# Rate your mud motor



## Crazyhuntinman (Sep 11, 2007)

I have a 16 foot by 70" flat bottom and would like to have feed back on different mud motors. I have seen both Mud Buddy and Go devils in the marsh but have no idea if there is any difference in the two brands. What about Scavenger, does anyone out there run one of these. Please let me know what you like and dislike about your mud motors. I think that I need at least a 23 horse power motor or bigger for my boat, right?


----------



## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Are you interested in a short shaft model or just want to stay with a long shaft model?

I run a 13HP go-devil long shaft on my 14 boat, both of my buddies run Hyper drives on their boats a G3 1552, and a War Eagle 1752. 35HP Hypers run **** fast on those boats, but you can run them into a place where it will be hard to get back up on plane after stopping.

With a long tail you just have to pull up on the handle and it pushes, downside is they are slower than the hypers and the turning radius is a lot more, but they have here place in the marshes.

I would get a bigger HP motor if it's in your budget, it's always better to have more horses and not need them, then to not have them and need them. I would get at least a 31HP for your 16x 70 boat. I believe the general rule is the longer and skinnier the boat the better it will run (plane) across the mud flats.

After checking out several different brands of short shafts and running a couple of them, my hands down choice is the *MUD BUDDY Hyper *models, that electric trim and tilt is the bomb, wouldn't have a short shaft without it.

I guess it comes down to how much you want to spend, where you are going to hunt and what kind of performance you except out of your boat.


----------



## Duurty1 (Sep 10, 2007)

i have a scavenger 23 horse and i love it the only downsides i see to it is that the motor doesn't come jetted for the elevation(17 bucks for jets). but hey for 2500 bucks shipped to me it was a great deal. i heard that you want to run a surface drive on wide boats and a long tail on narrow boats. mine is a 1638


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Have seen people and heard people hat dont like the scavenger and they say they dont have the power. I have a 25 kohler from mudbuddy and I love that motor.i would not go with anything else but mudbuddy. there geat motors and you cant beat there price.


----------



## Duurty1 (Sep 10, 2007)

dkhntrdstn said:


> Have seen people and heard people hat dont like the scavenger and they say they dont have the power. I have a 25 kohler from mudbuddy and I love that motor.i would not go with anything else but mudbuddy. there geat motors and you cant beat there price.


mine seems to push the boat around alright, but i had to re-jet the carb. the mud buddies come jeted for the elevation


----------



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

16X70 ?

what make of boat is this. from the sounds of the numbers it may have started its life as an airboat??

...anyway, get a *35* and never look back.


----------



## Crazyhuntinman (Sep 11, 2007)

it is a smokercraft from the early 80's


----------



## Duurty1 (Sep 10, 2007)

my old man had an 1684 smokercraft a couple of years ago


----------



## kingfish (Sep 10, 2007)

i went from a scavenger 20 hp to a 23 mini short tail. best thing i ever did!!! i bought the 23 mini in february so i dont have a hunting season on it yet. i run a 1648 and it works great. if your going to run a 1670 i would go as big as your budget will allow. like others said get the 35 and you wont be looking back!!! i think mud buddy has a bunch of new 29 longtails for 2900 bucks...thats not a bad option either! i dont think in the long run you will be happy with a scavenger....at least i wasnt, hence the upgrade!!! ill take you for a ride if you like, then you will be convinced.


----------



## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

I just run a GDLT Vtwin 16 on a 1436 and it gets me where I want to go. If I was to do it again, I would go with a hyperdrive like a Gator Tail, Prodrive or Go-devil with the new Quick trim.. You will always want more power, and to go faster so keep that in mind. If your budgeting, then simply buy the best motor you can get your hands on that stays within your budget.

These guys have a LOT of info about mud motors if you want to learn a little more

http://www.mudmotortalk.com/forums/

hope this helps


----------



## Crazyhuntinman (Sep 11, 2007)

I am limited on how much i can spend and I really dont need the speed factor. i do want to get back into places that are hard to get to. i am thinking of a long shaft cause they are more my price range and i think more suited for what i need. Question, is a 27 horse enough power for this wide of a boat. I thank everyone who has replied to my post. 12 years ago today i got my huntin buddy Riley dog and to day Iam sending him to the Heavenly huntin grounds, he has cancer really bad. Good bye my best friend


----------



## wileywapati (Sep 9, 2007)

Crazy that sucks man. I've had to put two dogs down in the last 5 years because of cancer
one was a lab the other was an english setter that was probably the dog of a lifetime for me


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

sorry to here about your dog. the 27 will push your boat but not fast. it will get you there and back.


----------



## jeeprunner1981 (Sep 19, 2007)

Scavenger makes a great motor. No they do not come jetted but if you buy one from there local dealer he can have them installed for you. Believe it or not the jet does not effect the power of the motor all that much. It makes a little difference at starting and at low speed (will run alittle rich) but other that that your hp decrease is very little.


----------



## jeeprunner1981 (Sep 19, 2007)

Crazyhuntinman said:


> I am limited on how much i can spend and I really dont need the speed factor. i do want to get back into places that are hard to get to. i am thinking of a long shaft cause they are more my price range and i think more suited for what i need. Question, is a 27 horse enough power for this wide of a boat. I thank everyone who has replied to my post. 12 years ago today i got my huntin buddy Riley dog and to day Iam sending him to the Heavenly huntin grounds, he has cancer really bad. Good bye my best friend


I sold a 31 hp to a guy with a 18 ft in brigham last yr. He loves it that is one good thing about scavenger is they have tons of torque wich comes in handy when you are packing a big load. I know that a 31 hp will pick up an 18 ft on plane in few second with 3 guys in it. In my opion if you are going to go with a long tail on boat I would put on the biggest scavenger you could afford. A 31 hp Vangaurd cost 3,600 bucks


----------



## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

i give mine a 10!! mud buddy vanguard 27 horse on a 3' by 22' boat, pulled this gator trax in with 2 guys, plus i had the hull full with 14 doz dekes over five miles! Of course the boat i am pulling is ten times more powerful than my boat, but his prop broke!


----------



## duck slayer (Sep 25, 2007)

i give mine and my granpas a 8 it gets us out and back what else could you ask for??? haha its a 14ft with a 9hp homemade mudmotor i hauls me and gramps with 5dozen decoys its not the fastest but it works!


----------

