Looking at getting a 1542 Tracker Topper or Alumacraft from Academy. I was wondering if it'll be a decent rig with an 18hp Mud Buddy LT hanging off the back.

The problem with those....they are really light aluminum like .080 thick.
It will work but won't last long especially if you hit some stumps. Don't go shorter than 15 ft

Well we don't have any stumps to worry about out in NM...just mud. And the light hull is kind of needed for ease of launching where there isn't really a ramp. Is either one of those hulls better than the other, and with the 23 mudbuddy only weighing 154lbs, would it be better to go with the 23 instead of the 18?

well its never a bad idea if you can fork out the change for higher horse being the 23 no that much heavier than the 18. i had a go-devil 23 surface drive on a .80 xpress 1546 and I just used it like i wanted i just try not to purpously spearhead any sharp stumps or whatever. for a working rig to get you there and back from the hole and not a hardcore play rig there aint nothing wrong with that setup.

Forgot to add, I'll be running around 4500ft elevation. I don't know if that would figure into which motor to get or not?

no not really you would just have to adjust your fuel air mix as far as that goes to my knowledge

Another question...would it be better to look at a Mud Buddy over a GD or vice versa? I like that the MB uses less grease and weighs less. Any issues with a MB LT?

I run a POS tracker topper 1542 with a 23 hp backh20. It gets me around real good but the stumps are really scarring it up. If you have no stumps it will be fine. I took the middle seat/live well out and put pods on it. Pods are a must with that boat. It was a challenge rigging a grab bar up with that light aluminum. I would go 23 if you got the coin. Not much weight difference in the 2. If you want a lot less maintenance go with the backh20 motor.

Small amount of grease. A squirt every 25 hours. Better quality bearings. Unfortunately you will pay more for one of these

1542 flat bottoms are great for longtails. As. Trousertrout said stumps and logs will destroy riveted boats very quickly. If your not hitting anything you may get ten years out of one. As far as pods, mine runs fine without them but I left in my center seat. I also run a 2002 go devil 23 longtail.

Thanks for all the info guys. Stopped by Academy today and the Alumacraft is technically a 1540, not 1542, but it seems to be a little better hull than the Tracker It's got a couple more ribs than the Tracker and the transom looks a little beefier too.

If you buy a new riveted Jon boat to put a MM on, You need your ass kicked.

Get on Craigslist and find a cheap riveted boat that has some miles on it

I agree, unless you live in the desert where there are no used boats to speak of. You'll find some old ass v-hulls and EVERY NOW AND THEN a mod-v. But a used boat is about as scarce as a cypress tree out here.

Hunted out of a 1546 express with a 24 longtail with a .80 hull for 15 years. Sure, it's not a true mud hull, but it got me and my hunting buddies in and out of plenty of places i never expected. seeing as how i started using it when I was 17, you know it saw plenty of abuse. That boat now has a 23 surface drive on it and is fine (albeit has a slight hook at the very back due to the cross-bracing). Is it an ideal boat for the SD, no, but will be fine with an 18 LT. Anything in the 15-16ft x 40-48 inch range would be fine. Weight will be your enemy with a motor that size, but i would stick with a welded boat. Mud-buddy, Go-Devil, and Back-water longtails should all provide you with years of good service. I have never owned or used a BW but based on design and opinions of MANY, would trust them. I have put countless hours on the other two (24 MB with the Honda, 25 MB Kohler, 29 Kawasaki MB, and an 18 and 23 hp GD). The 24 hp is on it's 3rd owner with only one shaft replacement being the major issue. After year 14, discovered that had finally bent the shaft at the prop end while trying to remove the prop incorrectly (my father says "i don't need instructions, I'll get it right off...............ooops" *facepalm*). I imagine there are plenty of experiences just like mine with similar setups and either of those brands. I won't speak to any others, as I haven't used them.

10-4, Russ! I used a 1436 beat up rivetted jon from French Settlement, La. with an 18 hp GD LT for many years- had a 25 Evinrude prior to that- it would fly but conventional outboards suck in the muddy marsh and repairs were costly. The 18 was slow but reliable. Friends have run 1648 rivetted Lowes for 15 years now with no hiccups. Welded is better but when it's shallow and hard bottom a light hull is the ticket. If you run a bayou or beaver dam country of course you want the .125 tank hulls. The LT is a great economical tool to get you there and back. KISS.