[garbubba]

I have to disagree with smokeonthewater. In a coastal application where I live an aluminum prop is a sign of a new guy. They tear up on anything, and if you hit a sandbar running a pass they can leave you without power up sh*t creek in seconds. I worked out there & it happens often.

That's why they have rubber hubs, on impact they spin loose & provide the needed give, & then it's change the prop or lose MOST of your power, but you can still keep steerage & out of trouble.

He is correct, of course, that a stainless prop is not the weak link in the drive chain like a aluminum one, the shaft, the bearings all take more stress from that weight a hard impact.

Two theory's I guess, but I'm not about to install the weak point on my drive system, I run a cupped 19 pitch Michigan wheel & have an old stainless Mercury wheel in the boat as a backup, I've had on 3 boats over 20 years, it's been trued & rehubbed once.