is one really better than the other? anotherwords any experiences good or bad?

got a min kota 55 now... doesn't trip as easy as the same size motor guide my brother had.. that thing was constantly tripping in the weeds and took a while to cool enough to continue.. was worthless.. the minn kota takes a lot more.. haven't had trouble with it tripping

Almost all the guys using them for bowfishing are running the Minnkota. Holds up the the beating that we put them through. Motorguides don't fair so well.

I have owned both. The motorguides (2) that I have owned have broken, one totally fried itself while fishing in wind and current, in fact I have one on the front of a lund pro-v that came with the boat and it is getting replaced this spring as it has not lived up to the abuse I call fishing.
I have had way better luck with Minn Kota motors. I have never had to replace a minnkota the only reason I got rid of them is they went with the boat that was sold. I have owned 4 minnkotas one is waiting to be mounted on lund this spring, but has been used for two years.
Minn Kota would be my choice.

ive always used minnkota and never had any problems out of them. but if any of yall know who Kevin VanDam (KVD) and Skeet Reese is, they both have Motorguides on the front of their rigs and them boys fish hard so..... both of them are good, i just think it all comes down to personal preference

I've been using a 85lb motor guide for three years and am very happy with it. It is the wireless remote model. Used for fishing and bowfishing. The only thing I don't llike about it is the beep every time you turn but its cool to run it from the back of the boat.

minn kota is gonna hold up better in the grass and wont burn up as easy as motorguide. both are great motors only real difference ive noticed is how much easier the minn kota comes through thick grass.

thankx

unbreakable shaft, right, i'm on the third one now. it's free, 90 bucks to change it.

Motorguide for me. They are simple. Minn Kota is just to bulky and have heard of broken shafts. Also don't seem they have the same power as a comparible motorguide. I got a great white 24 volt 71 lb thrust on a 15 48 alweld and it planes it out lol

I've heard its like comparing Ford vs. Chevy you'll find die hards on both sides but in the end they are both good. I found a 55lb minn kota display and bass pro knocked 100 off the price, so I got sold on a deal. I didn't have a preference walking in there when I went to purchase one.

respectfully disagree on minn kota being underpowered to a comparable motor guide... i've run both side by side in the same size boats. when the motorguide will run they are the same.

bulky? once again about the same.. with the minn kota being the easier of the two to deploy for me.

shafts breaking? i've used my minn kota jammed in the mud and rocks to pry the boat to the side or back in the water.. damn near doubling the shaft over and it hasn't broke.... i don't think you can break one. i've left my minn kota mounted and forgot about it running timber and run it headfirst into a tree and messed up the mount but a 18 dollar piece and it's now on my brothers boat. (made the mistake of giving it to him before i inspected it..he got a free trolling motor).. the only thing i didn't like was the sliding switch on the earlier models v.s. the one with the rolling switch.. the sliding one would get dirt under it and not work well.. had to use a piece of milk jug under it to increase the switch pressure so it'd work.. the newer one i haven't had to do anything to it...

one last comparison... same battery and used both minn kota and motor guide.. the battery lasted easily twice as long with the minn kota then it did with the motor guide... something about the battery saving circuitry in the minn kota.. and yes battery fully charged both times..

of course i cut the shaft down from a 48" to 36" so i didn't have it in the way when stowed.. and i still have more than enough height adjustment for waves or shallows.... that stiffened it up some i'm sure. was cheaper getting the 48" for some reason.

im sure the minn kota has the same power as the motor guide. prolly just me thinkin that motor guide has more power due to the fact that i like them more. ive never had a problem deploying any motor guide. ive had alot of them. the shaft will bend if you hit somthin hard underwater but you can straiten them out easily. and i have heard of broken shafts. think bout it. steel shaft or fiberglass shaft. which one will snap first?? another thing i dont like about the minn kota is the big ass head and foot on em. i dont know which brand will run the longest on a charge though. i know i can fish or troll from sun up to sun down with my motorguide and still have more than enough power when im done. maybe its just my setup but i LOVE MY MOTORGUIDE!!! plus its made by mercury lol

the shaft will bend if you hit something hard? of course.. it's a composite shaft it's made to be flexible... it's also guaranteed for life.. so it wouldn't cost to replace it if you could break one... i'm talking of the minn kota of course...

and it's not steel and it's not fiberglass.. it's composite...

i don't think the motor guide is guaranteed for life.... look up on the minn kota side for the guarantee.. i'd have to goto the motor guide site and read up on it..

you make it sound like the shaft stays bent and you have to straighten it... if that is how your motorguide is i'd disagree... i'm not saying the warranty is the same but the material seems similar on the two different makes.. i'd have to make an effort to look at them close to be sure.. but neither one stays bent until you straighten it.

