Garmin Force trolling motor - pros and cons?

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Mine shipped today, Ill be putting mine on myself. There is no way I could wait for a "pro" install.  Thats sucks about the warranty though.  I am to impatient, i feel like ive already been waiting a couple years

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

8 minutes ago, Travis Swift said:

Bobby me and a friend installed mine in under a "six pack" ahahahha.  They send easy to follow instructions and that Force is the most consumer friendly trolling motor on the market for putting together.  I bet you could do it in less than an hour.  

What kind of beer was it? I want to make sure i have everything ready for when it shows up

[Flippin]

18 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Bobby, call Scott at Marine Repair center and see if they might get you done quicker. They just do electronic and trolling motors and may not have a 100 boats in front of you. 

Probably still at least 3 weeks out but I’d try them. Ulrich Marine won’t care they are completely covered up. Great folks and I’m sure Kelly would not mind you switching if you could get back on the water sooner. 
 

Great team over there, that’s why they are so busy. My trout boat is sitting at their shop and it’s been there2 weeks with multiple issues.  It will be done depending on parts on August 20th. 
 

Good Luck

FYI Marine Repair Center does not warranty their work once it leaves the lot.  I had a graph installed and there were supposed to link the bow and the console graph together so they would share waypoints.  When I got home I realized the graphs were not sharing waypoints and called Scott at Marine Repair Center and he told me they don't warranty anything once it leaves the lot.  Scott would not even give me any help over the phone.  I had to figure out the problem myself which did not sit well with me since I had just paid them to link the units.  In the past I had used them a lot to install a lot of different things but have not been back since this deal.  So if the trolling motor falls as you are pulling out of their lot, Marine Repair does not see they are obligated to help you in any way.  

I have used Tom at Championship Marine in Spokane and he has always done a fantastic job for me.

 

[Bill Babler]

Not sure knocking 2 years off a warranty would be worth that. 
 

Glad it worked out for you and hope it stays healthy. 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

57 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Not sure knocking 2 years off a warranty would be worth that. 
 

Glad it worked out for you and hope it stays healthy. 

I hear ya, i just cant stand the thought of my boat sitting somewhere for a few weeks, when i can have it bolted up and wired in an hour. And on top of that having to pay a shop to do something so simple.  

Ill probably be eating my words in 13 months lol.  

[fishinwrench]

46 minutes ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

I hear ya, i just cant stand the thought of my boat sitting somewhere for a few weeks, when i can have it bolted up and wired in an hour. And on top of that having to pay a shop to do something so simple.  

Ill probably be eating my words in 13 months lol.  

It's the little things 🙄 

Don't use WIRE NUTS !  (DIY guys LOVE wire nuts).

Coat all butt splices with liquid tape, or shrink boot them. 

Make sure all wires are tie strapped to something solid so the wiring isn't flopping around rubbing on anything. 

Make sure the proper circuit breaker is PROPERLY installed. 

Make sure battery connections are clean and tight, and for Gods sake throw away the WING NUT'S and use real nuts and washers.     

Use big stainless fender washers under the mounts to spread the mounting load, and use stainless aircraft nuts, not lock washers.  

Avoid mounting the unit where the head of the TM hangs out over the gunnel when stowed.   

 

There are several other ways to install a TM improperly, but those are the biggies.

[Travis Swift]

2 hours ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

What kind of beer was it? I want to make sure i have everything ready for when it shows up

You know me well enough Andy to know it was the Nectar of the God's AKA Busch Light 😁

[bobby b.]

5 hours ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

a friend installed mine in under a "six pack"

Travis and Arch,  I have rebuilt car engine and built PCs from scratch and could replace the troller in a heart beat.  The problem is that doing so adversely effects the warranty.  I spent an hour on the phone this afternoon with the area Garmin area rep. arguing about the meaning of their 12 page warranty which is on line.  He admitted that the way they setup the warranty was to promote/help the authorized installers/service folks and to discourage owner and nonauthorized dealer installs.  He also admits that Active Captain sucks. 

The mechanical installation is a "piece of cake" but the software can be troublesome.  He also believes that the so called "bricking" of the unit during a software upgrade like what happened to me is all but impossible and that there was something else wrong with my unit thus Garmin was so eager to replace it and in fact will be looking at it in the lab when it goes back.

I asked since Active Captain may be part of the trouble why did Garmin not add an SD card in the Force like their graphs and like their competitors.  He said adding an SD slot would reduce the waterproof rating to an IP 6(?) and the coastal users would not accept that and Garmin caters to this clientele.    

More to follow in future days likely. 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

3 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

It's the little things 🙄 

Don't use WIRE NUTS !  (DIY guys LOVE wire nuts).

Coat all butt splices with liquid tape, or shrink boot them. 

Make sure all wires are tie strapped to something solid so the wiring isn't flopping around rubbing on anything. 

Make sure the proper circuit breaker is PROPERLY installed. 

Make sure battery connections are clean and tight, and for Gods sake throw away the WING NUT'S and use real nuts and washers.     

Use big stainless fender washers under the mounts to spread the mounting load, and use stainless aircraft nuts, not lock washers.  

Avoid mounting the unit where the head of the TM hangs out over the gunnel when stowed.   

 

There are several other ways to install a TM improperly, but those are the biggies.

I know what you mean wrench. I never use wire nuts, Im a Solder guy, and that electric glue. 

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

3 hours ago, Travis Swift said:

You know me well enough Andy to know it was the Nectar of the God's AKA Busch Light 😁

yee yee, im all set then beer and worm fridge has what i need already