I was discussing Alpha vs. Bravo drives with a new boat salesperson today. I was told "the Bravo drive is too heavy for boats less than 24 feet". According this this sales person, they will custom order smaller boats with Bravos, but only stock Alphas, and don't recommend Bravos for boats less than 24'.

I am not buying this line. What do you think? Is there any truth to this?

There is SOME truth to it. The Bravo IS heavier. But, it's a bullshi* statement. Volvo's SX drive is very similar to the Bravo. Last I checked, you can get a 3.0L 4 banger with it in a 17' boat.

I think which drive is better discussed when discussing engines. The Alpha is fine for 3.0's, 4.3's and 5.0's.

I personally would be leary of a 280+hp 5.7L with an Alpha. No thanks for me. But I know athiker has one and it works just fine for them (cheaper.)

Most 24+ boats need at least 5.7L power, so I think that means you NEED a Bravo.

22' boats are on the line. Some might be fine with 5.0 power but a DP/B3 drive is really needed. Most will need 5.7's which puts you in Bravo territory anyways.

But, I think a Bravo 3 or DuoProp is worth the investment in a 22' boat, but that's just me.

Like D-Rod says, I believe the type of drive is more tied to the Engine/HP the drive can handle.

My 2002 5.7L EFI (TBI) is spec'd at 260HP outfitted with an Alpha. I believe Alpha drives are spec'd up to 300HP and 65MPH according to the Mercruiser site.

I've surely seen 5.7L with Bravo's and maybe some 350MAGs with Alphas...

Our old '87 Sea Ray came with a 350 and an Alpha. My friend who bought it had a head gasket blow, which hydro-killed the block. He bought a 4-bolt truck 350 and had a shop build it into a very healthy 383. First day in the water he spun the hub in the SS prop that gave us no problem for 4 years. Before the weekend was out he spun the hubs in the other 3 props he rounded up. He ended up buying a couple of solid hubbed props online. He only lasted part of the next weekend when he broke a cylinder wall. He pulled the engine, had the cylinder welded & sleeved and back in the water he went. I think he got it as fast as 58 mph, which ain't bad for a deep-V midcabin boat that barely broke 40 before. Even with solid props, he couldn't come out of the hole wide open, the prop would just lose bite and blow out. He made it thru the rest of that summer, but early the next season, he broke a piston in half. He later found that nobody measured the used Dart heads he bought for it, and the shop who tore it down determined he was running over 13:1 compression (!) He always ran 105 octane gas, even so, the engine just blew itself apart.

The Alpha drive, still perfect...

50 lbs (+/-) of extra outdrive weight is not going to matter much, even on a smaller boat. So, like D-rod said, it is a matter of power, not weight.

For a few years, Merc actually put the Alpha behind the 7.4 big block. They were fine unless you hit the hole shots hard a bunch, then the upper gearsets would go south on you. As said before, now they stop the Alpha at the 350Mag.
I agree with D on the B-3 recommendation...they really make todays heavier boats a lot nicer to handle and can actually improve performance on some brands over a single prop B-1.

I have an Alpha, but i am not a fan of them. I have a 5.7 (a decently healthy one at that) and run an SS 4-blade prop, so it will bite and put some stress on the drive. i haven't had any issues. Well, now that I said that I'm sure the drive just fell off.
I do not put as much emphasis on needing the dual prop set up like most, but they are a bit nicer for standard handling.

Like D-Rod said. 5.0L and under = Alpha
5.7L and up = BIII. In this particular case, size does not matter. It's the horsepower and torque that you need to be concerned with.

According to MerCruiser's specifications:

Alpha 1 = 85 lbs.

Bravo 1 = 125 lbs

Bravo 2 = 137 lbs

Bravo 3 = 148 lbs

I would say the dealer is trying to cover up for the fact that they didn't want to spend the extra floor plan money on Bravo drives.

Perhaps that statement is true for a Bravo 2 given the size of lower unit and typical prop diameter of 18" but I dont buy it for a B1 or B3

I think it is a load of crap. That guy knows they only stock Alphas to keep the cost of the boats down to make them look more attractive to buyers.

Our local Four Winns dealer will only stock a DP drive in there 220 Horizon if it has the 5.0 power plant.

We ordered our 2002 Chaparral 196SSi with a 300 hp Merc 350 Magnum and B1 drive; we love the setup. Boat is 19 1/2 ft long.

I think Dogg is spot on.

It is fine to order their boats with Alphas to keep the prices down, or profits up, but they have lost me forever as a customer by feeding me a line of crap.

When I ordered my 2006 Bryant I bought the Bravo one, it was about 1500.00 more, but it came with a stainless steel prop. That adds about 400.00 over the aluminum prop the alpha comes with. I have had both including a Bravo three, I think the added price on a new order boat or one with a Bravo that is in stock is worth the extra dollars over the life of the boat. Mercury says the alpha is good to 300 HP, I don't like running up to the upper end if I have a choice.....