Let's here what you like and dislike about each of the Surface Drive motors you have driven. Be honest now.

I have only driven two. I have a Mud Buddy, 45 mag. No reverse of course. I have had it a couple of years. I like how it is set up as for as the tiller length, the set up of where the "football" is on the handle. I like how easy the travel lock works easy. Other than that, all seems to be the same as any other Vanguard engine on a SD. I have not seen anything to dislike except for not having reverse.

I drove the Gator Tail one of my friends have. I like that it has reverse. And I used it in what we were doing. Not sure I like how you have to turn so much to use it. Which can take your eye off the front sometimes but did not seem to be a big issue.. I did not think this would be a big deal, but the placement of the switch box, is not in a good place. To go into forward to neutral, you have to use two hands, or maybe I just am not used to it yet to use my left with hand on the box while idling but in forward. What I do like is that the key is close to the throttle. That is a good feature. Is Gator Tail coming out with an electric type reverse like the MB new reverse? Next time I buy, I would like to stay Louisiana bought on this. But that may be a deal breaker for me. Is the Gator Tail tiller arm shorter or was that just my imagination. It was mounted on a crawfish skiff that has a lot of room in the back.

I think that pro drive is a proven motor. But not sure I like the set up on the reverse. Nor the vertical engine.

I would never buy a MB V. I don't like the way they look. Do not like the record. If Go Devil had reverse, I would like to drive one. And the Boss. which I wish had more power to them transferring to speed.

Ok, tell what you have driven, what you like and dislike about it.

Had a 27 gdsd and liked the motor. Didn't mind the manual trim but I thought the lack of neutral was dangerous and an accident waiting to happen.

Had a mbsd and liked it. It ran good but I inherited the lack of maintenance by the previous owner and spent a ton of money on it.

Currently run a PD and love it. Reverse has gotten me out of some bad situations. Works perfect for me in the places I run and have had great customer service. I have no plans of ever changing to anything else.

Also has a couple longtails and they also have places where they shine. I didn't mind running them. Just wanted to go faster and the comfort of running a SD can't be beat

Med,

Not having neutral would be a deal breaker. How do you slow down when loading it on the trailer? Does prodrive have an option where it has regular reverse and FPR?

Did you hear that a group of black investors are wanting to buy ProDrive? And they want to change the name.












To Fro-Drive

Turn your idle down, or don't back the trailer up as far. I barely get the bunks wet. When the boat hits the bunks, it will just about stop it, then goose it a little to get to the hook. Not really that hard. Not even really something i'd think about but i never really went forward and backwards loading a regular old outboard either...

Only drove a MB hyper, no clutch, was good when it ran, had several breakdowns...I have enjoyed all my longtails, 3 GD's, and now one 2004 MB 27. Looking forward to another one. Don't need reverse, push pole works. We have hard bottom, shallow water, very little mud, longtail shines. They are economical, reliable, and my left arm is doing good.

Yeah, my right arm is currently experiencing a bit of bursitis...but if I could justify a surface drive, it would be direct drive, no neutral/clutch to fail, manual trim, simple. What I found out from a surface drive is I can get stuck a lot faster and farther in! With my LT, I will bottom out faster and know to stop and turn around. My props last longer than my friends who drive SD's.

Owned

MB 35 Hyperdrive - no clutch and was direct drive. Was very fast and very reliable, but the lack of a clutch really sucked. But from coming from a longtail, this was a huge step up. Reverse was an after thought when I bought this. Actually put a down payment on a SportV only to have me sit around for months and months with no word. After several attempts to get any valuable information, I asked for my deposit back and Bought a PD.

PD 36 - Bought a PD with power trim and manual reverse. Kept it stock for a while, then added mods as needed. Added hydro reverse and many other features to this older model. Swapped power head from Briggs to Kawasaki last year and love it even more. Only dislike is I wish that PD would offer a slightly longer outdrive and offer different "swappable" gears to change ratios for different riding conditions. Other than that, won't buy another brand due to its FPR and the conditions that I hunt.

GTR - never owned, but several in the lease next to us have them. They have them on CC and tiller. Their main complaint is the reverse and its lack there of. I can't speak on the matter first hand, but after numerous calls to see if were at the camp to come pull them out speaks for itself. Our lease has so many lilies and so much vegetation that they simply cant use reverse worth a shit. Hell, even the FPR bogs sometimes. They are generally faster than PD due to that vast amount of pulley changes that you can do to get an "overdrive" gear ratio and they also have a longer reach in the thick stuff from what the guys next to us say.

Again never owned a GD or any of the other "non-major brands", but remember, it still a damn lawnmower engine strapped to a jon boat.

To repeat, we have a hard sand/marl bottom, below a little mud. My LT prop is fully submerged but when my skeg hits that bottom I stop...the surface drives keeps going and then you trim down but generally this subjects it to more wear since they are in sand but still riding and in no time shave off a good bit of prop. If we had more mud, this would not occur. For most areas, the SD is the ticket. I have cracked an MB Tiger prop on coral rock; shaved down a GD prop after several seasons but actually got some added speed at first; my present Ron Hill prop is four seasons old and still sound with little wear- and I don't baby it but I know good and well to not try and run sand/gravel/marl.

Trim up on a surface drive. Hint surface drive !!! But yea surface drives and longtail a don't like sand or hard bottom. Sand will put the brakes on fast lol