Hello everyone! I am new to this forum and I am very excited! This seems like a kick a$$ forum!!!

I will be purchasing a mud motor this fall but not sure what kind or type to get!

I hunt out of a 16 foot flat bottom boat with a custom built permanent blind on it. On average we hunt 3 guys out of it and carry about 4 doz duck and 3 doz goose decoys and a dog with us.

I can custom weld aluminum and reinforce the transom and I will be putting on the rear pontoon things also.

I hunt everything from small shallow muddy lakes to big wide open lakes to small rocky stumpy rivers to the mississippi river. I want to go with a short tail not a long tail type. Thinking about around a 25-30 hp.Looking to spend 3000-4000.

I dont know alot about them and i see so many kinds: hyper drive, pro drives, beaver tails, gator tails, mud buddys, go devils etc etc etc

Please let me know what kind and type would be the best for my application.

Thanks much

Welcome to the Site !!!!
If you are only looking to spend 3-4K, you will have to settle for a second hand MM. With this said, you can find some good deals,BUT... Buyer beware. I think that your best bet for finding a good used MM is Louisiana Sportsman. Some of the guys on there dont know what there motors are really worth.. I picked my motor up for 3K, and it wasnt even 2 yrs old.. The differences in the motors are mostly reverse.. Do you want instant, or do you want Full Power Reverse.. Keep reading the different Forums, you will learn alot..
This is a Great Site with Great People.. Some seem to be a bit rough sometimes but.. It is all in good Fun..

WELCOME>>>>>

Get the biggest you can afford




Go-devil!

Pick one that has a handle, motor and a prop.

With the hull, blind and load your talking about you will be sorely disapointed with any 25-30 HP motor of any make IMO.

So You guys think i should get something around a 36 hp? Which brand new is probably going to be about 4500?

I prefer the prodrive simply for the fpr. I have owned a gtr and liked it also. I know that now i have had fpr that i couldn't be without it. But at the end of the day, it's your money and you need to demo each one before you spend YOUR money. Give each shop a call and set up a demo day.

As per Go Devil website the 27 GDSD - $4345 - before haggling...

http://www.go-devil.com/27hp_KOHLER_SD.html

The 23 GDSD is $3845 - http://www.go-devil.com/23hp_VANGUARD_SD.html
But with 3 guys 23hp will be a bit underpowered....

Get as much power as you can afford.... Test your
hull with that amount of weight at the transom before you buy...

Don't be afraid of demo motors with full warranty
that's a good way to get a new 35hp for $5000....

Just put a Second Mortgage on your house and buy the biggest and baddest.

DO YOU WANT REVERSE????

I think I am going to do with out reverse for my first mud motor

Also, not to sounds like an idiot but I see a ton of abbreviations on this forum that i have no clue what they are....fpr, gtr, gdsd etc etc

FPR=Full Power Reverse

GTR=Gatortail Reverse

GDSD=Godevil Surface Drive

Where you located. Maybe someone will let you go for a ride with them and you can see which one you would like to have.

FPR - full power reverse - a PD prodrive feature option @ extra cost

GTR - gator tail reverse - a GT gator tail feature option @ extra cost

GDSD - go devil surface drive - comes standard with 90 degree turning angle
which allows zero turning radius 180 turn

3peckeredbilly,
Which ones ya G-Friend or Wife in that Pict? Is the other avail. for opening weekend of Duck Season? We tip Good....

Darn, i thought pd and gt were given away that reverse

Back on the original topic .... You gonna need one of the BigBlocks .. i.e., 35/36 to make happens what you wants to happens. In Mines Opinions.

Fo yore price range ... MMT fo sale fourm has made several members here happy and I don't thanks no-body .. buyer or seller has to even pay a commission !!!!

3 guys, dog, on a 16ft with a permanent blind, stuffed with decoys? You will need all the HP you can get- thats a helluva load on a 16 ft hull with any motor. What kind of hull?

For a load like that, usually an 18' would be best for performance with load and you would want at a minimum a 35 or 36 to put on the back.

You also mentioned pods- "pontoon thingies". Not the most common item on a mud boat hull. Not that some don't run them, but they are compensating for something (like a mismatched motor and hull).

You may want to rethink your whole setup. Not trying to dog on you, just don't want you to be disappointed.

Im sorry i thought the pods weres strictly used on boats with mud motors.Im talking about the 2 things that are put on the back of the boat on each side of the motor......

I have an older boat, but i own a shop and aluminum welding and fab tools so I plan on re inforcing the transom and the underneath of the boat. I know I dont know much about these motors and or boats so thats why I am here.

Id rather not get a different boat. So anything I can do to customize this one to work with a bigger motor just let me know

Please keep the great info and help coming.

Thanks!

Where are you located? Maybe someone near you can let you run in ders and talk to you about different hull options what works and what don't.

I am in southeastern wi

Never claimed my rig was anything special - just "reliable as gravity" - at
several years old the only repair and maintenance needs are gas, oil, and grease....
I ain't even changed the air filter or plugs - but if she coughs
that will get done cause it's due now....

She goes where I point her and gets me back afterward....

I know I dont have the right boat but i put a lot of money and work into the permanent blind for this boat so i am planning to:

Reenforce the transom and redo a little bit of it

Flip the boat and weld each rivet and then reenforce the bottom with 1/8 aluminum for strength and for hitting logs and ice. And make it mostly a smooth bottom.

add additional bracing thruought the boat.

Alot of work I know but going to be cheaper than buying a new boat and redoing a complete new or different blind.

Giga, log out and then log back in as Texas proud. Maybe noone will notice.

pieps57,

Mudd - is a first class dealer that you should meet, he may have just
what you need at your price - or financing options for the neat stuff....