brians
Well-Known Member
Does anyone have experience, good or bad, on Radice two blade folding propellors?
Radice folding propellor
- Thread starter brians
- Start date
aluijten
Well-Known Member
As far as I'm aware the Volvo-Penta 2-bladers were manufactured by Radice. Radice sells the same model themselves.
I'm no fan. Forward going it's OK, in reverse a pain in the *ss (*rs* for the UK folks).
Not impressed with durability as well. Swapped it with a Gori two-blader, much better, but a risky pin locking setup (pin that holds the blade) . Found out the hard way :-(
Nowadays with Volvo Penta 3-blade, much better, altough it eats through anodes as if there is no tomorrow (well known phenomena for this propellor).
I'm no fan. Forward going it's OK, in reverse a pain in the *ss (*rs* for the UK folks).
Not impressed with durability as well. Swapped it with a Gori two-blader, much better, but a risky pin locking setup (pin that holds the blade) . Found out the hard way :-(
Nowadays with Volvo Penta 3-blade, much better, altough it eats through anodes as if there is no tomorrow (well known phenomena for this propellor).
earlybird
Well-Known Member
I've owned 2 boats with Radice 2-blade folders. I had no mechanical problems, but occasionally they seemed to vibrate, (cavitate? ) if the boat was pitching heavily. They also needed a definite burst of revs. to open in astern. Again this caused vibration if the boat was moving forward at any speed
My present prop. is a Flexofold, which is deinitely better in these respects. I also fancy that it makes slightly better use of the engine power in ahead.
Neither is brilliant at stopping the boat in astern, but the Flexofold probably has the slight edge.
In summary, the Radice is OK but, if t'were me, I'd save up a bit longer and get the Flexofold.
My present prop. is a Flexofold, which is deinitely better in these respects. I also fancy that it makes slightly better use of the engine power in ahead.
Neither is brilliant at stopping the boat in astern, but the Flexofold probably has the slight edge.
In summary, the Radice is OK but, if t'were me, I'd save up a bit longer and get the Flexofold.
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Dipper
Well-Known Member
I have had one on my saildrive for about 12 years. I'm pleased with it. The blades open relatively easily due to their weight and I can stop from 4 knots in my boat's length (26 feet) although not much happens in the first 13 feet.
It loses some grip in rough water but I suspect many folding propellers do that and if it is rough there is normally wind to sail in anyway.
The hexagonal inserts in the little grub screws (if they still use them) have a tendency to deform if you aren't careful so that the socket slips. Don't Loctite them in. A friend machined some replacements out of machine screws that could be removed with a flat blade screwdriver.
It transformed the boat under sail. I gained up to half to three quarters of a knot extra speed and my boat pointed higher when beating.
It loses some grip in rough water but I suspect many folding propellers do that and if it is rough there is normally wind to sail in anyway.
The hexagonal inserts in the little grub screws (if they still use them) have a tendency to deform if you aren't careful so that the socket slips. Don't Loctite them in. A friend machined some replacements out of machine screws that could be removed with a flat blade screwdriver.
It transformed the boat under sail. I gained up to half to three quarters of a knot extra speed and my boat pointed higher when beating.
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30boat
N/A
I have one.It's not very good but then a Gory costs more.The performance is ok and I have no real issues with reverse.I'm beginning to think that mine is out of balance because the cutless bearing wears too rapidly and I've ruled out alignment problems.
The little grub screws are a problem.The first time I loctited them as per instructions and they had to be drilled out.I now use a very soft grade of threadlock(not Loctite) and they can be removed.But it's a poor solution.
Bosun Higgs
N/A
I have one but can only comment on the radice since I have never tried other folders.
Ahead propulsion is OK and astern is acceptable and I berth bows to the pontoon. It does vibrate if changing into reverse whilst still going forward because the blades never fully open and they flutter a bit. But the man at Brunton told me that all folders do that to some extent.
The Radice is solidly made, possibly too solid in that it is a hefty lump of metal hanging off the shaft. But then the Bruntons man pointed out that the Brunton prop was even heavier and weight is an issue when it comes to stern bearing wear.
It works well enough for me not to bother changing it, but if I had a boat with a fixed prop and was thinking of going to a folder, I wouldnt chose the Radice unless the saving was a good one. It's an old and unsophisticated design that even the UK agent isnt that enthusiastic about.
Ahead propulsion is OK and astern is acceptable and I berth bows to the pontoon. It does vibrate if changing into reverse whilst still going forward because the blades never fully open and they flutter a bit. But the man at Brunton told me that all folders do that to some extent.
