when we get ours.

Travis Moye at the boarding school loves it. This is from his X Star 4000lbs 25mph 5 people in the boat. http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot....jpg[/URL]

^^^ that should be enough for anyone right there

If it works that well I'm in. Running heavy at alt sucks. Wonder how much the price difference would be?

Anyone scan the ad?

I'm also interested to drive a boat with one of the new 5 blade props. However I do many other things with my boat besides wakeboarding, spinning the motor at 3700 rpms at 25 mph does not work for my usage patterns. I don't want to see more than 3200 rpms at 25 mph or 3700 rpms at 30mph.

Here is a scan of the add

5 blades aren't limit. I'll be wait for 6 or 7 LOL

I've only been on one boat with it so far and I was not impressed. It lost a TON off the bottom and was barley able to get on plane. However, I trust Travis's opinion and am going to assume either the boat I was on either had the wrong pitch, or not enough HP to pull the weight it was loaded with.

Like 7 min abs, haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeHVY...eature=related

I think this is a total gimmick.

If someone can explain to me in rational terms how it works, I would like to be educated. The 4 blade props we have now are already capable of enough surface area and pitch to limit the engine's capability to torque the prop and get the boat on plane.

So why would a 5 blade be anything special? It would be same as lowering the pitch and increasing the diameter on a standard 4 blade.

Turbulence and slippage plays a role, maybe 5 blades have less cavitation than 3 and 4 and hence more energy from the engine is captured and transferred to the water. Or maybe not. Acme 3 blade is the best prop I have ever had....

Oh, nsfw (language)

I saw often 5 or more on the speed boats (for this diameter) and now all wakeboat brands going to tranny with reduce ratio side and shafts do have less rotation compare with early ski boats (about cavitation). Why 5 will be better for wake speed? Why not 10 for sure? Maybe are they followers of Gillette?

Why not 5? I always heard that the Mercury High Five prop was pretty good on I/O's. I'll let some of you guys spend your money on it first and report back :)

Acme said they tested them but the top end loss was too much. Honestly I don't care about top end. If I could surfing with 3k in ballast and run under 3k rpms I would do it in a second. I am waiting for someone to try this! Come on give it a shot someone!

I have learned since I made the above post that the boat I was on had an early test prop and in no way does it reflect the performance of the final version. In fact, it will soon become a factory option from the manufacturer.

If Travis says it works, then it does. He puts more hours on a boat than anyone else I know of.

X2 on Travis- his boat is SLAMMED and sounds like a jet engine but it gets out of the water very well.

Clearly this prop is not a cruising prop for going across giant lakes at 40 mph for hours at a time. I agree if Travis said its great who spends more time behind an X Star with beginners to pros and with it SLAMMED!

Sounds like one more blade I will need to eventually get repaired when I hit debris, except I doubt anyone has the mold to fix it

Not necessarily, kybool. I think the 5 blade makes perfect sense. You throw a blade and you just keep on rolling with a normal 4 blade.

I just wanted to hop on here and tell you guys what I have exeperienced. I have been using a 5 blade since October. I originally had one on my X-Star with the Indmar 6.0. It instantly was better than ANY OJ or Acme prop i had tried. In the 6.0 I gained hole shot, top end, and lowered rpm's. I know that it doesn't make sense that it did all of that, but it did.

I now have an X Star with the Ilmor 6.2. Compared to the 14.75x13 we normally run, I did lose a little hole shot, but I am running really low rpm's weighted and unweighted, getting a ton better gas efficiency, and picked up quite a bit on top end. My boat will run almost 45 with this thing on(not like I care, but a lot of guys do). And, it really changes the pitch of the engine, not just for the rpm's you are running, but in general. I am in love with it. I hope other people will be too. I know it works INCREDIBLY WELL for my application. Feel free to email me directly if you have any questions or if you want to try and get set up on one.

Thanks,
Travis

travis@theboardingschool.com

How does it do on fuel effency on higher speeds, like slalom speeds, now a 3 or 4 is not as effency on big weights but will be effency on slalom speeds.
So i think you burn more fuel on higher speeds, just like you do on larger diameter and lower pitch.

