MT overhaul vs new Hartzel 2 blade

[marnold22]

Our 3 blade MT prop has been leaking grease/oil and we have been advised to overhaul the prop. We fly a 2008 Da40 XLS. Prop shop in Detroit is quoting $7900 for overhaul of the MT. $13,500 for a new Hartzel Aluminum 2 blade. ($2500 credit for the MT). Does this sound right? Does anyone have advice on this?
Is the Hartzel better? Is a 2 blade less efficient? Which is quieter? Which is faster? I'm reading that the Hartzel Al is 16lb heavier.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Matt

[gyro3816]

I had the MT and it also leaked at hub after only 300hrs post rebuild. In my opinion the MTs are not a quality prop or hub. I have the hartzel CF now - very happy with it. Picked up a few knots in cruise as well. The ramp appeal is also much inproved.

[Don]

Here is a comparison chart with all the DA-40 prop options showing the pros and cons of each choice. That said, over the past 21 years, I have purchased and flown four brand new factory fresh Diamond Stars. Each plane had one of the different propeller options shown on the chart. My first DA40 had an MT three blade which I found to be very fragile and also leaked a lot of oil/grease from the hub from early on. My second and third Star's had the Hartzell aluminum props which I never had any major issues with. On my fourth DA40 XLS which I have now, I ordered it with the Hartzell Composite Prop, (My pilot wife calls it the fat boy prop) and by far I have been most pleased with this propeller. It climbs quicker and I believe I get a little more cruise speed out of it. Also, when starting and shutting down there is less vibration in the cabin than with the aluminum props.
Anyway, hope this helps.

[jwx96]

I got an email from Hartzel today. They are offering to buy old propellers - any kind, with the purchase of a new Hartzel prop. You have to contact them to get a quote. For my plane (2003) I would need the 2-blade composite Hartzel for w&b purposes and for the price of the new prop I can do 3 overhauls of my current 3-blade MT prop. I planning on contacting to see what the new math is.

[dmloftus]

I had the MT and it also leaked at hub after only 300hrs post rebuild. In my opinion the MTs are not a quality prop or hub. I have the hartzel CF now - very happy with it. Picked up a few knots in cruise as well. The ramp appeal is also much inproved.

I did all the research end of 2022 before having my MT rebuilt at MT in Deland, FL. MT claims to have fixed the early grease seal failures by redesigning them, and so far so good. While I agree the MT blades are slightly more fragile, I love the smooth operation, lower noise, and higher ground clearance. Aluminum prop gives up useful load and vibrates more (in the planes I have flown). The composite Hartzell is a big investment and gives up more ground clearance, which is more challenging in my lower set 2008XLS than the higher nose on the NG.

[AIRSAFLLC]

Matt, hope you've been able to make your decision.

I have a 2008XLS and do not see ground clearance as an issue. For my part, I'd echo the notes from Adam and Don. Whether overhauled or refurbished "to new," MT will only guarantee its product for 1 year or 1500 hours, while Hartzell - for a Top Prop such as the 2-blade composite - provides a 6-year, 2400-hour warranty. I believe the 2-blade Hartzell aluminum and 3-blade MT are about the same price. Like Adam and Don, I elected to buy the Hartzell composite for the additional premium (about $10K greater than refurbished "to new" MT) and cannot be happier. It is smoother and quieter than the MT. No empirical data to show that it performs better, but it sure feels like it.

[chili4way]

This is a shameless plug for the upcoming Diamond Pilots Association fly-in to the Hartzell Propeller factory near Dayton, Ohio, on Friday, May 16. I've been on the tour and learned a lot about the design, certification, construction, and manufacturing processes of aluminum and composite propellers.

https://diamond-pilots.org/north-centra ... -the-usaf/

I'm looking forward to being there and learning more about propellers!

[rwtucker]

This is still an open issue for me but I'm leaning toward sticking with my MT. Where I fly, nicks are a given on the two blade props on my previous aircraft and every other two blade single I have flown, including a PPONK 180 tail dragger. The leading edges on my MT have never been touched and look factory new. As far as performance goes, I think the Hartzell composite may have a slight edge but the incremental ROI for a $10-15K delta is a steep climb itself. What I would like to see is some of the newer design carbon fiber probs get certified on the DA-40. A good friend flies behind a 235 HP experimental Super Cub and believes some new designs including one on his Cub are stronger, faster, and maybe cheaper. I don't know on that last point but we need some competition.

[rwtucker]

For a current read on prices, I received these price comparisons from the local (Boise) authorized MT shop. I notice that the MT overhaul price does not specifically include prop dressing but that may be included in the bucket of supplies costs.

[dmloftus]

Hope they do a great job for you. As I mentioned earlier, I took mine directly to MT for rebuild. Once I took a tour of the Deland facility and understood the complexity of the rebuild process, I wanted the most knowledgeable and experienced team doing the work.