Quicksilver Black Diamond 3-Blade Prop Review: a no-nonsense aluminum prop that gets the job done

I’ve been running the Quicksilver Black Diamond 3-Blade Aluminum Propeller (14.5" x 19", QA1916X) on a Mercury 150 for a while now, mostly on a 20-foot aluminum fishing boat that sees a mix of lakes and some shallow rocky areas. I bought it as a cheaper replacement for a dinged-up stainless prop, mainly because I wanted something that wouldn’t risk wrecking the lower unit every time I kissed a rock. My expectations were pretty modest: I just wanted it to push the boat reliably and not vibrate like crazy.

In practice, it’s basically that: a solid, no-frills prop. It’s not magic, it doesn’t suddenly turn the boat into a rocket, but it does what it’s supposed to do. Hole shot is reasonable, cruising speed is stable, and the motor runs in a healthy RPM range. I wasn’t chasing maximum top speed, more looking for a prop that wouldn’t make me nervous around stumps and rocks.

Compared to the stainless prop I had before, I lost a bit of top end and a bit of crispness on acceleration, but nothing dramatic. On the other hand, I feel a lot more relaxed when I’m in shallow water, because if something has to sacrifice itself, I’d rather it be a relatively cheap aluminum prop than gears in the lower unit. I already had one minor rock tap with this prop and it came out with some nicks, but still usable after a quick visit to a prop shop.

So overall, this intro sums it up: good value, predictable behavior, and decent performance for the price. It’s not perfect, and you do need to pay attention to the missing hub kit and hardware, but if you want a straightforward prop for Mercury/MerCruiser 90 CT–300 HP, it’s a pretty sensible option. The rest of the review goes into where it shines and where it’s just "meh but works."

In terms of value, this is where the Quicksilver Black Diamond makes the most sense. It’s significantly cheaper than a stainless prop and usually cheaper than a lot of OEM-branded aluminum props, especially if you’re comparing to Yamaha or Mercury-branded stainless. When you factor in the hub kit cost, it’s still a relatively budget-friendly way to keep a Mercury or MerCruiser-powered boat running without feeling like you’re throwing money into the lake every time you nick something.

Compared to a stainless prop I had before, I lost a bit of performance, but I also stopped stressing over every shallow area. For the type of boating I do—fishing, cruising with family, nothing competitive—the performance hit is worth the savings and the peace of mind. If I completely trash this prop, replacing it hurts a lot less than replacing a high-end stainless model or, worse, paying for lower unit repairs. That’s the real value proposition here: it’s a kind of mechanical "fuse" that doesn’t cost a fortune.

Could you find cheaper props? Sure, there are no-name aluminum props out there for less. But I prefer sticking with Quicksilver for two reasons: it’s designed around Mercury/MerCruiser specs, and there’s a huge amount of real-world feedback on this exact model. The 4.7/5 rating with over a thousand reviews isn’t hype; it just shows that most people get what they expect: a reliable, mid-priced workhorse.

If your goal is maximum performance and you rarely, if ever, hit bottom, then the value shifts in favor of stainless. But if you’re like me—fishing, docking in tight marinas, sometimes misjudging depth—this prop hits a good balance between cost, protection, and usable performance. For the money, I’d say it’s a smart, practical buy, not an exciting one.

Design-wise, this prop is as standard as it gets: three blades, aluminum, black finish. If you’ve seen any basic Mercury or Quicksilver aluminum prop, you’ve basically seen this one. The blades have a fairly typical shape, no wild cupping or fancy geometry. It’s clearly designed to be a general-purpose prop that works on a lot of hulls instead of something tuned for racing or heavy towing. On my 20-foot fishing boat, it gives a decent balance between hole shot and cruising speed, which is what I expected from a 19" pitch on a 150 HP.

The black paint looks clean out of the box, but don’t expect it to stay pretty. After a few trips, you’ll start to see small chips on the edges if you run in sandy or dirty water. When I touched a rock, the paint came off around the impact point, and the metal underneath showed some dents. That’s normal for aluminum props, but it’s worth mentioning: this is a working prop, not a showpiece. If you’re picky about cosmetics, you’ll be annoyed pretty fast.

What I do like is that the design makes it easy to inspect and repair. The blades are thick enough that a prop shop can usually straighten and clean them up if you ding something, as long as you didn’t totally destroy it. Mine went in for a quick clean-up after a hit, and they brought it back to a shape that runs smooth again. The hub area is also straightforward, and it fits the Flo-Torq style hub system without any weird quirks.

So in terms of design, I’d call it simple and functional. It’s not built to impress on looks, it’s built to be a decent all-rounder that you don’t mind scratching up. If you’re expecting some advanced blade design with noticeable gains in speed or fuel economy, this isn’t that. But if you want something you can bolt on and forget about, the basic design does the job.

The packaging is basic and functional. The prop comes in a cardboard box with some internal support so it doesn’t rattle around too much. Mine showed up without any shipping damage, and the blades were clean, no dents or bends from transport. For something that weighs a few kilos and has sharp edges, that’s all I really ask for in packaging. No fancy presentation, just enough protection to arrive intact.

Where people can get caught is in what’s not in the box. You do not get the hub kit, you do not get the nut, thrust washer, or cotter pin, and you definitely don’t get marine grease. It’s literally just the prop and some basic paperwork. If you’re replacing a relatively new prop and your existing hub and hardware are fine, that’s not an issue. But if your old hardware is corroded, damaged, or missing, you’re going to need to order extra parts. The product description mentions this, but I know plenty of folks who don’t read that closely and then get annoyed.

