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View Full Version : My wife wants me to buy this drive!!!!!



SilverBack
08-01-2009, 10:40 PM
Have any of you guys in the secret clique seen one of these drives yet? My wife wants me to buy one but I wanted to get some input first!!:wink:

http://www.xpowerdrive.com/frame_index_ty.html

Conquistador_del_mar
08-02-2009, 01:48 AM
Keith,
I personally think it is a good idea to sometimes do what my wife tells me. In this case, I would follow through with her request. What a great drive by the information on their website! I have no personal experience with the design, but you could be telling us how it worked out - :yes: Bill

SilverBack
08-02-2009, 04:32 AM
It looks like a great drive for me and she may have had a few too many when we were looking at the website but we have no idea how much this thing cost or what prop it takes. It sure does look like a great drive though and it is a direct replacment for a Bravo.

harbormaster
08-02-2009, 08:03 AM
I have a friend who works there and might be able to get a better deal on these for you guys...

Pismo
08-02-2009, 08:19 AM
I would like to see one, all those computer images show me nothing. The 3 bad shots from a boat show don't help. Like to see one in final mounted form, see it go, etc. Cost? Props? lots of questions. Coupler? ratios? cost, Cost, Cost???

MOP
08-02-2009, 08:28 AM
Another more complete link, the videos are super!

http://xpowerdrive.com/site56/index-4.html

BigGrizzly
08-02-2009, 08:31 AM
These are the guys who bough Stern Power, good to a REAL 1200HP with the same torque, on a bad day

Ed Donnelly
08-02-2009, 08:35 AM
I don't care what it is,if the wife says to buy anything, buy it.....

Honey, I didn't believe for a moment that you were drunk
You sure know your limit and are always in control...

Brownie points forever.................Ed

boxy
08-02-2009, 08:35 AM
With thanks to Pete B from Pete B's 'Shoot 2 Thrill Pix'

boxy
08-02-2009, 08:37 AM
Another more complete link, the videos are super!
http://xpowerdrive.com/site56/index-4.html
Phil, I think that is the same link....
Thanks to Phragle on SOS ....

MOP
08-02-2009, 08:51 AM
Watching the under water running video lets you see how much stress a drive is put under. Looks like it is worth looking into, they were really not into production until late last year. Rumored price was pretty high has that been set yet.

Phil

MOP
08-02-2009, 08:55 AM
Phil, I think that is the same link....
Thanks to Phragle on SOS ....

Click it not the same!

boxy
08-02-2009, 09:00 AM
Click it not the same!
SilverBack's link is to the home page, your link is to the gallery section, accessible from the home page.

SilverBack
08-02-2009, 09:33 AM
Boxy...thanks for the pictures. I saw one that looked like the firs one posted on BF. Does anyone have any idea how much these things cost. They are good for monster power, are dry sump, have changeable skegs to give you different lift and you can adjust the prop height up 5 inches. I know that it is high but like Ed says..when the wife tells you to buy something ...you need to buy it!!!

The Hedgehog
08-02-2009, 09:46 AM
I would love to see you get it. I have heard great things about it but don't have any first hand experience. It is expensive but warrants a close look.

You should talk to Harbormaster.

MOP
08-02-2009, 11:19 AM
SilverBack's link is to the home page, your link is to the gallery section, accessible from the home page.

You are right I just tried it using IE works fine, my Fire Fox security settings re a bit high and blocks the sites links.

Pismo
08-02-2009, 11:33 AM
This is kind of a #6 type replacement. Seems like total overkill to replace a Bravo with this. Looks great for the right app tho.

MDonziM
08-02-2009, 12:51 PM
Looks awesome, I wonder how awesome the price is. Does look like a bit of overkill but -5 is pretty cool.

MOP
08-02-2009, 01:37 PM
On one of the blogs I was reading it said the "rumored" price was in excess of 15K, but that number become "cheap" if it lives up to specs. Some of our upper echilon boats can eat a Bravo in short order.

vsop
08-02-2009, 05:36 PM
I think I read that it uses #6 props so I would say for $15K its not a bad price. Destroy a couple Bravos and it would seem cheap in the end. Only downside I would see is lack of data so you will have to be the one trying things out and that sometimes can be expensive. I would talk to someone that has worked with them in your application before putting my money down.

