# What is the best SD motor



## Nimrod71 (Jul 6, 2017)

I am rebuilding my WE 548.  I am thinking of buying a surface drive mud motor since the river is so low most of the year.  I would like any ideas and recommendations you may have.


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## rnelson5 (Jul 6, 2017)

You will get a storm of different opinions here. I have a mud buddy and it has served me fine. In my opinion Mud buddy and GTR and the top two. I don't like gear driven motors for a surface drive. Belts are cheap.


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## kevbo3333 (Jul 6, 2017)

Yep, you are about to stir up a hornets nest. Couple questions, Do you want this for an all around boat or just hunting? What hull are you putting it on? What type water are you planning on running? And Rnelson hit it on the head GTR and HDR's are the best two IMO. Belt driven is the way to go for maintenance and speed reasons. My HDR serves me fine and hasn't left me stranded,yet!!!!


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## MudDucker (Jul 6, 2017)

I like my MudBuddy 44 with reverse, but your tastes may vary.


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## mizzippi jb (Jul 6, 2017)

May wanna consider saving for a boat designed for a surface drive motor.  Ribs, latidudinal bracing, and the wrong transom angle and height will be performance issues for that combination.  Most people who've had a surface drive have started like this.  A ribbed boat /sd combo.   Then had to fork out for a boat designed for the  have.   Just trying to save you some cash and grief with my humble opinion.


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## kevbo3333 (Jul 6, 2017)

Sorry I didn't read that is was for a WE boat, I would not recommend a SD for that boat.  Just run a tiller outboard on it and don't look back, I've seen some tillers in some shallow waters before.


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## Gaducker (Jul 7, 2017)

Just make sure you can wrench on them cause as much as they break it will kill your pocket book taking them to a mech EVRERY TIME it breaks.


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## Gaducker (Jul 7, 2017)

kevbo3333 said:


> Yep, you are about to stir up a hornets nest. Couple questions, Do you want this for an all around boat or just hunting? What hull are you putting it on? What type water are you planning on running? And Rnelson hit it on the head GTR and HDR's are the best two IMO. Belt driven is the way to go for maintenance and speed reasons. My HDR serves me fine and hasn't left me stranded,yet!!!!



If it aint left you stranded YET, Hang in there its coming.


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## Nimrod71 (Jul 7, 2017)

The boat is a 548 WarEagle, 15 ft long with 48inch bottom.  I am up in the air about the SD motor or a regular 30 with PT/T.  I hunt an fish the Altamaha River and for the past few years it has been really low.  I have seen several SD's on the river but have not been able to talk with anyone, they just zoom on by.


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## kevbo3333 (Jul 9, 2017)

River sand will eat up a $300 surface drive prop in a hurry!!!


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## obadiah (Jul 10, 2017)

kevbo3333 said:


> River sand will eat up a $300 surface drive prop in a hurry!!!



This. 

If your primary goal is going shallow in the river, I think you would be able to get by fine with the boat you have and a SD for a few years. It's not the ideal set up, but boats and motors aren't cheap. 

My experience is limited: The only mud motor I've owned was a mud buddy on a 1648 mod v. Not ideal, but it did everything I wanted it to for shallow water and thick vegetation. I would take that setup again over an outboard any day.


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## Gaducker (Jul 11, 2017)

kevbo3333 said:


> River sand will eat up a $300 surface drive prop in a hurry!!!




I think every new surface drive owner blows through the first prop very quickly unless they have a friend who already has one and knows better.  At least here in ga in clay bottom and sand filled lakes. I have been through 4 props in 10 years and the 5th one that's on the boat now has been on there for 3 years Its a lot cheaper to get out and push the boat in GA.


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## kevbo3333 (Jul 11, 2017)

Gaducker said:


> I think every new surface drive owner blows through the first prop very quickly unless they have a friend who already has one and knows better.  At least here in ga in clay bottom and sand filled lakes. I have been through 4 props in 10 years and the 5th one that's on the boat now has been on there for 3 years Its a lot cheaper to get out and push the boat in GA.



First one I burnt through a big blade before my. Otor had 5 hours. The one I got now had 40 hours and has no wear on it. I learned quickly!!!!!


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## Duckbuster82 (Jul 11, 2017)

I go through two a year sometimes three. But I also put 500+ hrs on mine a year. There is no best motor in my opinion They are all fairly simpler. I have ridden in boats with most of the motors. I like mine stock and no reverse. Less stuff to break.


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## DRBugman85 (Jul 15, 2017)

I found that a SD on a Jon boat Don't Work long,I beat a 1648 tracker boat up bad in one season,2011 I bought a 1744 Gator trax/ Mudbuddy 35 sport and was worth the  $$$.After 6 years and 520 hours I put on this rig I've put it into every thing a duck boat could go,Put a BPS muffler after the first one rusted out and keep it serviced oil,plugs and valves adjusted and it's as strong as ever.Snapped a throttle cable on a hunt and used bailing wire to repair to get back in.A prop a year is about average for mine.Next SD will be a 35 HDR if and when this one dies.


