Anybody running one of these bad boys? How do you like it? What speeds y'all getting?

Waiting to hear more reports...the last one stated mid-20's with a full load. The concept is sound, and improving the reliable longtail's "drivability" is cool- there are still many longtail users out there, including me. I worry about the new clutch feature reliability, but glad they settled on a slightly smaller prop. I look forward to this application on the 27 and 23 HP motors. I am sure we'll hear from some ornery shortail owner before we hear another independent field report.

Yeah, I've researched their stated performance on the MB site. I am sure somebody on here has one so I thought I'd see if I could get an opinion from someone that has driven one. I had a hyper sport but my buddy's longtail is like 4 low in the mud.

I should have mine in about 3 more days. Running it on a custom 16' boat. Had a Pro-Drive 32 that was getting 27 mph with me, dog, 2 batteries, 12 gallons on fuel and my hunting gear. Do not expect to gain any speed but expect it to work better in the shallow stump waters I hunt.

Have fun getting beat up by that longtail in the stumps.

My longtail has never "beat me up" in the stumps.

All the PD's I have rode with had to work their motors harder and took longer to follow me.

okie dokie

Let me know how you like the super. Both have their pros and cons but on paper it looks like the SLT has found a good balance between speed nearing a surface drive and capability of the long tail.

Dickson - my post was not to be a my dick is bigger post. Simply stated why I decided to go with the long tail over my Pro-Drive. My PD is awesome motor and has served its purpose well. One of my main reasons of changing was the design change in my hull with the pods does not allow the reverse to work. Other reason is 6" deep water with hard bottom and filled with stumps. Not looking for speed but the ability to keep the gear moving forward with a motor not a human dog sled (with the pooch riding in the boat while I drag).

Believe me I will give an unbiased opinion on this new SLT. If it does not perform it will be sold off and will go back to a PD on a new skiff hull or maybe try out a GT.

I owned one of the original GD long tails here in SC 25 years ago - a little 9hp on a 12 ft aluma craft. Moved up to a 25 MB LT, then a PD 25 and then to a 32. I have driven many MB Hypers, never a GT yet but hear nothing but good things about them.

I like to think I am still young enough and man enough to handle a good beat down if needed.

Call Kevin. He had one on Dwayne's gator trax for the duck and mud run this year.

I've just been watching my buddy get beat down by his 35 longtail this year. I feel bad for him when we take his boat. .

It has thrown him to the bottom of the boat several times, and hit him so hard his hat flew out of the boat. Granted we don't idle through the stumps, we run wfo. At the end of the first split he had bruises by his ribs, and on his thigh, but the shaft of the go-devil is also bent to hell.

What kind of boat Owen?

Dose any one know what they run for a gear ratio or a prop?

Like I said before, nothing but sissies and city boys hunt with shallow drives where I hunt. The seasoned duck hunters use long tails.

10-4 on sissy and city bitches

I hear you, KCM! Eagerly awaiting the maiden voyage! Around here, we have less water most times and hard bottom, little mud, no beaver dams or cypress stumps. The LT shines plus all the $ savings for other things. A couple of friends went the shortail route (MB and PD) and granted they performed well when there was enough water but otherwise have suffered costly seasonal breakdowns. I'm no spring chicken at 58, and the LT must be held with a steady resolute hand and arm but I don't see myself buying a shortail any time soon or ever- a blowboat is a another costly noisy but effective tool that I will never afford or want. Just my 2 cents worth. Hope it performs for you! Most of the shorty owners around here have ADD, menstrual cramps, or are high falootin yuppy types who know it all.

My 24hp did throw me to the floor when I crawled over a beaver dam in about 6" of water and it caught a bite the first time out.

Is this his first season with a 35? He will get adjusted to it and tell him not to hold the tiller with a death grip

Probably gonna be his last season with the 35. The bracing is way more bent since the pictures that I posted. I drove it today while scouting...Call me a city slicker, cuz i'll stick with my short tail.

Well it came in. Got it on the hull and did a quick pass by the house but got to adjust it a little bit more tomorrow. Kept blowing the prop out the water but I know what to do with it while I got some sunshine.

I will say it was smooth and a heck of a hole shot. No speeds to post yet until I get the prop riding right.