The Radice is solidly made, possibly too solid in that it is a hefty lump of metal hanging off the shaft. But then the Bruntons man pointed out that the Brunton prop was even heavier and weight is an issue when it comes to stern bearing wear.
It works well enough for me not to bother changing it, but if I had a boat with a fixed prop and was thinking of going to a folder, I wouldnt chose the Radice unless the saving was a good one. It's an old and unsophisticated design that even the UK agent isnt that enthusiastic about.
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
Do you mean a shaft or saildrive propeller?
brians
Well-Known Member
Saildrive.
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
The saildrive propeller has a rubber bushing in the hub to protect the saildrive. Radice propellers seem to to be known to suffer from the rubber bonding failing and the outer part of the hub detaching from the inner. In reverse this can result in it coming right off. I've recently bought a boat with one of these props which is why I know about the problem. On my prop the outer hub is held on with an oversize stainless washer although the hub is still bonded but very loose, it may of course have been re-bonded which is something that can be done. I'm fitting a Kiwiprop as it's a far better product. Yachting can be interesting enough without having one's propeller fall apart at what will probably turn out to be a critical moment.
Dipper
Well-Known Member
I haven't heard that before. One year my propeller was stuck on the splines and I put a lot of force on the outer part deforming the bush (temporarily) in the process and it didn't part company from the inner section.
I have a feeling my Radice propeller is also fitted that way.
Seascape-123
New Member
I have a Radice 2 blade folding propellor and I think it’s spun. How would I go about fixing it. Can’t find anything online. Hope this is still active
KAM
Well-Known Member
No doubts about it's mechanical integrity but it's an odd blade shape. Mine did 1200 hours without problems. It appears to have been optimised for astern performance. Ahead performance is average.
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
If you think it's detaching, don't rely on it, you may put yourself and the boat in danger and you will lose most of the prop. Try phoning around the propeller suppliers there was one that did do a re-bond. I did wonder about doing it myself with polyurethane.
KAM
Well-Known Member
I have a Radiche hub in my hand and can confirm that there are no composites or inserts. If you didn't assemble it yourself the most likely cause is it's s been assembled without a key. The key is very unlikely to fail. If the grub screw was incorrectly assembled as well its possible that the prop is slipping on the taper. The 10:1 taper is usually bomb proof so it's possible this may be mis matched too. The key might be visible with an underwater inspection.
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
I thought it was a saildrive prop
Joker
Well-Known Member
I have had a two bladed Radice folding propeller for 14 years.
Almost certainly, it gives a great boost when sailing. However: at 2000 revs the boat, which is 30 foot long and quite slippery through the water, motors at about 4.7 knots. In reverse, it goes backwards very nicely and I can steer her into a berth with no problem. But that, I think, is more a design of the boat than of the propeller.
There is one issue I would strongly recommend: keep your anode well maintained. I have had two of them fail on me because the boss which meets the sail drive is aluminium, and easily corrodes.
Almost certainly, it gives a great boost when sailing. However: at 2000 revs the boat, which is 30 foot long and quite slippery through the water, motors at about 4.7 knots. In reverse, it goes backwards very nicely and I can steer her into a berth with no problem. But that, I think, is more a design of the boat than of the propeller.
There is one issue I would strongly recommend: keep your anode well maintained. I have had two of them fail on me because the boss which meets the sail drive is aluminium, and easily corrodes.
Seascape-123
New Member
What were the symptoms of failing when the anode is well maintained. I have a 23ft sail boat with a 10 horse power Yanmar and only get around 2 knots max. It’s on an sd20 sail drive
KAM
Well-Known Member
Oops thanks for that. Seem to be two threads going and I only picked up part of it.
HTS
Member
I have a Radice 2 blade folding prop which came with the boat. It is a sail drive with a splined output shaft
No real issues except the hub has an inner sleeve which has corroded to powder. This is caused by an aluminium inner sleeve bonded to the external outer bronze prop shell. No issues with performance but a non folding prop is actually cheaper than a replacement hub and I've got to get one now. This is after 15 years so I'm not complianing.
The inner sleeve is so badly corroded that it had lost 70% of its useful material.....in spite of changing the saildrive anode every year. There is no anode on the prop.....ok there is ......its the inner sleeve.
No real issues except the hub has an inner sleeve which has corroded to powder. This is caused by an aluminium inner sleeve bonded to the external outer bronze prop shell. No issues with performance but a non folding prop is actually cheaper than a replacement hub and I've got to get one now. This is after 15 years so I'm not complianing.
The inner sleeve is so badly corroded that it had lost 70% of its useful material.....in spite of changing the saildrive anode every year. There is no anode on the prop.....ok there is ......its the inner sleeve.
