Macs River Runner Prop Protector

T

Tom Roberts

Well-known member
Does anyone out there have any experience with these? Are they worth buying and do they really protect your prop and skeg?........Thanks.
 
How will the skeg guard protect my prop? I don't mind losing a little speed if I have piece of mind that I won't damage my prop. Some of the places I hunt have some serious snags that are just out of site. I would have to go real slow anyway to negotiate the obstacles.
 
I found only about a 4mph top end speed loss with mine. There was a noticable loss of thrust for popping up on plane. It keeps quite a bit of water from easily entering the propeller. I only run mine when I am going to be in very shallow rocky conditions and expect to make contact with the lower unit consitantly. It will not completely save the prop, just keeps you from trashing it.

Gene
 
If you are worried about your prop get a jet outdrive because that rock hopper wont protect you from anything more than a skeggard will. It says it is a prop protector but it is more of skeg protector. If you want the most prop protection get one of these http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0018694012840a&navCount=1&podId=0018694&parentId=cat420002&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat21276-cat420002&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat420002&hasJS=true
 
~ I have run Macs on my boats for years both the 22 tender and the Lund. They knock a couple kts off your top end but not enough to matter. They work great and have saved me many a prop and more severe skeg damage over the years--That being said i have bent and busted Mac's as well from hitting deadheads, oyster beds, reef. but Mac's always made good and sent me replacements under warranty. I would highly recommend the Mac's if you're running shallow water with obstructions. Essential equipment for these waters.
 
Tom, I have run one of those for several years now and I'll keep it. That said it does drop your speed, in my case at least 6mph. Just yesterday I hit something hard enough to throw me ahead and kill the motor but after replacing a shear pin I was going again. They do pick up a lot of weeds but I modified mine a bit with some JB weld and a piece of aluminum plate to shed the weeds a bit better. Not complete protection but IMHO worth the down side.
 
Not a Macs but I'm running a Rock-Hopper on my 14-ft W/ a 25 hp Nissan. Added the manual jack plate at the same time and may have lost a couple of mph (26 down to 24 mph) but well worth it in my rocky river runs. Not perfect, first time out with it I got down into the shallow rapids chasing a goose and was really grinding over rocks to get out. Took a chunk out of a rebuilt prop. Switched props and have not put myself into that position since. Have hit bottom a bunch with the guard and I'm very pleased, no dings in the other prop yet. Without the jack plate it would have added 3-4" of additional draft, with the plate I pretty much broke even.


View attachment jackedsternR.jpg

Scott
 
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I haven't been out with it yet, but I bought a prop guard from clackacraft (clackacraft.com) last week for my Johnson 15 2 stroke. Easy to install and comes with a "dolfin" built in. My Devlin Bluebill had porpoising issues that a dolfin cured very well, so this is kind of solving two problems for me. I took it to a local powder coater and had the shiny finish blasted and painted flat black for $30. It looks like it will be very durable. Let me know if you want a picture.

- Mark
 
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