You know, we see a lot of strange products that people come up with to accessorize their pontoons, but this has got to be one of the most off-the-wall products we’ve ever tested. Court Jester’s Weed Whacker Propeller Conversion kit is designed to cover the head on a standard gas-powered trimmer and replace it with a small marine-grade propeller.
It’s not intended to replace your standard outboard, but rather meant to be a more affordable alternative to a trolling motor. The kit comes with everything you need to do the conversion yourself: a 3.5-inch propeller, head mounting kit, wing nuts, and an adjustable shackle to affix the trimmer to the boat’s railing. Once all the pieces are in place, you simply start your trimmer like usual, drop the head into the water, then control the throttle to adjust your trolling speed.
I absolutely had to see if this product was for real. I grabbed my trusty weed whacker and headed down to our local lake for a little test. I’ll be honest: when I first attempted this maneuver, I was expecting no response, but surprisingly, the power this thing puts out is more than enough to get your boat into good trolling position. I mean, heck, we’ve all seen how far a trimmer can chuck an errant rock when we’re doing yard work. If that can break windows, you can bet the motor has enough juice to swing the nose of your boat around.
Unfortunately, there are two pretty big drawbacks to this little guy. First, the position that the trimmer has to be in to use the propeller floods the chamber and it sputters and dies after only a few seconds. Second, the engine itself is pretty loud. It’s similar to the sound a whiny, high-pitched, spoiled teenager would make. The Weed Whacker Propeller Conversion kit ($19.99) has a great idea that simply fails in the execution. So when you ask me if you should get one, or if they even exist, I can only respond one way: I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request. (Happy April Fool's Day!)
Product Score:
55 / 100
Application 11/20
Function 25/50
Durability 7/10
Portable 8/10
Price 4/10
www.courtjester.com
