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Thread: Facts on Mud Buddy Deception.......

  1. #1
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    Beavertail/Gator-Tail VS. Hyperdrive

    Facts and Deception
    The consumers Right to Know page


    The Short Tail

    False Claim: The Hyper is a unique mud buddy creation. It was designed, engineered, tested and was the first short tail mud motor offered to the American public.

    The Hyper was invented 5 years ago. I would like you to read a quote from the Mud Buddy web site dated 5/21/2004. I quote "Last year, a bright and innovative new company released a new backwater design that was a combination of outboard and mud motor, quickly caught the attention of the sportsman and caught the attention of Mud Buddy and their designers."

    Now, in a minute I will explain the truth about short tails. I would just like to know, did Mud Buddy invent this motor 5 years ago or last year? I think the next paragraph will make it very obvious. Also, we will take a minute to discuss the deceptive issue of the Patented Hyper drive.

    The Truth: The short tail was the invention of mechanical engineer Kyle Broussard of Lauraville, LA. The Gator-Tail belt driven surface drive was engineered, designed 4 years ago as a University of LA engineering project. This motor was then put through extensive testing for 3 years in the most inhospitable environment I have ever seen, the salt-water swamps of south LA. Kyle was the first one to bring the motor to the American public. This is well documented. At last years Louisiana Sportsman show Kyle and his new invention where on display and for sale to the general public. At this show the owner of Mud Buddy Mfg, Glen Foreman got his first glimpse of a Gator-Tail surface drive motor using gear reduction and belt driven. Look at the quote from the above paragraph.

    The Gator-Tail is in the patent pending stage. Now, you may have noticed that in the past Mud Buddy has been reprimanded for falsely advertising his equipment as patented, when in fact it was in the patent pending stage. This fact is well documented. That activity was and still is a federal offense. What are patented are the seals and the bearing housing. The belt driven surface drive from MB is not patented, even though it says it on the back of the frame in bold letters. It should be clearly stated that it is a surface drive with patented seals and bearing housing. This deceptive practice is just the tip of the ice burg. You will see this pattern of deception continue through this entire page. Why is this done? We will answer that later.

    Better Performance
    False Claim: The Hyper is faster and easier to run than other mud motors. The hyper 23 HP runs with our competitions 27hp.

    The Truth: The Gator-Tail 27hp Kohler is exclusive to Beavertail Mfg only. The motor has never been run by anybody in the Mud Buddy organization. Also, the Gator 27 has reached speeds of over 28MPH on a GPS with a 17' all welded Beavertail Custom Jon. I personally went down and visited the Boat Doctor in LA. For those of you who don't know, he was the first dealer in LA to have a Hyper. I asked him the top speed reached with a 29 Kawasaki Hyper on a 17' gator trax boat. His answer, I quote "I ran a maximum speed of 26.3 mph on a GPS." Now, who's kidding who when Mud Buddy claims there 23 will outrun our 27. I suggest Mud Buddy better tell his best dealers about his false findings, because they will need to get in on the deception also if it is going to be effective.

    Let's talk about ease of running. The Gator has a 2' shaft and does not put leverage onto the driver like longer shafts do. Now you don't have to be an engineer to figure out that the shorter the shaft the easier the motor turns. So the MB claim of having the easiest steering and fastest motor is another deceptive half-truth.

    Drive Length
    False Claim: Overall our 3' drive is the most effective short tail drive available.

    The Truth: The Gator-Tail when originally developed by Kyle B. used a 3' shaft and after years of running he has found absolutely no benefits to the longer drive shaft.

    In fact, the longer drive shaft simply put more stress, leverage and fatigue onto the driver with no added benefit in the mud. As a matter of fact the Gator-Tail reached better top end speeds than the 3' shaft that was tested. Once again we end up with the same conclusion, a false and unsubstantiated claim by the Mud Buddy organization.

    Power Trim and Tilt
    False Claim: The Hyper power trim and tilt is standard on all models. The larger models get electric T&T and the smaller motors have a hydraulic assist T&T. It is the fastest electric tilt and trim available. Now, which one is it? Power trim is standard on all or some get hydraulic assist? I guess power trim is the same as hydraulic assist at Mud Buddy.

    The Truth: The Gator-Tail uses power trim and tilt on all models available. Not hydraulic assist, true power trim. The real difference lies in the design of the trim and tilt. The Gator has strategically placed the power trim actuator under the engine. This keeps it protected and out of the mud and water. This is not the case with the competitions; the MB actuator runs vertical and is more susceptible to the mud and water, unnecessarily exposing it to the elements. As far as the Mud Buddy claim about the speed of the actuator being the fastest trim and tilt. This also is a False. We us electric actuators from the same trim tab company, Lenco. There is no difference. Only, that the Gator-Tails trim and tilt comes standard on all motors.

    Floating Handle
    Claim: This feature was introduced by Mud Buddy, with a long list of firsts in the short tail world. Even the word Floating Handle is a trademark of Mud Buddy.

