Minnkota 12V or 24V

[rocky]

I am looking at upgrading my bow mount trolling motor. I have a 16' Console Smokercraft with a 75 HP merc.

My previous motor that broke was a 42lb thrust MInnkota with auto pilot but it alwasy seemed a little undersized. I am looking at upgrading to an ipilot 55lb thrust powerdrive which looks like a 12v system. Or shoud I get (or need) a higher thrust and the 24 volt system. What are the pros and cons of both. thanks in advance

[delcecchi]

A 24 volt system has two batteries so costs more and weighs more.  You ay for an extra battery, a more expensive TM, and a 2 bank charger.  (or three if you want to keep the cranking battery charged too.

It will run longer and has more maximum thrust than a 12 volt system. 

 

Edited September 5, 2015 by delcecchi

[h8go4s]

If you're using it to actually troll for long periods of time, you might want to go to a 24-volt system for longer run time. If you use it to cast from the bow and run from spot to spot with the outboard, you might not need as much run time. Minn Kota has this selector, but it's pretty generic: http://www.minnkotamotors.com/Trolling-Motors/Freshwater-Bow-Mount/PowerDrive-V2/?wizard=1 

[gunner55]

I've wished I had a bigger TM many times but don't believe it's ever been vice versa.

[delcecchi]

I just looked at big C, and they have the 70 pound 24 volt with a on board charger thrown in for 100 more than the 12 volt 50 pound.   (looks like some kind of incentive)

So it looks like it depends on how important 200 bucks (100 for the motor and 100 for the extra battery) is in your budget. 

My personal belief is to fight the inclination to go cheap, which inclination I certainly have.  As the woodworking guys say, "buy the good one, cry once.  Buy the cheap one, cry every time you use it"

I don't know if other stores have a similar deal. 

 

[sunniewally]

If you get the ipilot, go 24v if you can. trolling with using a laid down track is really nice. the anchor lock does not seem to use much power depending on the wind. but if you spend alot of time on the water between charges, the two batteries  will be great. like they say you never regret too much power. all depend on your budget and the time between charging.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

I recommend the 24 volt. You say you're getting the iPilot, and the key iPilot functions will work best when you have ample thrust.

I dealt with an underpowered trolling motor for three years until I could afford to upgrade. I went with more motor than I needed, and I haven't been disappointed yet. I went from utter frustration to control better than I imagined I could have.

[delmuts]

I agree with; how do you use it?

  My question would also be; how long do you plan to keep the boat? If your planning to sell/trade it off in the next year or so, the 55 will get you by. If you plan on keeping the rig , then I would lean toward the bigger unit even though it will cost more for the extra battery, and I would get a three bank charger. The extra cost will be worth it over time.  

[Duffman]

Over all of the years that I've been following the forums, I've never seen someone say that they wish they went smaller.

[Igor Drackenwolf]

More thrust equals better boat control under a wider spectrum of conditions. That's all there is to it.

[mrklean]

My boat is similar to yours and I use the 55 and have had no complaints with it but like others have said I do mostly trolling and casting, I do very little long periods of trolling

[ozzie]

go with an 80lb thrust...like mentioned it will be a little higher initial cost and every 3 years or more you will need to upgrade 2 batteries instead of one but you can never have too much thrust on your trolling motor.  I had a similar boat and had an 80 thrust on it and loved how much power I had.

[delcecchi]

The batteries, if you keep them maintained, will go more than three years.  I have 5 on my Fleet Farm deep cycles and they still seem to be OK. 

The expense of the extra battery is like 20 bucks a year. 

I have the 80 lb terrova on a 1775 lund, 1998 edition, and it is great.  For the small increment in cost, 200 bucks, it is well worth it.  

Oh, and since you have two batteries they will last longer while fishing.  

Edited September 9, 2015 by delcecchi

[hnd]

Go the 24v.  as some may have said it helps with running the ipilot.  you will find once you have ipilot that you will run it.  ALOT. 

just a quick example.  have a spot by a spill over dam that we anchor my 1700 pro-v on.  flow is always fast.  we always have to anchor but you have to throw it about 5-8 times before it will find a rock to hold on.   well this year i got a 80lb terrova.  i just hit the anchor spot and it runs on 7-9 all the time but keeps us there easy.  we were amazed.  so like i said, you'll use it alot more than you think with all the tricks and new ways to use a trolling motor you'll find. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by hnd

[Cheers]

I had a Pd 65 on a Lund Pro V and it worked fine most of the time . I up graded to a Terova 24 volt system and couldn't get over how much better life was . It was a pain to fit 2 batteries into the storage compartments but I managed and life is good !

