Transom mount electric trolling motors

[koboabe]

Hello all
I am starting to look for a trolling motor for my toon.
but I don't even know where to begin
does anyone have any advice which motors are best for quality and price

This will be mounted to my Skykomish Sunrise 10' 6" pontoon

 

[ninja2010]

kobo:

i've always had minn kota motors and never had a problem. for a 10'6" toon, i'd go with at least 50lb thrust and preferably one in the maxxum line, with continuous throttle as opposed to ones that has 5 speed forward/3 speed reverse. these kinds uses only as much juice as you turn the tiller so you conserve your battery charge.

hope that helps you get started...

and check craigslist...

 

[koboabe]

what about shaft length?
do you think its worth getting a 36" shaft or should I just stick with a 30"

 

[Dan Feller]

I have a "Gamefisher" 36# thrust trolling motor that I got at Sears on closeout about 15 years ago. It has the five-speeds-forward, three-speed-reverse throttle. The speed control is on the top of the motor instead of the tiller which is kind of a pain, but it does have an on/off switch on the tiller handle.

I'm not sure if these are just relabeled MK's or what, but it has been 100% trouble free for a long time, so I think I got my money's worth (seems like it was around $125 at 50% off, but it's been a long time).

 

[GDBrown]

Koboabe,
Maybe someone would be willing to meet up with you and let you try their's.? I agree with the ninja, continuous thrust is better than multi speed for battery life, most of us wouldn't need 12 hours of thrust in a day. The main thing is having enough thrust to get the job done. Too low of thrust really eats into battery time.

 

[ninja2010]

what about shaft length?
do you think its worth getting a 36" shaft or should I just stick with a 30"

that depends on where you're mounting the motor. my old toon had a frame that was pretty high so i got a long shaft.

just gotta make sure the shaft is long enough to have the props submerged and the tiller high enough to clear your head if possible, so you can steer without having to turn your body like a corscrew or cock your head like a broken doll... (phew! that was a long sentence...)

 

[donb]

I have a Backwater 10 by Water Skeeter. It has ten foot tubes. I bought a bottom of the line Minnkota 30, but discovered the shaft wasn't long enough to immerse the prop completely, so I traded up to the long shaft, which starts at 50 lbs of thrust. It cost $229 but they go on sale periodically. I got a $50 rebate, so mine was $179. It has so much power, that on high it wants to bend the motor mount. 50 lb thrust doesn't do much when attached to my 18 foot fiberglass boat, but is more than adequate for the pontoon. I can troll all day on a charge with a Blue Top Optima battery.

Hope this helps

Donb

 

[koboabe]

I have a Backwater 10 by Water Skeeter. It has ten foot tubes. I bought a bottom of the line Minnkota 30, but discovered the shaft wasn't long enough to immerse the prop completely, so I traded up to the long shaft, which starts at 50 lbs of thrust. It cost $229 but they go on sale periodically. I got a $50 rebate, so mine was $179. It has so much power, that on high it wants to bend the motor mount. 50 lb thrust doesn't do much when attached to my 18 foot fiberglass boat, but is more than adequate for the pontoon. I can troll all day on a charge with a Blue Top Optima battery.

Hope this helps

Donb

what Shaft Length did you end up with in the end?

 

[donb]

I have the Minn Kota 50 lb thrust long shaft, I believe the shaft is 42".

donb

 

[capblack]

I dont think a 50 lb thrust is a good idea. The more thrust you have, the more battery power it will use, so only get what is needed. If you had an 18 ft fiberglass fishing boat, a 50 lb might be in order, but a 10 ft toon?? I had a 16 ft fiberform, and I used a 35 lb minn kota for a very long time. It worked perfect for kokanee trolling, and the battery lasted all day. good luck, Brian