Getting used electric motor

[iggyw1]

Hi again guys, I am buying an electric trolling motor from Craigslist in the Detroit area. It is a Motor Guide , bow mount w/foot control, 50 pound thrust. Looks great in the photo and comes with (2) deep cycle batteries both in great condition. (per ad) Everything I need to mount it, and it runs like new (so ad says). It is listed for $320 OBO. Guy told me by e-mail reply he would come down a little bit, but it has very little use on it too, so he is not too flexible. The price of $300 sounds great to me, but his ad also states it is a 24 volt motor but works "as a 12 volt motor too". Is this possible that it could work as a 12 volt motor off of one battery if it is a 24 volt battery? This part of the sale sounds fishy!

 

[Silvertip]

Motor Guide made many trolling motors that were "dual voltage" meaning they could operate from 12 volts or 24 volts. A switch is used to select either 12 volt operation or 24 volt operation. Now here is what you need to wrap your head around. To operate from 12 volts, you need one 12 volt battery. To operate from 24 volts you need two 12 volt batteries connected in SERIES. 12 volt operation can utilize the same two batteries but they would then be connected in PARALLEL. So no -- he's telling the truth. What you should be more concerned about is the actual condition of the motor.

 

[iggyw1]

Motor Guide made many trolling motors that were "dual voltage" meaning they could operate from 12 volts or 24 volts. A switch is used to select either 12 volt operation or 24 volt operation. Now here is what you need to wrap your head around. To operate from 12 volts, you need one 12 volt battery. To operate from 24 volts you need two 12 volt batteries connected in SERIES. 12 volt operation can utilize the same two batteries but they would then be connected in PARALLEL. So no -- he's telling the truth. What you should be more concerned about is the actual condition of the motor.

Thanks for your reply. He said that when I come to his place to see the motor, he will run it for me. Claims that he bought a boat with this motor on it last year, and he immediately removed it to replace it with his electric motor which he had on his old boat that he sold, as that motor is bigger and better. The guy that bought his old boat did not want to add any extra cost to the boat, so the guy removed this motor, his marine radio and his fish finder to sell these items by themselves instead of just giving them away to the guy that bought his boat. He and his buyer agreed on this, so no harm done to the buyer or seller. I did know about how to hook p the batteries for the extra voltage, but thanks for your input. I just was not sure if there was such an animal of a 24/12 volt motor.

NOTE: I will ask the guy to demonstrate the 24 volt and the 12 volt operation of the motor while I am there looking at the motor, but it sounds & looks like a good deal to me with the two batteries included, but again, I am looking at some photos on Craigslist while I say this.

 

[iggyw1]

New question guys, about the trolling motor I want to buy. After talking to the previous owner, I was told it is NOT a 50 pound thrust but a 48 pound thrust. It is a Pro 50 Motor Guide tracker, which lead me to believe it was a 50 pound thrust.

I have a 16' - 3" aluminum deep "V" Smoker craft boat with a 70 H.P outboard on the back end. Will I need more than the 48 pound thrust to backtroll in a river with a good current in it? What we need to do here in Michigan to fish the Detroit River is what we call vertical jigging. We point the bow of the boat upstream and run the trolling motor to keep our lines straight up & down at no angle bouncing a 1/2 oz. jig off the bottom of the river. Will this motor that I am looking at push my boat?

 

[Silvertip]

You will just get by with that motor, especially in a current. And you will also need to operate on 24 volts.

 

[iggyw1]

You will just get by with that motor, especially in a current. And you will also need to operate on 24 volts.

Thanks for your input. I am thinking about getting the thing and trying it out. We have a lot of guys out here with smaller boats, so if it is too small to meet my needs, I would just turn around and sell it very quickly after I purchase it to someone with a smaller boat.