MAY 2016 BLOG
Hello again, May is upon us already and the Annual fishing trips up North are full on. We get many requests for spare
Propellers to take along so that the Holiday doesnt get stalled without a propeller after a bingle.We can help out with
a very reasonably priced spare either new or secondhand if available.
Now, there is an increasing trend becoming evident in todays boating population and that is a "blood out of a stone mentality".
I by no means profess to know everything and I admit to making mistakes. We all do. But when it comes to being the
excuse man, its always my fault type of stuff, Id rather let you go and deal elsewhere. Sorry. But the last couple of customers
have brought this on. I will explain.
A man came in last month and asked me to fit a pair of stainless four blades to his Cat as the ones he had where wrong.
Over the course of 45 minutes ( he bartered like a poor/richman), I stated, " remember a simple rule, left on the left and right
on the right and you wont go wrong"
He never acknowledged that only saying , I dont know mechanics. I proceeded to fit them, charge them out and he was on his way.
The following Friday afternoon i get a call at 5.30pm at home, my phone is diverted phone to my mobile, abusing me for
putting the wrong propeller on the left hand side. He then explained that he decided to go fishing and run the gearbox
in reverse all day damaging the gearbox and I would be expected to cover costs and get him a propeller up to Exmouth
asap which he/we organised on the Monday. Now he wants a refund on the damaged, used for 10 hours propeller, in reverse!!!!!!
Sorry cant help you!
Next is rebushing. If I feel that a Propeller is a risky proposition to rebush but you still wish to take the risk, I will
ask for payment up front which means that you take the risk of it failing and dont wish to take my advise. This happens on
propellers older than 5 years or so or badly corroded alloy versions. Its rare but does happen.
What are the chances of it happening to the brother of the man above with the cat?
Sorry boys. I can only do my best
cheers
Michael and Cheryl
APRIL BLOG
Well here we are a couple of days into the school holidays with grey skies and showers which we normally associate with Easter time as well.
Easter for those non orthodox religions was two weeks or so ago, with ours being at the start of May.
Its ok for me being a Greek, i get two Easters and love it.
Whats new in the world of Propellers this month? Not alot. Gearing up for the grey nomad migration to the camping
spots up North with the sales of small engine Propellers noticeably higher.
They are obviously taking advantage of Our special on the opening page that is running pretty much all the time now due to popular demand.
The repair bench is back to normal now with waiting times down to within the same week so bring them on in, in the off season to avoid
waiting times in peak periods.
cheers for now
Michael and Cheryl
MID MARCH BLOG
Hello fellow prop users. Well we are back from the 30th Anniversary Celebrations in the factory in Tai chung and all I can say is WOW!.
To actually do the same factory tour ten years down the track and see the Improvements in speed, and all out efficiency was mind blowing.
Impeller numbers are up around 1000 per day and Propellers are well over ten times that amount daily. It really is hard to believe unless you see it.
At a quick glance around production I spotted in OE Propellers, Suzuki, Tohatsu, Honda, Volvo, Brp, Yamaha Impellers, Seadoo Impellers and a whole lot more.
We are slowly settling back in to the routine with the repair bench probably being up to date by the end of the month.
cheers till next time
Michael and Cheryl
MARCH BLOG
Well it is good to be on the ball and early for this months chat but not the reason for it.
With late notice I need to inform you all that We will be attending SOLAS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
30th Anniversary at the factory in Taiwan.
I was lucky enough to attend their 20th Anniversary celebrations so this will be even bigger.
Paul Zadnik will be in charge as normal with full contact with me in Taiwan.
We will be back to normal on Tuesday the 15 of March.
All the best to you all.
Michael and Cheryl
FEBRUARY BLOG
Hello again, this is probably the wierdest start to a New year ive ever seen. Its very strange to see lightning and frontal activity etc rolling around
from suburb to suburb and at one stage even back out to sea. The Australia day weekend was the best example of it ive ever been in.
Business is brisk for this time of year with most boaties taking full advantage of holidays at home and the gaps in wierd weather to give
the vessel a good run.Tides have been pretty extreme during the full moon phase, you know, springs and neaps and all that stuff.
So be careful out there.
An old basic rule for you all, SEE BROWN GO AROUND. I swear by it ! might not work in the Swan though :)
Anyway, Propellers. Still got every imaginable propeller in stock in our Osborne Park factory.
So come on in and we can sort you out.
Cheers
Michael and Cheryl
GENERAL JANUARY INFO BLOG
Hello again. Please be informed that we are taking a short break next week to take full advantage
of Western Australia's version of Australia Day.
So we wiill be closed;
MONDAY THE 25TH AND TUESDAY THE 26 TH OF JANUARY.
Heres Hoping you have a safe and happy day too
Michael and Cheryl
MID JAN BLOG
Hello again, a surprising start to the month with an upsetting trend that seems to be creeping into boating fields of late.
On three instances this week, one walk in and two by phone, I have people that want me to identify after market
propellers and the pitches of the propeller so they can buy them elsewhere.
