Lets talk Surface Drives

from what ive heard the beavertail is the one to stay away from. customer service is non-existent apparently.

I have a 36 ProDrive and, other than changing the clutch at 175 hours, it has been good to me. I'm running a 16x52 and need every bit of that 36hp. With two days of 30 mph north winds in Cameron, my lease was a mud flat. It was slow progress, but I hunted all weekend. Give Gator Tail a good look. They are good motors. I have a friend that has a guide service and puts well over 1000 hours on his motors. He said that he has never had an issue with the belt on his Gator Tails.

I have the 35 Gatortail with Stage 1. I love my boat and motor. Can't wait to get my trolling motor hooked up in the next couple of days.

I have a go devil boat 16/60 and a 35 go devil surface drive with a Black Death upgrade to 45 horse.

Motor is a beast. But trim would be nice.

I have a PD 36 on an 18x48 boat and wish I would have went 20'.... I hunt / fish out of it nearly every day I'm off ( shift worker). Keep in mind that if you say your gonna be hunting out of it and carrying a load all the time (hunters plus dekes and dog) a boat smaller than 17' and undersized motor combo is terrible at carrying a load like that! Hell i have the 36 and with a full load i am lucky to run 18mph whereas 30 unloaded! Just food for thought!

Thanks for the information guys. I really want the 36 because I will more tgan likely have 2 ppl with me and gear as well. I am thinking the 36 gator but I would probably step the boat up to a 16.5 foot just for a little more boat. I have a few bays that I have to cross to get to my lease. I don't think I need reverse but the trim and neutral are a must for me. Thanks again for the advice and hopefully I'll be able to set it up.

I don't know what you're talking about on the Mud Buddy. I have one and have over 600 hours on it. The only problem I have had with it is the clutch. Put other than that. This is one one the better motors out there hands down. I run in the basin and i'm very hard on my stuff. It has held up to all what I have put her through.

Duckman than consider yourself lucky. I got one to replace my longtail after Katrina. Then four other guys in my club bought them.

On my motor the first year i blew a bearing on the lower drive shaft of the lower unit breaking the belt and even though I had a spare belt kit it left me high and dry in the marsh. Got that fixed under warranty and broke another belt. Got that fixed and was good until the actuator went out. Got that fixed and went through 4 clutch plates. That was year one. Then thought it was a lemon so got MB to replace the entire lower unit and started over. Had very simmilar issues. Sold it last year with 350 hours on it, to date went throuh 7 belts, 11 actuators, 3 lower units just on my motor. At the camp to date we have gone through 5 hyperdrives 23 belts, 18 mufflers, 9 actuators and had two guys spend the night in the marsh because of them.

Just a few short reasons why Mud Buddy surface drives are junk.

Y'all must be pretty hard on equipment to go through five different engines, 23 belts and 18 mufflers. Given those mufflers are probably stock from the engine manufacture, you can't fault MB or godevil for that. I'm on my second year with my mudbuddy 23 lite with few minor issues.

The only problems I've seen at my lease are power trims go out and clutches break. Neither would be an issue on godevil SD because the have neither, but picking up decoys is so much easier with a clutch.

Easy way to fix that muffler business. Find a buddy that welds. Cut it open. Remove the baffles. Weld the end back on.