What to look for buying used trolling motor

[hooah212002]

I just bought my first boat, an '87 bass tracker tournament v17 and it came with a bow mount TM with foot control but it's a quite old Minn Kota Powerdrive V1 and the foot pedal does not want to turn the TM (powers on and will go straight) and all my google searches have pointed to fixes that are outdated, so since I can't replace the circuit board or pedal, I want to buy a new-to-me one. I would like a bow mount with foot control (at least, but boy would a remote be awesome too!), but I am unsure what all parts I should ensure are included when shopping on the used stuff marketplaces.

 

I am 99% certain I am currently running 12V because I only have 1 large cranking battery and 1 small accessory battery (haven't traced wires and don't recall what the seller said re: power distribution), so that narrows down the "what power TM do I need" question. I just don't know what wires, cables, adapters etc i need to look for, so I ask you guys.

 

 

Thanks!

Edited July 9, 2018 by hooah212002
Added boat description

[Arcs&sparks]

You should at least give some rough specs on your boat.

 

You need to learn your boats power supply regardless, and if you need help in the process, post some pics.  

 

If your “accessory” battery is smaller than your outboards cranking battery,  you may need to consider upgrading.  But again,  we need to know more info before making suggestions ?

[hooah212002]

1 hour ago, Arcs&sparks said:

You should at least give some rough specs on your boat.

 

You need to learn your boats power supply regardless, and if you need help in the process, post some pics.  

 

If your “accessory” battery is smaller than your outboards cranking battery,  you may need to consider upgrading.  But again,  we need to know more info before making suggestions ?

Please (re)read my post. I am not looking for suggestions on what trolling motor to get. I am looking for tips on what i need to look for when buying a used trolling motor. I really tried to make my OP as clear as possible to avoid responses like yours. If you look at my post count, you'll see that I've been here before.....

[Arcs&sparks]

1 hour ago, Arcs&sparks said:

 

You should at least give some rough specs on your boat.

 

I have no idea if you have a modified Jon boat or a ranger bass boat. This makes a difference. A new motor of any make and model might bolt right on, or you might need an adapter.

2 hours ago, Arcs&sparks said:

You need to learn your boats power supply regardless, and if you need help in the process, post some pics.

Plug configuration could be different on your new used motor, and in the case of the wiring,  if it’s a modified boat,  it’s possible the wire gauge is inadequate if you choose to get a larger motor. 

 

2 hours ago, Arcs&sparks said:

f your “accessory” battery is smaller than your outboards cranking battery,  you may need to consider upgrading.  But again,  we need to know more info before making suggestions ?

This was Just a suggestion.

 

?‍♂️I thought a pic and some more info would help

[TOXIC]

To answer your question generally, a used TM will come with everything other than a battery charger.  The Ultrex does have a heading GPS puck that needs to be installed but its not an option for 12v.  If you are running a 12v (single battery) you are already limited as to what you put in.  Most 12v are smaller thrust TM's and are hand controlled not foot controlled.  But to answer your direct question, there's nothing extra you have to worry about buying with that size motor and there's really no way to test them other than to wire them up.  Common problems are burnt out circuit boards and worn out brushes but as I said, you have to power them up to check them out.  

[WRB]

What used trolling should I look for?......none, unless you want another TM like you already have for parts.

Tom

[riverbasser]

23 hours ago, hooah212002 said:

I am unsure what all parts I should ensure are included when shopping on the used stuff marketplaces

The electric motor,shaft, pedal, prop, head unit, foot control, mounting base, and about 24 inches of wire. All of this preferably assembled and intact

[Further North]

On 7/5/2018 at 11:09 PM, hooah212002 said:

Please (re)read my post. I am not looking for suggestions on what trolling motor to get. I am looking for tips on what i need to look for when buying a used trolling motor. I really tried to make my OP as clear as possible to avoid responses like yours. If you look at my post count, you'll see that I've been here before.....

Hmmm...good luck getting a lot of help with replies like that.

 

I had a couple ideas...but after that, I don't want to risk giving you info on things you may have already decided on and getting told to sit back down and shut up.

 

Sometimes...every now and then...being quiet and not replying is a great idea.  It may have, in fact, been what I should have done as well...but I figured that since the bar had already been lowered, it'd be OK...

