Got a gatortrax 16/44 with 16" transom. Which would generate more speed, a 25hp swomp ss or ls?

Long shaft will enter the water at less of and angle and get you an almost imperceptible speed gain. A short shaft will handle much easier overall and allow you to corner better/faster. So will you be hunting on a circle track or a drag strip? If you are hunting or fishing with this rig, figure out your average typical run time to a spot and decide how much time you'd save going say 1-1.5 mph faster and you'll get a big picture of the speed difference. Most guys I know would realize a greater gain in time saved getting to their honey-hole in the morning by backing up a trailer more efficiently, having their gear better organized at the landing and taking excess junk out of their boats.
I don't mean to pick on you, but the amount of time money and ego consumed on speed is funny to me, I am going to take a soap marker and write my 1/4 mile time on the side of my boat like a drag car.

With a 16 on transom you can take your pick between the LS or SS. Like 45th said, the speed difference will be negligible. You want reach or handling. Either way, you'll have a great Long tail.


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That combo sound like one made in longtail heaven. Ideally you could test drive both on your hull and make the choice. I used to feel grand when I had a place on the lake and a humble floating dock and I could feather the LT and make the turn gradually on the canal and "parallel park" the boat, leaving it ready for the next morning's hunt. I think I could sacrifice half a mph and reduce my turning radius and maybe less stress on my shoulder and arm. My vote is for the SS. BackH20 for sure!

Flint and All, I'm a longtail guy twice over- it's way better for the local terrain and I get pretty good speeds as well! The point i'm trying to make is simply that if a transom/boat set up will allow the user a choice of shaft lengths and you're looking at a 20+hp motor, my opinion is to opt for the shorter shaft for the improved handling over a very slight speed gain. On a lower horsepower motor the handling is less an issue and a single MPH is more noticeable. I apologize if I came across as a jerk, I simply think as a whole, the time and effort spent on fractional MPH gains on Mud motors (surface and longtails) is amusing when you are planning to go places that might be hard to get out from and cannot be navigated at a high speed. Don't get me wrong, there are days I wouldn't mind an extra few MPH, but I'm probably not going to do to much about it if it costs that much or if it raises issues with reliability.

I have a 35HP BackH20 coming in next week. Putting it on a 1648. I had put a 10HP BackH20 on it for fun and to get the jon out on the water, and it was impressive alone quick and well it pushed the boat compared to the Fourrivers I had it on. I think the 25hp will be reasonable and satisfactory. Heck with MPH, I just want to get on plane and get where im going. I get up early and can unload a boat quick to save my time. You will love it!

hawilson, we all have opinions, you will get a good motor with both the ss or ls BackH20. I think if you ask BackH20 Inc., THEIR opinion, they can give you plenty of good info to help you make your choice. The discussion on speed/mods is a little like the shotgun pellet debate- hypervelocity as Rem makes on their newer shells- and the more standard 1400 fps loads- everyone should pattern their particular load/choke/gun to find the "best" pattern; I don't have geese to hunt, primarily divers, so the cheap federal blue box 1 1/4 oz. #3 1400 fps 3" shell is plenty. Your conditions, your typical load, should dictate first of all, if you even need a mud motor. It became obvious to me after a few torturous seasons with a conventional outboard, that running in shallow, hard bottom, weed-choked waters necessitated something else and that became and still is the longtail motor. Not fast, limited because there is no gear reduction (exception: the MB SLT drive), so there is plateau of diminishing returns as far as adding any expensive mods to the motor, because you cannot spin a larger prop, whether submerged or surface piercing, especially when the water level drops. Maximizing the performance is a trial/error thing, each boat hull is slightly different, so learn over time how to arrange the weight/load on your particular boat, from the start you need to be safe and have all the safety equipment. Each mfg.'s prop is slightly different and this will be a big factor, a 25 HP might have a 9x7 recommended but a 9x6 might get you 1-2 mph more.
fowlhabit4, please post when you have run your new BackH20 35. We all benefit from shared knowledge on this site, and we may appear to be "dinosaurs" to the SD crowd, but look how long dinosaurs were around! By the way, even though some say it is wishful thinking, I recommend synthetic oil and grease after break-in.

I will post up my review next weekend after first run. I also ordered in pods, so after the are installed i will report again.