What is the prevailing opinion on the LCT Max 208cc engines out there since they are made in Peoples Republic of China? What is the availability of parts? How will the engine hold up to the constant high rpm that we run? Can you roll into a local lawnmower shop when out on a hunting trip out of town to get a part for you motor?
These are the questions i have about the motor. Not hating just asking really important questions.

It is a Honda clone, Honda GX200 parts fit.

What is the quality of production from the Chinese Manufacture? That would be my biggest concern when buying this motor. Honda, Briggs and Kohler are all proven engine manufactures with generally good customer service and with known issues with Chinese manufacturing and poor quality control when it comes to metal and machining even if its a clone of a honda its still not a honda. I was looking at Briggs Racing engines and was wondering why these engines have not been put on a motor yet.

I am not promoting or cheerleading Mudbuddy, but they make a 14hp Vanguard mini it is $2845.

While I am not dogging out copperhead i think if they put a brand named engine like those previously mentioned they might really take off. The biggest problem with mudmotors is and always will be weight and load carrying. Idealy a person would like to have an air cooled 50hp motor that weighs less than 100lbs.

I've ran the 208 (6.5hp) and 291 (10hp). Constant High RPMs for 10-15 mins and long runs to and from hunting areas. Never any problems. I've read that the Honda OHV parts will fit.
But the cost of a LCT to a Honda is high. Trying to keep porduction costs down, may have something to do with it. Also, if you really mess one up, you can buy a new engine for a couple hundred bucks.
I've seen the motors that they have tested, sunk and tried to break. It's almost impossible. They are still running one motor that was sunk in 20' of water for 5 days.
I also looked around the net for some reviews about these LCTs. Poulan, Craftsman and a couple other companies use them on their products. Mostly snowblowers, but they are virtually the same as the ones Copperhead uses.

I can agree on that note. I have 6.5 from Harbor Freight on a homemade cvt surfacedrive frame, been running it for 2 years with a header, k&n filter and larger carb jet. Next i will remove the governor, put stiffer valve springs and trim some cooling blades off flywheel.
Harbor Freight 6.5 $99 on sale at times
Duromax electric start 7 hp from maxtools.com $189.99

Copperhead looks like a nice product, but with that cheap clone engine they still are $2,200 , That frame does not look like 2 grand of work and parts to me, just my opinion.

The amount of machine work, C&C'd gears, shaft, water jetting. All that cost.
Where in any of th bigger motors is the most cost? Not the engines. Fabrication, assembly in the frame, drive is where the costs are.
Go and look at the Mud Bog Razorback U-Weld-It Kit. Is it worth $2250? That's no motor.

But thats for a 35 hp not a 6.5hp, Mudbuddy sells the frame for $2,600 and thats with electric clutch and power trim. So you telling me there is more machine work, parts and labor in that Copperhead frame than a Mudbuddy???? Go figure, If you think it is worth it than thats all that matters. Also Bog Hog which I never seen one or heard any reviews, it is for 35 hp and has clutch and trim too. Just the clutch and trin is over $500. If it suits your needs and you feel good for what you paid for it thats all that matters.

Well thank you for your info . I only emailed Mudbuddy about the 9 RObin mini. Their reply was out of stock for the season, i never asked further
I am not challenging the performance of Copperhead. Just the price. But if the people buying them are happy then more power to copperhead and their customers. Not my place to say what it is worth to them. and good day

i can see what you are saying. the price doesnt seem to drop that much concidering how much cheaper the motor is. at around 200 bucks for the engine you would think a price point between 1500 and 1800 would hit about right, or at least under 2000.
roughly
engine- 200
prop- 200
raw materials- 200
machine work- 400
assy/labor 4 hrs. @ 35 per hour-140
total- 1140

probally not for one but in any quanity that should be close. so with about 1000 to cover profit and liability maybe its about right.

