***** Foreman CEO/President Mud Buddy Manufacturing
Dave Reynolds National Sales Manager Excel Boats







On June 14, 2010 I purchased an Excel F4 Shallow Water boat complete with a 5500 Black Death engine. I did a lot of research prior to purchasing this boat and motor. I have had several boats in the past and I wanted to buy the best available. I expected this boat and motor to last me the rest of my life. I truly love the boat and motor I purchased, when it is operating properly, but there are several serious issues I have with it.

When I purchased this boat and motor I gave Excel their asking price and I expected Mud Buddy to take care of any problems I might encounter in a fast and efficient way. That has not been my experience to date. I am now asking if anyone else has had problems similar to the ones I have had. If so, I would like to know about them.

These are the problems I have encountered since purchasing the boat and motor:

June 15, 2010: The boat would not plane. I spoke with Micah Triplett, Mud Buddy’s Technician located in Salt Lake City, Utah. I explained the problem and he told me there was air in the trim pump. He told me to bleed it out. I did that and had no improvement.

June 16, 2010 : Same problem. Spoke again with Micah Triplett, he said I would have to bleed the pump several times. I did as he instructed.

June 20, 2010: Tested again with same results.

June 21, 2010: Spoke with Micah Triplett again, this time he said I had a bad actuator. He told me he had a shipment coming in and he would send one to my dealer for exchange.

June 28, 2010: Spoke with Micah Triplett and asked about the part I needed. He informed me it was not shipped yet. But would be shipped.

July 6, 2010: Spoke with Micah Triplett, part still not shipped.

July 12, 2010: Spoke to Micah Triplett, This time he said it was not the actuator. He said there were several Excel boats that had the same problem. He told me Excel was making plates to go between the transom and motor. These plates are in a wedge shape at the bottom to go behind the boat and the transom. He said the 5500 Black Death motor problem was not in the trim ,but the angle of the transom.

July 21, 2010: Plates still not made.



July 26, 2010: spoke with Micah Triplett of Mud Buddy, plates still not made.

August 6, 2010: Spoke to Micah Triplett of Mud Buddy plates still not made.



August 9, 2010: Emailed ***** Foreman CEO/President of Mud buddy Manufacturing he called me and said he would get me a plate.

August 11, 2010: ***** Foreman sent the plate and included a 2 blade prop. He said they no longer put 3 blade props on the motors because they did not perform as well. Thanks to ***** Foreman it appeared the problem was resolved . Thank you ***** for sending me a new prop and plate at no charge.

July14, 2011: I noticed the rear main case gasket at the rear of the motor started leaking. This was at 38 hours on there Mud Buddy 5500 Black Death hyper drive motor. I called and spoke to Micah Triplett of Mud Buddy and he informed me that my motor was out of warranty. He gave me the number of the dealer nearest to me. A cost of $400.00 for the repair.

Jan14, 2012: The center support on the boat’s transom broke, allowing the entire transom to move in and out, causing the plate to break two inches above the bottom of the boat. This break became a major leak. At the time I was participating in the “by invitation only” annual duck hunt sponsored by Jason Rhodes of the Southern Duck Boats Company. Seven boats were involved, mine being the only Excel boat. We were hunting on a river in Mississippi which had 3 foot swells. It was very dangerous to have my boat develop a major leak, not to mention how embarrassing it was. I had to finish this hunt riding in a Southern Duck Boat because mine was unsafe. The hunt was published in Retriever Life and can be found at www.retrieverlife.com, titled Southern Traditions.

On my way home from that hunt I once again contacted ***** Foreman. He forwarded me to Dave Reynolds, National Sales Manager for Excel boats. Dave is very helpful and told me he would have someone pick up my boat and take it to the Arkansas plant for repairs. Dave had another Dealer pick up and transport the boat.

March 20, 2012: My boat left to be repaired at Excel plant in Mountain View Arkansas.

March 22, 2012: Received an email from Dave Reynolds stating “Your boat is repaired. We replaced the entire transom....it's better than new.”
The next challenge is getting it back to you as we don't have many dealers
in AL.


April 17,2012: After waiting for almost a month I decided I would have to retrieve my boat myself if I was to ever get it back. I left my home and drove 9 hours to Excel boats in Mountain View Arkansas. This took 2 days of my work time and $300.00 in gas and food expenses.

April 18, 2012: I picked up my boat at Excel in Mountain View Arkansas and spoke with DJ, the plant manager. I explained to him I did not like how Excel had done the repair job on my boat. They had welded a plate on the transom that covered a portion of the drain plug hole. The welding looked very unprofessional. DJ put water in the boat to show me water would come out of the drain hole then he said” see it works.” DJ then told me I would have to discuss the problem with Dave Reynolds, National sales manager, who is in Salt Lake City UTAH At Mud Buddy’s home office. I felt trapped, to call Dave Reynolds I would have had to wait 3 hours due to the time difference and I knew I was facing another 9 hour drive home. I also knew that to have the repairs done would mean leaving without my boat and having to face another trip to retrieve it.

April 19, 2012: I attempted to put the motor on boat and noticed several problems. First when the new bracing was installed by Excel they covered the bolt holes required to install the motor. I called to speak with Dave Reynolds about the situation. He was not in his office, however his secretary provided me the phone number of DJ in Arkansas. I called Dj and explained the situation. He asked me to measure from the top of the transom to the brace. It measured 2 inches. DJ told me it was suppose to be 3 inches. He said “Excel messed up and the boat would have to come back to Excel in Arkansas“. He had a load of boats coming my way in two weeks and he would pick my boat up. I called Dave Reynolds to provide him the status and he asked me what was Dj in Arkansas going to do? I asked Dave Reynolds if Excel could Send someone to pick It up before 2 weeks and he said” We do not have that kind of man power.

