Has anyone used a KiwiProp?

[selkirksghost]

Has anyone used a KiwiProp? Compared to MaxProp or VariProp?

[belizesailor]

I know there are a few Kiwi prop owners here so hopefully they will respond. Try a search too, there are some past posts.

I just received a pair, waiting to be installed. Pre-sale service was excellent.

[Dave852]

I have two of them installed on Cheval but can not compare them as I have not run her with any other type. I will tell you they work great in reverse compared to other folding type props I have had on other boats. The company is a pleasure to deal with. I have not had them long enough to comment on longevity.

[salient]

Yep. Had a 3 blade for 3.5 years after changing from fixed 3 blade.
It has worked perfectly for me. Low vibration was noticable and there was a significant sailing speed gain of about 1 knot on a reach. The blades always feather and reversing is very good. I get a lot of prop walk but thats a function of hull shape - more reverse thrust -> more side thrust because of the increased flow over the hull.

As has been said the company is excellent to deal with.

[autumnbreeze27]

We put one on our catalina 34. It was great. I checked to see if they made one big enough for our new boat but they don't.

[Neptune's Gear]

Yep. Great prop. I had changed my one to a 3 blade Volvo folder. Just changed back to the kiwiprop. Better performance on my boat. Also, the saildrive anodes last longer with the kiwiprop. Lower cost, great performance, great support. Can't go wrong!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[OceanSeaSpray]

I have always heard great feedback about them, price is right and performance is good. Good product in the right application.

The limitation is around mechanical strength. If you can see other things than water getting close to it and a broken prop would be a critical issue, then you should reconsider immediately in my opinion. It depends on what you do with the boat, where and when you sail.
Now I do know of some that came out unscathed from moderate events involving floating ropes etc, but they do break blades very easily compared to a metal prop.

It is a much lower cost alternative to a Max-Prop if the application is suitable... and provided you don't have to repair it too often. Spare blades are really cheap, but total cost may involve hauling out etc.

[Neptune's Gear]

I sailed around NZ for a few years with mine, then NZ to Thailand, through some waters full of rubbish. No problems. Take a spare set of blades if you are worried. They are MUCH stronger than you'd think...and, with dive gear, you can remove the prop easily, and change blades if you have to...

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[Neptune's Gear]

Oh yeah, I should have also said that there are 5 lubrication points (three in the blades - 1 on each blade, two in the hub) - make sure you lube ALL of them every time you slip the boat. Also make sure you can easily turn the reversing rollers by hand when you do the lube. You need a needle nose grease gun to lube the prop. If you do that, it will be trouble free, and perform really well

[mikereed100]

I have had Kiwi props on my cat for 5 years and 11,000 miles including 1100 hours of motoring on each side. They are great props but do require some periodic attention. Not only must the props be kept lubed, but the rollers must be kept free of fouling so that they can roll. Read the excellent web site carefully, especially in regards to maintenance and auto-rotation. I have only come across one unhappy customer, but he was unaware that the props needed periodic maintenance so was disappointed when they froze up on him and he went back to a fixed prop, which, to be honest, was probably a better choice for him.

Issues that we have had with the props include auto-rotation, wear at the base of the props where the reversing rollers contact the blades and blades falling off after removal and re-installation. Kiwi props have addressed these issues by changing the prop geometry to discourage auto-rotation, changing the size and shape of the rollers so that wear is no longer an issue and adding a threaded retaining pin to the blades so that they cannot come off. Some of the wear issues that I've had with the blades are due to operator error, in that I painted the hubs which fouled the rollers, which in turn caused wear on the blades. Lube the props yearly, keep the rollers clean and all is good.

The blades are stronger than most people think. We have run over logs while sailing and motoring and came away with only minor dings. We carry spare blades but another option is to carry a cheap, fixed prop for emergencies.

I have found one of the greatest advantages to be very easy removal and installation. It is not difficult to lube the props and even change the pitch while in the water, but it is so easy to remove the props that I usually just take them off and perform maintenance in the cockpit.

As mentioned above, customer service is outstanding, from both the maker in NZ and the NA rep in Canada. They believe in their product and will spare no effort to keep their customers happy.

[mikereed100]

One more thing. I didn't think the power in reverse with feathering props was a big deal until we found occasion to run over a pair of Humpbacks off the coast of Washington. We happened to be motoring with both engines to outrun a front when the whales surfaced just in front of and between the hulls. I threw the engines in reverse and braced for impact, but the boat skidded to a stop and the whales carried on. Two thumbs up for feathering props.

[GILow]

Just to wake this thread a little, has anyone had experience of the four blade version? If I understand correctly, this is a newer model to handle larger HP, though I am not sure how much newer.


Matt