# What is wrong with the Mirage Drive?



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

I've read a heck of a lot of reports re: broken Mirage Drives. (Another this morning.) What happens?

Hobie is mighty proud of their yaks as seen in the cost so they ought to build a
really sturdy drive. How much does a replacement drive cost? Are there any after market parts available?

I know they don't work well in this area with all of our rocks and oysters. I seldom see one here other than guys who boat ride up and down the river and in deeper water.


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

I've wondered the same thing. I read about broken drives all the time.
Good questions.


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

The only time I had problems with mine is when it started to slip. I tightened the cables regularly and keep it cleaned. No problems since


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

If someone can figure out how to make an aftermarket drive that is built differently but fits in the slot of a hobie mirage drive and is cheaper they could make a lot of money. It would also put some competition on Hobie and force them to make their prices more reasonable. Those mirage drives are really cheaply built to cost so much, IMO.


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

Have had no issues over the last two years, so don't know


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## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

PAWGhunter said:


> Have had no issues over the last two years, so don't know


and I abuse the crap out of my drive!


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

PAWGhunter said:


> Have had no issues over the last two years, so don't know


Same here. Tore the fin at the mast once, but it was my fault. Easy fix.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

I personally believe the guy pedaling has as much to do with it as the quality of drive.

With turbo fins and from a stop, there is a good amount of force put on the drive if you take off balls to the wall. I do that and Ive broken more then my fair share of drive parts.

I read a post online from a long time Hobie Dealer and he seems to think the same thing. He basically said that most guys that were breaking stuff used turbo fins and pedaled really hard.

I do think they may be a bit over priced, but thats what happens when you have no competition and I can honestly say its been worth it. Hell, Ive bought five Hobies in less than nine months.


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## Flatspro (Oct 3, 2007)

I have broken a few parts on my drive. I have learned to keep spare parts in the truck when traveling or fishing tournaments with tools. Most parts are relatively cheap Like a pulley wheel is $5 extra chain and cable $18 whole drive spine $22 I just keep spares and I can rebuild a drive in about 30 minutes as long as I have parts.


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## Drew Mixon (Oct 4, 2007)

a heck of a lot of broken drives/broken all the time? dang, it must be an epidemic. with the hundreds-or even thousands of posters who have hobie mirage drives i think i can probably count on two hands the number of broken drives i've personally heard about. and most of those are the simple fix of a new chain drive or replacing a worn pulley. perhaps when someone who does not know the mirage drive very well, hears that a blade/fin had failed, they lump that into the category of 'mirage drive failures?' the fins/blades are wear items--like a belt on your car. they should last a long time, but can fail. just plastic and rubber. certainly any mechanical device can--and absolutely will--fail from time to time, but i think 'a heck of a lot of broken drives' is sour grapes. spare parts, as chad said, are fairly cheap. i dont know of any aftermarket--there really is not a market for it. for the few things that can or might break, it would take a lot of manufacturing dollars to reap the rewards of only a few bucks. i expect an aftermarket chain drive would probably cost more than an OEM, due to the limited production. 
and a 'broken mirage drive', one does not simply throw away and purchase a new one. LOL. however, a broken paddle--$250 or more for a quality paddle, would most likely be a lawn ornament. 
the mirage drive has been around for 10 years now. in that time, thousand and thousands have been on the water for hundreds of thousands of hours. thats a lot of drives and a lot of use. the simple law of averages dictates there will be failures.

ken, i fished crystal river many many times. worked at CR3 numerous times in MI/ENG. heading down the river to the gulf is a looooong paddle from king springs. i dont envy that for anyone. seemed to take forever even in my pathfinder.
i think more than anything, the lack of a dealer predicates the lack of Hobies in that area, or it could be price and clientele. most of the kayaks ive seen in that area are the cheapo SOT rental quality boats, with the exception of a few ocean kayaks---still the lower end models. evidently there is just not a market for hobies in CR.
as far as oysters and rocks, they do work on the rubber portions of the fins/blades. but this would have little to do with life expectancy of the drive system. no more than the oyster beds we fish here in the ft. pierce area--or the ones throughout the whole eastern seaboard, or any other place. the limestone reefs in your area can sure do a number on boat hulls, but anyone with a hobie should/would know how to negotiate their boats no differently than any other plastic boat, or a hobie in any other area, to keep the fins/blades from excessive wear or damage. 

cheers.
drew


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## Ginzu (Nov 16, 2011)

I think JD is right on the money. Hard peddling + LOTS of offshore trips had a lot to do with all the failures I had within the first year of purchasing my PA. Snapped all three of the cables, cracked pulley wheel, broke both peddle masts, and I religiously rinse and lube my MD. I now carry several spare parts in the yak and some tools. Also upgraded my paddle to a longer and lighter one than the Hobie stock, which I never leave the shore without. The MD is a great piece of machinery, but like all things mechanical it will eventually fail.


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## Team Hobie (Oct 9, 2007)

I've had 5 sets of pedals for more than 6 years each. In that time I have snapped one cable. These things are mechanical in a salt water environment. Harsh conditions and I treat them very rough. They have not let me down yet.

I would and have bought them religiously.

Ted


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## rufus1138 (Oct 29, 2012)

lol my arms have never fallen off and i dont think ill be breaking any paddles soon, ill stick with the good old fashioned way, same with my old school dacron sails, free power no maintenance no worries.


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## Redalert08 (May 30, 2011)

A mirage drive typically last 8-12 months without any problems depending on how hard you go and how well you clean it up after a long day of salt, i do what chad does i have a extra chain and pully along with the right tools for the job i had my first problem last week pully broke hobie coverd it didnt cost me a dime and only took 5 mins to fix!

thanks chase


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## Sunjammers (Jan 23, 2013)

We have very little problems on drives less that 3 years old. When we do have issues it;s usually the same people over and over. The majority of them have turbo fins and try to sprint out of the box. It's kinda like redlineinga motor and then throwing it in gear over and over


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