Mk Terrova! Finally It's Coming Off My Boat.

[Way2slow]

Finally, it has made it's last trip on the front of my boat. I've never liked it, now the foot pedal is stuck in constant run and apparently the only fix for it is to replace it (@ $150) I may have paid $1,500 for it, but I wouldn't give $150 for another one just like it.

I took my bother fishing with me and he is not much on casting, so I spent more time chasing his lure and getting it unhung and fighting that Terrova in and out of shallow water to the bank than I did fishing. Then the switch went out so it was stuck in constant run. After that, it didn't take long for my fun meter to peg out. When the fun meter pegs out, you have to stop having all that fun, so I loaded up and headed for the house.

I dug out my old MG, I had a lapse in sanity and took off to put the Terrova on, plugged it up and it's still works, so it's going back on the bow.

My son said he would take the Terrova, so the next time he comes home, it's all his. He thinks he will be able to use the remote to have his back bay boat follow him around while he is wadding. I told him he has more faith in that thing than I do. He's liable to see his boat heading off into parts unknown while he's still punching buttons on that remote.

[tomustang]

You should've tried the ipilot, it eliminates using the stupid pedal

[Way2slow]

You still have to be able to stop and start it.  With it stuck in constant run, the only way to do that was using the speed control

[Snakehead Whisperer]

The pedal on those things is super simple. It's held together with 3 springs which can easily be removed/replaced with a pair of needle nose pliers. Once the left/right pedal is off, you can remove the variable speed control with a screwdriver (something like 3-4 screws.) Most problems with these pedals are minor and can be fixed by just looking at how it works. I recently had to disassemble mine because the magnet that controls the variable speed was rusted to the pedal body, and it would only turn at speed 8. Broke it loose and now it works fine. 

 

For what it's worth, Minn Kota's tech support is top notch and will usually suggest repairs that you can perform yourself before suggesting to buy parts/send it in. You can obtain a replacement pedal at BassPro for $99 (it's the same pedal as the Rip Tide TM's use.)

 

I was a skeptic when i bought a boat that came equipped with this motor (I usually buy MotorGuide cable steer.) I was pleasantly surprised by it. I now prefer it over cable steer, other than the fact that it's a bit cumbersome to deploy at times. 

[Way2slow]

A "BIT" cumbersome, Wait until you have to go to the bank a dozen times or so in very shallow water getting a lure out of the bushes. There is nothing about that thing that's not pain in the *** doing that. With that 60" shaft, if you raise it up shallow, you have a huge flag pole right in your way. With my MG, I can pull it up, hold it by the rope and walk it all the way in, get the lure, hold it up again skimming the surface and walk it back to deeper water. I've had it at least three of four years, and there just have not been many situations I have preferred it over the MG. There are a few situations were the i-Pilot is nice, but not enough to outweigh the times it's just a pain to use. 
 

I think you are looking at a different pedal than mine.  Mine only has one pedal, and it's held in by two screws holding the centering springs, and most are wanting $150.

 
Anyway, it's off now, just got through installing the MG. Now I've got to find the prop for it. The last time I used it was fishing the St Johns in heavy Lillie pads and have a Ninja prop on it. Not worth a darn for my normal use.

It's my understanding the run switch in those are a pressure switch and not available for replacement. Which, that's my sons problem now, unless the MG dies from not being used in so long.

Actually, I just checked and it one big control module mounted in the bottom and all the switches are internal magnetic switches. Nothing in there to repair other than replace the whole module. Other than that, it's just a bunch of plastic parts, so not a whole lot there repairable.

[tomustang]

You still have to be able to stop and start it. With it stuck in constant run, the only way to do that was using the speed control

I don't know how the constant run button is on the pedal. If it's not installed it won't interfere with a remote. You don't need the pedal if your using the remote, I have mine sitting under deck if I need it but it never comes out.

With the flag pole, I know what you mean, I have the same shaft and I usually have it way up in shallow water, it can still get pretty shallow but if I need to get even closer I'll take the push pole out and lift the whole trolling motor

[Way2slow]

Since I rarely use the remote, I didn't think to try it.

[Long Mike]

I love my Terrova, but I never use the foot pedal.  The remote works very well for me.  As said above, the one great drawback of the Terrova is that it is a PITA to stow and deploy.  Why MK choose to ignore that drawback is beyond me.  That's why, when my budget permits, I'm going to replace it with the Ulterra.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

With my MG, I can pull it up, hold it by the rope and walk it all the way in, get the lure, hold it up again skimming the surface and walk it back to deeper water. 

I read your whole post, but this sentence is pure gold. I can't tell you how many times I've done this ritual.

 

I can understand your frustration with the Terrova. It took me a while to get used to it, and now I happen to like mine. I also really like my cable steer MotorGuide, which is why I held onto it as a backup. 

 

The pedal I'm referring to is this one. 

 

 

edit: I did some research and apparently I have a Power Drive V2 pedal. It works, however. 

[tcbass]

I have a Terrova and love it....except that I need the remote for spot lock, otherwise I'd never use the remote. I love the foot pedal.

 

 

Next boat will have an Ulterra on it. Remote is thus unnecessary and it has auto stow/deploy.