    The Truth: The floating handle was invented originally by Gator-Tail, years ago. Every single one of Kyle's motor has had and will continue to have a floating handle this is no secret. When Kyle invented the Gator-Tail he thought out everything. This was one of the first things he addressed. Kyle called it a break away handle. So when you run a Gator-Tail with the floating handle, it will allow you to stand and operate the motor and match your height comfortably. This is if you choose to stand and operate the motor. I would recommend sitting its makes the ride a breeze and with the 2' shaft there is no stress or strain on the operator. So Mud Buddy was not the first to invent the floating handle. MB saw the Gator-Tail with a floating handle at the LA Sportsman show. As a matter of fact Mud Buddy read through Gator-Tails literature at the show. After reviewing the literature and being impressed with the term Quick Trim, Glen Foreman ran back to Utah and trademarked it. Kyle B, of Gator-Tail to explain the trim and tilt system on his motor, used the term Quick Trim. This is also well documented. What MB did was legal, just not very ethical business. We shouldn't be surprised.

    Neutral-Simple and Effective
    False Claim: Hyper drive does not require neutral, additional moving parts, its limited warranty, or its added cost. Most short tail drive failures with clutch resulted when the drive was engaged while up against a rock, log, or the bottom. Yes we have driven other motors with neutral and do think it has a function, but the Hyper frankly is different and doesn't need it. "Boy is this a myth of gargantuan proportion!!"

    The Truth: First of all, the reason the Mud Buddy doesn't have a neutral is because the motor was rushed to the market without proper testing in the field. The result is that the motor's lower unit is cast out of aluminum and once a mold is made it cannot be changed without heavy financial costs. This is why there is no neutral; the electric clutch does not fit into his cast housing. Mark my word, the Hyper will have neutral in the future. However, he has to pay for his mold this year but will come out with neutral in the near future.

    If you have never run a Gator-Tail with the electric clutch you are missing it. I have spoken with customers that have taken a Hyper for a drive and then the Gator-Tail with the neutral. The faces light up when they use the neutral. We won't ask you to hold your motor out of the water or shut it off when putting decoys out, loading the boat, warming the motor up, and loading onto the trailer not to mention the safety factor. The motor is only engaged when you the operator are ready. This should be standard on all long shafts as well.

    Oh, and by the way, there has never been a failure on a Gator-Tail clutch due to being engaged while up against a rock, log, or the bottom. So be careful what you read about the neutral and forward electric clutch. As you can see the deception continues.

    Aluminum Frame
    False Claim: Mud Buddy offers the only manufactured cast aluminum short tail frame in the industry. It is stronger and is completely sealed, easy to disassemble.

    The Truth: The Pro-Drive was the first and is still making cast aluminum short tail frames. The Gator-Tail frame is the only all aluminum and stainless steel frame completely CNC machined. The computerized accuracy of the CNC machining station leaves you with parts that are unsurpassed in quality and tolerances, making for the best fit and finish and the most durable machine ever invented. As far as the strength of the frame is concerned, let me ask you something; "Do you think there is more stress on a 3' shaft or a 2' shaft?" Our 2 ' short tail has more bracing than the Hyper. It's no secret that the longer shaft will fail sooner under the same conditions it just plain physics. So is it really stronger? I bet not.

    Finish
    False Claim: The Hyper is the only short tail with a two-part marine powder coat finish for max corrosion resistance. We etch the aluminum, apply a rich Zinc undercoat and then bake the parts twice.

    The Truth: Fisher Beavertail is the only mud motor company to sand blast their frames for the ultimate powder coat adhesion. Also, it is well documented that Fisher Beavertail was the first to use a Zinc Rich undercoat primer on their frames. For Mud Buddy to make claims that they are the only company to use this process is deceiving and completely false.

    Tiger Propeller
    Claim: The Hyper propeller is a true surface running blade. Our proprietary stainless blade design is stronger and has excellent low and high-speed performance.

    The Truth: The tiger prop was invented by a fellow name Glen at Hopkins Propeller in LA. There is no special stainless steel in it. It is not stronger than any other prop. As a matter of fact you can buy the same tiger prop from Hopkins Propeller. It's not a magical piece of steel because it has stripes on it. Come on folks. What we have done with the Gator-Tail is gone to a good friend of ours named Randy Pierson. He is the owner of GP International. He is a retired Formula One race boat driver and was the best in the world in his field. He is the man we use to develop the Gator-Tail true surface drive prop. Kyle Broussard has been clocked on a GPS at over 34 mph with a 31 Vanguard. As far as we know, no short tail of that HP has ever ran that fast. This is all due to the expertise of GPI and their gang of high performance racers. They have volunteered there time to help us continue to build even a faster prop that we will make available to all short shaft owners. We are just getting started. If you want to see Randy and the gang at GPI on TV look for him in the upcoming Discovery series Monster Nation. By the way, Fisher Beavertail was also chosen for the Discovery show Monster nation. The filming is complete and will be airing in late Nov. You adrenaline junkies out there won't want to miss it.

    Price and Warranty
    False Claim: The Hyper is less expensive than its competition. As a matter of fact, hundreds less, and with more standard features. Plus you get a better warranty.

    The Truth: I would like to have someone explain to me how you can have more standard features on a motor, when all hypers don't come standard with power trim and tilt, electric clutch, and neutral. The Gator-Tail comes standard with all those things. So how does he get more standard features someone tell me? Plus, the Gator has a lifetime warranty on the bearings. Unless something has changed at MB he has a limited lifetime warranty on his bearings. So how is his warranty better? At Beavertail our equipment doesn't fail nor does our warranty and dedication to our customers.

    Reputation
    Claims: At Mud Buddy we are the official product of seven waterfowl associations, are a licensed DU product. We have long-term partners with the duck commander and the duck hunting websites and forums.

