Backwater mud motors

J

Jeffrey Nelson

Active member
I'm thinking about upgrading my mud motor. I've always had a go devil or mud buddy. Both of which I have been very happy with, but I have been looking at the Backwater motors (26.5 longtail), and I was wondering if any of guys have any real life experience with this company and these motors?
Thanks for any input
 
I have only heard good things about Backwater motors. Easier to drive, better balanced and easy to adjust. If I was ever in the market for another longtail it would be a Backwater. Is there a dealer near you or does anyone who lives near you have one you can test drive?
 
I’ve got a 6.5 Backwater. Test drove a 23hp at the factory and spent some time there as they explained the ins and outs of theirs versus others.

I had a 23beavertail when I test drove the Backwater 23 and the difference was astounding. Much nicer to drive the Backwater.

I’m of the opinion they are the best in the business and I will eventually get get a 23 or bigger.
 
I have a 13 swomplite I've ran for two seasons.Ive owned tree other brands if mud motors prior.Backwater is a whole different animal and the quality is excellent.My buddy has a 10 sneaklite and is very happy w it also.We dealt w Jake and the customer service was top notch.
 
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Nick, Thanks for the input.... I have a Kawasaki 29 mudbuddy now, and it is a wrestling match at higher speeds. That is the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks
 
Jeff, I can't lie the design of these motors look different then the other manufactures. I'm a little concerned about the tubes being filled with foam. I'm sure it helps dampen the vibrations, but I am worried about longevity and water getting into the tubes over time?
 
I suppose anything is possible ! I suggest u call Jake he answered all my questions .He actually customized my order and weighed all the parts before assembling it so I knew axactly what it weighed as I was running it on my Devlin broadbill.
 
I've been very pleased with my Backwater 27hp on 16ft Excel the past 3 seasons here in Central Kansas. Not a speed demon but lot of torque to push you through vegetation and muck. Will wear you down a little on long runs. Very simple maintenance. If buying a larger motor would highly recommend EFI especially for cold morning idling.
 
I have a 7hp, 15hp Swomp Lite, and a 35hp Swomp from Backwater, they are the best in the business hands down! I don't think you will have problems with water getting into the tubing over time, all except the tube that the handle installs in are welded at both ends. You can cap the the handle tube if you want. I have run my 15hp for 4 seasons now with no trouble at all, you will love the motors those guys build!
 
Thanks to everyone that replied.....
Cody, having three of them says a lot. What kind of hull are you running the 35 on, and what kind of speeds are you getting? I have a 16x48 aluma craft riveted hull. It's a light boat.... So I'm hoping to get a little more speed then the 29 I currently have.
I talked to the rep here in Florida and also talked to Jake at Backwater both were full of information. They answered all my questions, and I ended up ordering the 35 hp swomp...... not the classic but the new style without the u-joint. I should have it sometime next week. I'll be sure to give a full report once I get the motor mounted and give her a test run.
Thanks for the input ..... can't wait to try it out.......
 
Jeffrey, I'm running the 35 on this boat I built last summer, it's 16' long and 66" wide at the widepoint-she's a fat bottom gal! I am getting around 21mph with just me in the boat and about 16-18 with a full hunting load, that jumps up by 2-3mph in the shallows. I would bet that your boat will fly with that 35, longtails tend to get their best speed on narrower, long hulls. Are you thinking of adding pods to your boat?
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Cody, that's a sweet looking boat. Who doesn't like a fat bottom girl? They make the rocking world go round...... You're getting decent speed. Do you have any idea what the hull might weigh?
I'm hoping not to use pods, but I have considered using them if needed. The 29 I have is the same weight as the new motor so my thinking is I won't need them?
 
Jeff

Jake at Backwater is awesome to deal with. I am a little bias since they are right in MN but they were/are a great company to work with. I have only had my 23hp swomp lite on the BBIII for 1 season but was very pleased with the performance & ease of maintenance. The cavitation plate they make for mounting is great too.
 
Jeffrey Nelson said:
Cody, that's a sweet looking boat. Who doesn't like a fat bottom girl? They make the rocking world go round...... You're getting decent speed. Do you have any idea what the hull might weigh?
I'm hoping not to use pods, but I have considered using them if needed. The 29 I have is the same weight as the new motor so my thinking is I won't need them?
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I've never weighed the hull but I would guess it at around 400lbs or so with batteries and a full tank of gas. It's got a Kevlar layer and heavy glass for ice/late season hunting so that ups the weight a bit. If your boat is floating your motor now I'm sure it will be fine without pods. Can't wait to hear how you like your new motor! Take some time to play around with the shims and cavitation plate, when your plate is set right you can literally run your motor hands free (not recommended, just nice that you don't have to add extra hand pressure to get it in the right spot!) Just adding or subtracting a shim can make a 3-5mph difference in speed too.
 
Andrew, thanks for the feed back. You're right Jake is awesome.... Very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. I like the idea of the cavitation plate adjustments, and the versa mount to find that sweet spot. he said it should be here next week. Looking forward to tinkering around with it.
 
Cody, appreciate the info. The motor I have now is a beast to drive. I hope with a little messing around mine can be dialed in the way yours is. It can't get here soon enough!
 
Got the motor Friday and got it mounted. Went out to the lake o yesterday. Ran it for couple of hours. Jake, told me to mount the motor outboard. So that's what I did. The motor performed perfectly.... I never had that with the mud buddy or the go-devil. You truly can drive it with two fingers. Awesome set up..... The boat is quick to get on a plane. I thought it would be a little faster at top end, but I'm not disappointed. With the kids, dog and me and our gear we were getting about twenty mph at top speed, and around 16 mph at a good cruising speed. Which is plenty fast. Hunting season can't come soon enough.......
Thanks for the input.
 
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