Hobie MD180 drive exploded

What options do I have to get back on the water?
2017 Outback.

You can get a replacement spline which is the entire lower half of the drive.  Not cheap, but also not too hard to replace.  I recently replaced one of mine

Your options are as follows:

1.) Throw it in the trash and sell the rest of your fishing gear. You're done! 

2.) Source the required new parts, cry a little bit on money spent, get over it and get it done.  Get back out and slay more sea kittens.


Try to source your new parts where you can pick them up. Hobie likes to require $9.99 shipping for everything regardless of how small the part is.

If you can bear staying off the water till you find a used one, you might be able to pick up a used V2 Mirage Drive for just a little more than the price of the replacement spline... You wouldn't have to worry about the apparently shoddily engineered 180 drive anymore.

The dependability issues surrounding the 180 drive make me leery of owning one.

The dependability issues surrounding the 180 drive make me leery of owning one.

How common is a 180 failure, more than a V2?

The dependability issues surrounding the 180 drive make me leery of owning one.

How common is a 180 failure, more than a V2?

I don't have data on that -- I imagine Hobie or Hobie dealers have those data.

Anecdotally, I see posts about 180 failures with much more frequency than posts about V2 failures. Also, it sounds like the 180 failures are much more expensive to fix (could explain why those failures have increased visibility over V2!).

I should have been more specific.

I'm trying to figure out what part number is a direct replacement.  Mine is a 2017 model.  I think 2018 changed.  I think 2018 has a different piece (I think they're called "booms") that connect the fins to the spine. 

Is it possible to buy the newer (is that V2?) spine and fit my current MD180 turbo fins to it without having to buy new "booms"?

Can I buy a new spine that has the kick-up fin option and attach my current fins to it?

Would a Mirage Drive GT work in my 2017?  Part number 80010501.  I can buy a new one of those with new ST Turbo fins for $600.

I'll be calling a local dealer Monday.

I should have been more specific .... I'll be calling a local dealer Monday.

V2 drive is the one w/o 180 capabilities.

Dealer will be the best person for all those questions! I'd be curious to know what they say about the 180 v the V2 drive. One thing I forgot to mention is that Hobie recommends not using the 180 in silty water (not sure they ever quantified 'silty'...) due to increased wear: https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=64743

How common is a 180 failure, more than a V2?

Just reading the kayaking forum over the past couple of years, the 180-drives do seem to fall apart more often than any other type of drive.  Saltydog0 has lots of company.

$590.16 in parts to repair.  Not including tax (I just moved out of Oregon), shipping & my labor.

Part Number   Description                      Qty needed   Price Each   Total
81527002          81499 V2 SPINE                           1           $369.00   $369.00
72067002          MD180 ST TURBO FIN KIT V2   1           $219.00   $219.00
8020030          CLEVIS PIN                                   2           $0.79   $1.58
81503100          RING                                           2           $0.29   $0.58
                                                                                    $590.16

Dave

Part Number   Description                      Qty needed   Price Each   Total
72067002          MD180 ST TURBO FIN KIT V2   1           $219.00   $219.00

Do the fins also die when a spine goes kaput?

Also. Ouch.

$590.16 in parts to repair.  Not including tax (I just moved out of Oregon), shipping & my labor.

Part Number   Description                      Qty needed   Price Each   Total
81527002          81499 V2 SPINE                           1           $369.00   $369.00
72067002          MD180 ST TURBO FIN KIT V2   1           $219.00   $219.00
8020030          CLEVIS PIN                                   2           $0.79   $1.58
81503100          RING                                           2           $0.29   $0.58
                                                                                    $590.16

Dave

sorry if I missed something but I thought the spine ($369) was the only thing that was destroyed.  cheers, roger

$590.16 in parts to repair.  Not including tax (I just moved out of Oregon), shipping & my labor.

Part Number   Description                      Qty needed   Price Each   Total
81527002          81499 V2 SPINE                           1           $369.00   $369.00
72067002          MD180 ST TURBO FIN KIT V2   1           $219.00   $219.00
8020030          CLEVIS PIN                                   2           $0.79   $1.58
81503100          RING                                           2           $0.29   $0.58
                                                                                    $590.16

Dave

sorry if I missed something but I thought the spine ($369) was the only thing that was destroyed.  cheers, roger

Apparently my 2017 V1 MD180 drive fins are incompatable with the V2 Spine.  The V2 spine has different "booms" that connect the fins to the Spine.

https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=70270&p=334647#p334647

Dave

$590.16 in parts to repair.

At what point is it better to buy a whole new drive and use the blown one for spare parts?

Complete drive: $959.00

https://westcoastsailing.net/hobie-mirage-drive-180-turbo-kick-up-77800208/

It could be cheaper somewhere else.  This was the only complete drive I found with a quick (i.e. lazy) search.

(And it doesn't sound like this drive is any more durable than the V1 drive)