I have a 2005 Fisher 1648 All welded mod v boat, 515 lbs. Right now i'm running a 25 hp merc outboard, and Im shopping around for a mud motor. Im mostly running just deep mud and open water, but the outboard just cant quite get us to some of the spots we want to get to, and its to far to wade or pole thru. I know the BEST thing to do would be to get a completely new set up with a hull specific boat and motor, but i'm on a tight budget. Question is what is the better choice, a 35 hp longtail or a 27 hp SD? they are about the same price. Right now i run about 26 mph with myself and a dog, im wanting to stay somewhat close to that speed, i don't mind losing some speed.

Thank,
Josh

35 or 36 SD

yes that would be the best, however thats another 1500 that i cant afford to spend on a motor at this time, and id rather not wait another duck season to save for the bigger motor.

Thanks,
Josh

I would swing more toward the 27 Hp Surface Drive. The 35 Hp longtail is a workout to drive. Just my opinion. Duckdon

Either yall boys are small as hell or yall don't know how to adjust the cavitation plate. I drive my 35 long tail with one hand and don't even have to be touching the handle while on plane. It's not a workout at all. But if it's down to sd or longtail I would go with the sd esp if speed is a big issue!

what it comes down to is either ease of use or power? What kind of speed comparison can i expect out of each, im looking at a prodrive 27 SD or a mudbuddy 35 LT. if i could get the 27 to do about 23-ish i would be content with that.

Like i said earlier where we hunt its primarily 2-3 guys, dog, deep open water with long mud flats.

The boat hull works great right now in open water, where it can and does get rough during the fall and winter.

-Josh

yea your right, with that kind of load i wouldn't expect that kind of speed, I was thinking like one guy and maybe a dog @ 23?

Im leaning more towards the 27x PD SD, but what kind of comparison am i looking at between the two motors when it comes to power and speed, i do like to cruise with the dog sometimes.

I assume the 27 can always be modded for more power?

-Josh

What kind of comparison am i looking at between the two motors when it comes to power and speed on the hull I have?

Josh

Man I ran a 35LT for 2 seasons and it sucked. If you were just running open water no problem but when hitting stuff and the motor bouncing around was a pain in the ass. I cannot comment on the 27sd I haven't fooled with any of them

Bro, I know you know a lot more about these things than I do. Just giving you a hard time. There is a ton of parts for the ol kohlers though. Lot more options than I've seen for the 23's, but I have not personally sourced parts on those.

I can't imagine the workout a 35 hp LT would be when running across long mud flats.