Opinions on Sensenich vs. Catto

szicree · #1 01-26-2008, 01:42 PM

I'm gonna need a prop fairly soon and am torn between Sensenich metal vs. Catto three blade. My mission will be day vfr sport flying with occasional travel. I love the look and performance of the Catto, but the metal prop will be less trouble to maintain. Cost is about same, so not a factor. And it would be great if we could leave out the C/S vs. Fixed debate. Finally, if any body has a great deal on a used prop that could probably settle things for me

Mel · #2 01-26-2008, 01:57 PM

I've been operating my Catto for over 4 years now off a my gravel runway without any maintenance issues. I prefer the Catto over the Sensenich because of looks, performance, looks, smoothness, looks, quietness, weight and looks. The Catto also doesn't have the 2600 rpm red-line.
These are just my preferences. Your's may be different.

zzapp · #3 01-26-2008, 02:06 PM

I discovered my then I use Sensenich was cut down 7 1/2" in excess of the minimum recommended. Even though it had been in use for 1000 hours it was an potential disaster. They had available a new unit ( 70CM6S16-0-79 ) which required some additional attention. They sold it as a reconditioned at a considerable savings. Never hurts to ask. I love people who have the imagination to do a deal.

whifof100ll · #4 01-26-2008, 02:10 PM

May be the determining factor. Craig's backlog is typically at least 9 months.

Do a search and you will someone who switched from a Sensi to Catto. He gives the direct skinny.

A sensi will be easier to obtain on the used market and will be better maintenance wise.

According to Craig Catto, his 2 & 3 blade props perform the same in climb and cruise, but the 3 is a bit smoother. The 2 is cheaper than the sensi or 3 blade and you can get them pretty quick. IMO a real contender, especially if you use it with a dynamic balancer.

I have no direct knowledge, but reports are that the Catto's and Sensi's cruise about the same, but the Catto climbs better.

Where do you need weight? If you need it in the front, remember that a Catto is less than 1/2 the weight of a Sensi. Less is better IMO unless you need it up front for W&B.

If you are running an O320, the Sensi is RPM limited to 2600. The Sensi for the O360 does not have the same problem, nor does the Catto.

Finally, the Sensi for the 360 just bugs me because they mistakenly cut prototype's tip backwards and stayed with the mistake in production. This was told to me at SNF by the guy who actually did it....

I ordered a Catto 3 blade.

Regards,

Mel · #5 01-26-2008, 02:20 PM

One other minor detail. Although it's not much of a factor for us, the Sensenich metal prop for the O-320 is certificated. The O-360 prop is not.

hevansrv7a · #6 01-26-2008, 03:31 PM

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=25811&highlight=catto+prince
I may be selling the Prince when I get the Catto back.

tonyjohnson · #7 01-26-2008, 03:38 PM

Deleted as duplicate...slip of the mouse..sorry.

tonyjohnson · #8 01-26-2008, 03:40 PM

Redbeard Mark had a 3 blade catto for sale here not long ago. I don't know if it is still for sale. He switched to a C/S I think.

Marks catto was from an 8A, I don't know if it would be suitable for your airplane. Worth looking into though.

alpinelakespilot2000 · #9 01-26-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by szicree

I'm gonna need a prop fairly soon and am torn between Sensenich metal vs. Catto three blade. My mission will be day vfr sport flying with occasional travel. I love the look and performance of the Catto, but the metal prop will be less trouble to maintain. Cost is about same, so not a factor. And it would be great if we could leave out the C/S vs. Fixed debate. Finally, if any body has a great deal on a used prop that could probably settle things for me

Steve-
I just ordered my 2-blade from Catto a couple of days ago. It's supposed to be delivered in March. Not sure if you're hung up on the 3-blade or not but, aside from looks and maybe an inch or so of ground clearance (no big deal on a tailwheel), there's really no significant difference in peformance between a 2- and 3-blade, in my opinion. Craig just redesigned the 2-blade, and he seems really excited about it. Cowling and uncowling is also slightly easier with a 2-blade. Saving $500+ over the Sensenich made it a no-brainer for me. If you are interested, Craig's prices go up on Feb. 1. Order before then and a 2-blade will only be $1550 (0-320). $1650 after Feb. 1. Good luck with the decision.

plehrke · #10 01-26-2008, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whifof100ll

Finally, the Sensi for the 360 just bugs me because they mistakenly cut prototype's tip backwards and stayed with the mistake in production. This was told to me at SNF by the guy who actually did it....

I like the strange looking tips of my Sensenich for the O-360.

It does bog down during climbs but I can not complain about the cruise performance. I have the 85" pitch and can easily go past red line straight and level in both RPM and TAS.