# Hells Bay Guide-Mercury 60 Command Thrust (Bigfoot)



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

Hello all,

Looking for some prop advice for my HB Guide.

Currently I have the Mercury Spitfire X7, 4 blade 13.5" 15 Pitch. My hole shot is amazing and I can run on plane super slow. Nothing left to be desired in that department. Topping out at around 31mph, seen 33mph trimmed out all the way with the wind at my back. Only trimmed out all the way can I get the engine to tip 5000 RPM, usually run 45000 RPM at the top end.

I feel like I should be getting more RPM out of the engine, maybe a couple mph as well, but I don't have anyone to compare it to.

I'm wondering if getting the same prop a couple pitches down may help. I know the Guide/60Bigfoot combo is common so I figured I would reach out and see if anyone loves their prop.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Try a 13 pitch


----------



## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

I don’t have that boat/motor combo, but I do have the Spitfire x7 17p on my Marquesa w/90sho. That is prop’d for hole shot with load. Light I can hit the limiter, so yours sounds too big. As Smack said, If they make a 13 try that. The Spitfire is an awesome prop so hopefully they make it in the size you need.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

If you run too much prop after a while it will carbon up your engine.


----------



## scissorhands (Apr 8, 2012)

I think I have a 14 pitch if you are interested


----------



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like they make a 13" pitch. Think i'll give that a try!


----------



## Davalos (Mar 25, 2021)

Pierson said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Looking for some prop advice for my HB Guide.
> 
> ...


The Big Foot series is designed to do exactly what you describe it is doing. They are not designed to turn high pitch 3 blade props at high rpm in an effort to make the boat go fast. They are designed with a higher gear ratio, and designed for a 4 blade prop to avoid slippage so that they can plow a pontoon boat through the water with no problem. If you want to go faster, you may want to consider a higher hp outboard with a lower gear ratio so that you can use a 3 blade high pitch prop. I don't know what boat your outboard is on, so I can't make any more of a specific recommendation.


----------



## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Davalos said:


> The Big Foot series is designed to do exactly what you describe it is doing. They are not designed to turn high pitch 3 blade props at high rpm in an effort to make the boat go fast. They are designed with a higher gear ratio, and designed for a 4 blade prop to avoid slippage so that they can plow a pontoon boat through the water with no problem. If you want to go faster, you may want to consider a higher hp outboard with a lower gear ratio so that you can use a 3 blade high pitch prop. I don't know what boat your outboard is on, so I can't make any more of a specific recommendation.


Exactly. They are designed to move heavy loads. They are used mostly on barges for dock and bridge building. They are not speed demons.


----------



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

I totally understand that. I have a 60hp on a 18.5’ boat. Im not expecting to set any speed records. I just feel like max 4500 rpm is low for that motor.


----------



## Ckirk57 (Sep 27, 2009)

Have you verified that your engine height is correct?


----------



## Davalos (Mar 25, 2021)

Pierson said:


> I totally understand that. I have a 60hp on a 18.5’ boat. Im not expecting to set any speed records. I just feel like max 4500 rpm is low for that motor.


Either the prop is damaged, or the pitch is too high, or your flotation foam is waterlogged


----------



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

Running a jack plate so i have 6” of range.
Like i said, running all the way trimmed out in flat conditions i can see 5000 rpm. Otherwise its 4500 rpm wot


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

It doesn’t matter what lower unit he has. Pitch is pitch, RPM are RPM and he’s not reaching red line so he needs to either drop pitch, reduce diameter or lift the prop more.


----------



## Salt (Mar 19, 2019)

So has anyone asked him what height he’s running the motor at? Could help.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Salt said:


> So has anyone asked him what height he’s running the motor at? Could help.


He’s got a Bob’s jackplate and from the photos it’s pretty high.


----------



## Davalos (Mar 25, 2021)

Salt said:


> So has anyone asked him what height he’s running the motor at? Could help.


At the risk of repeating myself and others; the Mercury Bigfoot series does not care what height you have your motor set at. These beasts are made to push barges and large pontoon boats and deck boats. The gear ratio is 2.33:1 as compared to 1.8 to 1 in a normal outboard. Their shafts are 33% thicker, and the lower unit gears are twice as heavy. What is an extra 1 or 2 inches of lower unit in the water going to hurt when compared to the humongous displacement of a barge or pontoon boat? Bigfoot is made to be outfitted with a 4 blade SS prop and to plow really fat, ugly, heavy objects through the water. It will never be a speed demon no matter what you set the height at or what pitch prop you use.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Davalos said:


> At the risk of repeating myself and others; the Mercury Bigfoot series does not care what height you have your motor set at. These beasts are made to push barges and large pontoon boats and deck boats. The gear ratio is 2.33:1 as compared to 1.8 to 1 in a normal outboard. Their shafts are 33% thicker, and the lower unit gears are twice as heavy. What is an extra 1 or 2 inches of lower unit in the water going to hurt when compared to the humongous displacement of a barge or pontoon boat? Bigfoot is made to be outfitted with a 4 blade SS prop and to plow really fat, ugly, heavy objects through the water. It will never be a speed demon no matter what you set the height at or what pitch prop you use.


I will repeat myself. With the prop he has he’s not getting up to recommended RPMs and needs less pitch. We understand what the bigfoot lower unit does but that does not change the fact that he has the wrong prop. We can do this all day if you want.


----------



## Salt (Mar 19, 2019)

Davalos said:


> At the risk of repeating myself and others; the Mercury Bigfoot series does not care what height you have your motor set at. These beasts are made to push barges and large pontoon boats and deck boats. The gear ratio is 2.33:1 as compared to 1.8 to 1 in a normal outboard. Their shafts are 33% thicker, and the lower unit gears are twice as heavy. What is an extra 1 or 2 inches of lower unit in the water going to hurt when compared to the humongous displacement of a barge or pontoon boat? Bigfoot is made to be outfitted with a 4 blade SS prop and to plow really fat, ugly, heavy objects through the water. It will never be a speed demon no matter what you set the height at or what pitch prop you use.


You’re right.


----------



## Davalos (Mar 25, 2021)

Salt said:


> So has anyone asked him what height he’s running the motor at? Could help.


At the risk of reapeating he Mercury Bigfoot series does not care what height you have your motor set at. These beasts are made to push barges and pontoon boats. The gear ratio is 2.33:1 as compared to 1.8 to 1 in a normal outboard. Their shafts are 33% thicker, and the lower unit gears are twice as heavy. What is an extra 1 or 2 inches of lower unit going to hurt when compared to the displacement of a barge? Bigfoot is made to be outfitted with a 4 blade SS prop and to push really heavy objects. It will never be a speed demon no matter what you set the height at or what pitch prop you use.


Smackdaddy53 said:


> I will repeat myself. With the prop he has he’s not getting up to recommended RPMs and needs less pitch. We understand what the bigfoot lower unit does but that does not change the fact that he has the wrong prop. We can do this all day if you want.


You will get no argument from me there. Lower pitch = higher rpm. There's no arguing that for sure.


----------



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

Well this was......regrettable. Thanks @Smackdaddy53 for actually reading my original post. Im going to try a lower pitch.


----------



## whoislang (Jul 29, 2020)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> He’s got a Bob’s jackplate and from the photos it’s pretty high.
> 
> View attachment 171579


Ain’t nobody looking at the jackplate in that photo!


----------