    The Truth: Let's talk straight about reputation. You can buy your way to look like whatever you want. People are greedy, its human nature and if you offer them money they will say whatever somebody wants them to say. I am going to make this very clear. At Fisher Beavertail we do not pay DU, waterfowl associations, champion duck callers, duck commander, duck hunting websites or any other organizations in our industry to say that our equipment is good. It is a bias opinion and claims are stated because of the money someone has paid them. Not because they have the best product. All of us at Fisher Beavertail support Delta, DU, MN, WI, MI and a endless list of other duck hunting associations through our donations to there chapter dinners and advertising. We do not pay someone to say our products work and the reality is we don't have to. The longevity of our company and the quality of all of our products speak for themselves.



    Beavertail has sat back and watched the false propaganda spread on the Internet websites and the forums for long enough. It is a shame that one has to force a competitor to tell the whole truth. But that's the world we live in. People do things for their own personal greed and its time they stop. I know alot of you out there are on the forums and you are not involved with Beavertail, Gator tail, Pro-Drive or Go-devil. But you may own some of there equipment. When you folks go on the forums you should be able to speak your mind freely with out being threatened with a law suit by the Mud Buddy organization for using you right to free speech. If you have something to say on the forums that you think will help a fellow hunter than say it. Do not be intimidated by these people.

    Service
    False insinuation: Mud Buddy does not rely on factory direct sales and wouldn't ask their customers to drive countless hours and hundreds of miles to test drive and service there motors.

    Truth: The real truth to this statement is this. Beavertail has over 100 dealers from Alaska to Florida, Maryland to California. We have access to 1000's of Kohler, Honda and Briggs authorized service centers. However there are millions of acres of land that is not covered by our dealers. That is where we step in. We will accommodate any customer anywhere in the United States and Canada. So you don't have to worry if there is not a dealer around you. Beavertail will take care of you and ship anything you order to your front door with no hassles. Maybe Mud Buddy should stop and think why people drive 100's and even 1000's of miles to purchase equipment from us at the factory. It's because they love to come and see us and when there are treated with the utmost respect they can't wait to come back and see us again. We are proud of the fact that people will drive half way across the country to come visit us. That speaks volumes about organization.



    Email us or call us toll free for our new DVD. This DVD is an intimate look inside the Beavertail organization. It covers every aspect of our production from Custom boats, blinds, Motors, Lay-down blinds, performance pods, Gator-Tail surface drive and the people that make it all happen.
    Good to talk, see you out there!

  2. #2
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    Here is the link to the article Mud Buddy Deception
    Good to talk, see you out there!

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    Speaking out against unscrupulous marketing.

    This morning, two loyal customers and a dealer called to tell me I should check out Beaverstail's website and Mark Fisher's comments about Mud Buddy and its products this year. Frankly, we are extremely busy and I had not seen their newest twist, but it wouldn't surprise me because as most of us know, this has become an annual affair. Every time Mark Fisher comes out with something new, they introduce their products by comparing them to Mud Buddy. A backhanded compliment of sort.

    The fact is, this is competition at its worst -- Beaversnail's annual marketing ritual to get a slice of the mud motor business. No matter how unfair, untruthful, mean spirited and unorthodox their style, the bikinis, Harleys, and borrowed wit from bags of Sam's Club fortune cookies; this is their way of winning over customers and apparently they believe it works.

    We saw this manner of marketing when we introduced the bearing drive, new laser frames, swivel assembly, universal covers, hardened drive shafts, longer lasting drives, powder coated mud motors, Tiger props and so on. It wasn't a year and they had the same, they claimed first, posted photos of our innovations as their own, had years of patent pendings that resulted in no patents, and a whole bag of gimmicks. The only gratifying part of the whole annual affair, was they were always playing catch up. We knew this year wouldn't be any different.

    This is the same Mark Fisher, a house painter that failed at numerous business ventures due to unethical marketing. The same Mark Fisher that copied the Go Devil frame and Mud Buddy bearing drive and marketed it as his innovations. The same Mark Fisher that has stolen copyrighted Mud Buddy advertising themes. The same Mark Fisher that printed a fake Duck Commander endorsement of his products without asking Phil Robertson. The same Mark Fisher that borrowed Mud Buddy patented bearing technology without permission and warned twice by patent attorneys to cease and desist. The same Mark Fisher that exploited women in his mud motor advertising, and subsequently who's ads were banned from one of the nation's leading waterfowl magazines. And the list goes on.

    We were compelled to check out the latest in Beavertail marketing, and were actually surprised to discovered a new set of whoppers this year. We didn't make it past the first web page before we saw our name. We decided to click into Fisher's world of mud motor marketing and boy, the spin master went out of his way this year. We were surprised to learn we are using Lenco power tilt and trim (??), Hopkins makes our Hyper Tiger propellers (??), they got speed data for a 29 Kawi at a dealership (no record of that dealer ever ordering a 29 Kawi)(???), our lawful patents are unfair, some college student invented the HyperDrive and the list went on. And, even though Mark Fisher never saw a short tail till Mud Buddy introduced them last year, he and his new partner now claims they were the first to design the HyperDrive.

    Emails and supporting phone calls are flowing in the past few weeks and customers ask. Is it illegal for Fisher to post blatant lies? Yes it is. Is this his new marketing campaign? He does it every year and doesn't care. Can he claim he invented your motor? Yes, anybody can claim anything and he does it every year. Can he claim he has patents pending? Yes he does this every year also, but never manages to get a patent. What will you do about it? We have threaten lawsuits in the past, but Fisher tells us that he will sell their marketing company before we can do anything about it. Other than this annual letter, he isn't worth our time.

