Mud Motors Question

[Locked&loaded]

I am thinking of a mud motor purchase. I've never used one, would anyone recomend a certain brand. I was wondering about how sharp you can turn these are they okay in tight timber since there is no reverse. Can you turn them as sharp as a tiller steer outboard?

[Anatidae]

.......'definately NOT the sorta thing you want in tight timber. They way you turn that thing sharp is to lift the prop completely out of the water and swing the whole motor as far away from the direction you want to turn, lower it back into the water and use it as a scull, sweeping it all the way over to the other side of its range of motion........use it kinda like a big oar off the back end of the boat, in other words. Real pain in the butt, huh?

Reverse is an Avery Trac-Lok push pole with a duckbill attachment on the foot.

In stumps: you'll need to enlist the services of a Natran Means type physique, cause a normal person will be beat to a pulp in the first 30yds and suffer from multiple dislocation of joints and limbs as you attempt to 'hang-on' for dear life.

[Wildfowler]

I wouldn't want to try to pick my way through a flooded greentree reservoir over at Delta National Forest, but as long as you've got a trail that you are following through tight timber, you'll be fine with a mud motor. In tight timber, they are best suited for use with an extra heavy duty boat, since you will be bouncing them off of trees to correct your direction. A pointed front end on the boat is a must. I would highly recommend that you combine a mud motor with a mud boat that has a smooth bottom. There's really no other way to describe the "slip" off of that first stump, rather than getting stuck on it as expected than by saying:

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe I've been killing myself all these years driving a Go-Devil on a regular style boat"? At least that's what I said when I first drove a real duck boat back in 1999.

My experience has only been with the Go-Devil longtail varieties only. Been driving them since 95. That's all that I could possibly recommend, having no experience with the other varieties. Honestly, you can make them do just about anything you want/need them to do. It really depends on the amount of effort you're willing to put forth.

Unless you really need it this year, I'd wait until Spring. Go-Devil has a new type of mud motor coming out that might be just what you need. It's Go-Devil's version of the surface drive mud motor.

Good luck.

[KRT]

Pro-Drive......... drives like a tiller handle motor plus momentary neutral

[GulfCoast]

I strongly suggest you call Glenn at http://www.mudbuddy.com and talk to him about your needs. They have short-shaft motors that are very much like a regular outboard in handling.

[dukbum]

glen is the man! MUD-BUDDY is all i need to say!

[lawn4cer]

mudbuddy hyper-drive! check the website- it's very in-depth as to the motor r&d. also has short videos to watch. I personaly will be getting one in Jan.

[Rebelducky]

PRO-DRIVE all the way. The others can't hang. I'm not chit'en ya either.
I've had Go-Devils and they are good, but we went down and talked to the designers of the Pro-Drive and they took us out for a demo...left there with a 25 hp... and to be honest, I see no need to buy the bigger motor.
I run it on a 18 ft skiff and with 5 lard arses in it we went across a mud flat this summer in the marsh and it was no water, just mud...24 mph according to the GPS.

[dukbum]

i bet that 31 hp hyperdrive will spank dat booty and then walk all over that 25 hp pro-drive!

[jdphish]

Locked&loaded, I too am interested in mud motors. Having no experience with any available models, I am at the window shopping stage. I am leaning toward the short shaft (surface drive) varieties primarily because of speed and manuverability. I have heard good things about the Prodrive and Mudbuddy Hyperdrive. FisherBeavertail.com has another short shaft version that looks impressive. They make some harsh statements about Hyperdrive on the website.

Has anyone run a FisherBeavertail Gator Tail?

If you are set on the 'old' long shaft version of mud motors you can probably find a good used one reasonably priced since folks are going to the surface drive.

Thats my $0.02.

And just because anyone could be reading this:

Santa could you drive some ducks down south with them reindeer while you bring me my waders. Would like to have a Prodrive too.



jdphish

[gamehog]

From personal experience I am very happy with the mud buddy.

[Locked&loaded]

Thanks for everyones replies, I am still in the window shopping stage also and will be checking all of these options. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND MAY YOUR BARRELS STAY HOT AND YOUR DOGS STAY WET!!!

[duxfearme]

i just bought a prodrive and so far i am happy with it i have only ran it a couple of times i did alot of research on all the motors available and can tell you that there are pros and cons to each one the best thing to do is go test drive one and decide for yourself call jimmy chandler at delta special and he will take you on a test drive both the hyperdrive and the prodrive are very strong units once you look at them you can tell they are both built very very very strong overbuilt i decided to go with the prodrive due to the neutral and the ease to drive you can pm me and i will be glad to meet you and you can run mine over whatever you want and see if you like it i have a 25 on an 1844 gatortrax

[wuchang]

I run a Pro Drive and can tell you that it is worth the money---industrial strength

Wu