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## Mexican Squealer (Jul 16, 2017)

I made the mistake of putting a 23 Copperhead on a 14 ft War Eagle. As stated, get a boat made for one. You will not be happy  with a sd on a war eagle.


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## kevbo3333 (Jul 16, 2017)

DRBugman85 said:


> I found that a SD on a Jon boat Don't Work long,I beat a 1648 tracker boat up bad in one season,2011 I bought a 1744 Gator trax/ Mudbuddy 35 sport and was worth the  $$$.After 6 years and 520 hours I put on this rig I've put it into every thing a duck boat could go,Put a BPS muffler after the first one rusted out and keep it serviced oil,plugs and valves adjusted and it's as strong as ever.Snapped a throttle cable on a hunt and used bailing wire to repair to get back in.A prop a year is about average for mine.Next SD will be a 35 HDR if and when this one dies.



Why not an EFI? I would never go carb now that they have worked most of the electrical problems out. My 37HDR starts like a dream in the cold weather and is much smoother.


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## rnelson5 (Jul 16, 2017)

kevbo3333 said:


> Why not an EFI? I would never go carb now that they have worked most of the electrical problems out. My 37HDR starts like a dream in the cold weather and is much smoother.



You can work on a carb. If those electronic go out while you are out.....well you are stuck. I had my carb motor in northern Nebraska in just about subzero temps. The starter froze up, but never had a problem with the carb. I cranked it up before backing it in the water and by the time we were ready to go it was to.


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## MudDucker (Jul 17, 2017)

kevbo3333 said:


> Why not an EFI? I would never go carb now that they have worked most of the electrical problems out. My 37HDR starts like a dream in the cold weather and is much smoother.



Early EFI's had issues.  I hear they are about ironed out.  I life EFI, but gonna wait and then maybe retrofit when you can hook up your computer for tuning.


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## DRBugman85 (Jul 17, 2017)

kevbo3333 said:


> Why not an EFI? I would never go carb now that they have worked most of the electrical problems out. My 37HDR starts like a dream in the cold weather and is much smoother.


Working MOST of the electrical problems out don't work for me,That's why I will stick with a carb it has not yet give me a problem yet.A carb is very easy to fix are replace the EFI is not.


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## mizzippi jb (Jul 18, 2017)

DRBugman85 said:


> Working MOST of the electrical problems out don't work for me,That's why I will stick with a carb it has not yet give me a problem yet.A carb is very easy to fix are replace the EFI is not.



Im with you on that. I can take a mikuni off, clean it, put it back on, and tune it in about 10 minutes. And when I turn the key, it fires.  I wouldn't even know how to dial in an efi motor


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## LeePea (Jul 21, 2017)

As stated above sand and props don't mix. It doesn't matter what mud motor you get, it will break. You would probably be best off getting a jet drive for running in shallow water with sand. I use to run the oconee river from dyers pasture all the way to Barnett shoals which had to be 10 plus miles one way in half a foot of water or less. The prop would be fried after one trip. Also as stated above your boat with a SD will not preform well. A mud motor weighs every bit of 250 pounds plus ( gear driven with be heavier than belt). The back end of your boat will squat bad and with out a hunt deck reverse will do you no good except to back the boat off of the trailer. At best you have .100 gauge hull. You are asking to put a hole in it if you want to ride over logs etc. That's just my .02 cents.


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## wcharris14 (Jul 27, 2017)

If you decide to go belt drive mudbuddy and gtr are obvious choices. Owned a couple over the years and as long as you keep the oil changed, grease lower unit, check the valve lash regularly and don't dog the crap out of it you will be fine.

As stated above the right hull will be the difference in how pleased you are with performance.


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## Gaducker (Jul 27, 2017)

I think deleting the case gasket was the best move I have done, And it only took briggs 10 years to figure that one out.  I'm keepin an eye out for the ecotech 3cyl.


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## mizzippi jb (Jul 27, 2017)

Gaducker said:


> I think deleting the case gasket was the best move I have done, And it only took briggs 10 years to figure that out.



I'm knocking on wood, but my motor must be balanced pretty well.  Never had tiller torque that gator tail is known for, and ever since I put a new cam in about 4 years ago, no leaks at the case gasket.   Again, I humbly type this while crossing my fingers, rubbing a rabbits foot, and knocking on wood


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## kevbo3333 (Jul 28, 2017)

mizzippi jb said:


> I'm knocking on wood, but my motor must be balanced pretty well.  Never had tiller torque that gator tail is known for, and ever since I put a new cam in about 4 years ago, no leaks at the case gasket.   Again, I humbly type this while crossing my fingers, rubbing a rabbits foot, and knocking on wood



On an HDR the skig is bolted and I can tell when the bolts start getting a little loose because it will create some bad tiller torque. I finally put lock tight on them and they've stayed tight for about 15 hours now. If you get those SD lined up just right they have very little to no tiller torque, almost like an outboard. My only problem is straightening up after a sharper turn at higher speeds. I literally have to pull or push as hard as I can to get her straight again. Anyone else have that problem? At lower speeds I can whip it around on a dime. Maybe I just need to work out more


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