So, I think many of us fish out of smaller boats where space is at a premium. As such, I know some of us out there have opted to buy the Minn Kota Power Drive trolling motor since it has the smallest base and footpedal available.

Well, I dont know about the rest of you who own this model, but I cant stand it anymore. Im sick of having footpedal problems, and the dang thing is too loud.

MotorGuide now offers a competing model, and their foot pedal does not have a cable. You can use it anywhere in the boat without worrying about a cable.

Im wondering this. What are the dimensions of the base, and the dimensions of the mounting holes. The guy at MotorGuide was supposed to fax me the info but I didnt get it. I had a special plate welded to my boat for the Minn Kota and am concerned that the MotorGuide will not be compatible. Does anybody know anything about the MotorGuide wireless?

Any base/mounting dimensions and reviews would be very helpful. I need to buy one quick since my Minn Kota only turns in one direction and Im sick of going in circles (im dizzy):P

Ok, I guess this motor is so new nobody has it yet.

Well, I ordered one today, the dimensions of the mounting base appear as though they will fit my base. Hopefully, I factored everything in so there wont be any major problems. Cant wait to get this motor on my boat.

Seriously post some feedback on it when you get it. I looked at them also, and I would consider getting one but I'd like to hear more about it. My Minn Kota foot pedal broke a while back but I replaced it so it's been working good since and I haven't felt super motivated to buy something new yet.

Yeah, Ill let you know. My 4th pedal broke so Ive just had it with the power drive. Plus, now Im not convinced that its only the pedal that keeps it from turning in one direction. I have high expectations for this motor. Im hoping its quieter as well.

I am interested in what you find out as well. I have always used conventional cable foot control motors, and after using my Power Drive I don't think I will ever go back. I am going to be replacing my pedal on my Power Drive soon, as the on off switch is starting to act up. $60.00 for a new pedal is not bad, considering I got the motor used for $50.00, but if I have to replace it once a year or so I would be interested in finding a more durable motor.

Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have-yous

i know a guy who had the old motor guide trolling motor that had the servo in it (i think thats what it was, relative to the wireless) and it was not very good, you would press down to go forward and the trolling motor would shoot left at full speed. it was terrible for bed fishing because the motor did what it wanted to. thats all i know about, i know its not the same motor, but it seems relative to the wireless design, yet the new wireless may be perfect.

andrew

Hello,

I’ve been lurking here for a while but this topic got me to register

I would really be interested in hearing about this motor I’m a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair and am in need of a new TM I used the old motoeguide lazer’s till I couldn’t find parts for them any more. And my options are limited and this might be something I could use.

I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask that others might not think of

How do you raise and lower the motor (where is the release handle or lock)

Can it be reached from the sitting position in the front pedestal seat?

Do you think you could raise and lower the motor from the sitting position in the front pedestal seat?

The quick release bracket lock looks like it is a little weak

Do you think it can handle rough water?
Can you mount the motor with out the quick release bracket?

I would assume the new servos are in the base rather then the head like the old ones, are they loud or quite?

Thank you in advance

Roy Randolph

Help a handicapped angler live his dream!
www.fishingpixels.com

I had a chance to fish with this new trolling motor and here is what Ive found. Its got some major differences that may or may not be good.

I want to answer Mich Angler's questions first.
1) The release handle is in the front of the base and its a good sized handle, I think you could reach it if sitting in the front pedestal. But, you will still have to lean a little further forward to grip the head of the engine to pull it into the cradle
2) I dont know the extent of your challenges, but you should be able to get the engine up and down from the front pedestal. The cradle is very well designed, and the engine pops in and out of the cradle fairly easy, much easier than the Power Drive.
3) The quick release bracket seems solid. My only concern is that the knob that secures the engine could loosen during a long rough ride or through the course of the day. But the knob is big and in a good spot so it should be easy to tighten.
4) As far as I can tell you can not mount the engine without the quick release base. The base is well designed and the engine does tighten down very nicely.
5) The wireless antennae is in the base of the engine (thanks Matt:+ ), so I assume thats where the Servos is (whats a servos?)
6) See below for wether the engine is quiet.