    What really surprised us, and I'm sure it won't make these good people happy, was Fisher's assertion that Phil Robertson (the Duck Commander), ten state waterfowl associations, world class retriever trainers, Ducks Unlimited, national duck and goose calling champions and countless other leaders in our business were all bought by Mud Buddy. We have already heard from some and they are outraged at Beaverstail's new marketing campaign and slander, and he now managed to distance himself from these state and national groups as well. Frankly, they are all Mud Buddy partners and part of our pro staff team, and we are extremely happy to work with them and their organizations. It is really inappropriate for Fisher to cheapen the mutual relationship we have with them and the work we have done supporting calling and retriever events, nesting box programs, fund raisers and youth waterfowl events. His own home state Minnesota state waterfowl association came to us and asked for a partnership to improve waterfowl habitat. It is easy to see why they approached us first.

    The latest Beavertail web site comparison list went on and on with out-right lies, and the imaginary comparisons got bigger and more outlandish as we waded through the red type. We even learned that our trademarks and patents are considered by him unethical, a new twist.

    Beavertail was doomed when the Hyper hit the streets and their new marketing strategy reflects his attempt to wiggle back into the mud motor business. There is a bright side to this. For you see, customers are wise and those that alerted me to the new Beavertail marketing campaign, were ironically calling to order a HyperDrive.

    I really do dislike writing this annual letter, and having to explain away his lies and exaggerations, but I am obligated to do so for our customers, investors and great employees.

    So, my high road letter this year remains the same. We are not going to engage in this sort of marketing and are hoping Fisher cleans up his act. We ask well educated and well informed customers to check out the products before buying them, go for a test ride and make a wise choice. We have been doing this for over 10 years and are the largest and best known company in the industry for many good reasons. The Hyper has many great qualities and has changed the mud motor world for years to come. Its features are well designed and professionally manufactured in one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities in America. Our partnerships are true and solid and you can count on us being here for you, year after year.

    So, take time and get to know the good people at Mud Buddy, real people with great families who are dedicated to you, our company and the outstanding products they produce. No matter what marketing angle our competitors take, you can never undermine our determination to do what is right.
    .
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    Where is Nab?
    It's not enough to simply tolerate the 2nd Amendment as an antiquated inconvenience. Caring for the 2nd Amendment means fighting to restore long lost rights.

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    I don't think that hes read it yet, a buddy of mine called me tonite and told me about it when he found it on beavertails site, i think its pretty interesting.
    Good to talk, see you out there!

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    Nothing detrimental meaning to be implied, but this ought to light his ass up.
    It's not enough to simply tolerate the 2nd Amendment as an antiquated inconvenience. Caring for the 2nd Amendment means fighting to restore long lost rights.

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    it should have no effect on him dealing with Go-Devils. This was an attack on mud buddy and i would like to see how they are gonna handle it.
    Good to talk, see you out there!

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    My head hurts:bsod:
    easy livin'

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    It's old news. Nab has seen it. Both of those letters have been on BT's and MB's web sites for months.
    .
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    Originally posted by Duckman#1:
    It's old news. Nab has seen it. Both of those letters have been on BT's and MB's web sites for months.
    [img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img] Take that BSD [img]tongue.gif[/img]
    More fuel = more boost!!

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    What a damn mess. I've never seen so much crap. A new interested buyer will have to wade through all this crap just to check one of these motors out. I think Marc makes a hell of a nice call. I've won many contests and killed a fair amount of birds pushin' air through one. I'm not going to start telling how bad another call is before I tell you how good his is. What kind of marketing strategy is going on here? A good sales pitch doesn't start with "They stole this idea form us". What a bunch of nerds!
    When I was younger I always used to hear that practice makes perfect. Later I heard that nobody's perfect. So, I just stopped practicing.

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    K, theres nothing for me to take, i copied this strait off the beavertail website and even gave a link! I just thought others might be interested but on the other hand I would love to see MUDBUDDY DEFEND WHAT THEY CALL ALLOGATIONS! So far all I see is Beavertail with facts and if you read the whole article its not all about beavertail! They mention other companies as well! Lets see where it goes in the corporate world.........
    Good to talk, see you out there!

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    Who gives a shit? Do you even own a mud motor BSD? If so is it a new short tail? If not then why would you even begin to start talkin' trash. Sounds like you ready to fight over something that doesn't even concern you.
    When I was younger I always used to hear that practice makes perfect. Later I heard that nobody's perfect. So, I just stopped practicing.

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    My head hurts. [img]graemlins/bsod.gif[/img]
    easy livin'

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    So far all I see is Beavertail
    How are they facts? Just because they put it in a letter on their web site. I know for a fact Mark Fisher is a lier! Of course he did'nt know I owned a go devil at the time. I don't think there is a single BT dealer in SC is there?
    .
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    [img]graemlins/confused.gif[/img] I thought Pro-Drive had the best short tailed shallow drive motor [img]graemlins/confused.gif[/img]
    Like the eunuch said to Mussolini \"I haven\'t got one and if I did I wouldn\'t show it to you.\"

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    All depends on who ya ask.
    .
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    Beavertail Website Slander and False Advertising

    Every year Beavertail manufacture introduces its newest models by comparing them to Mud Buddy. Their goal is to convince customers that their products, for the most part, copies of other products in the industry, are superior for the purpose of gaining an undeserved share of the market.
    And every year, we are forced to respond to Mark Fisher's misleading comments and false product advertising. We take no joy in responding to Beavertail's irresponsible actions again this year, and hopefully this will not take away from a positive visit to our new website.
    2004 Beavertail Marketing Campaign: Recently, Mark Fisher of Beavertail partnered with Gator Tail of Louisiana to market motors built by Gator Tail. Fisher's attempt to build mud motors in the past has apparently failed and the new partnership is designed to allow Beavertail to work as a sales office for the new mud motor company.