Quinten, I honestly can't say, but it is running lower rpm's at any speed, so I would imagine it has to be better.

I am driving up tomorrow after lunch to OJ to pick mine up and Wakeworld will be the first to know how it does on my Axis :)

I am definately interested in more feedback.

Greg, I'm curious to hear how you like it. Like I said, I only know what it has done on my boats. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Anyone know the price for this delightful treat?

I am surprised that Eric from OJ has not chimed in to give us some reasoning as to how it is more efficient. Maybe it is going to be the rage in the future?

It's $650 retail.

Rumor mill is acme is testing 5 blades now as well. Would a normal prop puller even be able to remove them?

$650? yikes....

The 5 blades give more surface area, and overall is continually biting more water then the 4 or 3 blades at any given speed. Of course this is going to give better efficiency. But I am curious why Travis found it didn't give a better hole-shot. Seems like this is reverse to what it should be doing (given exact same pitch). Although, I doubt the pitch is the same, and overall blade surface has been reduce to compensate.

5 blades are not uncommon on any style of boat (except tournament ski/wake boats). I/o's, cabin crusiers, Go-Fast's and sport fishing boats have all been running 5blade for decades. The QuickSilver Stainless Steel 5-blade is a popular model.

Scott... More blades=more money. Directly proportional. Hahahaha.

I'm going to get mine with diamond tipped blades so that it just cuts through anything we run into. Toothpicks anyone?

LMFAO guido! Bahahaha!

how do you think this will work on an X2?

I currently have a 2011 with 5.7 ilmor, 14.5x14.25 or 14.25x14 (i cant remember) 3000-3500lbs and it does 4,150 rpms more or less.

It takes a little bit to get up but doesnt struggle.

Dan, OJ makes one for the 5.7 as well. Definitely going to drop your rpm's.

All,
I apologize for disappearing for a short while! I have been killed with work and ...well .. of course riding...I wanted to come on here and report back about the prop. Its awesome! I know you're prolly saying give me more details, is it worth the price, how is top end (who cares bout that), how is speed control, hole shot etc. So, let me sum up my experience with this prop and the great customer service from Eric @ OJ.
The Boat pulls a rider out of the water without hesitation or issues. I am very happy with it and they have done their homework through testing and tons of R&D. It shows. We have been running 3-5 people in the boat, full ballast, wedge and it pulls out of the hole and planes quickly. It gets up to speed well.
Top end...well, I usually dont take the boat above 30 no matter what, but after talking with Eric and him telling me its still a quick prop, I had to test, for science of course,
I was running about 40-41 at 4500rpm. Its quick. It seems to cut through the water differently. Its very soft through the water and holds well through turns, weighted or unweighted. There's your benefit of having an extra blade in the water.
Is it worth the price? I was skeptical at first of how much better is this prop that what I currently have, what differences justify it. Let me tell you, its worth it. The prop is solid, delivers hole shot thoroughly, and an extremely different and more controlled feel at the wheel and for the rider.
My crew has commented as I have about how well it holds speed even when you load the line. It holds it continuously and through rollers and in turns. This prop is the real deal.
Speed control - Speed control is spot on. My other prop varied between .08-1mph depending on if the line was loaded, conditions, etc. This prop holds the speed dead on and if there is a variation, i'm seeing its .02mph variation from set speed and thats in rougher non butter water.
Example - 5 people in boat, 2,275 lbs of fat sacs, wedge down, 24.4 mph with rider and the rpm's were between 3100-3200. Its considerably lower and that equals up to better fuel efficiency.
Customer Service - Eric at OJ is a smart guy and def knows his way around props and understands the dynamics of them. This much is clear. I went to pick mine up and Eric was extremely friendly, helpful, and willing to answer any questions I had and told me if I had any future questions/issues/concerns, let him know. I have become an OJ buyer from now out (hope though that I dont have to replace the prop and Im watching out for any and every small leaf in the water to random dock pieces haha).
I hope that has answered some questions of how the prop performs and my thoughts on it.