April 23, 2012: I am anxiously waiting for some word from anyone associated with Excel, telling me when my boat will be picked up, repaired, and returned.

May 2,2012: I carried my Excel to the river to run .Excel is suppose to pick my boat up next to repair. When I was crossing the river the motor started popping lack of gas. Took the gas line off and the fuel pump had quit working.


I try to hunt, fish and train my dogs every day of the year. I do it all with the use of my boat. At this point I have been without the use of my boat far more than I have had the opportunity to use it. Since purchasing the boat and motor it has been broken or inoperable almost as much time as it has been operable. I am not asking for anything unreasonable, I just want my boat repaired correctly or replaced. If you are in a position to help me with this please give me your utmost attention.
Thank you,
Richard Shell

Richard ~ I cain't do much fo you ... but I can put the bump to yore thread !!!

Mines name is Brooks .. and I approves this bump ......

Unfortunately, you are not the first to have this type of customer service with these two companys. Your best bet would be to have the boat repaired properly (not by the same hack that cobbled it up in AR) and sell it for what it is worth.

The fuel pump going out is a briggs issue, not Mudbuddy. Get an electric pump from NAPA and forget about it.

the fuel pump is an electric that was installed that came with the motor

[quote="ddwaterdog"]***** Foreman CEO/President Mud Buddy Manufacturing
Dave Reynolds National Sales Manager Excel Boats



Have you sent this to ***** as well? I wonder if you post it to the MudBuddy site if it will stay up there..?
Good luck. Sounds like you need to get rid of this thing and move on to another setup.

Have you thought about posting this on the mudbuddy forum? It may hit them a bit closer to home!

i posted it 2 times and was deleted both times

i love the boat and motor i just want it repaired rite

Man, I would say you are a diehard, if after all that sh!t you still want the rig. There are plenty of other rigs out there. Punt and move on. At this point, you should realize that?

Get it fixed, if you can, and sell it.

Or just say fuck it, and go sink it.

If you truly like the set up, then pay a professional to fix it properly and run it! Would you be willing to put up some pictures of the repair job?

I never considered the fuel pump was already electric They do go out sometimes.

can someone explain how to post pictures i posted a pic of transom repair on excels facebook page

If on a phone, download tapatalk and upload from there. If using a computer, upload to photobucket and post the link.

You can also just add attachments when making a post but pics have to be correct size and file type.

http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k621/ddwaterdog/ transom repair

Had an excel too. Same shitty service. Never get no one on da line ta talk to. Could never get a part I needed. Wanted a quick flip and never got one. Boat never sat in da water and floated high like I was told it would cause of da design. I called to ask and was told "Well, you bought a 1544 and it ain't gonna float good". Just friggin stupid. Traded er on an Alweld. Done wit their chit.

That sucks....I hope you get it all worked out..

That transom repair pic is on Excels facebook page. I saw it the other day.

As for the welds, mud dobbers lay better ripples than that crap. Heck, farmers weld better than that.

I'm with the general consensus....get somebody to fix it right and sell the whole thing. Lick your wounds, get one built the way you want it, even if it looks exactly like what you have. Chances are, at least from what I have been reading on here, the custom builders have stood behind what they have built.

Or collect on the insurance.

Sorry for the luck. I wouldn't pay anybody to fix the boat. You've lost enough money. Send all that info to the BBB and to the Attorney General of which ever state needed and tell them you want a full refund for a dud!! Tell them you gonna call 60 Minutes and start putting their shoddy work on billboards. Ive gone threw this with a lift that I bought that never worked.

Free bump, sorry to hear hope everything works out for you

Id put a foot up someones' ass for that kinda service. If ppl that read this still spent money with these companies they are retarded.
Sorry bout your shitty luck though

Well, you've changed my mind on wanting to buy an excel... or a MB for that matter, I think I'll keep running the GDSD.

Not much on Excel boats...to many issues from everything I have read!

push to the top. sorry to hear about crappy service

Wow. Wow. Wow

excel contacted me today they are going to send someone to pick up the boat as per Dave Reynold going to cut the entire rear off and replace.we will see

Make them give you a New boat.

This is the exact type service that has given MB the reputation that it has.

I'd send this to deadbird8...he answers/speaks to the ole pickle directly and can maybe get you some help.

If not...get it repaired locally and sell it. And NEVER purchase another MB product!!!

Once sold...come to Louisiana and get yourself a mudmotor that is manufactered by reputable people who will be there for you in your time of need.

P.S In the meantime...create a username over on the refuge forums and make all of those folks aware of your issues. Public pressure seems to be the ONLY option people or left with when this type situation occurs with a MB product.

Hell...maybe if you ask some of these forum members can go over to the other side and create a little buzz which in turn may help you out.

That's a bunch of bullshit. Man, tell them you want a refund and get your money back. Then go to Louisiana and purchase
You a real Rig. I don't see how they get the sells they do with that kind of service

I am glad I read this, I have been looking at excel boats. They can consider that one customer lost

FUCKING WOW im selling my shit!

Uncle j, I heard you had a situation like this, how did you handle it?