I want to know who makes the best motor. by best I mean who makes the lightest, cheapest, and most durable. I have owned a godevil since september and it does its job but its not fast. I am in the process of looking for another motor because I want to push 4 people and my dog faster than 11 mph. I called a backwater dealer and he said the backwater is the fastest longtail because the cavitation plate rides out of the water and the prop acts like a surface drive. I would like to hear from friends who have used the motors and are not trying to sell them.

thanks

Pretty hard to beat a TEST DRIVE ---- A good dealer should
be proud to take you on one ! ! !

Have you considered a surface drive ???

Also 4 hunters and a dog is a tough load with a small motor - much
less a small hull - what hull are you running or considering changing to ???

I am running a 1548 alweld. I like my boat and really do not want to change. I would sell my boat and motor though, if some one was to give me say 4500 or so. I just want to be able to run about 25 with 2 people. The backwater dealer said because of the technology the BWLT are getting with 1 or 2 mph of a surface drive of the same size.

Neither, neither, and neither, i would go with a Gator-Tail or Pro-drive, Motors with advanced equipment

If i can have a long tail that will run close to the mph of a same hp shallow drive then thats what I want. I get the speed along with the perks of being able to get of stumps when I am high centered. I dont ever run through those mud lakes like yall do. I just hunt the river in alabama and run up shallow creeks to get to places where most people with outboards wont try to go.

try to test drive them all if you can

if backwater is claimig this the just get a backwater prop....all are staright drive

Hell you ought to buy Backwater I mean they have prolly built 25,000-30,000 of them longtails......shit I think you just missed a good deal on one for 650.00$!!!!!

Well --- you are not likely to see 4 guys on plane in your hull without a 40 hp outboard....

But with a 17 to 18 foot true mud hull - maybe with a proper combo....

I had a 17x42 Weldbilt (slick bottom) with a 27 GDSD that ran 28 mph plus solo and
could push 3 guys 22 mph and 4 about 20 mph, if you balanced out just right ---- ain't
no longtail that can do that..... A GDSD is also dang near as good at crawling over
logs as a longtail --- I have slow crawled over big logs that were 6 to 8 inches above
water level with ease with a GDSD.... Even better numbers with an 18x48 and 35 GDSD....

Sell your rig - then test drive - test drive - test drive - to be sure your gonna be happy....

Thanks, I just figured I would add some float pods and 27 or 35 and it would do about what ever I wanted lol.

River, da boats too short! Longtails run better on a long, narrow boat. Having run my GDLT 23 since 1998 I will also say that the only way you will get a LT to run in the mid to high 20's with two people is to throw it off a cliff!
In spite of what the ProDrive and Gatortail folks will tell you, a LT, OF THE SAME HORSEPOWER will out dig a surface drive in the mud EVERY TIME! For top speed, however, unless you'r really digging in a LOT of mud, get a surface drive.

I have a 35hp mudbuddy longtail on a 16/48 go devil boat and I get 24 mph alone and 22 with a 200lb passenger.

I run a 35 go devil long tail on a 1656 go devil boat and run 25 by my self. With a hunting load I run 20

I spoke with the guy from backwater today. I asked him how and why this motor is faster. he said it was because of the cav plate. he said only the sides are in the water and their purpose is to hold the prop in the water and aerate the water around it to allow for more rpms. he said on a 16x 46.5 he has been running 28 mph with 2 people.

im running a consistant 25 -26 with 2 people and 28-29 + buy my self

Riverbum, I also looked at their website and if that plate does what they claim, it would sure be easier to drive and maximize rpms and all that. I know the shortails are a heap better in most respects over the longtail, but as I have said before, in skinny water and hard bottom the longtail is my preferred powerplant. My 27 MB longtail delivers the ducks and I can only entertain the thought of an upgrade to a 35 HP and the Backwater looks good, I am still awaiting any field trials from the MB SLT. Like most, I started with a Go Devil, the first on the block, and they make a good product but MB's bearing drive system was a definite improvement, I assume Backwater's is similar (oh yeah, Beavertail also was in the changes group). I started with a 1436/ 18 HP GD. moved to a 1544/ 25 HP GD, and now a 1648/27 HP MB. Number 2 was a big improvement from the first; the present hull is better than the second, I reckon an 1844 0r 1848 would be another "paradigm shift". Of course, if my left arm gives out, I will be buying a shortie the day after!

with the prop running on the suface it acts like a surface drive as fare as steering the motor the 23 hp is very simular to running an outboard just what i ve learned test them all see what you like i for one have no reason to go to a surface drive at this point the longtail has shines better then the surface drives i run with

I posted my Rig for sale of craigslist for 4500. I have had several calls and several guys promise to be coming to buy it this weekend. If this turns out to be true. I am going to order a backwater 35 swomp. The backwater people said they dont have it on the market yet but the are making a 59in shaft for 16inch transom boats that is amazing, and he will send it out to me. I will turn right around and go buy another alweld. 16x48 this time though and add some float pods and I believe I will have one mean set up.

thanks guys for the advice. I am looking forward to seeing a longtail run 28 or 29.

pss. the guy said they are making a high pitch prop right now for the 35 swomp that is going to be made for pushing smaller light boats that is supposed to be wicked fast. something like a 10x7 or something. its supposed to be mean.

I've got some snake oil you can run in that engine to make it faster.

Why buy a boat that you think needs pods right out of the gate? Why not just buy a boat that is built correctly and doesn't need a band-aid?

Ive ran them all big and small. The B.Ws handle better and do get better speeds Im running a 1652 lowe WITH pods with a 35 swomp and have gotten a consistant speed of 25mph with a 185 pound passenger. and average 19mph with a hunt load 8 dozen dekes 1 dog 2 passengers with gear

I would wait and see how people claim the MB SLT performs it suppose to be a sweet motor.

Is there a place I can go to see or hear about the speed and performance of the mb slt?

I have a Backwater 27 on a Grizley 1548 and it is no speed demon. It runs between 15 and 18 depnding on load, all with 2 people in it. I have not run it solo yet. I am very impressed with what it will go through and how it handles, but it is not as fast as it was expected to be. I was told it should see 20mph, and it just isn't there. I think pods on my boat would be a huge bonus, but honestly will probably go with a differant boat before I put that into this boat. I think the fact that thsi boat does nto have a true flat bottom is killing it's hope for any kind of speed. I have no doubt a 1842 would be a better combination for this motor, and for what I want to do with it. I don't run mud, but do alot of brush and vegitation. It has impressed me so far.