I think Bobbyjober might have hit it good with his evaluation, as well as hunt4deer, My thinking is while the copperhead motor might be good for a really lite boat and the fact that is fills a niche that i think has been neglected severly ie: lite weight and affordable if they were to put on a well known powerhead with a proven track record it would take off like a rocket, not to mention drop the price.

t.s.c. used to sell a 6hp honda for about 300 bucks. it looked a little different with a black plastic cowl. even if it were a lesser line it would still be a honda. also at about 200 bucks for a cheap engine thats only about 300 less than a b&s or real honda. that being said i have heard very little bad about these motors. if it lasts like a honda you could replace it 2 more times before a honda, just for fun. there small enough to carry a spare motor in the boat.

the bottom line from what i'm reading into it seems the price is to high for some, but lets look at it from the guy thats building it ,he has to back this product ,had to do RnD on it, testing ,building, market it, and its built here in the states, as far as the motor goes none of them are usa built, lets say he grosses 1100.00 per unit, has to pay taxes and every thing i listed above ,i wouldn't give up my job to do this if your buying the bigger units 35-36 and they enigines cost 2200.00 or so u mean to tell me that it takes 4700.00 to build the rest of it ,every one in this business shouldn't make a profit i'm glad he came up with this product ,i have a twins 27 on a phowler and i love it i also had the first 6.5 copper head and liked it but for my needs was not enough.
now i'm getting the 12hp for those small areas where the big boat can't be used, from what i've read and heard from the guys that own them they love em, this applaction is going to help alot of people to get in those small areas or can't afford the bigger products and can still go hunting fishing etc also that 9hp mudbuddy has not been around for 3 years i look into one 3 yrs ago and they said it didn't work out what ever that ment so it was not for sale

I bought my whole rig for less than the price of a big motor alone. Might not be as fast as some of the big rigs, but I would buy it again in a heartbeat. Fyi, I used to own a 32 prodrive on a gator trax boat, and I like this rig much better! Goes in just as much stuff, and runs faster actually. Just my 2 cents, but I didn't mind paying the price. Read the reviews on the lct motors, spoke with gil about this same thing and the reason behind him using this motor is performance alone. Said theyy perform much better than the more known motors. Checked the specs and the 12hp model is the same as the 14 or 15hp briggs. Hope this helps!

UF, How long of a boat are you running with that motor? I my self run a 36hp prodrive on an 18x48 and i am giving very serious thought on going back to my beginings, smaller lighter boat, has any one put a 14hp copperhead on a 14 or 15 ft boat?

CMILLER73 sounded like a gas blower the other day.. though, he never got stuck

^^
yea you did say that engine "IS" small.
When we left we crossed the flat between the channel and the woods. Before I knew I was in 4" of water, I was across the flat. I looked at my son and said holy shiat we just was in 4" of water and didn't know it.

I myself believe the little Copperhead can go up against any 14. 16. 18 or 23hp surface drive out their on the right boat. I have run a number of 23 hp Surface Drives from different manufactures and from what I am seeing in our tests, this little 12 hp Copperhead is running as well, if not better with 1/3 less motor weight. I was in the boat with Cutt Down with four people, a 1540 300+# boat, 12hp Copperhead, on step going 15-16 mph. I have not seen a 23-27 hp surface drive that can do that on a similar size boat with the same load, maybe on an 18+ foot skiff, but not on 16' or less boat. I understand the concerns with the engine, but so far we have had zero engine issues, they run good, produces alot of torque and are light.

As for price, the market determines the price, a man has gotta eat and he has to recoupe his investment. Yes, a prop for one motor is $200, does anyone on here have any idea how many props were tested to get the end result performance Copperhead has acheived? How about the dozens of gear ratios tested? Try around 70-100 different props and 25 different gear changes. Thats alot of investment. I wish they were less expensive myself, but having run them in the absense of anything else that even comes close in performance in its class currently on the market, I hope he sell a thousand of them. Copperhead is still constantly improving the product, but more importantly he is standing behind his products from the very first one he sold.

They fill and very big gap in the market IMHO.

PW

Do ya'll think the 12hp Copperhead would run as well as a 23SD on a 17x38 round chine?