[rocky]

thanks for the replys.

Couple more questions. Can you get a foot pedal with the powerdrives? It looks like it only comes with the remote. Is there even need for a foot pedal if you have the remote? Other than that, what is the difference between the powerdrive and the terrova?

 

[BobT]

A 24 volt system has two batteries so costs more and weighs more.  You ay for an extra battery, a more expensive TM, and a 2 bank charger.  (or three if you want to keep the cranking battery charged too.

It will run longer and has more maximum thrust than a 12 volt system. 

 

Del,

Do you have some data to support this? All things being equal except the voltage, 12v or 24v should use the same amount of watts per hour should they not?

[hnd]

no pedal with the pd.  not compatible.  I still find I use my pedal on  my terrova when bass fishing.    

 

stow and deploy on the terrova is a pretty huge upgrade in my opinion.   With that and the foot pedal it was worth me spending the extra. 

Del,

Do you have some data to support this? All things being equal except the voltage, 12v or 24v should use the same amount of watts per hour should they not?

if i run a 55lb motor at an 8, i'd only have to run a 80lb system at a 5 or 6 thus drawing less on the batteries and that is why they'll last longer if that makes sense. 

[delcecchi]

Del,

Do you have some data to support this? All things being equal except the voltage, 12v or 24v should use the same amount of watts per hour should they not?

You are right, but a 24 volt system has two batteries and typically a 12 volt system has 1.    the 24 draws half the current(at twice the volts).  at a given thrust, more or less.  If you had a 12v system with two batteries, they should run about the same time at the same thrust as a 24 volt system.  (and to be a pedantic engineer again, it is just watts, not watts per hour. )  24 volt systems have higher maximum thrust, probably because batteries and other components start having problems if you try to make them work with current draws over about 40 or 50 amps.

As for foot pedals, if you put a ipilot on a power drive, you lose the foot pedal.  If you put ipilot on a terrova the foot pedal still works.  And the stow/deploy has already been mentioned but I will second that. 

 

[BobT]

You are right, but a 24 volt system has two batteries and typically a 12 volt system has 1.    the 24 draws half the current(at twice the volts).  at a given thrust, more or less.  If you had a 12v system with two batteries, they should run about the same time at the same thrust as a 24 volt system.  (and to be a pedantic engineer again, it is just watts, not watts per hour. )  24 volt systems have higher maximum thrust, probably because batteries and other components start having problems if you try to make them work with current draws over about 40 or 50 amps.

As for foot pedals, if you put a ipilot on a power drive, you lose the foot pedal.  If you put ipilot on a terrova the foot pedal still works.  And the stow/deploy has already been mentioned but I will second that. 

 

Thanks, I can certainly see where two series-wired batteries will outlast one 12v battery, that's pretty much a no-brainer. But in my defense I did say, "all things being equal" which should imply two parallel wired batteries of the same size as the two series wired batteries. Also the reason I referenced watts per hour is because we are talking about running time not instantaneous power. My thought is that total power (amps x volts) is the same for either application. I was just wondering if it possible that the higher voltage of the 24v system somehow improves the motor efficiency over the 12v system thereby resulting in longer running time.

[delcecchi]

Sure I agree with you that with two batteries either will have the approximately same running time. 

As for efficiency,it is possible they could have, but I don't have the data.  The pd55 is 45A max 12V, terror 80 is 56 A max at 24 V.

So 12 v is .82 a/lb  24v is 0.7 A/lb, or more watts per pound thrust than the 12V.

That of course assumes that current vs thrust is linear.

[BobT]

Based on those numbers, it seems plausible the 24v system may be more efficient then. Interesting.

[delcecchi]

I was quoting amps per pound.  in watts per pound it would be .82 x 12 or 9.84 watts per pound for the 12 volt, and 0.7 x 24 or 16.8 watts per pound for the 24 volt terrova.

I find this result sort of surprising.  Perhaps the efficiency drops off at higher thrust.  The props are similar I think so maybe just spinning faster to make more thrust statically isn't so efficient at higher thrust.  The motor housing is larger on the terrova so that might make a difference also.