Advantages and Disadvantages

[Bream Addict]

hey all ive been looking closely at some minn kota leccys lately and have worked out for me,its betwwen the 55lb riptide and the 55 lb maxxum,i see some ppl using the maxxum and others using the riptide but i have no ide a which would suit me better and i dont know what the advantages of one over the other is?thanks in advance for your replies,ba:) .

[crabcrusher]

Isnt the Riptide Saltwater,and the maxxum fresh .And i think the maxxum has cable steer , where as the riptide is an electronic footpeddle.

[Bream Addict]

yeah thats right nick,it would seem logiacal to get the ripride but ppl say that the maxxums run fine in brackish water as long as u give them a good rinse in frwh when ur don,im just note sure what the advantages cable steer has over servo,and vise-a-versa,cmon guys i want ur opinions cause im a bit loist on this topic at the moment:confused:

[Conehead]

Yeah but you usually wash down the boat after each use anyway...so you may aswell just wash the leccy' too. :confused:

[Bream Addict]

thats what i meant,there is no real advantage to the saltwater model,imo,plz correct me if im wrong

[Brody]

Not having owned either, but having tried both of them (Well not a 55 maxxum, but a 36 Kota all terrain-cable steer), I would go the Cable steer. I just reckon their has been too many reports of riptides stuffing up, and seeing them stuff up, and also i think the cable steer is a lot simpler system than the servo's, and also has a quicker response...JMO ;) :)

Cheers, Brody

[crabcrusher]

It all depends on your Boat as well as your budget.The Riptide for saltwater and comes with the sacrificial anode , but ive got a 40pd powerdrive which is freshwater and ive fitted an anode . The motor so far hasnt corroded , but there is always that chance . All warranties would be void if you ran a freshwater model in the salt . I have though heard that the servo controls are prone to fault and you should factor in the replacement of such a unit . I havnt used the cable steer but it does lookahell of a lot easier than servos .
The mounting "footprint" of the riptide has a smaller footprint than the Maxxum , so you might have to measure the bow of your boat to establish the space you have for mounting without having to get a plate welded on . You can buy a quick release bracket for both motors.

[Brad Y]

I run a RT55ap and i havent tried the freshwater series altjhough i was going to. It was actually Ira that explained the benefits of having the rip tide. No matter how much you wash the motor, it may stil rust. The riptide has a zinc annode to stop this. Also i dont think the maxxum has the autopilot function. It is sooo handy for keeping the nose in the wind and for hassle free fishing along flats. Snags are different of course coz you always stopping to fish slower and deeper. Plus you never know when you will go into salt. From what i have seen, i think the riptides hold value alot better too.

JMO

[Bream Addict]

thanks for ur input everyone,brad,could u please explain how the autopilot feature works exactly?

[Brad Y]

Point the head of the motor in the direction you want to travel, press the auto pilot button, set the speed, hit the on switch and keep the boat level to make sure it doesnt confuse the compass and hey presto! Autopilot breamin!

[Bream Addict]

mmm,intersting brad,thanks for that,i personally probaly wouldnt use it that much in breamin sit uations,but it would be good for the trout trolling i do a bit of.1 more question brad,once u have activated it how far will it go before it styops? i mean do u have to actually stop it or does it just run for a certain distance then stop itself?

[Brad Y]

It dont stop til you stop it. I forgot that a few times and went nose first into a few logs

[Bream Addict]

lol,thanks for all that brad,much appreciated,now im eager to hear from a owner of a maxxum,or better still,someone who has owned both,thanks,ba.

[angelfish]

Hi Bream Addict

I've lived with both a Minn Kota Riptide Autopilot and a Great White Motorguide cable steer, both brilliant bits of gear but with a couple of annoying personality traits.

The autopilot function is fine on sandflats where travelling a staright line is the norm, not so good around snags, docks, etc. where quick course corrections are required. The autopilot also has an annoying habit of going bananas when it's internal compass is confused by a change in magnetic field such as when fishing around tugboats and container ships. The little bugger just starts to spin around spearing your boat uncontrollably into the closest structure.

