Maxxum Trolling Motor Help

[Bushwacker]

I am going to buy a new trolling motor for my Stratos 284. I going to put on a Maxxum 80lb trust. I couple of questions before I make a final purchase. Any help at all would be greatly appriciated.

1)Does anybody have any good experiences with the universal sonar? It seems that everything I hear is bad experiences of interference and misreading. I think it would make things a lot cleaner and simpler without the extra cables.

2) How heavy is a Maxxum motor to lift. I am debating Maxxum Pro or the regular Maxxum. The only difference I see is that the Maxxum Pro has the 50% lift assist feature. Is it that big of a deal to lift the regular Maxxum. There is a $60 price difference for me between the two same 80#'s. Is it worth it?

3)How fast can I expect an 80# thrust to push a 19 foot bass boat? I am hoping for 2.5 mph to troll cranks.

4)How long will a 24V Maxxum 80# run on a full charge. I have a 55# 12V Powerdrive on my other boat and that thing runs forever on a charge. I have never seen it slow down at all. Is it the same deal for a 24V?

[SteveWilson]

I have the universal sonar on my Minnkota and am not pleased with it at all. Last year I had it feed an X-125 and this year I tried feeding a Vex PL-8 with it - no sensitivity, only good for determining bottom depth. So, this weekend I plan on mounting a Vex transducer to the bottom of my Minkotta and feed the Vex with a proper transducer.

[katoguy]

Bush,

1) I have heard both. Lowrance seems to be the worst. I heard it has something to do with a $1 part not in Lowrance units (compared to Garmin, Humminbird, etc).

2) If you haven't lifted a Max Pro, then you may not complain about a standard mount. The pro is about twice as easy than a standard Max. If you go with the 52" or 62" shaft, definitely go Pro...

3) All of the RPMs are designed to spin the 4" pitch prop at a slow fishing speed. You may get up to 4 mph in ideal conditions, but this will drain your batteries in a couple hours. 2.5 hours should definitely be attainable.

4) All depends on the speed setting you running at. Wide open it will draw something like 50 amps/hr. (i.e. see #3, but slower speed settings can multiply the run time)

[NBR]

I have an 18'10" Astro with an Eagle Optima on the front deck and an old Eagle Super Nav on the console. The console transducer shoots through the hull right in the stern next to the transom. My TM is a 67# Maxxum 2 years old.I can run both at the same time and the universal on the front deck works just fine. No interference what so ever on either. I sure would get the universal transducer. I would get the power assist for getting the motor up. I have not had a problem with battery capacity it is much better than with the old Motorguide I replaced and it was in the range of 45# thrust. I do troll crankbaits for eyes and only need to run at about 60% to get good action on cranks.