go rid of my 6hp longtail and 4 rivers boat. gonna get a 1448 Jon. is the surface drive or longtail better for going thru thick grass, weeds, etc... the longtail was great. I've heard if u get stopped with a surface drive it's hard to get goin again. any help would be great. thinking that the 23 long is the way to go
thanks

easier with a longtail to get started in shallow water and hard bottom because of the smaller diameter prop

Thick grass, weeds, etc. Would be perfect for a surface drive. A SD will do just about everything better than a LT. Tell us all the different terrain u may encounter and u will get very good suggestions on what u would be better off with.

mainly hunt wma's. shallow vegetation, weeds, moist soil, etc. some mud with weeds. stuff can be pretty thick

The 23 LT and smaller are legal in more places like the WMA's - so
that is likely to be the best and most economical way to go.....

Some have a 25 or less HP rule - or - a 9" or less PROP rule....
Look for those to become more and more common in coming years....

GD offers the only 9" SD option that I know of - GDSD 23HP w/9" prop and
1 to 1 gear ratio with a 9x6 2 blade - their std model turns the 11" 3 blade
with the 1.7 to 1 gear ratio....

narrowed it down to the 16 go devil or the 23 mud buddy. heard the 16 is super dependable and the 23 may be more than I really need. as far as boat not sure. heard they run better on a longer boat but I'm not making super long runs. what combination is best with these 2 motors. a 1440, 1448 or 1542 ?
thanks

out of the three you listed, 1542, but I would go a foot or two longer.

A 23 hp is a great motor, why not a 23 gd?

price for one. and thought the 23 would be more power than I really need. but not totally against it.

Get the 23.

i got a 23 hp mudbuddy an i love it it pushes my 16 48 like a charm and will go anywhere u could want

I have a 23 LA Special on a 1448 and runs fine. Love the couple of more inches it offers.

will the mini 23 run similar to the longtail ? as far as getting moving in shallow, thick vegetation, mainly hard bottom. not soupy. the mini looks easier to handle. guess it's in between a surface drive and LT. I know a guy that went back to his longtail cuz his surface drive wasnt good at getting moving in shallow thick grass. no idea what kind of load he had on his boat though.

Well I know when takin off in thick matted grass so thick its solid on top of the water to the point you can almost walk on it, a balanced frame like a longtail or a mini sucks because you have to pull up on the tiller hard to get it to break through it to get to the water. A longtail gets up in hard bottom better because of the smaller prop.

But IMO if you are in a tight spot where you cant get on plane the longtail has a better low gear and you can leverage and reach better.

most of the time I'm not on plane. mainly running a ditch for a bit then meandering thru moist soil

If speed is not a big concern you may want to go w/ the longtail. It is good in the bad stuff. The 23 LA special would be a good pick also. Boat...I would go no smaller than a 1542. All opionions here are relative. You know what you can spend and what you plan to do w/ the rig. Get what fits your application and wallet. Good Luck!

thanks all. goin with the 23 LT

what company did you decide to go with

mud buddy. probly use a 1448 or 1542 Jon

I have a 23hp gdsd on a 1542 and I am completely satisfied with it. I would like something bigger and more powerful but I got all I could afford for the time being.

will it plane that 1542 out ? how bout a 1148 ?

get the 23 LA special from mud buddy u wont regret it i had both and the LA is easy to run long distances the long tail will wear you out

is the 23 la special is as good as the longtail trudging thru shallow weeds?