    Mark Fisher, President of Fisher Beavertail and the person responsible for his website, his own comments, and website content, took product information from the copyrighted Mud Buddy website with the goal of twisting its description, features and product data into something evil. This was an attempt to undermine the credibility of our name and products. His other goal was to discredit our short tail while simultaneously promoting features of the Gator Tail mud motor of Louisiana. This unusual approach to business concerns us and we strongly object.
    Mud Buddy response is in blue.
    Fisher's web comments are in black and red.
    __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________

    Beavertail Web Site Quote: False Claim: The Hyper is a unique Mud Buddy creation. It was designed, engineered, tested and was the first short tail mud motor offered to the American public.
    The Hyper was invented 5 years ago. I would like you to read a quote from the Mud Buddy web site dated 5/21/2004. I quote "Last year, a bright and innovative new company released a new backwater design that was a combination of outboard and mud motor, quickly caught the attention of the sportsman and caught the attention of Mud Buddy and their designers."

    The short tail was the invention of mechanical engineer Kyle Broussard of Lauraville, LA. The Gator-Tail belt driven surface drive was engineered, designed 4 years ago as a University of LA engineering project. This motor was then put through extensive testing for 3 years in the most inhospitable environment I have ever seen, the salt-water swamps of south LA. Kyle was the first one to bring the motor to the American public. This is well documented. At last years Louisiana Sportsman show Kyle and his new invention where on display and for sale to the general public. At this show the owner of Mud Buddy Mfg, Glen Foreman got his first glimpse of a Gator-Tail surface drive motor using gear reduction and belt driven.

    __________________________________________________ ______

    Fisher's comments are false:
    The copyrighted Mud Buddy quote was taken out of context and our compliments were posted in reference to another mud motor manufacturer in Louisiana and their new outboard motor, not to an unknown mud motor, the GatorTail from Louisiana.

    We congratulate Gator Tail for building a short tail. It is not unique and certainly not new. Beavertail's attempt to paint a picture that they somehow have an industry first or an invention is unfounded and chronologically incorrect.

    Short tails were not invented by Kyle Broussard of Lauraville, Louisiana. The short tail design has been in use for decades around the world, predominantly, in the orient. They have belt, chain and gear drives in many shapes and forms. The surface drive has been in existence for over a quarter century. Mud Buddy researched those designs over the years, purchased and tested surface propellers from the U.S. and Malaysia, and worked on numerous outdrives. The Hyper is Mud Buddy's most recent design and was released to the American public last fall.

    The first time Mud Buddy saw the Gator Tail was at the Louisiana sport show this past spring. The design is similar to the Hyper, and our first concern was they had seen it in testing last year in the central Louisiana area . Upon close inspection, it was clear it was a prototype and appeared to be made in a high school shop class. We also approached Kyle Broussard and introduced ourselves and complimented him on his efforts. We saw his shorttail design and drive and asked if he was aware of our bearing and seal patents. He had no response and we are still investigating Gator Tail components to determine if they infringe on the Mud Buddy HyperDrive drive patents.

    Gator Tail owners were not the first to bring the short tail to the American public. The Mud Buddy Hyper was in testing in the hands of select public last year. Prototypes and test motors were distributed around the nation last fall and winter. Our surface drive tests and purchase of surface drive propellers date back over 5 years. The Duck Commander used the Hyper in his 2003 filmed video "Dead or Alive." The Hyper was released for sale to the general public last fall and was made available through national advertising in February of 2004. There were 400 Hyper castings in production, a new Hyper factory was already built, and production in progress before the Louisiana public first saw a Gator Tail in March of 2004.
    __________________________________________________ _____

    Beavertail Web Site: The Gator-Tail is in the patent pending stage. The belt driven surface drive from MB is not patented, even though it says it on the back of the frame in bold letters. It should be clearly stated that it is a surface drive with patented seals and bearing housing.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    Mud Buddy has two HyperDrive patents and the numbers are clearly displayed on the Hyperdrive.

    __________________________________________________ _____

    The Gator-Tail 27hp Kohler is exclusive to Beavertail Mfg only. The motor has never been run by anybody in the Mud Buddy organization. Also, the Gator 27 has reached speeds of over 28MPH on a GPS with a 17' all welded Beavertail Custom Jon. I personally went down and visited the Boat Doctor in LA. For those of you who don't know, he was the first dealer in LA to have a Hyper. I asked him the top speed reached with a 29 Kawasaki Hyper on a 17' gator trax boat. His answer, I quote "I ran a maximum speed of 26.3 mph on a GPS."

    __________________________________________________ ____________________
    Another Fisher Error:
    False: The Boat Doctor was not the first dealer to have a Hyper in Louisiana. Gator Trax has had a HyperDrive in testing since last duck season.

