Hello Everyone.... I have a new long tail kit that I'm going to be putting a new 13 hp motor on. My brother happens to be a dealer and I can get just about any motor at cost. Before I pull the trigger on a motor I have a few questions that I'm hopping someone can help me with.

1. What's motor is the most reliable in this class (Honda, Subaru or Briggs...possible even Kohler)?
2. Should I get electric start or not?

My brother is totally torn on this. He says the Subaru took Honda's proven design and made it better but parts take a while to get. Then he says the Honda design is totally proven and parts can be found but the design is old. Then he says Briggs is a great motor and is cheaper with part available. So that leaves me not knowing what to get.

A little more Information on our rig and setup

We are putting this on an older refinished Polar Kraft 14 jon.
Our kit is a Meghi - turbo tornado
Normally using in large marshes and river backwaters.
2 people and gear in the boat.
Cost is not a factor. ( I will be getting it at cost so they are all reasonable)
What I want more than anything is reliability.

Thanks in advance for your help.

If you are going to mod the motor, then the Honda because of the easy availability of all mod parts. If you not going to mod the motor, then. Subaru _ hands down. Their motor is 14 hp, and their waranty is 5 years. It has featurs the others just wish for. I have used them for. 10 years. I think they are the best industrial motor on the planet. Parts have never been a problem for me. I use an 8x7 prop on that motor. Mark F. Cheney

Good information that is what my brother says as well.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

You CAN NOT go wrong with the Predator series engines from Harbor Freight. These are Honda clones with tighter tolerances that Honda or Briggs. This is the only engine I will sell with my homemade surface drive unit that I build.

Post a pic of your homemade surface drive unit^^


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I ended up going with a brigs after my brother talked me into it. Got the motor at cost and came with electric start. I'll post the model and some pics a little later. I'm still not 100% sure that was the right way to go. Tops out at 12mph with 3 adults in a 14ft riveted jon boat.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Update on this set up. For what we paid for it it has worked great. A few issues from time to time with the weeds getting hung up on the bottom skag. If you look at the bottom pick above you can see the design flaw. It looks like a hook and acts like a hook. For next season we will either be cutting that so the weeds will simply flow off it or we will have another skag custom made.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

What size prop are you using?

Ill have to check and get back to you.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk