I have a 16x56 go devil right now with a 24hp lt go devil on it & i am looking towards going with a surface drive motor for the boat. I'm new to the mud motors and looking for a little expert advice on picking the right sd motor for my boat. I've noticed on go devil's website that my boat would go good with there 35 sdgd but dont know the pro's & con's vs. pro drive or gatortail or gd.
I hunt in south central alabama so I'm looking for the speed for longer runs.
Any advice or opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks

As a prodrive owner, id get the gtr for the area I ride........less angle on the skeg gets you on plane faster in the shallow dead veggie mud......if you have no shallow dead veggie mud to worry about then I like the fpr of the prodrive as well as a lighter feel on the tiller. Not a big fan of the gdsd, it feels like a little more work to drive than the gtr or the pd. just my 2 cents.

I'd get the GDSD....

But eliminate the PD from consideration on a GD hull due to the
rolled rear transom to hull bottom design and the wrong transom
angle too....

35 hp GDSD and 35 GTR - run almost exactly the same speed - so
if speed is the determining factor get a 45 Mud Buddy - it will outrun
both and you get a warranty even though it is a modified engine
and I hear they last longer than some of the other more powerful
MB versions....

And if possible find a dealer - to me dealer support is the big factor
in choosing any item this expensive - good dealers do test drives too....

Barnes is on a roll tonight

PD builds in house now.

not so sure owen. i was talking to pd the other day and it didn't sound that way. i may be wrong thou

TEST DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Take your hull to Loureville and set up a date with PD and Gator tail and see how they perform and which one you like the most. It's a lot of money to listen to a bunch of www. douchebags

hi pot!! meet kettle!!

but really what DW said

I like how some of ya'll won't buy certain things (coughGIGAcough) because you feel the need for a dealer to cry to. I'm certain you can find a small engine shop or marine mechanic that could do anything that you can't do yourself, I mean they ain't computer driven hondas people.



Except for you Robn, yours is an accord.

Give the 2 places a call, they can tell you what they think with what your wanting to do. Best advice is Test Drive Test Drive Test Drive. Other than that make the drive, make a weekend out of it and go talk to some fine people about your interest. Both companies are great to work with

I run a GDSD, and have been happy with it. My next rig will be a GTR most likely, but not because PD, or GDSD is junk, only because the instant reverse is better suited for my use than FPR, and I like the speeds of the GDSD and GTR better than the PD.

They all share the same engine with the exception of the PD being a vertical shaft engine and the others being horizontal. All except the GDSD have an electric clutch, and the can go out. So can the transmission on your truck. If youre worried that its going to go out when youre somewhere others may not be able to get to you to pull you out, get the GDSD.
The reverse is a nice feature to dig a hole, to back up and try and get on step to get out of a hole.
The hydraulic trim is another thing Ive seen go out, but its definatly a nice feature, especially when in thick mud and veggies.
The floating design of the GDSD is both nice, and a pain in the knee at the same time. When in veggies in shallow water, you have to hold the handle up to really dig in and go, the weighted back design of the PD is king in this situation from my experiences. The Gator tail can be trimmed down and it will stay down and dig also, the GDSD's prop will try and surface to blow the weeds out.
In thick not so soft mud, the GDSD can be worked like a long tail, and when you "blow out" its easy to reposition the prop for another bite, its not as easy in the other motors.
In bad stumps when a long tail is really what you need, the GDSD would be my choice.

I have more hours on the GDSD than the others, but have tiller time in front of all but the beavertail.
Its possible for them to all break, and the others (PD, GTR, MB) all have the clutch that can go out, and Ive burnt one up on a friends PD, so it does happen, belts also break.

Try and drive all of them, and see which works for you best.

Good advice to have the motors you are looking at put on your boat to see how it runs if you have the option.

For most operation, the main differences in the brands is the frame and its center of balance. MB makes different frames (Hunter- more balanced like the GD so you can pick up the prop easier, HD Sport - weighted back more like a PD for example). Depends on where you run as to what is best for you. Note, had a buddy with a 27PD on a 16' GD hull with cut back transom and it would squat pretty bad as the motor was weighted to the back.

Belts can break but the newer Kevlar ones out today you don't hear about this much, gears can break too but its rare. A clutch could go out but the transmission analogy above is right on- would you buy a truck without a transmission because it 'could' go out?

Also, don't discount the value of a good local dealer. Driving and useage tips, regular mtc, setup and adjustments, parts if needed, warranty work if required are all selling points. Having experience with your brand motor in the areas that you run and giving you the pros and cons of different options is another plus.

Good luck on your decision.