I narrowed it down to the two hulls, any takers for pros and cons? Dealer did say pro-drive was faster due to the flotation. Looking at the 1860's for two-three men, gear, dog.

I have to say PD but I'm biased. But if your DEALER tried to convince you a boat will be faster because it has floatation he is a dumb ass! I would say your an even bigger dumb ass if you believed it.

PS: Welcome to the site!!!

Correct me if I am wrong but the PD X series does not have floatation. The X2 did but I don't see it on their site anymore...

Sorry, meant the excel weighs more and is slower due to the flotation,adds 300#. Not real so excited about the paint but did like the rino-coat in and out.

What motor are you using? What terrain are you running??What size motor???

27 prodrive sd not so much mud as grass. Would like to go in Atchafalya, Maurepas.

egonz,

Flotation will NOT add 300 lbs weight to a boat!

Secondly, if Excel has not changed the material on their rino-liner it will bubble up when you get gas on it.

My suggestion is to get a boat without any of that liner crap and put Hydroturf in it. 99% of the folks who have been around this block will tell you the same thing.

I have heard great stuff on the PD boats. And they are made in your home state. Not dissing Excel...they make a decent boat, too. I don't like that liner they use, though.

They still spraying that liner on the outside of the hulls too?

def get PD boat since you're runnin a 27

The weight of any of the excels even the smaller boats will be a lot for the 27 to plane and push unless you get it with nothin in it (meaning completely open very few boxes

If you run alot of open water and very little backwater then because of the weight I would go with the excel

***Disclaimer for next statement:
This is not a bash only a statement voiced from other people

Alot of folks running excels with even 35 Mudbuddies complain about the weight of the boat and how they dont get going on plane as quick as other people and cant get as high of speed as other people with same motor and other boats

Why did I use MB as an example? because they are teamed up together as well as you dont see very many PD motors on Excel boats

Hizzoner does run PD excel rig so you may contact him for more info if you like the excel boats

Well, I saw one of the new (post tornado) Excel boats for the first time the other day. Very fine looking boat. It was camoed and over the camo paint was a clear, dead flat rino-liner type material sprayed over the inside and outside of the boat. I understand that this is an option and that Excels can be ordered with or without this material sprayed on it.

I am still partial to a boat not having such stuff. First, I Hydroturf every boat I own and second, I have seen the non-skid stuff bubble off the floor of an Excel when gas was spilled and left there.

As for the question of the Excel's weight, what made them so heavy in the past was a lot of extra bracing under the floor, versus just the longitudinal runners, period. I have no idea whether the new Excels are being built in the same fashion as the old ones. I have personally seen some Excels that ran great and some like dogs.

Thanx for the help definately a lot to think about.

I had an excel with a 35mb and it was a p.o.s. Went to and pd and will never go back. That excel was guaranteed to only weigh 400lbs, after screwing with it for a while I finally weighed it and according to the scales it was 700lbs. That was a 1748. I called the guys that sold it to me and he said my scales were wrong. He was an ass about it! That was at Backwaters marine in granite IL. Don't even look at an excel!