Minn kota vs Motorguide

[NPG]

I am purchasing a new trolling motor and have it narrowed down to a 55lbs wireless Motorguide or 55lbs co-pilot Minn Kota powerdrive v2. Any thoughts

[BobT]

I guess I can't speak about those particular models but I have owned both brands and found them of comparable quality. Both performed as well as expected for me. The Motorguide I had was a stern mounted 36lb. and the Minn Kota I was a 36lb. stern mounted. I currently use a 40lb. bow mounted Minn Kota.

Bob

[UMDSportsman]

I couldn't currently help you. I got a Motor Guide wireless from Valv last fall and havent put it on yet. I my father has a minn kota that has the auto pilot and copilot. works pretty nice. don't have any serious complaints.

[bassNspear]

i have been running minnkotas forever, and the reason that i do this is becuase if i do have a problem, there factory is in Mankato, or Motor Clinic in the cities.

I just like the way they run, and i like the foot petals better then the motor guide.

[markkstanley]

I have run both - Motorguide authorized repair is Motor Clinic in Bloomington should any issue arise and their service is great. It's a Ford/Chevy deal. Either motor will do the job so take the one that is the best deal. I currently have a Motorguide wireless 70lb on the bow because I got it about $150 cheaper than the Minnkota version. Same price I would probably lean to Minntonka because every sporting goods store carries Minnkota props etc. Hard to find Motorguide parts. I have two spare props in the boat just in case.

[NPG]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Mark thats why I am leaning towards the Motorguide is because of the price difference. Great advice on the spare prop.---thanks

[UMDSportsman]

if you are worried about parts, get a couple props and a prop wrench kit. check out the online auction sites, i got some new parts for pretty cheap relative to the price in a store.

[Whoaru99]

Can't speak about MinnKota, but Motorguide treated me right on a way out of warranty situation on one of their motors.

[BIG DS]

Just a tid bit of info I got from a Motorguide sales rep. He told me that if you wanted a durable motor to go for the Minn Kota. His reason was that on the tournament scene, if a pro wants a Motorguide, they have to custom build the motor so that it will stand up to the abuse where as the Minn Kota can come out of the box and be screwed to the front of the boat and it is ready to go with no further modifications needed. Not all of us put a trolling motor through the abuse that a tournament fisher does, but it is nice to know that the durability is there if you need it. Minn Kota also owns Hummingbird so look for some of the same options on the Minn Kota that are available with Motorguide in the near future.

[Farley]

I've ran both on our 20' Crestliner up north. First we had a Motorguide I think in the 70lb range 12volt. Worked great, never had a problem with it for years untill someone got a little rough with it and the gear that turns the motor stripped out (plastic). We probably could have brought it in and got it fixed but ended up buying a new Minnkota 70 lb 24volt powerdrive with the remote. I like the Minnkota better but it is new and the remote is awesome.

I think you'd be pretty safe either way.

[deacon]

Good input guys! Anyone else with feedback.

I am now trying to decide for myself between the two. Want to get with transducer that both offer. Is the AutoPilot that MinnKota offers worth it? How often does anyone use AP?

[Bassman55]

I have used both MinnKota and Motor Guide in the last couple years. I believe that the Motor Guide ran nicer and was easier on batteries, but the MinnKota with a weedless wedge 2 definantly handled weeds much better. We had a 5 speed Minnkota and a variable speed motor guide and I think that the five speed was the reason it was harder on batteries.

[Hookmaster]

The 5-speed Minnkota doesn't have the maximizer technology. I wouldn't get a Minnkota without AutoPilot. I use it 90% of the time I fish. I highly recommend it. What kind of fishing do you do?

[EBass]

I've only had Minnkota, but the one I got (Bow Mount 55lb 12v) is over ten yrs old and still ran strong. I bought a new one because I wanted more power. I got the Minnkota 70lb Maxxum 24v with built in ducer (that's sweet) and cable drive since I bass fish a lot. I like cable drive since I'm standing and need a quick response on the river. That current seems to bring me into over hanging trees a lot. But with the power I'm able to go against the current (14' jon boat) or hoover at the same speed and fish the trees and not crash into them.

That's my bias .02

[BobT]

I have never used an autopilot but I can share what friends have told me.

Most of those that I know rarely use their autopilot. The reason is two-fold.

First, they find that unless you have the motor running at a rather stiff thrust, it can't compensate fast enough to counter the effect of wind. In other words, the motor doesn't realize that you have to oversteer a bit to offset the effect from the wind and so you still don't get the control you might be looking for. As a result they find that they need to manually adjust nearly as much as they do without using it. These guys are primarily walleye fishing and moving very slowly so maybe if they were trying to troll faster it would be more effective.