    Boat Doctor Quote: "We have never purchased a 29 Kawasaki and has never driven one, and have never given Mark Fisher any speed ratings for that motor. Mark Fisher visited our retail store, took a great deal of time inspecting many parts of the HyperDrive and never introduced himself as Mark Fisher."

    __________________________________________________ _______________

    Beavertail: Overall our 3' drive is the most effective short tail drive available.

    The Truth: The Gator-Tail when originally developed by Kyle B. used a 3' shaft and after years of running he has found absolutely no benefits to the longer drive shaft.

    In fact, the longer drive shaft simply put more stress, leverage and fatigue onto the driver with no added benefit in the mud. As a matter of fact the Gator-Tail reached better top end speeds than the 3' shaft that was tested. Once again we end up with the same conclusion, a false and unsubstantiated claim by the Mud Buddy organization.

    __________________________________________________ ______________

    Mud Buddy Response:

    Fisher has never built a short tail, has never tested one and has no knowledge of short tail design or performance.

    Slander and False: We tested both the 2' and 3' as well as the 4' and many increments in between. As said by Beavertail, the 3' adds more stress and leverage and the Gator Tail design will not hold up with longer drive lengths. Thus it requires more engineering, stronger frame and cost. Since we have tested both and prefer the performance of the 3' drive, and choose to incur the engineering and other costs for a stronger frame, these facts speak highly of our 3' drive. It would have been easier and less expensive to build the 2' drive, however we invested in the industry's superior strong aluminum castings and the optimum 3' drive.

    __________________________________________________ ____________________

    Beavertail statement: Power Trim and Tilt

    False Claim: The Hyper power trim and tilt is standard on all models. The larger models get electric T&T and the smaller motors have a hydraulic assist T&T. It is the fastest electric tilt and trim available. Now, which one is it? Power trim is standard on all or some get hydraulic assist? I guess power trim is the same as hydraulic assist at Mud Buddy.

    The Truth: The Gator-Tail uses power trim and tilt on all models available. Not hydraulic assist, true power trim. The real difference lies in the design of the trim and tilt. The Gator has strategically placed the power trim actuator under the engine. This keeps it protected and out of the mud and water. This is not the case with the competitions; the MB actuator runs vertical and is more susceptible to the mud and water, unnecessarily exposing it to the elements. As far as the Mud Buddy claim about the speed of the actuator being the fastest trim and tilt. This also is a False. We us electric actuators from the same trim tab company, Lenco. There is no difference.

    __________________________________________________ ______________________

    Mud Buddy response is:
    False: Mud Buddy does not use Lenco actuators. We tested them, but went with a proprietary custom built actuator not available to Beavertail. Fisher first saw this application when he visited the Mud Buddy dealer, the Boat Doctor in Louisiana early this summer. They copied the concept and now claim to have the same, but it is not.

    True: We tested the Lenco and our current actuator. The actuator we use is faster.

    Fact: The Mud Buddy HyperDrive actuator will not be damaged by water and mud. Marine actuators are designed to run under the water. The Hyper actuator is mounted between the outdrive and transom, above the bottom of the boat and the bottom of the outdrive, and is protected my a mounting assembly.

    True: Mud Buddy Hyper have hydraulic and electric tilt and trim units. We have ten short tail models, Gator Tail has three. Our larger units, 29 Kawi, 31 & 35 have electric tilt and trim standard, the smaller models have a push button hydraulic assist.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Web
    Floating Handle
    False Claim: This feature was introduced by Mud Buddy, with a long list of firsts in the short tail world. Even the word Floating Handle is a trademark of Mud Buddy.

    The Truth: The floating handle was invented originally by Gator-Tail, years ago. Every single one of Kyle's motor has had and will continue to have a floating handle this is no secret. When Kyle invented the Gator-Tail he thought out everything. This was one of the first things he addressed. Kyle called it a break away handle. So when you run a Gator-Tail with the floating handle, it will allow you to stand and operate the motor and match your height comfortably. This is if you choose to stand and operate the motor. I would recommend sitting its makes the ride a breeze and with the 2' shaft there is no stress or strain on the operator. So Mud Buddy was not the first to invent the floating handle. MB saw the Gator-Tail with a floating handle at the LA Sportsman show. As a matter of fact Mud Buddy read through Gator-Tails literature at the show. After reviewing the literature and being impressed with the term Quick Trim, Glen Foreman ran back to Utah and trademarked it. Kyle B, of Gator-Tail to explain the trim and tilt system on his motor, used the term Quick Trim. This is also well documented. What MB did was legal, just not very ethical business. We shouldn't be surprised.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    True: Mud Buddy was the first to introduce the Floating Handle ™ .

    True: Gator Tail does call their handle a break away. Fisher now calls it the floating handle. He has been warned not to use our trademark names, our advertising themes and slogans on many occasions. He does this to confuse the public into thinking they have the unique Mud Buddy innovations.

    Fact: The Gator Tail at the Sportsman show did not have a floating handle. We explicitly asked this knowing we had designed it and were considering a patent on the innovation. The name Floating Handle ™ is a trademark of Mud Buddy Manufacturing and we object to Beavertail using it in their advertising.

    False: We never read Gator Tail literature and thus couldn't be impressed. We never ran back to Utah after reading a brochure. We never trademarked the word "quick trim." And Fisher claims this is all well documented. ????? (an amazing exaggeration, speculation, and a marketing spin.)