How's the hole shot compared to the high altitude 1235 prop?

Hole shot is better and quicker response. Fully loaded it pulled me out of the water without hesitation and gets up to speed quick. I think its a notch above the high altitude.

So I just want to make sure I understand. It has a better hole shot and runs lower rpm's at wb speed?

yup :)

so you think it pulls out of the hole better than your other prop of just as good?
fuel effeciency... can you give a rough estimate. ex. for me 4hrs equals about 20 gallons. did you see that number go down to 19?

im asking cuz fuel ecomony has been brought up with this prop several times, thus if i get told i shouldnt own a boat cuz i care about gas usuage i will dockey punch them in the throat. :)

Hole shot depends on seating person locations, etc, I feel the 5 blade provides a better hole shot overall. At minimum it's just as good, but I think better honestly. As far as fuel I don't know how many gallons im using, I just know about how much a fillup will cost with how many bars of fuel ive lost on the dash indicator. We ride for lets say 3-4 hours hardcore full weight and everybody rides we were filling up around 60 bucks. This last time was about 50 or a little under, so we saved approx 3 gallons of gas? I try not to look too much onto gas mileage since it depends what the water condition is like, speed, who is riding more than another person, how many falls, and if the generators are on at the dam. I have noticed when they run 2 its less fuel efficient than 1 depending the way we ride. As I said I feel the prop is a good prop, they have done their research and I like the lower rpm if it does or doesn't increase fuel efficiency. It means to me less high end stress on the engine.
I can't say that ive really run it enough to give exact numbers on gas, travis may be able to help out as he has been running it longer than me I believe.

Greg, what were you're RPM's before?

My Rpms before were considerably higher, I want to say they were closer to 3400-3500 depending on factors

Pic of it on the boat

Well, I made some calls, and, apparently, this is the prop to have for the 335hp motor, as it matches the motor's torque curve very well. Jury's still out on how it performs with the Raptor. If anyone gets a chance to test the prop on an A22 with the big motor, LMK.

This prop will handle the big motor as well.

Looks good daddio. I'll be looking to get this soon.

If the torque curve between the 335 and 400 is anything like the monsoon and the 410, the ft punds are only slightly different, like by less than 10lbs

Eric at OJ could put on a clinic as to why the 5 blade is more efficient than a 4, but I can give a personal experience with go fast props (although top end is the main factor, holeshot is key also to get those big pigs out of the water;)) I had four blades on my cat and a 32 pitch was best for top end, but it took at least 30 seconds and tons of stress on the drives to plane, especially loaded. We then tried a five blade (28 pitch) that had a MUCH better holeshot and still equaled the top end of the four blade. Ultimately, a 6 blade 26 ptich that was 1/2" smaller diameter ended up being the best of both worlds. With high perf. cats there is usually only half of the blades in the water at speed anyway, so of course that would change things a bit.
As it was explained to me, the more blades youhave, the less actual pitch (to give the same performance) you need. Think of it a an oar in a row boat: it's much easier to pull a small paddle through the water, but it would take more of them to pull the same volume of water.

So, that said, call me when they build a 6 blade!!!:D Odd numbers for some reason aren't as smooth as even numbers, at least in a go fast.

so im ignorant to prop pitch... does this new 5 blade come in different pitches like the 4's? and are they made in different diameters and hole sizes yet?

I wish people would be more clear about whether or not this thing provides better hole shot and lowers RPM's while weighted at 22-25mph.

also....... do you/yall think it will have the same amount of improvement for a 20ft compared to a 24ft?

The TZ X5 comes in various diameters with different cupping for different engine trans combinations. They are available with the Spline bore and 1 1/8" taper bore. The 5-blade does lower the RPM while weighted at boarding speeds. The low end is as good or better than the standard boarding props.

Hatepain , I indicated that it does provide better hole shot and indicated RPMs at 22-25mph in my above posts, not sure if you were being sarcastic or felt I didnt explain that?Just wanted to clarify that I discussed it and explained before /after rpms weighted.

