Best prop balancer

[Jesse J]

I have been using an old (15 yrs) airplane prop balancer, but know there has to be better.
What do the pros use?

[mappo]

I have been using an old (15 yrs) airplane prop balancer, but know there has to be better.
What do the pros use?

I’ve seen some reviews on this one Du-Bro Tru-Spin Prop Balancer DB499, I just ordered one myself

[NativePaul]

I'm not a pro, but I use one of the generic cheap chinese boat prop balancers that can be found with a dozen different band names, modded with a piece of microscope slide glass over the magnets which freed it up a lot ( i think the neodymium magnets in these are too soft to be ideal for use, maybe copper then nickle plated rather than copper then chrome). I have used a few balancers and this is the best of them.

Neither of the 2 pros I know use static balancers at all, both ballance dynamically, 1 spinning the prop on a shaft in his well trained fingers, and 1 spinning the prop mechanically at 10,000 rpm with sensors. Both get a better result than I believe is possible with any static ballancer.




As an aside, while it is nice to have a well ballance vibration free driveline when you give it a blip of throttle to check things are working in the pits, I am not sure how much it matters or if it even matters at all on the water when we are driving hundreds if not thousands of Watts through the bottom blade when the top blade is basically doing nothing. That is something I don't hear being discussed and I would like to hear others opinions on it.

[dasboata]

I have been using an old (15 yrs) airplane prop balancer, but know there has to be better.
What do the pros use?

text sent don't go checking my props now LOL

[longballlumber]

I'm not a pro, but I use one of the generic cheap chinese boat prop balancers that can be found with a dozen different band names, modded with a piece of microscope slide glass over the magnets which freed it up a lot ( i think the neodymium magnets in these are too soft to be ideal for use, maybe copper then nickle plated rather than copper then chrome). I have used a few balancers and this is the best of them.

This is great advice from Paul. The glass keeps from tearing up the magnets. It's also important to have the points on the shaft be center ground on each end. It keeps a consistent centerline down the shaft being used to balance.

[longballlumber]

I have been using an old (15 yrs) airplane prop balancer, but know there has to be better.
What do the pros use?

These are very nice!

https://stumpfabrication.com/collections/fast-electric-fe-boat-parts/products/jeweled-precision-propeller-balancer

[longballlumber]

As an aside, while it is nice to have a well ballance vibration free driveline when you give it a blip of throttle to check things are working in the pits, I am not sure how much it matters or if it even matters at all on the water when we are driving hundreds if not thousands of Watts through the bottom blade when the top blade is basically doing nothing. That is something I don't hear being discussed and I would like to hear others opinions on it.

I can't argue the hydro dynamics involved in this system. It's well above my cranium level. I can tell you with a great deal of confidence a properly sharpened and balanced propeller will provide better performance and handling than a prop out of the bag all other things being equal.

[dasboata]

I'm not a pro, but I use one of the generic cheap chinese boat prop balancers that can be found with a dozen different band names, modded with a piece of microscope slide glass over the magnets which freed it up a lot ( i think the neodymium magnets in these are too soft to be ideal for use, maybe copper then nickle plated rather than copper then chrome). I have used a few balancers and this is the best of them.

Neither of the 2 pros I know use static balancers at all, both ballance dynamically, 1 spinning the prop on a shaft in his well trained fingers, and 1 spinning the prop mechanically at 10,000 rpm with sensors. Both get a better result than I believe is possible with any static ballancer.




As an aside, while it is nice to have a well ballance vibration free driveline when you give it a blip of throttle to check things are working in the pits, I am not sure how much it matters or if it even matters at all on the water when we are driving hundreds if not thousands of Watts through the bottom blade when the top blade is basically doing nothing. That is something I don't hear being discussed and I would like to hear others opinions on it.

curious to see the microscope glass you use , almost impossible to get every prop balanced perfectly

[Mike W]

These are very nice!

https://stumpfabrication.com/collections/fast-electric-fe-boat-parts/products/jeweled-precision-propeller-balancer

I'll never use anything else. Had to rebalance my whole collection.

[ray schrauwen]

Andy Kunz used to use a strobe light to help balance a prop. How it's done is a mystery to me???

[Jesse J]

text sent don't go checking my props now LOL

Thanks Chris

[Jesse J]

Andy Kunz used to use a strobe light to help balance a prop. How it's done is a mystery to me???

Strobe and molding putty to get each blade identical.. that is overkill to me, since the prop is in and out of the water so much.

[jim82]

I'll never use anything else. Had to rebalance my whole collection.

Get the this one. Badasss

[Moonie]

Jew balancers are the most accurate we can use for our model props.

[Jesse J]

Jew balancers are the most accurate we can use for our model props.
??? What are Jew balancers?

[longballlumber]

??? What are Jew balancers?

They are called ‘jewel’ balancers because of the integration of jewel piviots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewel_bearing

[Moonie]

They are called ‘jewel’ balancers because of the integration of jewel piviots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewel_bearing
No it really called a Jeweled balancer. I used Jew for short.

https://stumpfabrication.com/collections/fast-electric-fe-boat-parts/products/jeweled-precision-propeller-balancer