Jim Mac Posted August 19, 2014 Posted August 19, 2014 I'm thinking of getting an Endura Max 40 lb. model for my kayak(Frontier 12'). Have the Endura Max trolling motors been reliable? Are there any negatives to them? Thanks. Quote
Jim Mac Posted August 20, 2014 Author Posted August 20, 2014 Someone out there must own an Endura Max. Quote
Preytorien Posted August 20, 2014 Posted August 20, 2014 I'm thinking of getting an Endura Max 40 lb. model for my kayak(Frontier 12'). Have the Endura Max trolling motors been reliable? Are there any negatives to them? Thanks. Hey Jim Mac..... I have the exact one you're talking about. The Endura Max 40 - the one with the Digital Maximizer. I have mine on a 9ft inflatable Sea Eagle fishing boat, along with a size 27 EverStart (Wal-mart brand) marine battery. Couldn't be happier. I was talking to a guy who knew his stuff on electronics, and knew what the digital maximizer was, he called it something else, I can't remember (something technical) and he said it's the real deal. It's a proven and actual technology in other areas of the electrical field. Now, I've never had any other trolling motor, so I can't compare, but I just had a day where I had my boat pretty much loaded to the gills - 2 guys, all the fishing gear, motor, battery, anchor, 2 seats, a cooler.....the works.....and ran the boat about 5hrs and only drained the battery about 25-30%. That means theoretically I could've been out pretty much all day and still had juice to make it. Real-world wise, I could've comfortably stayed out about 8-9hrs and still had power to motor back to the launch. As for the quality, it's what you'd expect from MK. Well build, solid feeling. The warranty is a lifetime one on the shaft, which is nice. The blade, while pretty weedless will still get hung a bit if the weeds are as thick as salad, but that's nothing different from any other motor. The 40lb thrust seems to be by far all I would need for my boat, and for yours it'll scoot you along pretty quick. The motor has a basic little battery meter which has break points of 25-50-75-100 percent indicators. I have found it to actually be pretty accurate, as the charge levels I see when I get home are within what it says on the motor, so it's kind of nice to have as a very rudimentary reference just to keep you informed of what kind of run time you can see to be remaining. As for negatives, just so you have something to reference as "negative" - I think the handle (retractable) feels very plastic-y. It doesn't feel like a durability problem per-say, but you can definitely feel it's plastic. I never saw any reviews (and I read a bajillion reviews before I buy anything) that mentioned a problem with it, so I didn't concern myself with it. But to be fair and post something "negative" there you go....the handle feels plasticky. So if you're thinking of getting one, I'd say go ahead. I'm glad I did. I was going to get just the standard Endura, which is still a great motor, but I liked the idea of the maximizer, and like I said, a fellow I know who is an electrical engineer said the maximizer (and all the fancy terms he used) is an actual thing, and actually works. It's a great and solid motor, it runs me around just like I wanted one to do. I think on a kayak it'd be great, and a good size too. Not too heavy and the adjustability of the shaft height will make it great for skinny water that we both probably like to fish in. Good luck, hope this helps! Quote
PersicoTrotaVA Posted August 20, 2014 Posted August 20, 2014 I have the 55 lb for my brother's 11 foot jon boat. We couldn't be happier. We had an Endura C2 and you can see a huge difference between the battery life and the smooth throttle is so much better than 5 presets forward and 3 in reverse. Quote
jbw252 Posted August 20, 2014 Posted August 20, 2014 I have the Endura Max 55 transom mount for my 12' StarCraft V-hull. I upgraded from an older Endura 36. The digital maximizer has a noticeable difference compared to the non maximizer model. As PersicoTrotaVA stated, the battery life is better & the variable throttle is much better than the preset speeds. I'm new to boating this season, and I've only owned Minn Kotas, but I like them so far. No issues yet. Quote
Preytorien Posted August 20, 2014 Posted August 20, 2014 That's one other thing I forgot to mention, the variable throttle. That REALLY helps when paralleling a shoreline or something and you just want to barely creep along, it's nice to have such adjustability. Quote
Jim Mac Posted August 20, 2014 Author Posted August 20, 2014 Thanks guys. Great info. I just hope the 36" shaft won't bee too tall for my kayak. Quote
Under the Radar Posted August 20, 2014 Posted August 20, 2014 Thanks guys. Great info. I just hope the 36" shaft won't bee too tall for my kayak. If you find it is too tall, just take it to an authorized MK service center and have them shorten the shaft. that way your warranty will be in tact. Quote
jbw252 Posted August 20, 2014 Posted August 20, 2014 Please, no jokes about Jim Mac having his shaft shortened... Quote
Jim Mac Posted August 21, 2014 Author Posted August 21, 2014 Please, no jokes about Jim Mac having his shaft shortened... My wife says the same thing !! Quote
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