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Web
    Neutral-Simple and Effective
    False Claim: Hyper drive does not require neutral, additional moving parts, its limited warranty, or its added cost. Most short tail drive failures with clutch resulted when the drive was engaged while up against a rock, log, or the bottom. Yes we have driven other motors with neutral and do think it has a function, but the Hyper frankly is different and doesn't need it. "Boy is this a myth of gargantuan proportion!!"

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    True: Short tail clutch failures are due to the clutches being engaged while the propeller was against an obstacle. It lays the armature tabs over due to the engagement.

    Neutral is important when a product has its balance point forward of the motor and is difficult to lift in and out of the water. The Gator Tail's pivot point is in front of the engine and is weighted backwards and much heavier to lift when using the handle. Weighted back like an outboard and difficult to lift.

    The Hyper balance point is under the engine and little effort is needed to lift the prop out of the water, sitting or standing. And, we can lift the propeller in and out of the water three times before we could reach a neutral switch. Then we would have to again reach for the switch, engage the drive to move forward. Simply stated before and now, the Hyper is a true mud motor and neutral is not needed with the HyperDrive due to our engineered balanced drive. We are considering a neutral for the future, but at this point don't need it, and the added cost on the HyperDrive. The HyperDrive is less expensive and more effective when in tough conditions.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    The Truth: First of all, the reason the Mud Buddy doesn't have a neutral is because the motor was rushed to the market without proper testing in the field. The result is that the motor's lower unit is cast out of aluminum and once a mold is made it cannot be changed without heavy financial cost.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    Slander: Saying Mud Buddy was rushed to the market without testing is wrong and irresponsible. Seventeen prototypes were built and tested in the west, south and east coast the past two years. Fisher is attempting to discredit the reliability of our product. The legal term for this is torturous interference, an act of demarketing a competitors product and interfering with its delivery to the consumer.

    True: Mud Buddy has a cast aluminum main frame. The design, molds and casting are a one year project alone. Rushed is a poor and slanderous choice of words for this large investment, time consuming engineering, and this arduous manufacturing process used by the most advanced and best products on the market. Example: Engines and outboard motors have cast aluminum components.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    If you have never run a Gator-Tail with the electric clutch you are missing it. I have spoken with customers that have taken a Hyper for a drive and then the Gator-Tail with the neutral. The faces light up when they use the neutral. We won't ask you to hold your motor out of the water or shut it off when putting decoys out, loading the boat, warming the motor up, and loading onto the trailer not to mention the safety factor.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    False: You don't have to shut off or hold up the Hyper to load it on a trailer or to pick up decoys. The Hyper is balanced like a longtail and all you have to do is tilt the drive forward. Much faster than reaching to put the motor in neutral, and then once more to engage the drive to move a few feet forward.

    True: The Hyper also has power tilt and trim. You can simply lift the propeller up and out of the water when the engine is running by using the tilt control switch. But it is much easier and certainly quicker to just lift the prop with the handle on our balanced drive.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    Aluminum Frame
    False Claim: Mud Buddy offers the only manufactured cast aluminum short tail frame in the industry. It is stronger and is completely sealed, easy to disassemble.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    True: Mud Buddy is the only short tail mud motor manufacture to build a cast aluminum outdrive. There is an outboard mud motor that has a cast aluminum frame, but it is not the same design as a short tail Hyper.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    The Truth: The Gator-Tail frame is the only all aluminum and stainless steel frame completely CNC machined. The computerized accuracy of the CNC machining station leaves you with parts that are unsurpassed in quality and tolerances, making for the best fit and finish and the most durable machine ever invented. As far as the strength of the frame is concerned, let me ask you something; "Do you think there is more stress on a 3' shaft or a 2' shaft?" Our 2 ' short tail has more bracing than the Hyper. It's no secret that the longer shaft will fail sooner under the same conditions it just plain physics. So is it really stronger? I bet not.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    Mud Buddy does CNC its cast aluminum outdrive, its drive bearing assemblies and its drive tube. What makes Gator Tail CNC processes so different to be advertised as the only CNC machined frame. This is additional Beavertail false advertising and a spin on an inferior outdrive, in order to compete with Mud Buddy's superior cast aluminum frame.

    True: The HyperDrive uses a 3' cast aluminum, three-piece outdrive and, yes we had to engineer the Hyper frame stronger than if we used the 2' drive frame.

    Slander: Fisher is making predictions and assumptions to state that the Mud Buddy drive will fail based on Mark Fisher physics. I don't believe Fisher has the education, expertise and certainly does not have the engineer drawings and stress calculations of the Hyper to make those remarks. This is again, inappropriate and is intended to create doubt in the quality of a Hyper.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    Finish
    False Claim: The Hyper is the only short tail with a two-part marine powder coat finish for max corrosion resistance. We etch the aluminum, apply a rich Zinc undercoat and then bake the parts twice.

    The Truth: Fisher Beavertail is the only mud motor company to sand blast their frames for the ultimate powder coat adhesion. Also, it is well documented that Fisher Beavertail was the first to use a Zinc Rich undercoat primer on their frames. For Mud Buddy to make claims that they are the only company to use this process is deceiving and completely false.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    True: Beavertail longtail frames recently use powder coating, a great feature that Mud Buddy has used for 7 years.

    The Gator Tail frame is powder coated? The Gator Tail at the Superdome in Louisiana was not powder coated. Fisher does not manufacture the Gator Tail. Unless something has changed. Buyer beware...

