# 18' by 54" with a 35hp HD mudbuddy ??????



## zx10r2004 (Sep 24, 2005)

how will this boat perform and should i get the 45hp mud buddy HD or is the 35hp HD enough. it will be on a excel boat. thanks for any info and if you could add and pictures of how your boat is set-up inside that would be great so i can get some ideas on how im going to set it up .thanks again.


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

Go for the HD6000 mod. lol its costly but its badass. We hunted with one this season. talk about gettin to your spot ASAP

The boat we hunt out of is a 18.5 footer and was custom made. the alum. was about double the thickness as our old Lowe 1648. So it was heavy. Had a 35hp hd until we sent it in for the mod. it was slow before the mod but it was because of the boat.

The boat your talkin about should perform well with the 35. Get the biggest motor you can afford and what the boat can handle. IMO


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## ragoedertier (Dec 10, 2005)

yep what dh said-the 35 will do fine-but-you can never have to much motor-i run a 17x54 excel w/a 45mb-and love it-if you would like to take it for a ride drop me a line-i will be out scouting on LSC in a couple of weeks-you cant go wrong with either motor on that boat-


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## Henner (Nov 8, 2004)

i would go with the biggest you can get. Either it be money or size. Yea the 35 will do the job fine but if you put alot of weight in your boat then it will slow down alot... This Will make your hyperdrive have problems in shallow water. 

Hyperdrives are surface motors, meaning they'll go through the shallow water on plane but it may have problems if you're not. I have problems with mine going through shallow water slow, but if im on plane then I have no problem at all, I'm running a 23 hd sport on a 1448 tracker grizzly...


Hope this helps, and I hope more guys will respond who know more about these motors and maybe can help out with problems going slow in shallow water!
Bobby


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

If your hunting 3+ guys with 6+dz decoys I would recommend getting the biggest motor. 45 should handle that load .


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## dankoustas (Sep 18, 2007)

You can never be "overpowered" when it comes to engines.


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## franky (Apr 14, 2004)

dankoustas said:


> You can never be "overpowered" when it comes to engines.


This is true, but seriously, that is a bad unit right there.


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## maximus (Mar 1, 2004)

I agree to get the most horsepower you can afford.

But dont worry if you cant afford more than the 35. I have a 35 on a bigger boat than that and it runs fine. I run 22 mph with two guys, decoys, dog, etc. Depends on how fast you want to get to your spot.

Def. get the neutral though. Makes things so much easier.


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## zx10r2004 (Sep 24, 2005)

thank for all the great advice. i will go with the 45hd or bigger.


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## oden (Oct 23, 2005)

Just remember, modded motors are not serviced at your local Briggs repair shop.


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## zx10r2004 (Sep 24, 2005)

oden said:


> Just remember, modded motors are not serviced at your local Briggs repair shop.


where could i take it?


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## maximus (Mar 1, 2004)

Another thing to remember is warranty. Briggs wont cover a modded motor. When you buy a 45 your gettin a brand new motor without Briggs warranty. One thing to consider is to buy 35 and when motor is out of warranty mod to 45 (which can be done easy). Just a thought. I'm on my second mud motor and let me tell you they can be touchy. We are using these motors to do a job they werent built to do. Lots of load put on these motors.

Not tryin to discourage you, just want you to be informed.


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## ragoedertier (Dec 10, 2005)

*
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*






*Modified Engines: Mud Buddy HD 45, HD4000 and HD6000 engines.* *Modified engines do not have a Briggs and Stratton warranty.**Mud Buddy provided a six month warranty on the engine, and a one year warranty on the frame and drive components. The engine (removed from outdrive frame) must be returned to the engine manufacturer in North Carolina for warranty service. Do not take your engine to a Briggs engine warranty service center. Outdrive and frame warranty can be completed by any Mud Buddy authorized warranty service center. *
*If a defect occurs during this period, contact your nearest dealer or Mud Buddy with a dated proof of purchase. You will be directed where and when to take your equipment for inspection and/or service. It is the customer&#8217;s responsibility to present the equipment for repair. Repair sequence and completion dates are set by Mud Buddy. If frame or drive parts are required to complete authorized warranty work, Mud Buddy will ship them via ground UPS at no charge. Expedited shipping is the responsibility of the customer. If warranty work is denied due to lack of lubrication, collision, abuse or mistreatment, the customer may appeal to Mud Buddy for review. We will do everything reasonable to assist the customer. 

Except for the expressed warranty of Mud Buddy set forth above, Mud Buddy grants no other warranties, expressed or implied, by statute or otherwise, regarding the Mud Buddy backwater motor, its fitness for any particular purpose, its quality, its merchantability, or otherwise. The liability of Mud Buddy under the warranty set forth above shall be limited to the fair market value (prorated) of the product at time of warranty claim. In no event shall Mud Buddy Manufacturing be liable for any special, consequential, or other damages for breach of warranty. Mud Buddy has the right to change the product design at any time without any obligation under this warranty. *​


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## maximus (Mar 1, 2004)

Yeah that

And if it breaks during the season and you need to ship it to get work done.....your season is over with that motor.


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## zx10r2004 (Sep 24, 2005)

so would you recommend a 35hp hd to start with then in a couple years down the road maybe upgrading the 35hp to a 45hp. thanks for the comments.


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## duckbuster808 (Sep 9, 2005)

We have a Gator Trax 17' 54" with a Mudbuddy 35 HP....It's nice but if you have to get 4 guys, gear and dekes out it takes some time. We love it though, since we usually only run 3 guys. It gets you where you need to be thats for sure!


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