One gentleman even offered the name of the company that suggested that I could identify the prop for them
because they couldnt. Why would you deal with people that cant identify or measure a propeller properly?
Now I am all for saving money as well but common descency and manners prevail.
To the boy who purchased a Solas Propeller out of the U.S.A. only to find the pitch was too high,
no i will not exchange it for you here in Perth but would have if you bought it here.
Our pitch and prop exchange policy wins every time.
Dont even start on the word Warranty. Non existant on the cheapy Imports.
Finally,to the man with the blade broken completely off the propeller, REALLY? you went and bought the same brand again
to save a few bucks?
Happy and safe Boating!
JANUARY 2016 BLOG
Hello again. happy 2016. A week into it already and things are slowly getting back to normal. The repair bench is slowly emptying.
I am down to about a week behind now and chiselling away at it every day.
Nothing new to report at this early stage of the year but a visit to Taiwan in March for the 30th Anniversary of
Solas Science and Engineering usually brings a surprise or two to the market. Lets hope hey.
Excellent reports and feedback is coming in about the superior performance of the Solas Bravo 3 Propellers.
It seems the configuration chosen by Solas, with the 4 blade front and three blade rear is a winner!
I am sure copiers will do their stuff soon.
The new 18 pitch is a total success as it is the only one on the market. Good work Solas.
Thats about all for now
Cheers and happy boating
day before Xmas Eve chat
Well its Wednesday, the second last day of work this year for me and its 38 plus degrees outside.
My fellow boaties are sitting at Rotto having a cold beer and a hot cray. Have a great Christmas over there guys.
The welding bench has been shut down this week and All of Januarys bench time is booked out already.
Our stock levels are high and we should be able to handle any request well into next year.
Id like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that have frequented Just Propellers WA in the past and hope to be able to help
in any way I can in the future.
I will be opening tomorrow morning, the 24th until the phone stops ringing, lets say midday.
We will re open on Monday the 4 th of January 2016.
Many thanks and Merry Christmas to you all
Michael and Cheryl
DECEMBER 2015 BLOG
December already. Not sure why im surprised. It happens the same way every year. It has been a very interesting Year to say the least.
From International incidents that reach way around the globe now and can even affect us way down here in Ozz on our own.
Its a changing World we live in.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank all of my loyal Dealers and Customers throughout the year and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Leading up to Christmas, I will be open up until 2.30pm on Thursday the 24th of December.
Reopening? not sure when yet. stay tuned :)
Merry Xmas
Michael and Cheryl
NOVEMBER BLOG EXTRA
Today I unloaded a sea container full of Solas Propellers and we were lucky enough to get an extra allocation of
Tohatsu 12 pitch Stainless Steel units suitable for the Avon Descent racers.
Half of this order has gone already so please be quick.
Cheers Michael
November blog
Welcome again to the Just Props monthly chat. I still arrive at work every day and truly get astounded at the prices some
people are prepared to pay for a Solas Propeller, Solas made Propeller or original equipment Propeller made in our factory.
I am not interested in Mainland China or Korean made, no warranty stuff, just the Propellers that we make.
You know, the ones with the 5 year warranty.
I get asked how other companies can sell cheaper than we do. It is very simple,
1. Quality of our manufacture exceeds all others
2. Warranty also the best of any maker
3.gst and import duties we pay to help this country grow
4.after sales service, repairs with workshops unmatched in W.A.
All this coming together to make Solas the preferred supplier to most major brands today.
So next time your passing Leeway Court in Osborne Park drop in and we will see if we can help you out
cheers
michael
OCTOBER BLOG
Well here we are in my birthday month, October, already and things are starting to hot up both with the weather and boating circles.
with healthy sales and a fair few new ideas and components hitting the market all at once.
After being away for all of September, leaving Paul in charge of Just Propellers WA I hope there wasnt too many problems unsolved in my absence.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank Paul for all his efforts.
The main event this month would have to be the Mandurah boatshow which is always held on my birthday weekend thus making it a long hard saturday night
as well as a nasty Sunday at the show, self inflicted of course... I will not be attending this year for family reasons but at the PROPSPEED, Paul, will have a couple
of Just Propellers WA gifts available for those who ask him so feel free.
Nothing much else to report really.
The Aussie dollar sitting under 70.00 cents u.s. makes it difficult to adjust prices at the moment but we can hold firm on existing
pricing for a bit longer yet so at least they are not going up.
Warranty.Well that stays at an unchanged Industry high of 5 years
Cheers
Michael
AUGUST BLOG 2
Hello again, with August almost gone its time to get ready for not being here for September. Yes, thats correct. I have booked the month of September
to return to my country of origin, Greece, for the first time which happens to coencide with a Niece's Wedding.
Although Nicko is no longer with the Company, I have been lucky enough to secure Paul Zadnik to do just that, keep the doors open.
