
Phowler 1660 and Mudbuddy H35 review
I recently upgraded my motor from a 25hp longtail to a 35hp Mudbuddy Sport H. I had to weld up the transom from a short to a tall. Luckily Phowler saved the cutout for me, so building up the transom was relatively easy. This motor is heavier (360 lbs) than my last motor, so the balance of my boat changed somewhat. For the time being I have the battery and the gas in the back of the boat.
I like the reverse when I'm launching the boat. The motor shifts fairly easily between F-N-R. The transmission is so smooth that it kind of gives a vague feeling as you switch between gears, so its not always so clear exactly when the motor switches between neutral and in gear. It steers easily with the 32" drive, but the turning radius isn't as sharp as a longtail. The H is just can't swing quite as far to the left or right.
When running in deep water with me, my dog, and my son, my boat runs about 22 mph at 3750rpm. In shallow water, it runs about 25 mph at 3800 rpm. It's not a speed demon, but it sure gets me through spots I couldn't have gone through with my longtail. I'm able to get higher up on plane and power through mud that would have stuck me before. Here's a video link the boat running in some shallow water:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJc2hy3 ... tacHVUov-gMudbuddy1.jpg
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