Lost a Brunton Autoprop Blade

[Mackster]

Bruntons replaced the lost blade, upgraded the hub to new design, serviced the prop and returned at no charge! As the prop was 20 years old, this is VERY IMPRESSIVE by any account.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Mackster

Bruntons replaced the lost blade, upgraded the hub to new design, serviced the prop and returned at no charge! As the prop was 20 years old, this is VERY IMPRESSIVE by any account.

Sounds like they are cleaning up their act! That's really good to hear. I got horrible service from Brunton when a newly overhauled prop, done at great expense at the factory, turned up with brinelled bearings a couple years later.

[Sailorik]

I am limping back to my mirena now after losing a blade on my H5 for the second time. I have the newer design. I grease it and inspect it every year. Bruntons rebuilt this prop five or six years ago after the same thing happened. Something is very wrong.

[Sailorik]

Another follow-up and a clarification:
The first Autoprop I had lost a blade in 2015. I run the engine about 100-120 hours per year. I'm not sure how old the prop was when I bought the boat but it was the newer design with grease fittings. I serviced it every year since I owned the boat. After losing a blade, Brunton's rebuilt the prop and re-cut the threads and replaced the retaining bolts so they don't tend to back out. I was told by Brunton's that this was a design change that they did after recalling the older props of the same model as they were slinging blades too. In 2020, the rebuilt prop lost another blade. After I returned the prop to Brunton's, they said I must have hit something. I didn't. The boat was going about 4 knots...roughly 1500 RPM. The bolt broke well below the head in an area that was surrounded by metal. There was a ding in one of the two remaining blades. The prop guy at my marina said was from one of the other blades striking the one that got slung. He had seen it before.
Brunton's denied that it was materials and/or workmanship. I really like the efficiency of the prop but something is very wrong either with the design, the materials, or the workmanship. A catastrophic failure like this with only five seasons and 600 hours after a factory rebuild should not occur when the prop has had all the recommended service.