    True: Mud Buddy frames are sandblasted, short tails and longtails. It is a common powder coating practice and Mud Buddy has been prepping their frames this way for many years. It is part of the powder coating process. Fisher says his are the only frames that are sand blasted. False advertising.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    Tiger Propeller
    Claim: The Hyper propeller is a true surface running blade. Our proprietary stainless blade design is stronger and has excellent low and high-speed performance.

    The Truth: The tiger prop was invented by a fellow name Glen at Hopkins Propeller in LA. There is no special stainless steel in it. It is not stronger than any other prop. As a matter of fact you can buy the same tiger prop from Hopkins Propeller. It's not a magical piece of steel because it has stripes on it. Come on folks.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    Hopkins propeller did no invent nor do they build the Hyper Tiger Propeller. The Tiger propeller is built at two different locations. Tiger is a trademark of Mud Buddy not Hopkins propeller. Mud Buddy engineers designed the Tiger Propeller and we have been selling them as the Tiger propeller for the past four years.

    Hopkins Propeller and their talented employees build our 5 though 13 horse propeller. They are remarkable propellers and we plan on using them for years.

    You can not buy the Hyper Tiger propeller or Tiger Propeller from Hopkins in Louisiana. They can't and will not sell you our brand of propellers.

    Mud Buddy propellers are different than all other mud motor propellers. The stainless metal and hardness are different.

    The Gator Tail website has a different speed than Fisher reports for the 31 Vanguard. If I was a customer I would get this in writing or ask for a refund if the 31 Van Gator Tail you buy doesn't run 34 mph. Buyer beware...

    Mud Buddy tests and posts its speeds on regular duck hunting boats. We also post customer performance reports on this website to help customers understand true speeds for boat and motor matches.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    Price and Warranty

    False Claim: The Hyper is less expensive than its competition. As a matter of fact, hundreds less.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    True: The Mud Buddy HyperDrive is less expensive, hundreds less.

    Hyper 27 $3695 Beavertail 27 $4150
    Hyper 29 $3995 Beavertail 29 $4325.
    Hyper 31 $4345 Beavertail 31 $4511.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    At Beavertail our equipment doesn't fail nor does our warranty and dedication to our customers.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    "At Beavertail our equipment does not fail." There is a reason Beavertail failed at making mud motors and now sells products for other small companies. That is false advertising.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    Reputation
    Claims: At Mud Buddy we are the official product of seven waterfowl associations, are a licensed DU product. We have long-term partners with the duck commander and the duck hunting websites and forums.

    The Truth: Let's talk straight about reputation. You can buy your way to look like whatever you want. People are greedy, its human nature and if you offer them money they will say whatever somebody wants them to say. I am going to make this very clear. At Fisher Beavertail we do not pay DU, waterfowl associations, champion duck callers, duck commander, duck hunting websites or any other organizations in our industry to say that our equipment is good. It is a bias opinion and claims are stated because of the money someone has paid them. Not because they have the best product. All of us at Fisher Beavertail support Delta, DU, MN, WI, MI and a endless list of other duck hunting associations through our donations to there chapter dinners and advertising. We do not pay someone to say our products work and the reality is we don't have to. The longevity of our company and the quality of all of our products speak for themselves.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    This is slander and a discredit to our wonderful friends in the industry: What really surprised us, and I'm sure it won't make these good people happy, is Fisher's assertion that Phil Robertson (the Duck Commander), ten state waterfowl associations including Beavertail's home state Minnesota State Waterfowl Association, world class retriever trainers, Ducks Unlimited, national duck and goose calling champions and countless other leaders in our business were all bought by Mud Buddy. We have already heard from some and they are outraged at Beavertail's new marketing campaign and slander. One state waterfowl association has already notified its members of the slanderous remarks.

    Frankly, they are all Mud Buddy partners and part of our pro staff team, and we are extremely happy to work with them and their organizations. It is really inappropriate for Fisher to cheapen the mutual relationship we have with them and the work we have done supporting calling and retriever events, nesting box programs, fund raisers and youth waterfowl events.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail Website
    Service
    False insinuation: Mud Buddy does not rely on factory direct sales and wouldn't ask their customers to drive countless hours and hundreds of miles to test drive and service there motors.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    True: It is plain, Mud Buddy does not rely on factory direct sales and wouldn't ask their customers to drive countless hours and hundreds of miles to test drive and service their motors. We have over 200 great dealers across the nation and service centers in every large community. Fisher calls this a false insinuation. What ???????

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Beavertail has sat back and watched the false propaganda spread on the Internet websites and the forums for long enough. It is a shame that one has to force a competitor to tell the whole truth. But that's the world we live in. People do things for their own personal greed and its time they stop.

    __________________________________________________ ____

    Mud Buddy response is:
    There is false propaganda, but it is in red and black all over this page and replete on Beavertail's website. These Beavertail comments are noted, are slanderous, are false advertising and irresponsible.

    Beavertail is truly worried about the HyperDrive and has chosen an unusual way to promote Gator Tail's new mud motor. Fisher's entire exercise is a marketing blunder on his part. He has not impressed us with his manufacturing and marketing skills, and it is hopeful his new partner at Gator Tail doesn't condone this manner of promoting their name. It reeks of slander, spin and desperation. It truly displeases us.

    Note: We have asked Mark Fishier to remove the lies and false advertising from his website and he has not responded.
    .
    80-20 Genaration

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