Motor Guide digital steering trolling motor

[Bait Runner]

Does anyone have any experience with the Motor Guide digital steering motor? I have bad knees and like the idea of the wireless hand controller. Any ideas pro or con.

[jimfish]

dont have any exp. with motoguide but i have bad knees also , been using minnkota power drive on 2nd one in10yrs i love it. jimfish

[Bait Runner]

Thanks Jimfish,
I had one of those on a big c.c. boat and loved it too. I now have a smaller boat and the Minnkota is a little bulky. Mine was not wireless but had the long cord and could be run from anywhere in the boat.

[J White]

I hope the new ones are a lot better than the Lazer RF's -
I got one of those, and it sure eats a lot of 9V batteries in the foot
pedal, and if a tacklebox or cooler gets in it's "line of sight" to the motor,
it won't talk to it. (It's leaning up in the corner of my shed gathering dust)
Probably why they discontinued it after a few years! Makes a heck of
a growling racket when it does turn, too.

[Barnacle Bill]

I would go with Minn Kota and the Co-pilot. I've heard and can tell horror stories about motor guide. Even without the co-pilot, the power drive is much easier on the legs. We just changed out my buddies Saturday for that very reason.

[HeyCharlie]

I have fished with a guy that has I-pilot several times.. It Is killer, it really makes other motors obsolete!

[OkieDon]

I would go with Minn Kota and the Co-pilot. I've heard and can tell horror stories about motor guide. Even without the co-pilot, the power drive is much easier on the legs. We just changed out my buddies Saturday for that very reason.

Here's you a Minn Kota horror story. Bought a new iPilot 80lb Terrova last spring. The 6th time I had it out, the remote goes bonkers and the motor starts going around and around until it snaps my transducer cord ($179 HB HD side imaging cord). I had to unplug the darn thing to get it stopped. Called MK, they referred it to an ASC. After a few months of waiting for the ASC to get me a new remote, I called back to MK and they again said I'd have to go through the ASC to get it. I told them he said it was the remote and asked why they couldn't just send me a replacement. They said sorry, got to go through the ASC.

I called every week to see if it was in and every time the ASC told me "Nah, didn't come in this week, Minn Kota still has it on back order."

I finally gave the guy my number and said "Call me when it comes in". It's been over a year now and no word on a replacement remote. Without the remote, you can't use half of the cool features that come with this TM. So then you're left with an overpriced foot controlled trolling motor!

But that's not all...

About a month ago I busted the "indestructible shaft" on my MK Terrova. Splintered it like a carbon arrow shaft. I called a different ASC in my area this time because I didn't really care for the first ASC I'm going through trying to get the remote replaced.

I keep getting the new ASC's answering machine. I leave messages but he's never returns my calls. Apparently this guy doesn't answer his phone or is on some kind of hiatus.

So all these cool new features on the Minn Kota's are fun and great, but when they go South, apparently you can't get them worked on....wishing I hadn't sold my old Motor Guide now! I wish I could tell you how the iPilot feature works, or how the auto track or anchor feature works, but without a functioning remote, I have no idea!

I believe the biggest problem with the ASC's in my area is that Minn Kota is using ASC's who do this as a side job, not a full time dealer. For the life of me, I don't know why they don't have some qualified Marina's or Dealers handling their service work. One of our ASC's works out of his Archery Shop. He's only there after 4:30 p.m. when he gets home from his regular job (but his hours on the MK website show 7 a.m to 6 p.m 7 days a week). The other one has a "trolling motor shop" in the back room of a used Car Lot. It's hard to catch him there. He's the one that hasn't returned my calls in three weeks. Go figure!

[skeetbum]

I had a PD40 on a stick steer boat I sold 2 years ago. Only issue was the foot pedal gave up after 3 yrs of sitting in the boat in all weather conditions when it wasn't in use. Just replaced my johnson foot control with a rip tide 70lb and like the power and auto pilot, but I vert jig with a rod in each hand so a foot pedal is on the way. so far, so good. Haven't heard much on the MG version.

[unknown 5]

The Motorguide transom mount trolling motors are junk.

[CrappieLab]

I have a new usage wise Motor Guide Digital sitting in the barn with the wireless footpetal and key fob. The foot petal lasted two trips before it caused the motor to go in circles non stop and the key fob was not for me if you using a casting presentation you must stop reeling to change your position. I tried to get it in to a Motor Guide service shop but they all told me there was either a huge delay or they would not work on it if it wasnt purchased from them. I have not used the i-pilot but can say i doubt it's much worse that the digital mg