Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Good day to all
I am in the process of putting together a 18' Polyethylene pontoon boat which my intent is to deck it out more for fishing than anything else.
In my travels I have come across a 55hp Dynajet motor that can be had for a song.
Does anyone have any experience with one of these motors and how might this work on a pontoon application.

The company says they work well but I sure would like some more feed back.

Dura-jet is just a jet drive system you can put on an engine

Thanks for your reply but I know about the motor. I am hoping to find someone that has one in use or at least knowns someone that did.

Not a lot different that a Jet-Ski, from what I understand. I know people who have / had jet-ski's, and the number 1 complaint I got from them was that the jet propulsion unit would get clogged. Now this is in Kansas, where most lakes are mud bottom, and the rivers feeding them are the same. You get the idea that most lakes here are considered to be fairly dirty water.

I would think that for a fishing boat / pontoon, you would want a propeller drive engine, so that you would be much less likely for complete failure in a dirty water lake or river. However I do know that in the Ozarks ( Missouri / Arkansas ) where I go canoeing quite often, most of those river running boats use the Jet Drive system. The rivers there are very clear, and most times you can see the rock bottom.

Hope this helps you at least a little.

2 things i wouldnt like about that....

1. You have to 'goose' the power to have turning capability... ie the jet has to be putting out thrust or there is no steering ability.
2. There is a big lag when going from forward to reverse. One that might be too long if youre about to hit something... like when docking or trailering....
Or even hitting something else for that matter...

Also keep in mind a jet will not have as much horsepower as a prop with the same motor.

I guess you old bastards pissed this drive-by off cause you haven't owned any DuraCraft motors.
I was gonna tell him that I've owned 6 duraCraft motors in the past and they've all been crap, but I'm not now.

Parasympathetic wrote:I guess you old bastards pissed this drive-by off cause you haven't owned any DuraCraft motors.
I was gonna tell him that I've owned 6 duraCraft motors in the past and they've all been crap, but I'm not now.

No that would not be the case as I have been around it is that I don't have anything constructive to post as I find myself in a bad place.
On the one hand the posts that have been posted so far are completely wrong if I was to believe what Durajet's website says and what I have found on other forums.
With this post being my third post on this site I felt it would be better to wait and hopefuly someone that has one or someone with a few more posts than me would come in and clear things up.

PS; My post was about Durajet not about the 6 duraCraft you have owned and you would think you would learn a lesson off the first 2 or 3 but I guess not if you have owned 6.

But thanks for the warm welcome.

There just trying to help you see you can't always believe someone web site.

I checked on the jet add ons a while back and they all seem to put out less power and where made for a single purpose at the time.

HandymanHerb wrote:There just trying to help you see you can't always believe someone web site.

I checked on the jet add ons a while back and they all seem to put out less power and where made for a single purpose at the time.

Just incase we are not talking about the same thing.

http://www.premiermarine.us/durajet-propeller.php

Looks very intresting

I haven't posted as I to thought you meant jet drive.

I think for skiers and such It would be good also in weedy areas

OK you might be right, that looks like a souped up Prop Guard and I love mine as you get some jet effect out of it, but I love to hear from someone with first hand use.

If it can really make you gain speed with it all the better, safer for wildlife too.

Looks cool, what does it cost?

Yeah looks like a good idea. I'd like to see performance stats, etc. though. I'd buy it if it performed as advertised.

I was lucky as I bought this thru a Police auction and I was the only bidder. You can check out there web site they have a price page and available motors from that link.

The motor I got has the Protector jet housing

http://www.premiermarine.us/durajet-rescue.php

From there site: The Enforcer has greater flow rate and can lift heavier loads than the Protector. The Protector is cast a little bit lighter and the rotor housing is thinner allowing for more speed (1-2 MPH) when used on light craft. Currently, the Enforcer is sold exclusively to military, commercial and first responders.

Mine has( 11.5 hours on the hour meter which say's Property of the US goverment )

The down side of what I have found.
It is a bare bone set up, no electric start which will be changed as it starts real good but if you had to pull the cord more than once I think a investment of a starter motor would be a deffinate plus.
The motor is heavy ( 55lbs more than a stock version ) as I am sure one of my nuts is bigger than the other.

Being I am one of those people that can't leave things alone, I have decided to remove the outer housing and have the inside polished as it is a cast part with fairly ruff walls.
I also believe the prop would benifit from this also.

Either way it will be used to power the plastic toon.
Would something like this be of interest to anyone if I was to take pictures?

We are all walking on water up here so if anyone does come up with some more info good or bad I would still be very interested in hearing.

We don't care if it is a $1.00 pontoon or a $1000,000.00 pontoon we live for pics.

Are you using the plastic logs that snap together? someone did a toon with those and had a hell of a time with fit and cross member connections.