Is this prop only recommended if you are running extreme amounts of ballast? Are there any advantages or disadvantages if someone only runs stock ballast (less than 2000lbs)?

Works very well with stock ballast too.

Even if Hate is being sarcastic I'm gonna agree their seems to be mixed reviews on the hole shot. Travis indicates between the 6 and 6.2 he had a loss in hole shot vs. the 14.75x13(that's the prop I run).
Greg you said you have better hole shot, but what prop where you running before, if it was a high pitch stock prop that doesn't tell me much. I would expect you to see performance gains with any upgraded prop if that's the case.

I've talked with Travis and Eric a bunch about props and had great results when Travis suggested a modification to my 14.75x13.

So my clarification question, running a heavily weighted Xstar with an MCX (~4000lbs) would I lose hole shot? Honestly I'm pushing the limits of my boat getting out of the hole and can't afford any loss but saving money on fuel wouldn't suck. Would you recommend this prop for this type of application?

Any chance of a WakeWorld introductory price for those looking to try it out???

To Travis and Gregg-
(...anyone else that knows a lot of this prop)

Sooo not to be a pain in the butt and ask the question that alot of people hopefully have too but any idea if they are making it for and old style SAN 210 RH rotation???
I'm running a Acme 1464 on a 5.8 ford motor for 3000lbs and always lookin for the next best thing for weight

Greg was not running a higher pitched prop, had the Acme 1235. Travis may have lost 1-2 seconds to plane time. A RH version would be several months away.

6 better than 5. I'll be wait for
Maybe this one better

In addition to the RH/LH, my understanding for SAN is the blade length/diameter of prop has to be smaller because there is not as much clearance. I'm sure there would be a market for a more efficient prop for old-style SAN. I'd certainly consider one.

Eric at OJ, has any testing been done for wakesurfing?

I wanted to revisit this in regards to surfing. It holds speed perfect and has tons of hole shot. No issues at all. We have surfed twice but have mostly been wakeborading with it. I am still extremely impressed with surf and wakeboarding capabilities of this prop. Anybody else running one yet?

I've been waiting for one, but have not yet received it. I can't wait to try one on my boat.

I just received a delivery from a Mr. Eric Johnson. It will be going on this weekend.

Thanks for the revisit in regards to surfing. How much overall weight do you run surfing? We use our enzo for tubing the kids and wakesurfing the adults and it is hard to find a four blade prop that works best for both.

When OJ has some five blade props in 13.25" or 13.5" diameters that fit the enzo I will be very interested in trying one out.

Greg, what's the specs on the prop you have. I have an A22 and surf a lot so I'm very interested in this prop, plus we sometimes make long runs to our favorite spot so fuel savings would be nice.

I am waiting for mine to arrive.. We will be using it to surf mostly. Running it on an X-45 with the LY6 and an extra 1100# sac in the rear and 400 a little further up so with the prop I have now I can barely get out of the water. We are also running 3400RPM at surf speed.. :eek:

I hope it arriving in the next day or so and I can get it on before the weekend.

I just picked mine up and it will be in the water after work today.

I just installed/tested mine out last weekend on my a20. Had the stock tanks full (900), 2x 750s in rear, a 400 in bow and crew of 5. Holds speed very well. No problems with hole shot and rpms never got above 4k. Once at speed 20-22.5 the rpms dropped down to low 3k's. I hear this is now an Axis option for 2012 (replacing the high altitude prop).

for the prop ignorant. will someone explain what a high altitude prop is in comparison to one that is not? can you run a high altitude on the coast?

JS, sorry, just saw your question. We run the stock tanks, PNP, and bow bag with about 4 ppl on one side around 10.5-11mph. It holds it perfectly and as Matt stated RPMs on wakeboard wake never go above 4k and drops to low 3s when speed is set. This is an option for 2012s. John Hunter, how did the first run with the prop go?
Johnboy, I live in TN and ran the high altitude prop for a year and a half before moving to the OJ. You can use it on the coast. Top end suffers they say but I never max mine out to WOT to begin with.