There’s a small information sheet that points you to the right hub system and basic mounting info, but it’s not a detailed step-by-step guide. If you’ve changed a prop before, it’s straightforward. If you’re new to it, you might want to watch a quick video online just to be safe. Still, there’s enough info to understand that this is part of a system, not a complete kit.

So overall, packaging is fine, contents are minimal. It’s one of those products where the price looks good until you remember to add the cost of a hub kit if you need one. I’d tell a friend: "The box has the prop and that’s it. Don’t expect a full install kit unless you buy it separately."

Durability with aluminum props is always a trade-off. The whole point of going aluminum instead of stainless is that the prop should give way before your lower unit gears do. That’s exactly why I switched from stainless to this Quicksilver Black Diamond. I’d rather chew up a prop than pay for a gearbox rebuild. In that sense, the durability is "good enough" rather than bulletproof. It’s not made to survive big rock hits; it’s made to protect more expensive parts.

After a season of use, including one solid tap on a rock and a few light scrapes in shallow areas, the prop is definitely not pretty anymore. The paint is chipped in several spots, and there are some visible nicks on the leading edges. But it still runs, and after a quick reconditioning at a local prop shop, the vibration is basically gone and the performance is back to normal. That’s one of the strong points: it’s repairable as long as you don’t completely destroy it.

The hub system itself has been fine so far. I reused a Flo-Torq hub I already had, and it hasn’t slipped or caused any strange noises. If you’re riding hard or hitting stuff regularly, I’d keep an eye on the hub and maybe keep a spare on board, but that’s just general boating advice, not specific to this model. The blades feel thick enough to take some abuse, but again, we’re talking about reasonable abuse, not smashing into a submerged boulder at full throttle.

So durability-wise, I’d rate it as pretty solid for an aluminum prop in this price range. It’s not indestructible, and if you’re constantly in rocky rivers, you’ll be seeing the prop shop now and then. But for mixed use on lakes and some shallow areas, it handles normal wear and the occasional mistake without turning into scrap metal immediately.

Performance is where most people care, and this is where I’d say the Black Diamond is good but not spectacular. On my Mercury 150 with a 20-foot aluminum fishing boat, the 14.5" x 19" setup gives me a clean plane and a comfortable cruising speed. With a light load (two people, half tank, some gear), I’m planning around 3,200–3,500 RPM and cruising in the mid-20s mph. Top end is a bit lower than the stainless prop I had before, by maybe 2–3 mph, but for how I use the boat, that’s not a big deal.

Acceleration from a stop is fine. Not neck-snapping, but the boat climbs on plane without drama. If you’re heavily loaded or pulling skiers all the time, you might want to drop pitch instead of sticking to 19, but that’s just normal prop tuning. The engine RPM stays in a healthy range, which for me is around the recommended WOT range that Mercury suggests. That’s a key point: this prop is more about staying in the right RPM window than squeezing the last bit of speed.

Handling is predictable. Around docks and in reverse, it behaves normally, with decent bite. I noticed a bit more authority at idle compared to a more worn prop I had before, but nothing that totally changes how you drive the boat. No weird vibrations as long as the prop is in good shape and properly installed. After I hit a rock, I did get some vibration until I had it repaired, which is exactly what you’d expect from a bent blade.

Overall, if I had to summarize performance: it gets the job done for casual boating, fishing, and general use. If you’re chasing every last mph, go stainless or a more tuned prop. If you just want steady performance, decent hole shot, and a known behavior on Mercury/MerCruiser engines in this power range, it’s perfectly serviceable.

On paper, the Quicksilver Black Diamond 3-Blade Aluminum Propeller in this version is 14.5" diameter, 19" pitch, right-hand rotation, and it’s meant for 90 CT to 300 HP Mercury and MerCruiser engines. So it’s clearly aimed at mid to larger outboards and sterndrives, not tiny fishing motors. The box itself is pretty basic: you get the prop, some printed info, and that’s about it. No hub kit, no nut, no washer, no grease. If you’re expecting a ready-to-bolt-on kit, you’ll be disappointed.

In my case, I already knew from the product description and reviews that I needed to order the hub kit separately. If you’re upgrading from another Quicksilver or Mercury prop that uses the same Flo-Torq hub, you can usually reuse that, but if your old hardware is worn out or corroded, plan on buying new parts. That’s one of the main practical points: the prop alone is not the full solution if you’re starting from scratch or replacing a very old setup.

As for how it’s positioned, it’s clearly a budget-friendly aluminum prop that targets people like me who want a decent mix of performance and protection without paying stainless prices. It sits in that middle ground where it’s better than the super cheap no-name props, but still far from the fancy high-performance stainless models. The Amazon rating (around 4.7/5 with well over 1,000 reviews) lines up with my feeling: most people seem to buy it to replace a worn factory prop or to downgrade from stainless to something more forgiving.

Overall, the presentation is straightforward: nothing fancy, but no nasty surprises either, as long as you actually read that the hub kit is separate. If I had to describe it to a friend, I’d say: "You’re buying a bare prop shell that fits Mercury/MerCruiser, it’s the common Black Diamond model that everyone runs when they don’t want to overthink it." That’s pretty much the reality of this product.