There are two primary locations to mount a trolling motor, the bow or transom. Mounting Featuresĭetermining where you need or want your trolling motor mounted is crucial before purchasing a trolling motor. I would like to see them put all of their best features into one trolling motor instead of spreading them across their lineup of products. If you’re primarily interested in price, Newport Vessels makes the trolling motor. As I mentioned earlier, Minn Kota was only recently passed by Lowrance and Garmin for bringing the most innovative trolling motor to the market. Suppose you’re solely basing your decision on features.

So if you’re primarily a saltwater angler, check out the six Riptide versions available from Minn Kota. They must be the Riptide version to hold up to the abuses of saltwater. Unlike Newport Vessels, not all Minn Kota’s trolling motors are saltwater compatible. Minn Kota has basic transom mount trolling motors with limited budget-friendly features, and they also manufacture a trolling motor with many of the latest features for the most dedicated anglers. However, Minn Kota still has a lot to offer the average angler because they have trolling motors with excellent features to fit nearly every budget. Minn Kota Motors made the best trolling motor for years until the Lowrance Ghost and Garmin Force came out. You can use the chart below and this formula for determining Estimated Runtime.įor more information review these instructions on Selecting the Correct Batteries, click on the guide or watch the video below.*Riptide indicates a saltwater model option We suggest selecting a 12 volt deep cycle marine battery with at least a 110 amp hour rating. Generally, you should get a typical day of fishing on a single charge. The length of time your batteries will last can vary based upon battery amp hour rating, boat size and weather conditions. To prevent this damage when using Lithium batteries you should not run your motor at its highest speeds, staying at 85%/Speed 8.5 or lower. Motors engineered to make the most of flooded lead acid batteries can be damaged by the higher power output. Lithium Batteries maintain higher voltages for longer. If you are having any issues with your motor and you are using Lithium batteries, verify you have enough continuous amperage available for the motor to pull its max amp draw. If the motor is not getting enough amperage, it will have issues including working for a short time and then shutting off, being able to turn on the motor but not turn on the prop, steering issues, issues with i-Pilot and i-Pilot Link such as Spot Lock not working or being erratic. The chart below shows the max amp draw by motor thrust. When using lithium batteries, you want to ensure the battery(s) provide(s) enough continuous discharge amperage to run the motor at its max amp draw. The LiFePO4 Lithium batteries can be used with our motor.24/36V Terrova, Ulterra, and Ultrex will not even power on at below 18 volts. However, an electric steer motor, such as, the PowerDrive, Terrova, or Ulterra cannot be used on lower voltages. For a cable steer or hand-controlled model this will not hurt the motor, but it will considerably affect the performance of the motor. While it is not recommended and depending on the model of motor, you can run a 24-volt motor off of a 12-volt battery. Using a 12-volt Battery for a 24-volt Motor Starting batteries are rated in cold cranking amps (CCA)or Marine Cranking Amps (MCA) both ratings have no relevance to deep cycle performance. Note: A starting battery is not suitable for use with an electric trolling motor. If an amp hour rating is not available, select a deep cycle battery with a minimum of 180 minutes reserve capacity. The higher the amp-hour rating, the more run time you will receive.

We suggest selecting a 12 volt deep cycle marine battery with at least a 110 amp hour rating, usually a group 27 size battery. Using a 12-volt Battery for a 24-volt Motor.Most trolling motor batteries fail due to lack of proper charging.Ĭlick here for more information on battery selection and power issues. Note: To extend the life of your battery, always recharge after use. Unlike automobile batteries, deep cycle marine batteries are designed to be run down to a discharged state and then recharged.

A high-quality deep cycle marine battery should always be used. The battery is a critical element of your electric motor system.

Minnkota battery box