MM Brand:Copperhead
Horsepower:18
Boat Brand:Alumacraft (New)
Boat Size:15' 48 Flat-Bottom Jon Boat
Boat Layout:seats cut out Foam insulation floor.(pink and white styrofoam insulation from Home Depot)

Speeds | Shallow Water:1 person no gear 25..2 people and gear 23
Speeds | Deep Water: 1 person no gear 23 24..2 people and gear20
Total Boat Load With Gear Etc:1 person no gear..2 person dog 3doz decoys
Conditions Tested In:see pics

Comments:The whole purchase was a fiasco..Not happy with dealer and not backed by Copperhead when told of the problems I had with dealer..
The motor worked very well in mud,light stumps and vegetation ..Unfortunately the brand new belt after about 7hrs started to shred because the pulleys (?) slipped.Took to Copperhead and proper parts (new and improved) I was told at time of purchase were in motor were properly put in.
The motor works well in the proper environments for a light motor.( I disclosed this part to everyone asking to buy motor).Mud and stumps are not a problem if you do not have a far ride in stumps..It just does not work well at all in heavy stump or tree fall areas. In dead timber areas I spend every day of the season in it is lost..It started to fall apart after about two days..I do not care what others say it frekn fell apart..Darn near every nut started to or vibrated off if not continuously checked on the first trip..I lost the handle bolts after about an hour of use and had to improvise to get back..My advice is to lock tight everything..The vibration is bad..Now how it did not work in dead timber..I spent more time getting hung up and jumping in and out of the boat than driving it. It just does not have the power even with one person in boat to work. I was stuck in places that I never had to worry about we're talking knee deep water.I could feel the belt "Jumping" as I could feel just before it shredded while the prop hit the dead trees.I just do not trust this product to make the whole season without breaking again...I pound through 5-9 miles of dead timber everyday..It will not last!!! Fast and light is great but who cares if you can't get back..I decided to keep motor as a spare and get a GDLT 35..

Like I said this Copperhead worked great in places you see on the clips..Mud, sticks, light vegetation but not in the harsh environments I go to..For the average once a week hunter ( or in La. mud it's great) but not if you have to depend on it to make a living..

Yessir, that is Longtail country for sure.

Get you a slick bottom boat too, you'll see alot less hang ups on stumps and mud.

What made you think that your prop was going to push you through a thick log bottom and not start coming apart. If you continue to beat the prop to on logs and hard bottom areas its bound to do damage to something. That would be like getting pissed when your GTR wont drive its self up the boat ramp and jump on to the trailer.
Some common sense has to come in to play, I hear all this bashing on every mud motor built but then we beat the shit out of them and get pissed when something breaks and start yelling "screw MB get a GT or GD's are crap get a PD.
Copperhead is no different than any other new company out there, just trying to make a good product that we can go beat the hell out of and stuill make it back home.

Man you need a dam airboat for that chit with a 1/2" botttom with poly on it!!!!

Shit, you can definitely be one of those people they hire to try to tear shit up and find the weak points. haha

Longtail, slick bottom fo sho in that area.

Interesting review. I could see why the prop would get hung up on those stumps and roots and stop spinning and allow the pulley to slip over the gear. Nature of the beast I guess. Mud motors they are. Stump jumpers they are not.

I've got 3 years on my belt and hunt just about every weekend during the season and fish sometimes out of my boat. But I've never went through stuff like that.

Would any other surface drive MM do the same? GT & PD have clutches. Does having a clutch sytem aid in this type of environment?

That shit looks spooky. Like Creature from the black lagoon spooky

Get out and walk bitch

Its slow going in just about any rig in that terrain, but a longtail is your best bet.

That pic was taken using my 23 GDLT I hunt in it (It's a 4mi run in this stuff) every day of the season (For the past 15 yrs with the same motor in this area..I snapped the original shaft last season never broke a prop nothing ever fell off the frekn motor I beat the crap out of it) taking clients out..I specifically asked and sent this pic to copperhead..I was relying on their expertise to guide me in making a decision to buy one..I have never had a surface drive..I asked several people that hunt out in it and with SD motors and of course no one said they do not work...The whole reason I needed a SD was because now of the drought instead of the 4 mi open water run it is now 8-10 miles of open water to get to most of my areas to hunt..There is more to the whole story that I will not get into on here with Copperhead and the dealer I bought it from..I am not bashing them I told a true and honest review..If I wanted to bash I could!!!.."pearl river outlaw" I'll let you lead the way..It's 4mi straight ahead LOL

I have 2013 18hp didn't see many reviews and took a gamble. I run in the swamp and marsh. The boat is 2013 14x48 weld bilt and it performs well. I can run two people and avg. 23mph open water and hit 25mph checked with my GPS. I jump logs, hit cypress knees and deal with lots of lilies within reason. I support their product 100%, I did go direct for the purchase. I have called Josh several times for a question, he took the time to answer it.
I cant wait until I put it slick bottom boat and see if it really makes it better with the lilies.
Everyone that's be in it says it will smoke a long tail and they ran them for years. That's my honest review and nobody ask me to reply and say chit. Maybe you need build a helipad to land the bird on.

Take a good look at the prop on a surface drive and a longtail. You will notice the longtail prop is rounded vs the surface drive prop. This allows the prop to glance off of logs much better than a surface drive. That's is one main reason why they are preferred for the swamp.
As far as Copperhead, they are good people and building a good light weight product.

I prefer mine because of the long shaft and balanced frame, the rounded prop might have some advantages but I wouldnt say its a major factor.

A longtail will whip a SD in harsh condtions hands down.

Yes your right^^^