Second. It is rare that the structure you might be trying to work is a straight line edge. Most of the time you are likely trying to follow a contour or weedline and they almost never run straight. Again, you end up manually controlling it anyway.

About the only time they say it is handy is when you have to be momentarily pre-occupied with something else like tying on a lure. Then for those few seconds or minutes you can let the motor take control so the boat doesn't drift quite so far off track.

What these guys have all told me is not to waste my money. You pay a lot for a feature you won't use enough to justify.

Just their opinion for what it's worth.

Bob

[mamohr686]

I've also owned both and prefer the minnkota. I think the motorguide felt a little stronger in open water, because of the prop design and no flex with the steel shaft. After a while, it started to squeek (probably rusted the bearings) when I turned it. I finally fried it when I left the TM plug in the socket when I charged my batteries with an onboard charger. I like the MK much better for durability, and in weeds it never balls up so I can cut through them. With the MG if I ever got it in a milfoil pad I would have to pull up the motor and remove the weeds every 10 ft., very annoying! I also like the maxxum series but I've also had the PD/AP models. The autopilot is kind of like a compass and the motor just keeps pointing in that general direction. I really liked it when I was fishing by myself. I quickly hit the ap switch when I got a strike so I could focus on landing the fish(walk to the back and use a net)and not driving the boat.

[Windy City Walleye Hunter]

I have the Auto Pilot and I can tell you that I do not use the feature much, especially on Cass Lake, I am usually trolling and following a drop so it is not a straight line. The only thing I could think where it might be helpful was if you were Lindy rigging and pulling a leech or crawler over some flats and you had no wind to help. That's about it!

Windy

[FishGUY]

I like the Minn Kota better, and I like the Autopilot feature. It will not correct for wind, but it will keep you heading in the same general direction. This requires less attention to the motor and lets me focus on fishing. It is also nice river fishing structure, point it upstream set the speed to match the current and it stays put. I would also reccommend the universal sonar feature, it looks cleaner with less wires. That being said I have not had any problems with past Motorquides either.

[delcecchi]

I use autopilot all the time. I love it. It would drive me crazy having to be pointing the trolling motor all the time.

One big advantage is if you are working a breakline and the wind keeps turning the boat, the autopilot will keep you moving in the right direction, while if autopilot is off, as soon as the boat pivots a little you are going in the wrong direction and off the breakline.

[deacon]

Awesome information, thanks for sharing. Okay if money was not the issue I would get the Autopilot, but cannot think of that many times that I simply just go in a straight line. Going to choose Minnkota for weedless prop. Defiintely will get motor with transducer so final decision is get Power Drive V2 with tranducer and AP for $800 and Terrova with tranducer but no AP for $800

Question of difference between Power Drive V2 and Terrova?

[wishing for walleyes]

Another thing you might like to go with the autopilot would be to add the copilot to it.About $150 add on but well worth it.Its hard to beat being able to control the motor with remote controls.

[jwhjr]

I just ordered a 55# Minn Kota V2 without the AP. I can't wait to get it mounted and on the water!

[Boogaard]

Would you guys recomend the hand control or the foot pedestal? I dont use my trolling motor much since my varado trolls down to nothing to begin with but it is nice in some instances

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

 Originally Posted By: Hookmaster

I wouldn't get a Minnkota without AutoPilot. I use it 90% of the time I fish.

Dido that.

I had a powerdrive without AP on my old rig. I popped for the AP powerdrive for my new rig and can say that it is awesome.

It is like having a guide in the boat doing the steering. I can fish, eat, tie lures, land fish and even pee while staying on course. I enjoy fishing more and come home less fatigued.

My only beef with the Minn Kota (legacy version) is the dang cradle slide lock feature. I about rip the motor off the bow trying to get that thing released from the cradle. The new motors a believe have a better release.

[katoguy]

Wish, which model do you have? There are 3 lower unit sizes: 4" (74#+ thrust), 3 5/8" (44-70# thrust), and 3 1/4" (less than 44 # thrust). If you have one of the smaller motors, you can replace the motor rests with the next size. (The 4" motor rests are the smallest.) This will lessen the force to stow/deploy. But then beware! Be sure to slide the depth collar down to the lower unit and tighten the knob when you are traveling from spot A to spot B.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I have the 55 PD/AP/US; 54" shaft.

I get it. The larger radius would make for a looser fit. Good idea. I agree with your cautionary statement.

Manual says to put Armorall on the shaft. I only think of it when I'm on the lake fighting with it.