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NEWS: Article originally appeared in April 2002 issue of Bass and Walleye Boats  Racing Wheels: We test Hydromotive’s new T-4X prop, developed with race-driven technology for today’s lightweight, high-horsepower rigsStory by John Tiger Jr. (Technical Editor) While testing a new Allison XB-2003 bass boat powered by a Mercury Racing 200XS OptiMax Pro Max at Jaco’s Marine in Clifton, Tennessee, last fall, I had the opportunity to try a series of brand-new high-speed propellers produced by Hydromotive Engineering. The company has a reputation for building some very fast nosecones and propellers, and is perhaps best known by those with sterndrive and offshore racing hulls. Nevertheless, Hydromotive founder and Chief Engineer Thom Bucknell cut his teeth racing outboards as far back as the late 1960s and early 1970s with well-known outboard racers like Bill Seebold, Buck Thornton and Brett May. Having been around the racecourse a few times, Bucknell and son Todd conspired to build a series of very fast outboard props designed for lighter, faster hulls. These props, called the T-series, come in three- and four-blade configurations, with different blade profiles to match just about any outboard high-performance hull. PROPS: T-3X AND T-4X These props may look familiar to those involved with outboard drag racing; their profile looks very similar to that of the famed Yamaha Sport Cleaver propeller, introduced by Yamaha in the early 1980s as an outboard performance propeller. It failed initially, but took hold in the early 1990s as a favorite of the outboard dragracing fraternity for its ability to accelerate quickly and still produce good top speed. Hydromotive capitalized on this design, adding its own twists to arrive at a propeller that should prove superior to many others on the market today, if our test of the T-4X provides any indication. The T-3X is a three-blade version of the design, offered in 14 1/2-inch diameter and a pitch range from 26 to 34 inches. Retail price is $629 with a one-year warranty. This prop will work well on light to medium hulls that are stock in nature. For lighter boats intended for competition, Hydromotive offers a Comp version of the T-3X with smaller blades (14 1/4-inch diameter) that have been thinned for maximum performance. This prop also sells for $629. The T-4X is available in a 13 _-inch diameter blade profile with a pitch range of 26 to 34 inches. Hydromotive plans to offer smaller (20- through 24-inch) pitches if the design becomes popular with drag racers. FOUR BLADES VS. THREE Why offer the prop in three- and four-blade configurations? Thom notes, "Most die-hard speed nuts want a three-blade wheel for ultimate top speed in calm conditions. They don’t want the extra drag of the fourth blade slowing them down. "We’ll build that prop for them in the T-3X or T-4X Comp," Thom continued. "However, the reality of most boating situations is that you don’t always get that smooth surface to run on. The T-4X really shines here, as it excels in rough water for superb boat stability and excellent handling with very low steering torque. Plus, our tests show no speed loss with the T-4X compared to other manufacturers’ best three-blades." That’s a big claim, so we bolted the T-4X to the propshaft of our test Mercury 200XS after wringing it out with a comparable Mercury Racing 14 1/2 x 30-inch Lightning ET propeller. The ET was our test prop, the best-performing wheel overall. With one aboard we reached a top speed of 95 mph even with a little Merc screaming at 6900 rpm. With two aboard, speed was still 93.4 mph at 6800 rpm, which showed that the ET could carry weight very well. Handling was sweet, but still required concentration at speeds of 85 and above. With a 13 3/4 x 30-inch T-4X installed, driver Bill McClain ventured out to our test course to try again. Holeshot was improved by about a second, as expected, but the real surprise was at top speed. Blistering the river at 96.4 mph, McClain swept by, driving with one hand as he waved to those of us on shore. He came to the trailer spouting superlatives about the handling, which was so easy it took all the worry out of driving this near 100 mph rocket. With two aboard, speed dropped only a couple of miles per hour, showing off the T-4X’s weight-carrying ability. Clearly, this four-blade won’t take a back seat to a three-blade. It sells for $679. HOW THEY’RE BUILT Hydromotive casts the T-X series in one piece, then hand-finishes each one to customer specifications. All props are heat treated for durability and resistance to cracking. They’re "semi-lab" finished, which means they’re all thinned, but not to the point that durability is sacrificed. Balancing and blueprinting are also included as standard. Rake angle, pitch, diameter, cup and thickness are all check meticulously by the Bucknells, and the leading edges are carefully sharpened. For ultra-thin race props, order the "Ultra Lab" finish (an extra $205 on the T-3X; $250 on the T-4X), which gets you super-thin blades, good for the ultimate in top speed - but no warranty. The T-X series is available with just about any hub, including the new "fat boy" Mercury propshaft (used in the new Sport Master and Torque Master gear cases). Rake is the same on all three versions of this wheel, with 25 degrees of positive rake as the standard. GET ONE QUICK Hydromotive is a custom shop, and as such, it gets very busy as the season approaches. We’ll be doing more testing with these custom wheels in the months to come, checking them against other popular props for high-speed hulls.
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