Minn Kota Powerdrive V2

[Quarry Man]

I recently bought my first bow mount trolling motor. It is a Minn Kota Powerdrive V2. I find the foot pedal annoying. does anyone else? is there a way to get the normal front back ones?

[Scott F]

6 minutes ago, Quarry Man said:

I recently bought my first bow mount trolling motor. It is a Minn Kota Powerdrive V2. I find the foot pedal annoying. does anyone else? is there a way to get the normal front back ones?

 

Question. If you didn't like the foot pedal, why did you buy the trolling motor? There is no other "normal" foot pedal. The Powerdrive pedal has always worked that way. Hit the left side, it turns left. Hit the right side, it turns right. Isn't that the logical way a foot pedal should work? That low profile foot pedal is the main advantage over cable steer. You don't have to cut a hole in the deck of your boat to use it. Use it for a while and it will be second nature.

[Quarry Man]

10 minutes ago, Scott F said:

 

Question. If you didn't like the foot pedal, why did you buy the trolling motor? There is no other "normal" foot pedal. The Powerdrive pedal has always worked that way. Hit the left side, it turns left. Hit the right side, it turns right. Isn't that the logical way a foot pedal should work? That low profile foot pedal is the main advantage over cable steer. You don't have to cut a hole in the deck of your boat to use it. Use it for a while and it will be second nature.

 

It was on sale, no cable unit pulley thing, takes up a small space, lasts well with battery, and is great, only downside is the deployment and the way it is steered (imo). I mean normal by keeping your foot on the pedal and leaning your foot forward and backwards, not rotating side to side.

[slonezp]

Couldn't stand it when I had it. Buy the co pilot or the ipilot for it and get rid of the foot control.

[Quarry Man]

9 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Couldn't stand it when I had it. Buy the co pilot or the ipilot for it and get rid of the foot control.

The way you move your foot is unnatural

[slonezp]

You'll soon find out you will be replacing control boards in the foot pedal. They tend to get corroded after a couple years of use

[Scott F]

2 hours ago, slonezp said:

You'll soon find out you will be replacing control boards in the foot pedal. They tend to get corroded after a couple years of use

Aren't the new style foot pedals a lot better about this than the older ones were?

[curtis9]

My boat came with a powerdrive, I never could get used it to.  I replaced it with a maxuum last year.

[gim]

2 hours ago, curtis9 said:

My boat came with a powerdrive, I never could get used it to.  I replaced it with a maxuum last year.

 

Same.  I used to use a power drive for years on my old boat and had to replace the pedal several times over the course of 12 years using that boat.  I got a new boat on 2015 and it has a maxxum.  The thing that really bothered me about the power drive was the noise that thing made when I turned.  I'd cringe every time.

[slonezp]

9 hours ago, Scott F said:

Aren't the new style foot pedals a lot better about this than the older ones were?

Didn't know there was a change in pedals.

[Scott F]

Old style foot pedal

 

New style

[slonezp]

55 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Old style foot pedal

 

New style

Old style was on the original Powerdrive which is the one I had. The new pedal came with the V2 and is troublesome as well. I know a few guys here had issues, and if you do a quick google search, others have as well

[KokaneeMaestro]

The control boards seem to go out on these quite often. Mine went out and I clearly diagnosed it as the problem in a video, and instead of Minn Kota just sending me a new control board (I was still under warranty), they made me take my boat 100 miles away to one of their specialists and leave it with him for two weeks in the middle of fishing season while he waited on delivery of the new control board that only he could install. My three year old could have done it. I'm convinced Minn Kota has this policy so people just throw up their hands in frustration and buy the needed part rather than go through all the hassle of a warranty repair.

[Bakablo1]

Pedal went on mine as well.. Ended up going with the CoPilot attachment and never thought about getting a new footpedal after that. 

[Alex from GA]

I bought a boat with a power drive motor in 2002 and used it for about 10 years.  I got used to anticipating the slow turning.  On Craigs list one day there was a cable controlled Motorguide for a good price and I never looked back.  The compass board never worked.

[Retiredguns]

Bought a PD at a garage sale for $50. Used it for a year, but man are they slow if you are used to a cable. Sold it to a guy who mostly fishes for Walleye and Crappie. My Maxxum seems to be easier on the battery and of course much quicker if I am heading for a stump or something.