Ultrex vs Xi5 Minn Kota vs MotorGuide GPS Lock

[Ketchup]

16 minutes ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

I love my Xi5 but when the computer on it fried it was like pulling teeth trying to get a new mother board.  Took them 3 months and numerous phone calls before they sent a new one, and it was under warranty. They even told me they sent one to shut me up for a couple weeks.   Turned out they never sent it and had to start the process over.  

I remember that fiasco. 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Im sure Stockton will break it again on the 22nd.  Im still blaming that lake haha

 

[Ketchup]

atleast it didnt fall to the bottom in 38 FOW like mine there. 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Haha i still feel bad for you about that

Quote

 

 

[Hunter53]

2 hours ago, merc1997 said:

i am with you on the reliability of a minn kota.  i have the first maxxum 65 that came out in around 1987.  i finally replaced it with a new 70lb.  the old one has never had one thing done to it, and still runs like new.  the bracket is still tight because i mount my trollers dead center in line with the boat.  this eliminates twisting the bracket every time you kick the troller on and off.  there is not any telling how many thousand hours the old one has ran over the last 30 years.

i will agree that the electric steer motors are still way too slow in response time.  kind of like the old 4 cylinders trying to pass a car going up a hill.  a little sketchy if you were going to make the pass safely.

bo

 

 

 The Ultrex will turn just as fast as any foot control troller. It will turn as slow or as fast as you push the foot pedal.

[Bill Babler]

Thanks Dave  When you or Vernon get down I would love to run one of those. 

[skeeter]

Great comparisons and valuable info. 

I'm in the process of going with the Ulterra hooked up with/to the I-Pilot Link and discovered early-on that Johnson Outdoors, for some goofy reason, did not incorporate a "groove" in their bracketry that mounts the Ulterra to the deck so a guy could route his Transducer cable up the shaft of the Ulterra and have it stay clear of all the hoisting and lowering mechanisms. Yep, I know M-K builds-in a transducer on the heads of a lot of their motors but it's not a side-finder type.

A dealer put me onto a pricey but well-machined bracket that claims to fix that problem and after I get thru engineering the thing along with mounting the (new to me) Humminbird I'll post more if anyone's interested. 

Hate to admit it but had to sell the beloved ZX210C Skeeter after 18 years and get a ( Arrrgh ) Tritoon set up for fishing due to post-chemo issues.  Nope, not bitching about the chemo, it sure beats the alternative !!!

What I'd be interested in hearing more about is opinions on how the motors on the M-K's and M-G's are comparing regarding noise of operation when you hit the "go-pedal".  Time on this pond has taught me (IMHO) that a noisy trolling motor spooks fish as it is cycled on and off.  Thanks.

[bobby b.]

My neighbor bought a new tracker with a 150 hp 4 stroke Merc and with the new Helix, Ipilot link, and the Ulterra (auto deploy).  I'll be looking at the TM carefully for myself and will report as soon as he gets his priorities properly aligned and gets the boat in the water and stops with the work around the house.

[Smalls21]

11 hours ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

Haha i still feel bad for you about that

 

me too!!

[vernon]

What timing!  I had the chance to get out yesterday for the first time with the Minn Kota Ultrex (the one that does NOT auto deploy) and was beyond impressed.  Of course, I must caveat that by mentioning that I'm sure everyone's wants, needs and desires will be different but, for me, this thing is literally life changing (more about that in a second).  I would also point out that my boat has Lowrance electronics so the motor is not compatible to be networked thru the boat GPS/sonar but still does some pretty amazing stuff with the built in GPS. 

Between my brother and me we messed around with the motor, the FOB and the owner's manual for about an hour before we were confident and comfortable that we knew how everything worked.  That being said, anybody could just dump the motor and go just like a Fortrex but in order to take advantage of all the technology we decided to just invest the time to figure it all out from the get go.  

The Spot Lock is also pretty much a no brainer.  Just push the button and the motor will hold you where you are.  We were at Hillsdale Lake which is pretty wide open but it was an unusually calm day.  Winds maxed out at 10 - 15 mph I'd say.  However, the motor was pretty much perfect in holding position under those conditions.  I nosed up to a tree in the middle of the lake and the Spot Lock kept the boat within five feet or less of that tree for at least ten minutes before we moved on to other challenges.