motor guide also has a composite shaft with a lifetime guarantee... i looked up freshwater as that is what i run... but anything i did get would have to have a composite shaft....

u must have misread what i typed. not tryin to be an ass and i know you arent either. i meant that the steel shaft WILL bend if you hit something. you can straiten it out. if you strike someting with the minn kota the shaft will either bend or snap. even with the warranty you will still be out of a trollin motor for at least a month till it gets repaired. the main think i dont like about them is the complexity inside of the massive head and the foot looks like a damn big foot off a pontoon boat. and the only thing that keeps any kind of motor "weedless" is the only rotating piece on it. aka the prop.

ive had both, in the past and present. the motor guides used to be better quility across the board. now the higher end motors seem to be the only quility ones. yes they have lower and higher quility. minkota was the oppsite. seems they have come along way with there motors.

both have low and high end motors. seems the retail motors are mostly low end (wall mart , academy, even bass pro) unless you get into the higher priced bow mounts and the special transom mounts (compound turn models).

also do your self a favor get the salt water model even if running fresh water. they seem to be a little higher quility even in the lower priced models.

these motors seem to have a pro shop type sales program. most of the ones you find at a dealer have a different model number than the retial stores.

as for the best ever made........ JOHNSON/EVENRUDE . if you can find a used one in good shape get it. these are the bent shaft ones, where the shaft went into the front of the motor. the best motor ever made. they part grass like a lawn mower. and have a very good run time. i think the newer motors have more tech improvements but the old johnsons are still better. if you look hard enough the later models have ss shafts.

jbert,

no offense ment and non taken...

all in all they both work.. my wallet dictates what i do get.. meaning if they were side by side and one on sale... well i'm thinking i get the one on sale.. i'm rough on stuff and if it lasts a year or two i'm good. last one i had i left on the boat and run into a tree... same with my fish finder... side swiped and a limb scraped it off... or busting the transponder going over logs..

as far as the motor guide it's also possible my brother got a bad one.... i've only it to compare to.

For whatever it's worth, I had a Motor Guide Great White (24 volt) on my fishing boat initially. It was horrible. I HATED it. It sucked in the grass flats of South Louisiana - I constantly had to lift it and clear the weeds.

Should have just kicked it into the marsh 1,000 times. I gave it away.

Replaced it with a Minn Kota saltwater (also a 24 volt) and LOVE it. It has the weedless wedge 2 blade on it and I rarely get weeds tangled in it. It just powers through the muck, mud and grass and keeps on going. Plus, it has sealed electronics which has proven to be completely maintenance free for the past several years (which is a LOT more than I can say for the Motor Guide that I had).

Go with the Minn-Kota Motorguide's are going to break alot!!

anyone use the minkota endura 55lb,??

I bought a 55lb minn kota powerdrive w/ autopilot. Its not the v2, but I only paid 450 with either a 2 or 3 year warrenty. U can't beat that being the v2 is 750! I didn't get a chance to use her yet, but the last trollin motor I had was a minnkota and I would be n the dhallows with the head fully n the mud and it never quit working

This is kind of interestin' read. I agree with WestEnd on the comparin' Chevy and Ford ... I thank thay both at the top of the game ... it just seems most folks I know run the MotorGuide as aposed the MinnKoto. I don't really know why MotorGuide wins in mines territory .... just thats what most perfer.

I have had a couple BassBoats made by Stratos and thay both came with Johnson trollin' motor. I don't know who built the motors for Johnson ... but ... thay both where dang good units that served me well.

I now run a 12v MotorGuide transum mount that I can quickley mount to the side of the gunwell toward the bow with a 50" shaft that does all I want to as for doin' mines trollin' !!!!! I don't do much trollin' no mo .... I have become mo of a anchor and or spud pole type fishermen !!! Ifin' you run a few lines and pole fish and drank a few beers .... the anchor/spud pole systems is yore friend and neither one of 'em needs to be recharged !!!!

MinnKota for me, I ave owned both and given a choice I want the MinnKota

Now if I was sponsored like KVD or Reese I would take whatever I was offered, but I would also do so KNOWING that I did not have to be the one buying or paying to fix it


BROOKS them spud poles is yore friend unlessen you get too involved in killin them refreshments and forget to raise them up BEFORE you take off

Min 55 transom mount for my barge.

Funny you mention the anchor fishin Brooks.....last year at Wallisville i started that style and havent looked back yet. Its allot more EZ on the mind than that BlackBass chasn i usta do.

[quote="LOWRY"] Now if I was sponsored like KVD or Reese I would take whatever I was offered, but I would also do so KNOWING that I did not have to be the one buying or paying to fix it
quote]

when you are as good as them two, you pick your sponsors and what equipment you get sponsored by.