Dedicated To The Smallest Of Skiffs banner

55 vs 80 Minn Kota

4K views 17 replies 16 participants last post by  Redbelly 
#1 ·
I am building a beryllium skiff not and debating on the 55 vs 80 Minn Kota. Is the extra power that noticeable? Secondly, does the weight savings really mean anything? It's about 80lb difference with batteries etc. Lastly, how much harder is it to set up and swap the 24v system versus a simple 12v?

Skiff should weigh 1K with rigging. I fish a lot of lakes for bass and carp. I also go to Beaufort, SC and the NC coast a few times a year for redfish/trout and use the motor to cruise a bank & creeks. Might do one FL trip per year.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I hate to break it to you, but I would go with the 80 personally. Sure, there is noticeable power, but it's really more in the endurance that you'll notice it. Into a current and even just a moderate wind in the Carolinas and you'll want the 80. I would go with lithium 24V setup and save as much weight as possible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jay.bush1434
#3 · (Edited)
I had a 12v on a HB Guide, maybe similar in size to your Beryllium. It was great for 90% of the time except for heavy current. In heavy current the battery would only last a short time and you can’t move against the heavier currents. These scenarios really only occurred mid tide in inlets or main channels where the current were really moving, so consider where/how you want to fish.

All that said, if you can swing it, do as suggested above and get the 80 with two lithiums. I got mine from Amped Outdoors for $350 each. The two batteries weigh less than one lead acid.

Install is cake and the power and battery life difference is night and day over the 55
Edit to add- I’d go lithium for either 12v or 24v tho
 
#4 ·
I went back and forth over this on my EVOx build. All the numbers pointed to a 12v 55lb TM being plenty of power. However, everyone I talked to, including other EVOx owners, said get the 24v system. I ended up getting a 24v lithium battery from Lithium Battery Warehouse and a 24v Motor Guide Xi3. The battery weighs 30lbs.
 
#5 ·
A 24 volt system is going to be more expensive, more powerful, give longer run times, be heavier and require more expensive chargers and be a little more complicated and costly to wire up. I've run 12 and 24 volt systems on light skiffs and I never had a situation where the 12 volt couldn't do the job. If you fish in strong wind and current, if you run the trolling motor all day and then forget to charge before you go out again and if you have the dollars, go 24 volt. If not, the 12 volt will get you by.
 
#7 ·
Id never go back to a 12v trolling motor. Myself and a friend have very similar boats except I have a 24v 70 lb minbkota and he has a 12v 55 lb. There's no comparison. Mine blows his away in current or weeds. And we both ended up with 2 batteries anyway. I have 2x group 27. He has a group 27 trolling battery and group24 to crank the big motor. The weight difference is the difference between a group 27 and a group 24..... maybe 20 lbs. And how much ever heavier my motor is.
 
#11 ·
Your going to want that 24v when your anywhere close to an inlet.
And not just for the endurance. There's a lot of times when you want to zoom over to a feeding fish that's say 100 yards away. That extra speed is clutch. Even on my light heron 16, there are times I wish I had the 24v.
 
#14 ·
The 80# motor won't have to work as hard which means you can run it at a lower RPM when fishing. So not only will it run longer, but it will run quieter and make less commotion than the smaller motor. Also less adjustments and throttle changes. At least that was my experience...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top