# Minnkota Powerdrive = Poor Reliability ?



## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

Am I the only one with an unreliable Powerdrive trolling motor? I've had 3 miserable years with my PD50 and its now DOA and back in the shop again. I'm on my second replacement foot controller and I am not dragging them behind the boat on the highway. I admit to storing my PD50 under the boat cover in the driveway this past winter, but a product designed for some dampness should pull through. How many years should one get out of a trolling motor with light usage before replacement is considered?

Frustrated,
ohiojmj


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## sowbelly101 (Apr 5, 2004)

im on my third and have a 4th in the box already just waiting to be put to use. i talked with minn kota last year about it and they were pretty stupid about the whole thing. if you want to have a fun argument, send them an email... i went back n forth for about a month and did get one free pedal out of them to keep on hand.

sowbelly


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

I just got the diagnosis for my dead PD50, it's the circuit board. That's $100 for part and labor. 

Three year cost to operate:

$450 Powerdrive
$70 replacement foot controller #1
$70 replacement foot controller #2 (no wonder they sell them separate!)
$100 reaplcement circuit board

Getting my PD50 through the '06 season without breakdown - NOT priceless


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## SwollenGoat (Apr 13, 2005)

I got a new PD 50 last year. Used it all year with no problems. I have heard the pedals are un-reliable and are prone to failure if they get soaking wet. (Ex. fishing all day in a hard rain.) So, knowing this I take good care of the pedal and keep it out of the rain as much as possible - have even stuck it under my console during a hard rain. I also have a quick mount bracket on my boat for the motor, and remove it and take it inside after each outing.

No problems yet, but I must say I love the ability to troll without being tied to the bow operating a standard cable steer motor. (Price you pay, I guess.)


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## ShakeDown (Apr 5, 2004)

I blew through 2 in one season. Don't even sneeze on it!


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

Ok, I'll tuck mine in at night under the covers and whisper sweet nothings when it's raining or splashing and I have a severe case of "fear of getting my trolling motor". Oh well, enough whine, just thought I'd share my experience with those that may contemplating the PowerDrive. Maybe I got a lemmon, maybe it's not.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Going on my second year trouble free. I too treat mine as does SwollenGoat.
I didn't wany my cover made to fit only one style motor and the unit is so easily removed. I also took a look at the comtroller and common sense said KEEP IT DRY which I do in various ways. Hope my luck continues as I truly enjoy the features.


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## Saildog (Aug 2, 2004)

Makes me wonder if the new Motorguide rendition of the PowerDrive will be any better. I guess it will be a few years before we know...


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## sowbelly101 (Apr 5, 2004)

While using the PD yesterday it started to get a mind of its own and turn itself on and off. Kicked the pedal around the boat a little and it worked just fine for the remainder of the day. Guess Ill have to tear into it again and see whats going on with the pedal. Probally have to install the spare pedal I have, that will mean a new pedal for every year of use so far.

Sowbelly


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I had one, lasted 1 year & my neighbor had one it died in less than a year. Now I use Motorguide, 12 years no problems.


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

I invested another $40 for a slide out mount so that I can keep it as dry as possible. I did notice the circuit board in foot controller peeking at me between the switches and assumed there were others hiding inside. However, my engineering instincts told me that the Minnkota engineering pukes considered the humidity factor among other environmental considerations. I was instinctively wrong. The Mogodore Bait Shop (authorized repair shop) dude mentioned that the new circuit boords are more water tight.....


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## SwollenGoat (Apr 13, 2005)

Just a thought here;

-IF- you are a person that primarily fishes at the bow (like a bass fisherman does) then I don't understand why you would ever want a Powerdrive. Cable-steer bow mounts are engineered very simply, they turn quicker, and have little to go wrong with them. They are more rugged, and a better value if that is the type of fishing you do.

*HOWEVER*

-IF- you are a person that does a lot of trolling with your bow mount, would like to be able to fish from anywhere in the boat, or needed the autopilot feature, then up until this year the PD was the *only* choice you had. Motorguide just released a similar unit - but they are like 10 years behind MK's Powerdrive! Why they waited so long to make a competing product is beyond me. As others said, we'll have to see how their new drive stacks up against MK's.

The Powerdrive is what it is. It has lots of electrical components that make it do what it does. Those components are finicky, this fact is well-documented. Just look around on any fishing forum and you'll see somebody griping about their PD foot pedal. I knew going in that I needed to be extra careful.

In the end, I too wish MK would engineer these babies tougher. Maybe now that MG is competing they will. But, like I said - until this year, it was the *only* choice available.


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## UFM82 (Apr 6, 2004)

I had a 765MX on my SeaNymph and Bassin420 has it now. I don't know if it's still kicking for him but it lived through 3 or 4 years of beating by me. It hit darn near every stump in Lake Hamlin in Michigan and spent quite a few days in the rain. I did have a quick mount and did remove it during non-use times but I didn't baby it by any means. 

After I sold that boat I bought my current boat and needed a TM. I bought a 70PD from Bass Pro last year and installed it right before a trip to Erie in May of last year. It hauled my 3,000lb rig around like it was nothing and it got very wet for two of the days. It also took a beating in St. Clair last fall. I've never had an issue with the motor itself or the pedal. 

I agree wholeheartedly with SG- it's not a bassboat unit. It won't respond fast enough for a bank-beater and you can't stand on the pedal for hours on end. However, for open water fishing I don't think you can beat it. As for the durability issues, I don't do anything extreme as far as care but I don't neglect things either. 

One last thought- MotorGuide is a far, far cry from most MinnKota items. The #1 issue with them is what they claim is their #1 feature. That steel shaft that gets bent will prevent me from ever owning one. MK has provided me with outstanding service in that I have never had a breakdown issue. I'd rather not have to talk to the factory, thank you very much. 

