I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right area. If I'm not please let me know. I'm new to mud motors, and i cant decide if i want a long or short tail. Im gonna be using the boat for mostly hunting but also fishing and I can't afford 2 motors. I want a 20-25hp I know, but i dont know which design is right for me? Any input would be very helpful and much appreciated.

We need more information.

What size boat?
Do you already have the boat?
What terrain will you be running? Hard bottom, deep mud, stumps. thick grass ect...

The general preference around here is get the most hp you can afford.

25mm isnt = to 25 ob.

Mostly running in fairly hard bottom, but some of it gets pretty soft and goopy. Where i hunt i wont need it much but When i do need it itll be in fairly hard bottom with ab 6in to 1' of water on top. There are some beaver dams and grass. But the boat will also be used for fishing like i said and i dont know if a long tail is a good "all around'' choice.

I haven't got the boat yet but its probably gonna be a tracker 1542 flatbottom.

And is a short shaft that much faster? I have heard that they are, but I've also heard that there is very little differance.

In a hard bottom under 10" or so the longtail shines, as long as you are on step the sd will go through it but it takes it longer to get up.

If you are fishing I would look into a SD, they are much easier to handle, plus nuetral and reverse is a plus. The Sd's are considerably faster than a lt the same hp.

I cant stress enough to get a hull made for a mm, I have a 1442 xpress and the thing cant handle the abuse a 13hp mm puts on it, dents in the bottom and the transom welds are cracked.

If you have the money to do it, get a 35 sd on a 18x48-54 mudboat hull you will be much happier in the end.

Go with a Surface drive..... And there is a big difference in speed, carrying a load, and controllability..... Especially for fishing your gonna want a surface drive because of speed... Make sure you get one with a clutch(neutral) and power trim
My 0.02

Ok thanks everybody. Its a big help. And about the boat. I dont need anything real big and fancy. 14 OR 15ft. Im on a budget and if i get a boat made for a mm wat am i gonna have to spend for the boat and trailer for a 14 to 15ft boat???

If you're looking for a boat in that size look at the Phowler 1542 (I think is the size) with a copperhead 16 hp sd on it, it's an awesome set up from what I've heard and it fits a budget fairly well too. Theres a couple guys on here that can probably tell you more about them and who have actually used them. Just my thoughts.

A mm will work OK an a less than 15 foot boat, but to get the best performance you need atleast a 16'
If you shop around some, you can probly get a 16' mudboat and trailer in good shape for 4k.

What kind of speed are you wanting to get?

I myself just went through the same thing and just considered what I would be using it for and decided long tail. I just went and did some scouting last week and another guy was out there as well. He had a fancy shmancy gatortrax boat with a SD and when we both got to the mud and shallow of the lake (bout 4" of water and 1' of muck) he was slow going and getting stuck in some parts. Me, I just dug in and hauled da mail right in and out of anywhere I wanted to go. It seams as if the LTs that I have ever been in and mine run better and faster in mud than water. It is kind of tough to fish from unless you are drifting.