add on minn kota maximizer

[mb4850]

Do any of you know where I can purchase a maximize to add to my trilling motor that doesn't have one? Have any of you done this and is it worth it. I've found a couple on ebay but they are used for around $100. I would pay this if it is really worth it. It would also give me better speed control.

[Fisherman_Wantabe]

If the used ones are working that about the right price. They do not make them any more. It will be hard to find a new one. I got one for my old boat about 6 years ago new (got real lucky) and it was $250 plus shipping. If you find a good one they do work real good for an older TM.

[slabbandit]

My fishing partner and I both have one on our boats.Wouldn't use a trolling motor without a variable drive. We buy ours off E-Bay. Expect to pay about 150.00 for New in the Box around 100.00 for a good used one. They've been out of production for over 20 years!

[Cray]

Infenite speed control is what they were designed for originally. They work well and if you have a good 5 speed motor it is way cheaper than buying a variable motor.

[mb4850]

They say they will increase your trolling time on the new ones do you find this to be true

[Tracker123]

Can't you just replace the switch on your trolling motor with a rheostat? Just curious.

[mb4850]

you can but it's not energy efficient to do that.

[slabbandit]

We hardly need to charge the battery after a morning of spiderrigging. I don't think that a rheostat would work very well. An electronics engineer at work took one apart and said what they were doing was way more comlicated than just putting in a rheostat.

[CatFan]

Can't you just replace the switch on your trolling motor with a rheostat? Just curious.

No. Variable speed motors use pulse-width modulation to reduce the speed. They switch the power on and off very rapidly to reduce the speed of the motor.

A rheostat reduces the voltage to the motor which makes the motor less efficient so that it needs more current to operate. The rheostat wastes the power that doesn't go to the motor, meaning you woud run your battery down faster. A rheostat that could handle the power would cost more than the Maximizer and wouldn't work nearly as well.

[slabbandit]

What Catfan is saying is exactly what the guy at work told me.