He will man Just Propellers WA nicely with the added bonus of having the Queensland branch to back him up with their many years of experience.
So feel free to call Paul and discuss your Propeller needs in my absence knowing full well that Him and I will be in contact daily for any questions to be answered.
The Repairs and rebushing section will obviously be closed during this time.
Its probably a good time to grab that spare propeller youve always needed and leave the repair here for me to do when I get back.
Many thanks for your kind understanding
Michael
AUGUST BLOG
Half way through the month before I get a chance to do this.
Well, the Avon Descent has been run and won again with 95% of the placings using Solas Propellers again.
Many thanks to all users of our product and I hope the rest of your racing season goes as well.
Propeller news is ground breaking at present with testing just finished on 12 new high hp propellers. Stay tuned for these.
The only new gear is the Solas 12 pitch A category that made such a hit in the Avon.
The rubex bush system continues to amaze us with bushes and propellers coming in with in excess of 5500
Commercial hours on parts that do not even need changing.
A friend with a 200 hp white Suzuki four stroke on an 8m plate alloy boat, doing well over 100nm round trip out to deep fish in 500 plus meters
of water off Perth brought his propellers in to check the bushes as a maintenance thing and left with a single rubex bush part for a spare after 900 hours use.
It seems those that thought the alloy centres of our bushes wouldnt last should maybe look at the chattering plastic centres in the other types.
Solas dont copy, they improve!
Cheers for now
Michael
JULY BLOG
Hello again. A month is a long time in the Boating Industry and ive learnt that things change very quickly.
This month I find myself back as a sole trader again, with Nicko setting off to conquer the Maritime world once more.
I wish him luck in his Endeavours.
Now back to business.This month sees the fellows gearing up for the Avon Descent again and being the honest bloke that I am,
I wish them all the rain possible to get some water flowing down those rocks. Even though no rain means more props:)
The Introduction of the SOLAS 12 pitch alloy and stainless propellers will make a difference this year. We just need water to show it.
We will have the 12 pitch for all engines for the next season.
I wish all the competitors the best of luck.
JUNE BLOG
Winter is upon us again. I am seeing increasingly more Propellers that are failing in the bush area. It seems the sunny but cool weather is ideal for
barnacle and other growth which can be increased by the lack of use due to the cooler conditions.
One main problem is the false idea that a brisk trip up the river at speed will blow the cobwebs, barnacles etc off the hull and Propellers.
Well its sort of half true, but just doesnt extend to the Propellers, exhaust flares and inner water passages which then in turn courses an exhaust
temperature increase, which then effects the bush temperature as well as extra resistance and pressure the dirt courses to the bush.
A spun bush results.
Rebushing is time consuming and expensive so try and avoid the above practice.
Solas rubex bush systems are designed to avoid premature spinning but there is no accounting for keeping the propellers and legs as clean as possible.
It is not recommended to fit any other bush system to Solas rubex Propellers.
Cheers and have a good month
MAY BLOG
Well here we are again, 12 days into the month and our feet havent touched the ground. With the new SOLAS anti clunk Yamaha rubex bush system being released as well as orders being delivered, we are on the go.
What we are finding is that there is still no substitute for quality.We are finding more and more cheap items that just arent lasting the distance coming into our factory for repairs and frankly, they just dont cut the mustard!
So, as stated before, we only repair original equipment and SOLAS Propellers.
Warranty shouldnt be a swear word when it comes to propellers and SOLAS along with us, supply the best Warranty on propellers in Australia.
Cheers and have a good month.
APRIL NEW NEWS BLOG
Solas Science and Engineering has revolutionised the application of the Yamaha SDS system by developing their own system.
Available in early May, SOLAS ANTICLUNK, for Yamaha gearboxes only,is available for all Rubex style Propellers in our range.
The development of the bush itself with no moving parts is a patented idea of Dr Solas and his team of Engineers
and will be supplied with Solas Propellers only, ie, not sold separately. If you have a Solas Yamaha propeller purchased in Perth
from us, we can retro fit this bush system to your Rubex Propeller for the price of the bush.
The system will fit;
60-100hp small nut gearbox
70-300hp large nut geabox
cheers
Michael and Nick
march /april blog
Well things just keep rolling along at Just Propellers WA. Here we are already into April. I seemed to have lost a month somewhere.
Propeller sales are brisk for this time of year. I think people are getting the message about check copies not really being worth it in the long run.
Building propellers to a price just isnt cutting it any more.
Time after time we see cheap copies come in here with customers not happy with the performance or the lack of it i should say and ask us to improve what they have lost.
Money back Guarantee is what you get if we cant improve the performance.
As long as you have data to show us what is wrong , we can decide if it can be fixed or if it is a problem at all.
Free advise and direction is part of the service. We wont sell you a propeller if we dont think it needs to be changed.
The old addage, if it aint broke dont fix it!
So, if its a call to see if your engine is geting the correct rpm or where your propeller needs attention, we are here to help
cheers
Michael and Nick
