Kiwi Props Blades falling off

[Huggi21]

Hi < Has anyone had the blades on there Kiwi props fall off for no reason, I have had 2 drop off in the last few months and would like to hear from anybody who has had the same experience .I have spoken to the manufacturer and they say it is my fault and they should be sent back to the company every few years for a rebuild which I find unbelievable and almost impossible when sailing around the world

[mikereed100]

I had it happen once with the old pins. Got the new pins with the threaded caps and have not had a problem since. I've not heard this about sending them back for rebuild. I have been able to perform all maintenance myself, although, to be sure, I have found them quite fiddly and would not recommend them to someone who is not a 'hands on' sailor. I have had to sand the inside of the blades to keep them turning freely on the shafts and have had to replace a spring and some gaskets in addition to keeping them greased every 6 months. I don't find any of this too taxing as the props are very easy to remove. This also makes it very easy to adjust pitch, which I have found very useful.

On the other hand, having a cat, we use reverse quite a bit for maneuvering in marinas and when setting and pulling anchor. This being the case, I have noticed a lot of wear on the blades where they contact the rollers. This has been improved quite a bit with the new roller design, but still occurs. I had to replace all the blades a few years ago and anticipate having to replace them again a few years from now.