A4 vs A5 Small-eared Chopper

**CHICKENHAWK** · 07-29-2017, 11:01 AM

What is the difference between the A4 and A5 designation of the Mercury Small-eared Choppers?

The one link I found on the history of the Mercury Chopper is no good.

**transomstand** · 07-29-2017, 11:09 AM

None that I'm aware of, could have been a minor change in the alloy.

**CHICKENHAWK** · 07-29-2017, 11:15 AM

Got it.

The chopper I broke was an A4 and the one I just purchased is an A5. Both small-eared choppers.

**David** · 07-31-2017, 07:24 PM

The A5 blades are a bit bigger and it made a big difference on my SS2000. Or maybe just two props are never the same. The A5 never settled down. I could run 80 plus, but the bow never stopped moving. The older one ran on a string.

**CHICKENHAWK** · 07-31-2017, 08:52 PM

Did you try different running it at different depths to see if it would change anything?

**David** · 08-01-2017, 07:25 PM

Yes, there was no sweet spot for the A5 chopper. At the time with a coned small gearcase my SS2000 was prop sensitive. Correct it ran straight with minimal steering. Wrong and the bow was never still. Perhaps an extreme example. All I wanted to say was the A5 was a bit different and it mattered to me. Your results may vary.

**CHICKENHAWK** · 08-01-2017, 09:02 PM

Thanks for the insight. Initially when I got the A4 it was me, not the boat or how the boat was setup. Once I 'learned' how to drive the boat the chine walking went away, the nose still moved around a bit but it wasn't anything crazy; after all I am trying to balance it on the pad with nobody in the left seat. Then I threw an ear and that was the end of that prop. Now I have an A5 on the way and I'm hoping it works for me.