[A-Jay]

On 7/5/2018 at 5:45 PM, hooah212002 said:

I just bought my first boat and it came with a bow mount TM with foot control but it's a quite old Minn Kota Powerdrive and the foot pedal does not want to turn the TM (powers on and will go straight) and all my google searches have pointed to fixes that are outdated, so since I can't replace the circuit board or pedal, I want to buy a new-to-me one. I would like a bow mount with foot control (at least, but boy would a remote be awesome too!), but I am unsure what all parts I should ensure are included when shopping on the used stuff marketplaces.

 

I am 99% certain I am currently running 12V because I only have 1 large cranking battery and 1 small accessory battery (haven't traced wires and don't recall what the seller said re: power distribution), so that narrows down the "what power TM do I need" question. I just don't know what wires, cables, adapters etc i need to look for, so I ask you guys.

 

Thanks!

 

On 7/6/2018 at 12:09 AM, hooah212002 said:

Please (re)read my post. I am not looking for suggestions on what trolling motor to get. I am looking for tips on what i need to look for when buying a used trolling motor. I really tried to make my OP as clear as possible to avoid responses like yours. If you look at my post count, you'll see that I've been here before.....

Congrats on your new rig - 

It's going to be near impossible to deal out any advice here without knowing more about your rig & how it's set-up & wired.

Either way, buying a used trolling motor can be a tricky proposition.

Something that can really help though, is having a fair amount of knowledge about them going into it.

Without it, one could be heading down a frustrating & possible costly path.

 

A-Jay

 

[hooah212002]

22 hours ago, Further North said:

Hmmm...good luck getting a lot of help with replies like that.

 

I had a couple ideas...but after that, I don't want to risk giving you info on things you may have already decided on and getting told to sit back down and shut up.

 

Sometimes...every now and then...being quiet and not replying is a great idea.  It may have, in fact, been what I should have done as well...but I figured that since the bar had already been lowered, it'd be OK...

 

I didn't intend that response to be so snarky or rude but reading it a couple days later, i see that it was uncalled for. I appreciate all the replies I've gotten thus far, I just didn't think my particular boat was crucial to finding out how to shop for a TM (aside from the obvious length and mount type).

I've updated this OP with my boat type. Thanks for all the help thus far and apologies if I've come across as an ungrateful ass.

[Scott F]

Foot pedals are still available on Ebay for that motor. I've got a used complete motor PD model that still works with 2 pedals.

If it were me, I doubt I'd buy a used motor. Trolling motors aren't cheap and for the most part, guys wouldn't replace a good motor without a reason. I replaced mine because it started making a bit more noise when turning, and It was 10 years old. I don't know how much life is left in it. I was going to sell it but I wouldn't want someone to get it and then have it quit. At this point, I think the foot pedals are worth more than the motor.

[Further North]

External condition will be as good an indicator of internal condition as anything...If you were to look at one of my trolling motors after several years, you'd see that is had been well used.  Finding one that had been a pull-off to replace with something else, then stashed in a corner for some reason would be your best case.

 

I update and maintain my trolling motors, like everything else on my boat...and you'd get that by having a conversation with me...but even given that, neither of us knows what's going inside a four or five year old electric motor.  I'd want to tell you, "It's been great for me, and should be good for you!", but that'd be a guess on my part.

 

I will say that any 12 volt for a 17 foot boat will be underpowered and will likely start to run out of power by the end of a day on the water.  If you can bump up to 24 volt you'll be much happier.  Pulling new wires is easy: tie them to the old ones and pull through.  Adding an additional battery (finding space) and a charger will be where will have an opportunity to learn some stuff.

[Troy85]

9 hours ago, Further North said:

 

I will say that any 12 volt for a 17 foot boat will be underpowered and will likely start to run out of power by the end of a day on the water.  If you can bump up to 24 volt you'll be much happier.  Pulling new wires is easy: tie them to the old ones and pull through.  Adding an additional battery (finding space) and a charger will be where will have an opportunity to learn some stuff.

I 2nd this.  I recently upgraded from 12v to 24v, if you have the room for the extra battery.  The upgrade is well worth it and super easy to wire up.

[hooah212002]

9 hours ago, Further North said:

I will say that any 12 volt for a 17 foot boat will be underpowered and will likely start to run out of power by the end of a day on the water.  If you can bump up to 24 volt you'll be much happier.  Pulling new wires is easy: tie them to the old ones and pull through.  Adding an additional battery (finding space) and a charger will be where will have an opportunity to learn some stuff.

So I've noticed. That's why i think I may actually look at getting a second battery and new charger first. However, i do think that i also need to replace the two I currently have as they seem to be a tad long in the tooth as well.