The official hotboat.com "We get letters" thread

[HB Vic]

We get letters, #9:

"What is the difference between a regular prop and a labbed prop?"

Very good question. I'll do my best to give you a little better understanding of the benefits of a lab finished prop. But first, you might want to check out this video, pretty cool as it shows you how props are made.



One of the things you'll notice in the video is the cookie cutter nature of how props are made. Now think of how boats are made. Even the variation from one hull to another from the same manufacturer can be a huge, not to mention the variations in power, purpose, and weight.

The very basic principle of "labbing" a prop is balance, important thing not shown in the video. Balancing usually isn't done on a standard box props. So there are casting and other variations in the prop. Most of the time these variations are acceptable for most boats and most boating purposes. But for those who are looking for performance and longevity of their equipment, having your props labbed is money well spent. The very basic element of labbing is balancing. Anything that rotates has balance points. If your prop is poorly balanced it can cause vibration issues. Vibration on a piece of rotating equipment will eventually lead to failure. Bearing failure, bearing journal issues, and all sorts of other issues. The greater the piece of rotating equipment is out of balance, and the faster that piece of rotating equipment spins, the faster anything connected to it will eventually fail. Almost everyone has the tires on their car rotated and balanced during normal services. Why would you not have that $500-5000 prop balanced as well??

Another important factor in labbing a prop is essentially tuning the prop for your specific boat and maybe even your specific boating purpose. Changing the characteristics of your prop can greatly affect the performance of your boat. Size, cupping, thinning, and pitch can all be modified. These modifications can greatly affect the performance, efficiency, longevity of your running gear, and handling of your boat.

The vast majority of all props on any performance boats are lab finished.

Here are a couple of resources, random really, you might want to check in to for more detailed information or questions about having your prop(s) labbed.

http://bblades.com/
http://www.mercurymarine.com/propell.../testimonials/


I hope that answers your question.

HB