Trolling Motor - - going from 2 blade to 3 blade prop ??

what brings me to ask this question is that the prop on my TM is kinda nicked up
from the P/O running over stuff. I have tried to dress up the edges with a scraper,
razor knife, file, and sand paper, etc etc etc . . . . but, a replacement prop is in the very near future.

Was in Wal-Mart today and saw a 3 blade Motorguide prop on the rack.
The spec sheet says: Improves operation by decreasing cavitation in shallow water.
You can obtain a faster trolling speed with a 3 blade vs the 2 blade.
yada
yada
yada

is there really an advantage to upgrading from a 2 blade to a 3 blade prop?
My line of thought is it will put more strain on the motor - thus - draining the battery faster ??
and if all that were so, why doesn't the manufacturer offer it as an upgrade ??

I am considering it for my 12v 40# Minn Kota

2 blade cuts thru weeds better

oh - that was my next concern !!!
Our Florida waterways are SATURATED with hydrilla weed !!!
LOL I was wondering about the cutting power - or lack of - with the 3 blade.

I just saw on one of the older archive posts that the weedless wedge II is best.

I read somewhere that different props have slightly different pitch on the blades, and some people will experiment with 'em to find a suitable prop/speed/performance for their needs. I doubt it would make a significant difference in power consumption, it would probably put the additional strain/stress on the shear pin, and if you had any wobble in the prop, it would only make that worse, causing repairs sooner rather than later.

My Motor guide originally came with a 3-Blade Machete. Was worthless in hydrilla. I replaced it with a 2-blade Safari Weedless Propeller. A tad slower, but cuts though the hydrilla.

I use a blade sharpener like this to keep it sharp. .

This is the stuff I have to deal with.

[youtube]Had8Kru3iIU[/youtube]

MAN that's some wicked stuff !!
Florida has been experimenting with many different herbicides to try to
at least "control" the hydrilla and torpedo grass.
Sure would be nice if all the affected states could get it under control.
But, on one positive side, it does provide habitat for our fish.
It is just horrible in the other 99%.

Thanks for sharing !!!

Nothing goes far in hydrilla. I've heard a 3-blade performs better running shallow than a 2 blade, but I don't know if that's a fact.

RiverBottomOutdoors said:

Nothing goes far in hydrilla. I've heard a 3-blade performs better running shallow than a 2 blade, but I don't know if that's a fact.

Click to expand...

I'm only speaking of my experience. The Safari Weedless prop does an excellent job with the hydrilla and I can lift and surface drive it. The original 3 blade Machete would cavitate if it got too close to the surface.
The safari has longer and sharper blades that do tend to hit bottom rocks more often. That's when I use the sharpener above.

Riverdog said:

RiverBottomOutdoors said:

Nothing goes far in hydrilla. I've heard a 3-blade performs better running shallow than a 2 blade, but I don't know if that's a fact.

Click to expand...

I'm only speaking of my experience. The Safari Weedless prop does an excellent job with the hydrilla and I can lift and surface drive it. The original 3 blade Machete would cavitate if it got too close to the surface.
The safari has longer and sharper blades that do tend to hit bottom rocks more often. That's when I use the sharpener above.

Click to expand...

You should come see the mats of hydrilla on my local lake. 100 acre flats of green carpet! Thicker than hair on a dogs back! My 75# will chop through it until it builds up on the shaft and head and stalls the motor.

The 3 blade machete is ok. I only use it in grass though, the rest of the time I use the 2 blade power prop. The best prop for the grass in my opinion was the 4 blade ninja prop but that was discontinued long ago. I found this interesting on what the late Doug Hannon ( aka the bass professor ) had to say on weedless props. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TllQxkWuzdI

RiverBottomOutdoors said:

Riverdog said:

RiverBottomOutdoors said:

Nothing goes far in hydrilla. I've heard a 3-blade performs better running shallow than a 2 blade, but I don't know if that's a fact.

Click to expand...

I'm only speaking of my experience. The Safari Weedless prop does an excellent job with the hydrilla and I can lift and surface drive it. The original 3 blade Machete would cavitate if it got too close to the surface.
The safari has longer and sharper blades that do tend to hit bottom rocks more often. That's when I use the sharpener above.

Click to expand...

You should come see the mats of hydrilla on my local lake. 100 acre flats of green carpet! Thicker than hair on a dogs back! My 75# will chop through it until it builds up on the shaft and head and stalls the motor.

Click to expand...

"builds up on the shaft and head and stalls the motor"

I also had that problem. Had to reverse and forward a few times to clear the shaft. **** hydrilla. :evil: