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

[Conehead]

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

[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