difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

[bobbo268]

So i'm just a "for fun" fisherman, and am looking at mounting a trolling motor on my bowrider (if i can find one with a long enough shaft)..... i like minnkota and have owned one before, but i see there are 2 different types of bow mount. One has a small base, and one has a large contraption, both from minn kota. What the heck is the difference?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

The difference is Power Drive (small base) vs a sissors type of mount. The small base type used on PowerDrives folds toward you and then you slide the motor backwards toward the inside of the boat. A sissor mount is usually operated with a rope. You pull the rope and the motor rises and folds in one operation. They deploy the opposite way. Sissor mounts are much faster to deploy but they are rather cumbersome. Either style can be mounted on a quick release plate.

 

[bobbo268]

Re: difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

so is there an advantage of one over the other? or because i have a fish ski and i'm an amatuer, I should just stick to the cheaper power drive (at least i think they're cheaper) and a quick release for when out relaxing with the fam?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

Both occupy the same amount of realestate when the motor is stored. I find the sissor type of mount far easier to deploy since you release the lock, pull up on the rope and gravity & springs take over. I have always used Power Drives however because they are easier to mount and dismount when using the quick release plate. That process is the same on both motors, but there is far less bulk with the Power Drive. Sissor mounts are very common on cable steered motors. Electric steered motors like the Power Drive tend to have far smaller footprints and are simply easier to handle off the boat..

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

Aside from what Silvertip explained the primary difference is the lack of a true positive locking mechanism on the Powerdrives. To positively lock so that it cannot drop out of the base you must slide a ring collar down the saft and secure it. Failing to do that can result in the motor bouncing out of the lock and going over the side. You won't loose it but if you're moving at cruising speed it will snap the shaft and ruin your day.

A lot of the bass boat owners that run at 60-70mph won't put a PD or a Terrova on their boats because of this. I like both of those motors because of all the other features like iPilot, etc. You just have to remember to slide that ring down and tighten the lock screw.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

The pros probably don't like the stow and deploy mechanism because of the time and motions it takes to deploy and stow the motor, not because it can accidentally deploy. It is not a very smooth system. Actually there are two locks on a Power Drive and failing to latch either or both of them will not cause the motor to deploy. The first lock is at the bottom of the shaft. When you tilt the motor into the stowed position, you pull the entire unit toward you. The ring at the bottom of the shaft is adjustable and a latch goes over it. If that latch is not working then it needs to be adjusted. It is a threaded collar and is simply turned one way or the other to adjust it. The second latch is at the base of the unit and locks the shaft to prevent it from flipping up. There is also a third safety and that's the velcro "travel" latch which keeps the shaft from bouncing during trailering or in extremely rough water.

A Power Drive must first have the shaft released using either the Grip Glide on the older motors or the equivalent (a paddle) on the newer units. That slides the shaft forward in the mount. It won't pivot unless that latch is released. The locking collar you mention is not a safety device but rather a device that interlocks with the steering motor and it also serves as a depth adjuster for the motor.

 

[bobbo268]

Re: difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

hey thanks for the help. with all that said I'll just stick to looking for some cheaper powerdrives on craigslist. When i had my ranger two years ago I found a PD for 175 new condition... i'm not having that kind of luck this year!

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: difference in bow mounted trolling motors?

They've added a few warnings and changed the locking mechanisim of the PD's and Terrrovas because of the problems. I have the brand new updated version and the old. They also redesigned the ramp locks and they are taller than they were on previous versions. The manual now states to slide the lock ring down to the base after retrival to prevent accidental deployment. The velcro safety strap is to prevent the head unit from bouncing and striking the deck during trailering or very rough water however the redesigned shaft and base virtually elimante any bounce so I don't run one on my new one. I do on the older one.