UFM82


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

crappiedude said:


> I had one, lasted 1 year & my neighbor had one it died in less than a year. Now I use Motorguide, 12 years no problems.


DIDN'T KNOW THAT MK MADE THE POWER DRIVE 12 YEARS AGO? ARE WE ON THE SAME PAGE?  THE MOTOR GUIDE I PURCHASED THREE YEARS AGO CAME WITHOUT A SHEAR PIN INSTALLED AND DIDN'T RUN EITHER!  GUESS THEIR QC WAS A BIT OFF THAT DAY.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Shortdrift, it was in fact a Minnkota powerdrive. I bought my current boat in 1994, and I bought the PD in either 1992 or 1993, I believe it was one of Minnkota's first models. My memory is really fading but I have the 1994 to give me a reference. I previously had a Minnkota cable steer but it was a single cable, push / pull system made wth a very heavy wire which would kink and be almost impossible to move. I thought the powerdrive was the answer to my problem, However it didn't hold up, died the first year. I'm not endorsing that people but Motor Guide, just stating what happened. I have no stake in any trolling motor co, just relaying expierence with the PD and yes it was that old. My neighbors was installed and removed in 2004, I'm not sure of model but I do know he returned to BassPro Shop for full refund on exchange. And I forgot I did bend the shaft (as UFM82 mentioned) on the Motor Guide, had it replaced w/ a stainless shaft (dern memory gets worse every year) but that was my fault. I hope your motor is trouble free forever, you fish to relax, not be aggrivated. Life's too short.


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

To add insult to injury, I stopped at Mogadore Bait Shop (only authorized Minnkota repair shop per MK's website) to pick up my PD50 after 3 weeks. The lady behind the counter checked for it and came back and said it wasn't ready and the repair dude is on a 2 week vacation. "BRILLIANT"! He told me on 4/8 that the circuit board would be replaced and ready early in the week of 4/11. No courtesy call made. Looks like it will take me 5 weeks to get my PD50 back in running condition (for a while). Maybe I need 2 to keep 1 running, aye....


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## UFM82 (Apr 6, 2004)

I was just a short time away from opening my own shop on TMs- had my business license, a credit card machine at the ready and was set but never actually started the deal. I was going to go to the MinnKota factory for their service school and had info on the Motor Guide school to get my certs. However, it was the minimum stocking level that I couldn't swing. MinnKota only had a $5,000 list of items but MotorGuide was $10K. I just didn't have that kind of start-up money. 

My terms would have been 50% deposit, remainder due on completion, 2 week max turn around time. Anything over that and the labor would have been free. There is only one guy that I know of around here who does them and he's out east of Cincy. All the local dealers send their motors to him and turn around isn't great. 

I can't believe a place that takes that long to NOT fix your TM and then doesn't bother to call to give you a status. That's what being the only action in town will do.  

UFM82


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

$5k stocking level! Heck, not even Dick's Sporting Goods has $5k worth of trolling motors stocked when the truck hits the back of the shipping dock, let alone the usual depetion levels. A start-up shop would only want to carry a couple of these and a few of those. I don't recall seeing any new trolling motors at Mogadore Long Term Trolling Motor Storage.


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## BlueBoat98 (Nov 5, 2004)

I bought a remanufactured PD 40 at Galyen's (now Dick's) in April of 2002. It was $100.00 cheaper than the new ones and only had a one year warranty. I took the pedal apart one time to clean out some crap but I've had no other problems at all in four pretty tough years of use. I do unplug it when charging the battery and keep the pedal under the deck but it sits outside, under a tarp, all winter. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

MC


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

This is my final thread on my totally unreliable, multiple unsuccessly repaired, totally worthless Minnkota Powerdrive 50. I am struggling to keep out the curse words, believe me! I just returned from a week at Lake Mistinikon, Ontario, and my PD50 again failed to work for more than 5 minutes even after a recent and time consuming repair at an "authorized shop". This trolling motor has chronically failed me and repairs (attempts) have been costly. Anyone considering a Powerdrive should think otherwise. I am prepared at this time to abandon my nearly $500 PD50 along with hundered$ in reaplacement parts to buy a non-remote, non-electric steered, plain vanilla simple and easy to deploy and retract model by Motorguide. I will never buy another MK product. I know the PD's are popular, but the poor poor reliability of my PD50 is outrageous and I have reached the end of the rope.

The icing on the cake was my dead PD50 occasionally coming to life while sitting perfectly still while casting into a small bay with no one even close to the foot controller. I'll tear the mother apart to find a loose connection, but I'm buying a new troller for the piece of mind.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

It sounds like you have had a real lemon for sure. I know all of the nightmares you have been through with that motor and the repair efforts from their repair shops. I can't believe that if Minn Kota knows about it that they would not go to extremes to make it right. I would pitch a major gripe with them and make sure they knew my feelings on the situation if I were you. If Minn Kota has any class they will do something about it. If not then I would do as you said. I would buy something else.

I hope it works out for you. It just really stinks when you pay out good money for something and have nothing but troubles.


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## FINMAN (Apr 14, 2004)

I've had mine going on 4 years now and am on my second foot control. I've got to admit to seriously abusing the first one, but I've babied the second and it's starting to slow down on the steering response again. I'm considering getting one of the corded hand held controllers next time, since I rarely beat the banks. Not giving up on the motor itself, though. All in all mine's been a pretty reliable unit except for the pedal.


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## Bob4246 (Dec 30, 2004)

For fast and reliable service for MK and MG trolling motors try 

Boat Things
156 Nichole Drive
Westerville, OH 
614-895-2628

Ty Clarkson has operated his repair business for many years and is the best in the Central Ohio area. I'm sure many guys form this site will agree.


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