Ok, KCM! Give us the specs please! What is involved in adjusting the belt? Are the side plates bolted on? Tell me about the hex hub prop/easy on easy off feature. How does that puppy turn? All the best!

Calm down calm down. I have not broke it yet so I do not know how to fix and adjust anything yet. Give me a couple more days, duck season starts Saturday.

Also I am a self employed tax payer, so I worked 14 hrs today to make what some one that gets paid $10 hr for 8hrs. I am how ever taking a few hours off tomorrow to work on getting the prop to ride right.

Our second phase starts Saturday as well...going to be hard to get sleep Friday night! Enjoy the ride!

I have a 35cdi slt so far 12.5 hrs its on a 17X54ge gator-trax. Much better than my 05 hyper and almost as fast. No problems so far runs very smooth compared to the longtail I had many years ago. And no problems getting beat up [yet]. I run some very shallow hard bottom areas and thats where this motor shines plus the Gator is a great boat

Not trying to hijack this thread just thought this might be usefull to someone in the market for a SLT. I am in the market for a new longtail but my boat cant handle a 35 SLT so I emailed G L E N N at mudbuddy to find out about the 23HP SLT model and this is what he sent me back:

We will not be building the SLT in the 23 horse models until next fall at the earliest. And not sure we will build them at that time in that we are really booked for the new Sport V and H motors. Sorry, but we can only build so many motors and will need to trim some models.

Thanks for the responses guys. Sounds like they are performing pretty good. Hopefully Santa will bring me a blank check so I can order one, maybe I'll get it by next thanksgiving.

Mudbuddy site says they have 2 35cdi SLT in stock like mine I would make sure and ask if they have the smaller prop.

I will give a full report hopefully with a few pictures tomorrow.

Awesome!

GPS speed with a 9ft four rivers,5dz decs, big lab, me 180lb and all the other gear = 22mph. I have the small prop. Secret with my rig was getting weight up front the layout,gas,winch/TM battery it runs better loaded than unloaded.

Sounds like its right on point. Congrats.

Good speed, 4rivers! That 1754 GT hull is probably 500+ pounds? I know it's down the road for MB, with all the focus on their high-priced V and H shortail motors, but I have to think a 27 Kohler SLT will be really cool.

Alright, sorry no pictures yet. Kind of skipped my mind while riding today.

Ran all kinds of terrain today, one of the advantages here in the Lowcountry of SC.

First ran stumps and trees with hard bottoms. Did excellent. We skipped across some 6" flats with half prop in at about 12 mph with 2 folks. Hit many stumps and never once did it beat me up.

Next we rode through some mud and hydrilla - maintained a steady 22 mph in deep water and shallow water. Rode very smooth, still with 2 people, 9 gallons of gas and two batteries.

Next road some tight creeks full of alligator grass and hycanthia. Still good speeds but oh my to turn the beast while driving slow, turning and give it the gas all at once = about swimming. We have not fabricated the OSH (oh shit handle) for the boat yet because I wanted to run it first before I installed one to make sure I install it once. Grab bar a must.

So all in all - good speeds with the load, shallow or deep, hard or soft (kind sounds kinky)...I digress...I do think if my boat was a little longer it would be better. We shall see. Saturday will have a larger load. And I have not ran it by myself yet. So top speeds may be different.

The break away handle is a must in the stumps but no good in the muck. I will install a removable pin to convert it to a fixed or floating handle.

Great speed with that load! You did not state the width of that 16' hull. You are probably right that the 35 needs an 18' hull ideally. How did the clutch/neutral feature work? The hex shaft easy on/easy off prop design is also a great selling point, have you taken a try on that? I bet if you tweak the throttle you can gain 1-2 mph? Best to wait till the motor has some hours on it. Any literature with the motor? I mean do they recommend synthetic oil like the other motors? Are there any instructions regarding adjutsting belt tension? Sorry to sound so "hyper"! Since that first 18 HP GD LT I got back in '87 I am very interested in the SLT coming onto the scene. Shortails shine in most marshes, but we know that the LT is still the ticket in some others. I've had my present 27 Kohler MB LT since 2004 and it has been great.