I would also point out that the boat needs to be pointing into the wind or else it will eventually pivot around the motor until it IS into the wind.  Pretty logical stuff I guess but wanted to mention it nonetheless.

All of the GPS related features are pretty cool even though I don't know if I'll personally use some of them all that much.  Even though the unit isn't compatible with the Lowrance electronics it is capable of storing routes and waypoints on its own.  I don't remember exactly how many but I think it's a dozen or so.  This enables the operator to run a route down a bank, along contour lines or whatever up to a quarter mile, save the route and then recall and repeat the route as many times as desired.

You can also store waypoints and, again, up to a quarter mile, the unit will take you back to that spot either by retracing the previous path or directly "as the crow flies" - your choice.

However, the feature that I appreciated the most and the one that I referred to as "life changing" is the "North Up" setting.  By engaging the prop at whatever speed you choose and then activating the North Up, the motor will continue on that heading until you adjust the foot pedal to change course.  I was able to set the speed at "3", engage the constant "on" and then punch North Up and the motor would then make whatever heading adjustments to maintain that course.  The "life changing" part is I was able to work hundreds of yards of shoreline, tree rows, boat docks, etc. while standing flat footed and only occasionally tapping the foot pedal to adjust the course whenever not following a straight line.  I would point out, too, that I don't remember hardly ever running any of my other trollers on a setting much below 6 or 7 as it just didn't seem all that useful.  But when the "brain" of the Ultrex is doing the driving there's no need for the constant off and on at a higher speed like is often necessary in order the change directions with a standard motor.  

As a guy that suffered a broken back in a fall 35 years ago, "life changing" in this aspect might just be an understatement.  For all these years, the discomfort brought about by standing on one foot all day long had cut short or ruined more than one day on the water.  When we were done yesterday my back felt better than I can ever remember after a day of fishing.  The freedom of being able to move freely about the boat without worrying about drifting onto the bank, into rocks or trees was amazing.

I would think that for guides working with clients or even dads trying to manage the complexities of fishing with kids this would be invaluable.  Need to retie, land a fish or pick out a backlash?  Just hit the Spot Lock and you're not going anywhere.  We were in a little main lake pocket and sat the boat in the middle in about 25' of water and engaged the spot lock.  We then spent the next 30 minutes fan casting the entire area while moving around from the front deck to the back deck and everywhere in between in order to get the best casting angle to whatever piece of structure we were targeting.  It was literally as if we were fishing off of a dock except for the fact that we could move the "dock" anywhere on the lake that we wanted to go.

Oh yeah - a lot of people have asked about the foot control itself and it's really good.  The electric assist is fantastic in that the pedal provides some resistance similar to cable steers but the response of the head/motor is off the charts and there's no "torque" whatsoever.  Whenever I wanted to change directions abruptly, 180 degrees or even 360, the motor reacted faster than I could ever have done with the old Fortrex.  And while the foot pedal tension is adjustable like any other troller, the factory setting on mine is perfect for what I like.  While there is resistance, I could easily move the pedal with my finger tips if necessary.  It only took a light toe tap to alter the course when operating with constant "on" and it seldom over corrected due to being too "loose".

Now, granted, this was a one day deal under relatively docile conditions but we tried to create as many "normal" fishing situations as we could over the course of 6  - 7 hours and we found no shortcomings.  At this point I am completely sold and can't wait to get more time on the water with this thing.  

Again, I'm sure it's not for everybody but I can't help but think that it will greatly enhance the average guys fishing experience is some way or another.  I would highly recommend to anybody that can justify the cost of an upgrade and can't imagine why anybody wouldn't spring for the difference if buying a new boat or trolling motor.  

And, for those who run Humminbird electronics they will also enjoy the additional benefit of networking with your sonar/GPS.

Hope this review is of some benefit to those of you that have been wondering.  If you have any specific questions, fire away and I'll do my best to answer them honestly and accurately.