Ultrex review?

[J-Doc]

19 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I used it in current on the Meramec and stayed within a foot of when I set it. 

I would say that is substantially better than mine then.  I can't stay within 5ft on a calm day under 5mph winds.

[J-Doc]

I would trade a 1yr old Fortrex and a 2yr old Terrova in on an Ultrex if I thought it would work.

But I honestly do not want to spend anymore money on my rig.  I don't use it often enough to justify it and I know it's not going to be a "fish catcher".  It's just going to make me happier about sitting in one spot.  One less excuse I can use for not catching them.

[Dan the fisherman]

I was dead set on the ultrex until I read all the stuff on line.  Now I have mix feelings.  I'm really needing a trolling motor and will pull the trigger in the next few weeks.  Definitely keep n e info coming though.  I'm having a hard time deciding 

[J-Doc]

Being an online researcher......i feel your pain.  

Learned my lesson. 

Don't rely on individual reviews.  Take the consensus and treat it as gospel.  The average is the majority usually.  There's always extremes in any product or experience.  

 

You NEED to experience both brands in person in a similar application.  See if your dealer can set you up with a rest drive using one of each or similar motors.  After I got mine, I was not all that impressed and had buyer remorse.  I mainly wanted the GPS accuracy and mine won't even stay on a recorded track accurately. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

My buddy has had flawless use of a Fortrex since spring.

[Seth]

20 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

My buddy has had flawless use of a Fortrex since spring.

Fortrex or Ultrex? The Fortrex has been a proven work horse for many years now.

[snagged in outlet 3]

He bought a Fortrex in spring.

 

[The Bassman]

I have an 80lb Ultrex on my RT188.  It's not an i-pilot, but I have loved it.  I haven't had any problems.  The spot lock on mine is dead on accurate.  I would say it keeps me within 5 feet of my intended spot.  This is based on spot locking around buoys and other fixed objects.  The jog feature on the remote is great as well. The only issue I have is the electric assist that turns the motor is a bit loud.  When i'm sitting on top of a brush pile in a 20 mph wind that thing can be a bit annoying.   You are welcome to hop on and try mine out, they are a bit pricey without a test drive.  Send me a PM and we can set it up.

[grizwilson]

4 hours ago, J-Doc said:

How accurate is the spot lock feature?  My Terrova will roam around generally a 10-20ft radius, not the 5ft it is advertised with. 

I've researched and spoken to Minn Kota about my issues and they just want me to ship it to them.  They say the unit needs to be as far away from ferrous metal as possible.  Hey dudes.......the trolling motor mount use ferrous metal!  So mine is most accurate when I raise the shaft to get the head as far away from the mount as possible.  But I have a 48" shaft (that's what my Fortrex was) and so I cannot get it very high or it's out of the water when I stand on the back deck or in choppy water.  If I had a 60" shaft, "maybe" I could get a 10ft tight radius.  My boat hull is shallow and is very susceptible to wind drift so that's another factor. The trolling motor tends to over-correct.

J-Doc, from what I understand, they have upgraded the Terrova that you and I have with an external GPS that is much better.  Spoke with a fellow forum member who had upgraded from one like ours to the new one said he could stay on top of 1 stump rather that  the "area" we have. 

[J.M.]

Mine won't stay in the 5ft range