Here's reason number 568 boat dealers should call Admiral/C&B Propeller for propellers, not a marine supply place that has to find "propeller" somewhere in their giant book between "paint" and "pump:"
A dealer customer just called looking for a 14 x 19 propeller for a 2008 115 hp Suzuki outboard. Said he'd called other suppliers who didn't have that size and only had props with universal hub kits. Dealer said his customer wants rubber hub, OEM style prop.
No problem, I said. While we stock two full lines of universal hub propellers, we also stock rubber hub OEM style props for most motors--including a 14 x 19 Suzuki prop that is nearly identical to the OEM style.
We know that universal style props work well in many situations. But the Suzuki example is not one of them. Due to the gear reduction used in these motors, they need the 14" diameter to perform well. The universal 13 x 19 will fit (with the proper hub kit) but it won't maximize engine performance. This is true for many applications--including many Yamaha, Johnson/Evinrude and Mercury motors. In a lot of situations we'll have several props that fit, and can chose among them for the best solution to each individual situation.
The typical big marine distributor doesn't think that way. They're trying to stock as few parts as possible and they really don't care if they stick a round peg in a square hole. Our goal is to get you the correct propeller, even if it means stocking a few extra parts.
Need a propeller? Call a propeller shop. We'll get it right the first time.
