Looks like I'll be buying soon. The dealer closest to me carries Mud Buddy and Gator-tail motors. I think I want a Mud Buddy, but he says they sell lots more Gator-tails. Or is it just a Chevy / Ford thing?
Any dealers around Iowa you like a lot?

Im assuming you are going to shallow water marine? If so he told me the same thing...

Gator-Tail has reverse Mud Buddy does not. I did not even look at MB because of the lack of that option. Both good motors can trim down deep. My only thought when I bought a new motor... Would you like that new Ford / Chevy your talking about without reverse?

Why dont you just drive them. Then buy the one you liked.

FYI....You cant go wrong in dealing with Shallow Water Marine.....They're great to deal with!

As far which engine to buy....that answer is simple....NO WAY would I buy an engine that doesn't have reverse!

While I agree with TXShockwave & Josh, I'll chip in too.

BOTH motors are very good & you will be happy with either of the two. If reverse is a must, then you currently only have one choice. I personally don't have to have it, but it would be nice at times (kinda like a King Ranch Pkg on a F250).
On the other hand, the MB felt alot more comfortable to run & alot easier to work on if something goes wrong. I like how the controls were easily manipulated with one hand vs having to use both hands on the GT. I also liked the price tag & multitude of options available from MB.

Now back to how it started, you 1st need to decide if you can live without reverse. Then, if you can live without it, YOU NEED to go drive em both & DECIDE FOR YOURSELF which is better suited for you. Either way you go, make sure you don't forget to purchase the optional pom-poms & kool-aid pitcher with it.

Also something to think about is GT has a life time warranty on their drive train. Kinda shows how much a company stands behind there product.

Reverse

Gator-Tail has always gone above & beyond the call of duty for me. I am sure others feel the same way and even others feel the same way about their MM manufacturer... Customer Service is a big thing in my book and knowing that I'll be taken care of down the road or if I happen to have a problem they'll bust their arse to help me get it running / fixed or put back together.

I love my GTR and my buddy loves his MB... All depends on what one you really want! lol

Drive one first, then decide. If it were only that easy. I went to Shallow Water Marine Monday and they had nothing in stock. I couldn't even look at a motor.

An old topic? Sorry! I didn't twist anyones arm to reply to my question.

Tell ya what. Take a couple days off & fly down here. I'll see to it ya get to run both of em & decide which feels better for ya. Hell, I'll even pay for the gas.

you die hard GTR fans crack me up, not from just this one thread but a combination of many others. You always talk about how great they are and then in the same thread how great the customer service is. Now, I don't know how everyone else bases their opinions but I've ran MB for 10 years give or take and I have absolutly no clue how good the customer service or the warranty work is because I've never had to use it....."just sayin"...... As far as the reverse goes it may be a great thing but in my opinion it just slings mud all over you and fills the ass end of the boat with water and adds more parts to tear up on a motor that will already turn around in the length of the boat.... But that's just my .02

theres a mud buddy dealer in ankeny an he's usually cheaper

I think you fellors misunderstood. I said I have ran MB for 10 years not ran "A" MB for 10 years. I started out with a longtail and upgraded throughtout the years with the newer models.

You guys and your piss'n match aren't helping me at all.

Last week I called Gator Tail to ask about dealers in my area. They told me about the closest one. I explained that dealer didn't have anything in stock, is there another I could call. They said they'd call me back. So far, no call. That's no way to impress a new customer.