I got a 55# thrust Motor Guide Wireless on my 18 ft. Bayliner and I am pleased with its performance. I've never used any other bow mount trolling motor so I cannot accurately compare it to others but I did do a bit of research on the topic before I purchased mine. I ended up choosing the Motor Guide over the Minn Kota for a number of reasons. The biggest reason was price. I got the Motor Guide for $530 and the cheapest I seen the Minn Kotas was $690. A small footprint and ability to easily remove it was improtant to me and the motor had both. The quick release mounts for the Minn Kota was another $100. I was also interested in the wireless key remote and it only cost $55 compared to $200 with the Minn Kota. I ended up buying the remote and love it. The pedal is alot different than the ones for other motors but I've never used them so I'm not sure which is better. It took some practice but I'm getting better at using it. The only think I didn't like about the Motor Guide was the annoying beep it makes when you press a button. I read alot of reviews and some people loved the beep and some hated it. Some even wanted it to be louder. I also read the Minn Kotas beep too. I couldn't stand it so I pulled the cover off and disabled it. Taking the cover off was easy(no screws) and once inside it was easy to locate the beep. It came from a small disk shaped piece of plastic with a hole in the center. At first I tried covering it up to muffle the noise but it was still a bit too loud for my taste. I ended up just sticking a nail through the hole and the beep stopped. Now I am completely content with my new motor and I feel the price was fair.