getting closer on my gator trax boat.

I've never had much experience with a mud motor, only one trip in a jon boat over on caddo that was pushing a jon boat.

what are some of the pros/cons vs. a traditional outboard?

Nobody run mud motors?

I run a Prodrive. Only con I can think of is speed with a load but they have mods to help with that. I can run 27 w/ 3 guys, gear and a dog. Plenty fast for me, especially in the dark.

I have a GTR. Takes some getting used to but no cons as of yet.

Like mentioned above not the fastest things but if i wanted to go fast I would have got a bassboat.

Pro - can run in shallow water

Con - not as fast as outboard

From what I have seen, another con is the motors don't last as long as outboard and not as east to reverse.

It's a lawnmower motor. They last plenty long enough. Mine was more reliable than any outboard I've ever had.

Loud and salt loves to eat them

I ran them for years. If I had to choose I would take a good 2 stroke motor over a mud motor any day of the week. I never got 27 miles per hour with gear 3 guys and a dog. Out of all the motors I had, the fastest made 22 MPH with a light load. Now it was on a heavy 20 foot gator trax. Everything little thing different will effect the performance. I can't help but think a little 60 yamahammer on the back of that Gator Trax would make it skip like a flat stone going across the water. With a tunnel on that Gator Trax and a 60 you could run an easy 5 inches of water. Do you really have to have somethhing that will run through straight mud. I like to think I have hunted the bad lands, the spot where nobody else could get to. Well that is all I was doing was thinking. I could have gone out to the bay and killed the same 6 ducks without having to go way back in the marsh. If you sit back and approach this with an educated pro and con thought process, I see it as a no brainer. Aluminum, 2 stroke, center console, rod holders, Shiner Bock. What else do you need?

x2
weight distribution, grade of gasoline, what side of the bed your motor woke up on....they are very fickle.




No, but I can run through a stumpfield full throttle like I was in a bumper boat!

The legit duck hunter image...duh

I believe you and I are looking at the same target here.

Yeah they are cheap and easy to fix... outboards are nothing but a headache..

I wouldn't say that at all about an outboard. I bought one not realize hole 4 had a smoked piston. When I say smoked I mean the aluminum actually melted like a beer can in the campfire. I was hesitant but I tore the powerhead all the way down to a block and took it to the machine shop. They bored it out and ordered me a ring, bearing and gasket kit. All that was $1100. I put it back together and it runs like a r***d ape. I was very apprehensive to try it. Afterwards I figured that was the easiest engine biuld I have ever done. I biult my first engine at 16 years old. It was a Ford 351M. It took me all summer. I had that Johson powerhead off and at the machine shop in 4 hours flat including a 30 minute drivetime. The mud motors are cheap and easy to fix. But I have to throw that out there about the 2 strokes.

My Gator Trax 1850 & Mud Buddy 5500 runs 31 with me, dog & gear. 26-28 with 4 people dog and gear

Right... but you can buy a whole engine for a mud motor for that kind of money

True that

How do surface drives handle big deep water on a windy day? I imagine the prop spends half the time out of the water, but maybe I'm over-thinking it. I know that isn't what they are designed for, just wondering.

Yesterday was not a fun ride back to the ramp.

You are correct, performance is cut. If you are on big water on a windy day (10mph+), it will definitely cut your performance, as you don't have much prop in the water with waves. I had a scary situation on opening day where the wind picked up (not forecasted to) and we had to cross an ocean of whitecaps in an 18" side boat. I have a Pro-Drive 1848 with a 36hp PD mud motor, and what normally took 15min to get back to the ramp took about 30. I was soaking wet as well. I decided I was done with that lake after that.....although mother nature took care of that for me with the water level drop and subsequent closure of the ramps, lol.

All that said, if you have a place that requires shallow running and stumps/debris, they are hands down better than an outboard.

PS...mine runs about 26 with 3 guys and a load of gear.

I have a 60HP outboard and there were plenty of times I wished I had a mudmotor to get me places I couldn't get to in my boat. I can run 32mph with 2 guys and gear and I would trade that for a mudmotor that could only go 22-25 with that same load, any day of the week.

Like mohunter told me a long time ago, you'll fly by me on the open water but I'll catch up and fly past you while you're out pushing your boat to your spot......he was correct.

Any boat is going to slow down in rough water than when its calm though... iv taken my little 10hp longtail in stuff that kept bass boats at the dock... I paddled back in one of those times bobbing up and down like a quark though lol

I say surface drive or long tail hands down over outboard....but be prepared for a sticker shock.

Guess we will find out. Just cut a deal on a boat with a surface drive on it