"If you boys only knew how hard the Echo boys treated this boat this past duck season. I bet we jumped a 1,000 logs and I mean some mean logs, dry docked her 10 times, cypress knees out the wazoo and not a problem!!!! I did my best to tear that rig up and she ain't failed one little bit!!!! Unbelievable. That combo is unbeatable the way we do business."



Straight from the front page. They sure do make it seem like you can run over logs, stumps, and whatever else and not have any problems. And the video shows them jumping all kinds of shit. Tell them you didnt use your boat any different than the way the guys in the video on the front page did.

Sorry, you lost me. Are you talking about Excel or Phowler? The Phowler brand sure sounds tough, wish I would've knew sooner.

I have actually heard excel dealers tell me that the boats would not hold up to how i planned on using it. I was told that excel just was good at marketing and had cool looking boats. I was very glad the dealer was honest with me about this upfront and have them point me in a different direction. With that said you should post it up on the mudbuddy forum. I would expect that excel wouldnt like it and either stand behind their product and fix it, or take the easy way out and just delete the thread.

Hindsight is always 20-20. Looking back now on my decision to get .100 instead of .125 was a mistake on my part. I still feel that it would've ended up the same way, maybe just not as fast. Mainly due to the weak bracing they use. I based that decision off of the .100 War Eagle boats that we run also in open water.

I found out shortly after I ordered mine that you can get them to custom build it, don't know if they could've done the 3/16 bottom, but I should've at least got the bottom in .125 and have the floor and all .100. The weight differance there would've been very minimal.

I have thought about replating the bottom with something much thicker and stronger. Tossed around the idea of doing it with aluminum or what they put on the bottom of air boats, not really familiar with that stuff since you don't see many air boats in these parts.

First thing I am gonna do is try to resolve something with Excel. Then if i have no luck I can check into the options I just listed.

Tried to register on the mudbuddy forum, it said that registration has been closed. They must have knew I was coming. I will be trying again.

Try another name, like Uncle J...

reelfoot has cost me two boats in one season that lake is no joke looks to me that you took the new boat out to see what it was made of and you found out if they wouldnt repair it or replace it sink it

Yall guys say what you want. I invite you to bring an Excel with the .125 hull to Reelfoot. Just to make it better, go pay 18,000 for a brand new one. If you think you will run slow through the stumps, then you will be going slow over the entire lake. There are .100 War Eagles that have hit thousands more stumps than my Excel with minimal damage. You only got an assumption to go by, I have proof setting in the yard by the Excel. Not saying that they are the boat best built for the lake, but an Excel will not hold up, and i am pretty confident that the .125 will do the same. There ain't a stump any harder than a good waterlogged cypress stump. Until you come take a ride around Reelfoot, you ain't got no place to talk. If I had a good clean lake to run in, I obviously would not be posting a damaged boat.

My next boat will not be an Excel regardless thickness. I will probably go the Phowler route, from my observations, they seem to be built very well.

I promise you that Reelfoot isnt any worse than these lakes in the Arl-La-Tex area.

There are tons of War Eagles in our area and Ive seen several where the bottom was beat up so bad its not funny, I'm no boat building expert but its pretty simple to figure out if a solid object crosses the bottom in a side to side fashion there will be a hook in front and behind the object, like that dent near your transom.

Now, what makes that War Eagle any different than a weld-built, xpress, alumnacraft, alweld, or any other .100 cross braced hull?

Deadbird, until the water comes up a good bit those are considered trees in louisiana.

My wooden bottom looks the same as when I first launched my boat 2 years ago. Wood will flex or hole. Holed her twice, but repaired within 24 hrs like new. This comment is not intended to deminish the importance of the complaint about that Excel hull. You prolly won't have trouble getting Excell to either replace your hull or repair it by getting your lawyer to send them a nice little demand letter a PDF copy of which I would post on every boat forum I could find. Just sayin...

Our stumps here are under the water where you can't see them. Right now since the extensive flooding, they are about 5ft under the water.

War Eagle is no different from any other boat listed above, War Eagle is just what we have run on the same lake over the same stumps with no problems. I am sure that some you named are probably better than War eagle. In my opinion War Eagle is not the best cross-braced boat on the market, but it has got the job done for us with no complaints.

If the war eagle was so great then why did u buy an excel? If it has taken so many hits that you claim and hardlly a scratch then why the swap? Funny something that was working perfectly and you don't want to keep the same brand

I wanted a smooth bottom mud boat. Like I keep saying, I don't think War Eagle is the best, its just what we have used. I did not post a review of an Excel to start a review of a War Eagle. As stated previously, my decision on the .100 was a mistake, and I assumed it was ok since that is what our War Eagles have been. I hope this clears up a few questions.

The Excel just is not built for our lake, plain and simple. A person needs a tougher boat if he expects it to hold up to our conditions.

If it makes the Excel fans out there happy to hear me say something else positive, here goes, They do break ice very nicely, as long as it ain't to thick for the boat to break through. The mod V bow they have makes ice breaking easier than a standard flat bow.
That is also my opinion.

Gary,


Your decoy is turned over.

Hahaha. It only took 6 hours for the thread to be closed on the mudbuddy forums. has to be a record

It would have lasted longer if the cards had been played better...

If war eagle was such a better and stronger boat then excel then why did you buy a different boat in the first place.? sounds like you should just go buy another war eagle.

Those pics are crazy. My GD boat is 11 years old and looks the same as when it was new. .125 is definately the way to go.

I stole this pic from another guy. This isnt millwood lake but it looks exactly like millwood did last year during the drawdown. When the lake level is normal, the water line is just a hair above all the stumps, and that what you have to run through to get to most places to hunt. .125 gauge hulls dont stand a chance with a mud motor on the back running on step.