Marine

Twisted smart propeller heads for the marine outboard masses

Twisted smart propeller heads for the marine outboard masses
Sharrow. reaches out to a larger market with the aluminum MX-A propeller
Sharrow. reaches out to a larger market with the aluminum MX-A propeller
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Sharrow. reaches out to a larger market with the aluminum MX-A propeller
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Sharrow. reaches out to a larger market with the aluminum MX-A propeller
Greg Sharrow and his award-winning creation
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Greg Sharrow and his award-winning creation

Sharrow Marine has quietly been working to disrupt the marine industry with a reimagined propeller it calls the "future of propulsion." The tech originally looked like it might be too expensive and make/model-specific to see that future to fruition in a substantial way, but Sharrow has now introduced the more affordable, consumer-friendly MX-A. Less than half the price of previous models, the latest Sharrow propeller works with smaller outboards of just 40 hp and up, and it's compatible with motors from a who's who of the largest, most popular brands in the industry.

Sharrow has redesigned the common marine propeller by replacing the usual blades with gently twisted loops that promise to eliminate efficiency-sapping tip vortices and cavitation. Put simply, less energy is wasted, leading to claimed efficiency boosts of up to 30%, not to mention smoother, quieter overall performance.

Not only has Sharrow's 150-patent-deep design won a host of major awards from the marine and tech industries, it's been put to the test on numerous vessels, both internally and by third-party reviewers, with some intriguing results.

The first time we took a look at Sharrow's unique propeller design, we noted that the one big drawback seemed to be price. At about US$5,000 a pop to start, they were an estimated 10 times more than a typical propeller, a steep upfront investment that might be difficult to recoup even with a 30% efficiency boost.

Another issue was that the propellers were designed for either motors in the 150-hp+ category or for specific makes and models or styles, limiting their overall applicability and appeal.

The all-new MX-A may not solve those problems outright, but it is a major step in making Sharrow's innovative prop tech available to a broader market of boaters. At a base price of $1,995, it's still more expensive than your average prop, but it better than halves existing product pricing and reworks the value proposition that goes along with it. The propeller will now be compatible with smaller vessels like pontoons and fishing boats.

As for compatibility, Sharrow says the new prop will work with 2-stroke, 4-stroke, command thrust, in-line 4-cylinder, and power thrust motors, fitting outboards from major brands that include Mercury, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Tohatsu, Johnson, and Evinrude.

Greg Sharrow and his award-winning creation
Greg Sharrow and his award-winning creation

“With the MX-A series, we’re taking the same groundbreaking propeller technology we pioneered for larger engines and making it accessible to boats in the 40 – 200-hp range," said Greg Sharrow, founder and CEO. "This is a huge leap forward in performance for a segment that has been waiting for true innovation. We are thrilled to finally bring smaller outboards the efficiency and handling upgrades they deserve."

In contrast to Sharrow's previous stainless steel releases, the MX-A series is CNC-machined from aircraft-grade aluminum. The bright mirrored red look is an interesting new addition that will spice up the water far more than the average propeller.

Orders can be placed on Sharrow's website now. The MX-A will be built at Sharrow's Detroit production facility, with lead time estimated at four to six weeks. Sharrow backs each prop up with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and lifetime warranty.

Source: Sharrow Marine

19 comments
19 comments
Brian M
Nice concept, but suspect that's still a little too pricy for most leisure users, especially at the lower end of the power range.
KaiserPingo
1,995???
Naaah...
martinwinlow
For Heaven's sake! Just cast it and the price would be barely any more than a trad prop!! Even if you 3D (sintered metal) printed it it would be way cheaper than $2k!
javadog
But wait! This is a bargain compared to their MX stainless steel propeller which is $5000. If you have a 2 propeller counter rotating drive they have sets around $8-12K .
Maybe when their patent expires I can get a plastic one for my trolling motor.
rgbatduke
As noted, insane pricing. And what if you run it into a bar, over a stone, wrap a submerged crab-pot around it? I can by ten to twenty replacement props for my Yamaha 115 for the price of one of these! I spend a few hundred a year in gasoline for the boat. If I drop it from (say) $300 to (say) $200, I'd never recoup the price difference in my lifetime even if the prop and boat itself and motor all last that long (assuming I'll die or no longer be able to run my boat before I reach age 90).

Seriously, Sharrow! I might spend $250 for a 30% more efficient cast aluminum prop and expect to break even in 2-3 years and thereafter enjoy some ROI if it lasts. My existing prop regularly goes through sand (I boat in a saltwater sound where I have to tilt the motor of my skiff just to move at all in some places at low tide) and is even looking a bit worn. But if/when I need to replace it, I'll do a plain old cast aluminum replacement for $100 as even the $300-ish cost of stainless is crazy to consider when I know I'll be boating over shallow sand with occasional hidden hazards to navigation. A price of $500 for your prop in stainless steel is still really, really difficult to justify, and is one QUARTER of the price you are asking. Get real!
CraigAllenCorson
I have to believe that it will also be much less harmful to marine life that strays too near. This is an important factor that I have not seen discussed.
Zork
Looks like they combined the propeller with a propeller nozzle into one unit. Keeping them as separate units would probably be cheaper and safer.
WONKY KLERKY
Mmmmmmm . . . . ............
Trad' prop' with nice sharp-ish edges
vs
Kelp / Sea Grass aka Sea Weed at large / Reeds / Discarded O&S of Cordiage etc
vs
This above . . . ............
Mmmmmmm
MQ
Also... prior art exists.
Most of the stated, scary patents are most likely " junk " design patents - coveringvartistic elements, or other aspects every CNC shop does as SOP, not really protecting the critical technology / inventive intent (all expired historical patents are now "open source").. Do your hardest people, experiment away (nb, a half assed design effort won't get any improvemts actoss the board, than existing tech...
Jerry
This Greg guy is smart with prop design but clearly he failed basic economics.
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