Motorguides Great White's are powerful, in fact they can generate so much torque when cranked up that a sudden change in direction could be sufficient to toss you overboard. Their smaller freshwater are a better option in many circumstances, particularly if fitted with a sacrificial anode. Like all cable steer units though, they are direct and super responsive without the lag of the autopilot's mechanical steering.

However, after playing around with a Maxuum on the advice of Ian Miller, I have just ordered one for my new boat, as have the entire Shimano team. Sure they might theoretically be a tad less corrosion resistant than the other two but the salwater models often dont fair much better. The Maxuum has power to spare, but its torque is far less intrusive. Also it's breakaway system is much more user friendly and does not require constant resetting.

Catch you on the water

Angelo

[Bream Addict]

thanks for that angelo,very informative, im liking the look of the maxxum more and more lately:)

[angelfish]

You wont be disapointed BA. Chase up some prices and pm me when u r ready to make a commitment. I'll put you in touch with the right people.

Catch you on the water,

Angelo

[Bream Addict]

thanks heaps mate,ill be in touch

[Geoff R]

I don't think you would be dissapointed with either system, an electric motor regardless of make puts fish in the boat.
I have recently given my Minn Kota RT55AP an overhaul by myself in Perth, with a little over the phone advice from Wayne at Bla in QLD.
You saw the pics of my boat, and i am sure you heard the "wet" comments from the guys.
My Kota is nearly 3 years old and due to a very hard life in less than favourable conditions on a less than perfect boat she was showing some signs of excessive corrosion.
Due to the position on the bow sometimes my Kota could be completely immersed in "even saltier water than the Pacific,Indian Ocean".
My boat has been that wet sometimes you do need scuba kit to breath, all fixed now though.
I replaced the black wire snake, Power cord, mother board and foot pedal, purely cause i felt sorry for it. It was still working but the corrosion it "had" was inhibitting the flow of current to the motor making it real slow.
All i needed was the explosion chart and wiring diagram which Wayne kindly mailed with my parts and i put it back togethor.
This may not be everyones cup of tea, but if you have some common (Dog F%$#) sense, are manually dextrous, it really is straight forward.
I would by a Minn Kota riptide 55ap again, it is a pleasure to use I love it, I wouldn't pay any attention to the bad press some flogger was raving on about them on here.
Regards Geoff R

[Bream Addict]

thanks geoff,ive really got to study them and find which suits me better,i know they are both good

[Geoff R]

Because when you are running shallow like retrieving a stuck lure on a branch or on a sand bar the bank etc, all you need to do is place one hand on the head unit, step on the release mechanism, apply throttle and the whole thing comes up out of the water.
This means you can still use it to manouvre whilst holding onto the whole thing , i don't know if this makes sense but every one who has this model will know what i am talking about.
Maybe they can explain it better

[Doc_Hollywood]

I am with you Geoff, even though the ap on my minkota just gave up the ghost i would not be without it.
I had the maxxum before and without the auto pilot it was just a pain. I want to fish not steer a boat around all day. Those that fish with auto pilot will know what i mean.
My first day at Augusta was fun my second day without AP was the worst fishing day i have had.
Fishing snags with ap is not an issue, you just pick your line, and away you go, and you can make adjustments as you go without re-setting the system.
When it comes to the ap losing the plot as Angelo suggested around boat traffic etc, I would suggest that rather than magnetic fields ( boats are not allowed to transmit and sort of RF whilst alongside in harbours), it would be from the wash around you or weight distribution on your boat. The AP compass does not work after a 5 degree angle.
When it comes to the motor guides their owners say that the steering is far more responsive. But then again Lada Niva drivers reckon they had purchased a great car too. :D

The Doc.

[Mim]

We have the Minn Kota All Terrain on our boat, the one Brody has used. We have had it for over 2 years and the only prob we have experienced is for the momentary switch to be replaced, but even when it wasn't working properly, we were still able to use the motor, by switching it to constant and turning it off when we wanted to stop.

As other have said the Cable steer motor is more direct, no lag from when you hit the button to move. I also find when you have to go in to shallow ground the cable steer comes into it's own, as all you do is grab hold of the rope and lift the motor to whatever depth you want and drive into the snag, then you reverse out and just let go of the rope and the prop is still at the correct depth for trolling.

My sponsor boat has also been set-up with a Minn Kota Cable Steer. Minn Kota offered us which ever motor we wanted. I chose the cable over the riptide.

