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I have a 17.5 Duracraft all weld boat that came with a 12v MinnKota
44/AT trolling motor. It is a five speed motor and I use it on "4" all
the time because "3" is about like watching paint dry and "5" is too
fast generally. The boat and 50 hp Yamaha and all equipment weighs
less than 1000 lbs I imagine.
I would like to get to "3" being my most of the time speed. I am
trying to decide between a MinnKota Maxxum 55 12v and a MinnKota Maxxum
70 24v. The difference in price is about $100, plus $300 for a two
bank charger and two new batteries at around $100 each.
So, it will cost me an extra $500 on top of the $569 for the 55# thrust
motor.
I hate to go up to a 24v motor, but don't want to end up with a 55 that
is not noticeable better than the 44 I already have.
Anybody out there using the Minn Kota 55 edge or maxxum? If so, what
kind of boat and are you satisfied with it?
Any other thoughts?
I've been your route, however with a 17' Tuffy Bassin' Marauder (fiberglass)
boat. It came with a 55 lb. thrust, 12 volt motor. It was a good enough
motor, but I found that I was running the battery low before I was done
fishing! Yes, the battery was a good one, yes I did charge it faithfully
every time I returned from fishing, but still, it didn't last as long as I
wanted it to. I bit the bullet and swapped the system for a 24 volt and
have never regretted it! I don't think you'd really notice too much
difference between the 44 and 55 lb. models.
I would go with a 24 volt system, it will give you FAR longer battery life,
plus I'd rather have too much power and not need it than to need the power
and not have it. It's amazing how quickly you can drain a battery if you're
fighting wind, and/or heavy current! The stronger motor will allow you to
run at your desired speed at a much lower setting (thus being less of a
drain on the battery system) than the lesser model.
The prices you're quoting for batteries and an onboard charger seem a tad
high. I'm sure if you shopped around, you could do much better. The last
deep cycle batteries I had to buy cost me $65.00 each, so both batteries
cost barely more than you're saying one will cost. BassPro has a Dual-Pro
onboard 20 amp charger for $219.00. Cabelas has reconditioned MinnKota
Maxxum 74's for $659.00 and I believe that they carry a full factory
warranty. It might not cost you as much as you think to upgrade to 24 volt
and more power. It just takes a little bit of shopping and investigation.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com