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Buying A New Trolling Motor

by Kevin Patton

Buying a new trolling motor is a substantial investment for what is arguably the most important piece of equipment on your boat, but more can go wrong than you may imagine.

Typically when buying a motor fishermen consider the power or thrust rating, whether they prefer a hand-steer or foot-operated model, the number of available speeds, and how many batteries or volts are required to operate the motor.

There are many bells and whistles that may run your purchase price up, such as an option for continuous operation without using the on-off switch. However, as I recently experienced, there are other factors that can quickly turn your investment of a few hundred dollars into $1,000 or more.

Most of my "price overrun" was not the result of a marine dealer taking advantage of me, nor was it my fault. It was simply the result of changes in wiring systems and differences in manufacturing, accompanied by increased labor to make adjustments, since I last purchased a motor in 1995.

The dealer had to spend time propping up the motor bracket by placing a piece of plywood under it to give enough clearance to avoid hitting the motor on the boat.

Mounting Your Motor

One consideration when changing trolling motors is how the new one mounts onto the bow of the boat. I quickly discovered that motor brackets vary in height and the distance the motor sits above the mounting bracket.

This affects how much clearance the motor will have when putting it into and out of the water. My new motor required the dealer to cut a piece of plywood to place under the bracket so that the motor wouldn't hit the rim of the boat.

Another consideration when mounting the motor is whether your boat tarp will fit over the motor without being altered. I asked the dealer to install the motor as close to the same angle and location of my old motor as possible so the tarp would still fit.

The tarp still fits with a little stretching, but my last trolling motor purchase required me to get the tarp altered, despite the fact that I purchased the identical brand and model of motor that was already on the boat.

The placement of my new battery charger didn't present a problem for plugging into an extension cord because of the length of the charger cord, but it needed to be mounted where I could easily see the indicator lights.

Wiring System Differences

The next issue that I encountered was that my old motor was a 12/24-volt, fused system with two batteries wired in parallel. I had been able to charge my batteries by flipping a switch on my bow console and plugging my battery charger into the trolling motor receptacle, using the same type plug as the motor.

My new motor is a straight 24-volt system with a circuit breaker and batteries wired in series rather than in parallel. While my old system gave me the option of operating the motor from one battery OR both batteries, the new system runs from both batteries all the time.

This wiring difference made my charging system inoperable and required the installation of an onboard charger that would charge batteries wired together in series, resulting in more equipment expense and more labor for installation.

Locate switches within reach

My next problem occurred when I took my first fishing trip with the new motor. Prior to heading to the lake, I had gotten under the back deck to inspect everything and locate the circuit breaker.

This circuit breaker was originally located behind the battery, making it unreachable without removing a boat seat, unlocking the deck, and lifting the deck for access. Now it can be easily reset if needed.

My old system was equipped with fuses behind the bow panel, which were now replaced with a circuit breaker that would trip if the motor becomes overworked or overheated. I will then have to reset it to resume operation.

I have owned my boat more than 20 years and fuses are much more accessible these days, but my system required me to unscrew the bow panel in order to access blown fuses.

Upon seeing that the circuit breaker was behind the battery box, I stretched the wire to the side of the battery box for easier access, but unknowingly broke the connection. So my day started with an immediate return to the boat dock for a quick repair when the trolling motor would not work.

When the dealer installed the battery charger, he increased the length of cord to the circuit breaker so that it is now accessible without breaking connection or opening the back deck.

If you own a boat like mine, with no hatches to the battery area, it is important to consider where things are mounted for easy access and monitoring.

Other Considerations

Buying a spare pull cord, propeller drive pins, propeller, and the tools to change props will add to your already substantial investment.

Also, you may want to put some electrical tape, crimping pliers, and electrical connectors in your boat to make repairs without returning to the dock for the tools in your vehicle.

The location of the on/off switch on the trolling motor foot pedal may even become an issue for you. My previous motors all had switches located on the right edge of the foot pedal, while the new one is located on the left side of the pedal.

Hopefully, I will adjust and eliminate my groping and stumbling attempts to locate the switch, but breaking a 20-year-old habit will take some time.

If nothing else, maybe I can use this as a lame excuse to get out in the boat....."honey, I need to practice using my new trolling motor."

It sounds like a good reason to go fishing to me.