Nimrod71
Senior Member
I am rebuilding my WE 548. I am thinking of buying a surface drive mud motor since the river is so low most of the year. I would like any ideas and recommendations you may have.
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What is the best SD motor
- Thread starter Nimrod71
- Start date
rnelson5
Senior Member
You will get a storm of different opinions here. I have a mud buddy and it has served me fine. In my opinion Mud buddy and GTR and the top two. I don't like gear driven motors for a surface drive. Belts are cheap.
Yep, you are about to stir up a hornets nest. Couple questions, Do you want this for an all around boat or just hunting? What hull are you putting it on? What type water are you planning on running? And Rnelson hit it on the head GTR and HDR's are the best two IMO. Belt driven is the way to go for maintenance and speed reasons. My HDR serves me fine and hasn't left me stranded,yet!!!!
I like my MudBuddy 44 with reverse, but your tastes may vary.
mizzippi jb
Welcome back.
May wanna consider saving for a boat designed for a surface drive motor. Ribs, latidudinal bracing, and the wrong transom angle and height will be performance issues for that combination. Most people who've had a surface drive have started like this. A ribbed boat /sd combo. Then had to fork out for a boat designed for the have. Just trying to save you some cash and grief with my humble opinion.
Gaducker
Senior Member
Just make sure you can wrench on them cause as much as they break it will kill your pocket book taking them to a mech EVRERY TIME it breaks.
Gaducker
Senior Member
If it aint left you stranded YET, Hang in there its coming.
Nimrod71
Senior Member
The boat is a 548 WarEagle, 15 ft long with 48inch bottom. I am up in the air about the SD motor or a regular 30 with PT/T. I hunt an fish the Altamaha River and for the past few years it has been really low. I have seen several SD's on the river but have not been able to talk with anyone, they just zoom on by.
obadiah
Senior Member
This.
If your primary goal is going shallow in the river, I think you would be able to get by fine with the boat you have and a SD for a few years. It's not the ideal set up, but boats and motors aren't cheap.
My experience is limited: The only mud motor I've owned was a mud buddy on a 1648 mod v. Not ideal, but it did everything I wanted it to for shallow water and thick vegetation. I would take that setup again over an outboard any day.
Gaducker
Senior Member
I think every new surface drive owner blows through the first prop very quickly unless they have a friend who already has one and knows better. At least here in ga in clay bottom and sand filled lakes. I have been through 4 props in 10 years and the 5th one that's on the boat now has been on there for 3 years Its a lot cheaper to get out and push the boat in GA.
First one I burnt through a big blade before my. Otor had 5 hours. The one I got now had 40 hours and has no wear on it. I learned quickly!!!!!
Duckbuster82
Senior Member
I go through two a year sometimes three. But I also put 500+ hrs on mine a year. There is no best motor in my opinion They are all fairly simpler. I have ridden in boats with most of the motors. I like mine stock and no reverse. Less stuff to break.
DRBugman85
Senior Member
I found that a SD on a Jon boat Don't Work long,I beat a 1648 tracker boat up bad in one season,2011 I bought a 1744 Gator trax/ Mudbuddy 35 sport and was worth the $$$.After 6 years and 520 hours I put on this rig I've put it into every thing a duck boat could go,Put a BPS muffler after the first one rusted out and keep it serviced oil,plugs and valves adjusted and it's as strong as ever.Snapped a throttle cable on a hunt and used bailing wire to repair to get back in.A prop a year is about average for mine.Next SD will be a 35 HDR if and when this one dies.
Mexican Squealer
Senior Member
I made the mistake of putting a 23 Copperhead on a 14 ft War Eagle. As stated, get a boat made for one. You will not be happy with a sd on a war eagle.
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Why not an EFI? I would never go carb now that they have worked most of the electrical problems out. My 37HDR starts like a dream in the cold weather and is much smoother.
rnelson5
Senior Member
You can work on a carb. If those electronic go out while you are out.....well you are stuck. I had my carb motor in northern Nebraska in just about subzero temps. The starter froze up, but never had a problem with the carb. I cranked it up before backing it in the water and by the time we were ready to go it was to.
Early EFI's had issues. I hear they are about ironed out. I life EFI, but gonna wait and then maybe retrofit when you can hook up your computer for tuning.
DRBugman85
Senior Member
Working MOST of the electrical problems out don't work for me,That's why I will stick with a carb it has not yet give me a problem yet.A carb is very easy to fix are replace the EFI is not.