Here goes. Comparisons will be to the Power Drive since thats the motor this one is competing with.

First, they did a great job making sure the mounting holes were consistent with those of the Power Drive. Mine matched perfectly, whew!! The base is smaller than the Power Drive which is nice.

The foot pedal is pretty small and low profile, and it does have the ability to be screwed into a deck. Now here is where the major differences are. You have to step on the ON/OFF switch to get juice, once its On you have to step on it again to turn Off the juice. This adds one more movement in order to move forward and to stop moving forward (this takes a while to get used to). The engine has approximately 30 different power levels, and you change the power level by stepping on either the + or - switch. Every time you step on something, you hear a beep to confirm it worked. To turn the engine left or right, you have to step on either the Left or Right switch. Now here is a huge difference: when you step on the Left or Right once, it only turns a pre-determined distance (which is a fairly small movement), and you cant adjust the pre-determined distance! If you want the head of the engine to turn a bunch, you have to step on and hold the turn switch down with your foot, then it will turn very, very quickly until you take your foot off. This is gonna take alot to get used to because its very difficult to get big accurate turns. So what I found myself doing when I needed the head to turn alot was stand on the appropriate turn switch, it would go whipping around, then I would have to make fine adjustments by making multiple "steps" onto the appropriate turn switch. I can see this being a problem when the wind is strong, but through time Im sure it will become second nature.

When you step on the turn switch just once and the engine turns slightly, the engine is fairly quiet. However, when you step on and hold down the turn switch so the engine turns a bunch, its fairly loud. I didnt like that, but its no better or worse than the Power Drive. Also, the whole engine is very tight, so when you give it juice, there is no loose play to add noise (you know, that rocking backward of the engine). My Power Drive was very bad with this problem.

Turning this engine accurately and quickly will take some time to be a ble to do before its second nature. There is just a bunch more foot movements involved when compared to the Power Drive, and this could be a problem in the wind, especially if you keep missing the appropriate switch. Also, I could see the beeps getting on some peoples nerves. However, I like it better than the Power Drive because: its quieter, its smaller, the pedal is smaller and can be operated anywhere without cords, and the cradle is much, much better. Time will tell how well the pedal holds up, but it cant be worse than the Power Drive.

Some of this stuff is kinda hard to explain, and I didnt do a great job with it. Sooo, if anybody has additional questions just let me know.

In the meantime, I have a free Power Drive for anybody that wants to pick it up. It was running fine except it needs a new pedal (assuming thats why it only turns in one direction), but it is old.

How old is your old Power Drive and how much thrust does it have?

Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have-yous

Urban,

Thanks for the intel

Sounds like they haven't changed the servos on this from the old lazer models, they to made a lot of noise when turning fast.

Servos are the small electric motors that steer the thing.

The sound is actually from a set of gears that hold the motor in position and it’s these gears turning that make the noise like a ratcheting sound.

Can I ask another question about the lock handle for raising and lowering the motor?

Does it pull “up” to unlock?
Could I tie a rope to it and pull on it like the standard mounts?
This way I’d get it unlocked and the head would lean towards me a little allowing me to reach it easier

Help a handicapped angler live his dream!
www.fishingpixels.com

The release mechanism requires you to pull up, as in towards the sky, to release the engine. Its not like normal pull ropes where you can just pull it to your body. However, it is easy to pull and Im certain you could rig something up to fit your situation. Something like a piece of pvc that you slide over the lever then push up would work. Here is the lever:
http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4570-Lever.jpg


The good news is that it takes minimal effort to pop the engine out of the cradle once you unlock it. You could just push the head of the engine up and it would pop right out because of the shape of the cradle, its upside down!! Here is a photo:
http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4571-Cradle.jpg

Trust me, its very easy to pop out, and then pull the engine back into this cradle. I really do like the cradle.