Mr X
08-02-2009, 06:24 PM
This is kind of a #6 type replacement. Seems like total overkill to replace a Bravo with this. Looks great for the right app tho.
It is a good bit smaller than a #6
There is a large market for it where the Bravo will not live long and a #6 is way too big. IE: smaller high horsepower boats

The Hedgehog
08-02-2009, 08:42 PM
It is a good bit smaller than a #6
There is a large market for it where the Bravo will not live long and a #6 is way too big. IE: smaller high horsepower boats

Yep,

Do you know if anyone has run this drive in a non-surface piercing application?

SilverBack
08-02-2009, 08:46 PM
It is a good bit smaller than a #6
There is a large market for it where the Bravo will not live long and a #6 is way too big. IE: smaller high horsepower boats

Ted...have you guys used one yet? What were your thoughts about the drive?

BigGrizzly
08-03-2009, 09:18 AM
Actually they sell a squar drive adapter for standard merc style type props. we got one two weeks ago for the stern power boat that got one stolen from it.

BlownCrewCab
08-03-2009, 09:35 AM
Yep,

Do you know if anyone has run this drive in a non-surface piercing application?



as short as it is I don't think you can mount it very low, I guess you would need spacers....

The Hedgehog
08-03-2009, 10:07 AM
as short as it is I don't think you can mount it very low, I guess you would need spacers....

Yeah, that was the problem I had with it. Buying a beefier bravo alternative and dropping some coin is not really the problem. The idea of embarking on an unknown science experiment is more than I want to take on these days.

From what I am seeing, I would have to drop it about 5" to be happy on my setup.

SilverBack
08-03-2009, 08:42 PM
Here is some information that I got today....


We just finished up a donzi thirty something, I want to say it was a 32, 34 or 35, is that vague enough. We replaced the bravo xr drives with the X Power Drives. The reason for the replacement was 1st, his drives were breaking quite often. The power was twin 850 whipple motors. And he had a major handling problem above 90 mph. I told the customer that we could for sure solve the failure problem, but I was unsure it we would affect the handling for the better or the worse. We did back to back testing, and with the bravo drives we were so unstable with the chine walk that it was actually dangerous. When we switched the drives we picked up over 10 mph on the first try without any special prop. trials, and the chine walk was totally gone. In our opinion the chine walk was due to the boat becoming to light in the rear at speed allowing the chines to come slightly out of contact with the water then the rocking would occur. For that reason we selected a high rake propeller which will pull the back of the boat down and leverage the front up, and it seemed to work very well. If we only had the bravo prop selection you would never be able to have that kind of control over the running attitude of the boat.

The drive is a very simple direct replacement with no real modifications necessary. The drive is $35,000. This seems to sound expensive but it is a very high tech piece of equipment, which is fully dry-sumped, and has never experienced a failure in service yet. We have done a slight modification to the skeg to lower the cost, and that was to integrate it into the lower unit like more conventional drives, although by our technique our skeg is almost half a thick as other drives. If you would like the replaceable skeg option we still offer this for and additional charge.

In regard to bow lift, we only went to a 18 degree prop on the donzi and it carried extremely well. We have options to go to 21 degree but that would be way to much bow lift. Once again the power of the cleaver prop is totally different from the bravo prop. It can be used as a great tuning tool.

The stock steering will fit directly right in, steering ears and all. That is the same setup that I designed the drive for. We have a 3/4 inch invisible steering pin designed right around the imco ram.

I hope this helps a bit. The drive is so technical compared to other drives that it would take a while to explain all of what it can do. If I can be of any assistance please give me a call.

ragbagger270
08-03-2009, 08:58 PM
Your wife is definitly a keeper.

SilverBack
08-03-2009, 09:06 PM
My wife changed her mind pretty quick when she heard 35 thousand!!

MOP
08-03-2009, 09:25 PM
Awe Heck Honey it only amounts to say 100 trips to the beauty parlor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!