I have driven a few boats with the Riptide and definately prefer the cable steer. I find it much easier to use, with the design of the foot pedal being more user friendly also. But in saying this some guys prefer the foot pedal of the Riptide and the solanoid driven motor. I guess it all comes down to what you are used to. I would suggest you get out on a few boats and try the different motors and decide for yourself which one you prefer.

Cheers

Mim

[Ranger 175C]

Addict,


I have also owned both the Kota cable steer and I currently own a Motorguide great White 82lbs cable steer. I am torn between the two brands? I love everything about the motorguide except the inability to adjust the cable tension in the pedal. It has more play then the kota. I like the kota except for the fact that the motor is made for Freshwater only and here in the States they will void your warranty if they believe the failure was from saltwater corrosion. My maxxum was used in both and did suffer alot of rust. This occured in places were the anode wil not prevent it. It lasted 3+ years but when it went it was a total failure. The motor guide has been on over a year and been used in both fresh and salt for over 80+ sessions some lasting 12 + hours.....it has held up fine. I agree that the kota heavy duty mount is nice but the saltwater gator mount is choice also. My boat is proabably heavier then most bream boats, the 82lb on medium high moves me along well even in a good breeze. On high Angel is right it will pitch you out of the boat if you don't watch it, but the speed is handy when you realize you are about to drift into something that can be damaged or cause damage. Try them both out and see which is for you. I have tried the servo steered units and they are ok, i just like the response time from the cable steer better.....Now if kota would come out with a saltwater Maxxum cable steer in white with a anode I would probably change......But then again maybe not..........Its kinda like the whole mercury vs evinrude vs yamaha thing.....personal choice and what fits your needs best.


Ranger 175C/Brian

[angelfish]

Bream Addict,

Valid points made by all of the above. I guess it will come down to the system you feel is most user friendly for your individual needs.

Factor your boats size, primary locations fished, power requirements and budget into the equation.

One thing to come away with from the discussion thus far is that regardless of your choice, it seems there's not a dog amongst them.

Doc Holliwood, boatwash and weight distribution did not seem to be the issue as I often fished open shallow bays in swell and chop without any problem.

I was suggesting that being surrounded by several hundred tons of metal might have been the culprit as it only occured in situations such as boat docks and harbours.

Not a major issue though...simply didn't engage autopilot where it didn't seem effective. I just found that after a while, I didn't use the feature much at all.

Catch you on the water

Angelo

BTW BA, the offer holds, regardless.

[Bream Addict]

yeah thanks angelo,im really just toing&froing at the moment,i was think autopilot would be handy but them it occured to me that id never really use it that much in places like the non,docks etc,so as before,im still leaning towards the maxxum,anyway,ill get back to u mate,thanks once again to all who replied,thanks,ba:) .

BTW-angelfish,u got ur prostrike yet?

[angelfish]

Bream addict

2 more weeks, mate. Cant wait.

Just been gps recorded at 112 k's on the Tweed while flying past a Triton with a 200 strapped to it. Lucky bastard, Travis Davies was the pilot.

I feel like a proud father!!

Catch you on the water,
Ange

[Bream Addict]

Just been gps recorded at 112 k's on the Tweed

:cool: ,very:cool:

[Gutsy]

I took a pic of Travis at the Tweed comp. Gotta love the new boat.

[WOODY666]

Apart from all the comments made .
I also have had the Ap Minn Kota and now running the 82 lb Great White.
Rangers comments are spot on .
The biggest Plus in my eyes is that Bream Fishing is visual you are constantly watching your line .
Cable steer alows you to steer without taking your eyes off of the line to see which direction you are going in .
20 times more manouverable if you need to reverse quickly.
I found when I had the Auto Pilot I was constantly watching the head to see which way you were going and due to how slow they are that is a fair amount of time not watching your line .
I beleive that it does cost you fish in the boat .
If you talk to most people with cable they will never go back as the foot control becomes a part of you and you steer without even thinking about it .
My motorguide is 12 months old and hve had no issues .
Minn Kota AP went back twice but fixed very quickly and no cost to me .
Love both Brands but I am with ranger Motorguide need to bring out an adjustable tension on the foot control.


Woody