You could rig a rope to the head of the engine to make pulling it into the cradle easier. So seems the only hurdle you may have is reaching the release lever, but I dont see that being much of a hurdle. Also, you can easily control the foot pedal by using your hands.

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)
Attachment #2, (.jpg file)

Urban

U-Da-Man

Thanks for the pics they explain a lot!

Help a handicapped angler live his dream!
www.fishingpixels.com

thankyou for taking the time to do the review Urban.

I am interested in the motor but I don't know how well I would do adjusting to the foot pedal. I've been using the PD series pedals for so long I think I would be all screwed up.

It really is a shame that the PD pedals fail so easily and the motors make that clunking noise when you stop. I've used all the major brands of trolling motors and foot pedal styles and I really think that the flat PD pedal is the best pedal style there is. You can put it anywhere on the deck and it's almost flat so you don't get any fatigue in your leg. With a few small fixes like making the pedal so it doesn't break, making the head turn faster and making it not clunk when you stop, Minn Kota could have a really great motor. Someday someone will get it right.

Well, Ive been using the Power Drive for close to 20 years!! Talk about some adjustments that need to be made. Its like getting a new truck after youve had the same one for 10 years, you keep reaching for things like windshield wipers and the interior light switch in the places that they arent anymore!

I just got sick of having problems, and for that Im willing to give this new engine a chance. Like I said, Im confident the differences will become second nature sooner or later, hopefully sooner.

Ok I am 6'2" and this motor scares me becuase you have to
pull up on the release handle then pick it up by the head of
the unit a couple of feet out of the water before you can lock
it in place.
All of this while leaning over the very front edge of your
boat; and please dont hit a stump while doing this.( I like my
lawn mower pull cord on my old unit; it's safer)

I have had wood chippers that did not make as much noise as
this unit does just turning from side to side; the thing
sounnds like it is always under a strain even when it's not in
the water.

The worst thing about the whole deal and the reason I returned
my unit for a refund to BPS is this, as I stated you have lift
the unit up so the shaft has to be loose in the mount to do
this so on top of the meat grinder sound every time turn the
unit you also get this loud clunk noise all the time it
reminds me of the coffee grinder scene in city slickers. you
will not sneak up on the fish with this unit

I went back old school with a tiller unit.

also the quick release system makes for the quick steal
release system; it should have a keyed lock and why does it
not come with a prop wrench if you need a prop wrench too
change the prop; that will cost you an addational $15.00 ?
I have tried more then onece to post my review of this unit on
the BPS web site and it will not let me. I have e-mailed them
to find the problem.

Hope you'll be happy with it I don't think it would work for me . I had the opportunity to run one of the older power drive models and I didn't like having to look at the pointer on the head all the time to see which direction it (the motor) was pointed in.
After running a foot control motor awhile you don't have to look to see which way its pointing because one develops kind of a heel/toe indexing of the motor position based on the angle of the foot pedal . This allows you to keep your eyes on the fishfinder ,shallow cover, make accurate casts, etc ......but thats just me I guess?

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.

I have the SW-75 (Saltwater version) on my 21 center consol. So far I could not be happier. It's got plenty of power, seems quiet to me and lasts a long time. The best part for me is the remote. The fact that I can run the boat from anywhere is great. Nothing like being in close to boilers in heavy surf and knowing you can run the boat while netting a fish or for that matter while fighting a fish that might take you around the boat. Never used it in fresh water yet. As far as the mount goes it seems solid as I have had it in some rough seas where we were getting full air and it never budged. I do agree that a lock would be nice and I think I may have that figured out. The beep is to loud for me, but It's nice to know I can use the old "nail through the speaker" trick to solve that. I have only used the foot pedal once and it was a little tough in choppy seas but seems like it would work fine on a lake. But never really plan on using the foot, as long as I have the remote, it's just to cool. Oh and at least with the remote, I think the ability to manuver precisely is there in a big way. I had my boat in Newport harbor fishing spotted bay bass and had no issues getting back in the docks and around the boats. Just my 2 cents from the salt.

BB