New Minnkota Vector 3X Trolling Motor

I recently put a new Minnkota Vector 3X transom mount troller onto my little Lund 1440V Rebel. This is a new model for 2004 and I used it for about 8 hours straight a couple days ago in a pretty stiff wind. This motor has capability to switch between a backtroller to a front-troller in about 3 seconds by pulling a knob on the shaft and twisting the power head about 60 degrees. I did this several times depending on where I was and how strong the wind was. The wind was pushing me upstream against the river current which made for some interesting boat control. This motor rotates the power head 180 with only a 60 degree swing of the tiller , thus there is no reverse but it does have a built in maximizer and is infinite variable speed, with telescoping handle. The handle was too long, even in the shortest position, for the little Rebel so I ordered another from Minnkota for $18 and cut it down, stuck the long one into the rod locker. The head of the motor also pivots up and down about45 degrees which makes it comfortable to operate even if standing. My model is the 12V – 55# unit and it handled the boat with ease. The price was $430 for a 36 inch shaft, about $435 for the 42 inch. It came with a 3 year warranty. Standard features on top of the motor head include a big yellow direction arrow and a battery condition indicator. It’s a bit pricey but one sweet motor loaded with all the good features.

Minn Kota Vector Transom-Mount Motors

Excellent motor and Wade @http://www.jollyannsales.com says he currently has three in stock.

LundgEYE,

I may be interested in a 24-volt 3X Vector when my current electric motor dies.

A concern I have is that a reverse can be nice to untangle line that accidentally got wrapped up in the motor (maybe that never happens to you). I suppose one could just take the prop off when that happens.

Is it difficult adapting to the 3 to 1 steering?

Thanks for the review and keep us posted on its good/bad points.

Dave Gulczinski

Dave, Ive been using the Minn-kota Vantage for the last three years which is similar to the Vector. You will not have a hard time adjusting, like I did, you will giggle and be amazed at its performance. Effortless boat control. You just have to remember not to over steer. These motors only need the slightest touch.

I too recently purchased a Vector. I haven’t used it yet, but it sure fits my boat nicely. I have the 74-3X. The handle has several length settings and mine seems best on the shortest. I sure hope it proves to be durable.Good fishn to ya all!

I just bought the 3X 24 volt 65lb one. I mentioned a bow mount one and the Minn Kota rep said to wait a year before purchasing one of those. Seems like they have a little work to do on the bracket or on how the long handle lays down on the deck.

LundgEYE You didn’t tell us if you and spence got any fish.
Come clean now!!!!
Beegee1

A question for someone with experience. I want a rear mount troller so I don’t have to keep my big motor running all the time.

I like to slip slowly in the current by bumping into reverse. I have and hate a Minn Kota PD 50. It doesn’t have enough power for my boat on anything but calm water.

My question is will a rear mount be any better. Some say yes, other no. My boat is a 1987 1700 Pro V with a 60hp tiller.

I’d like to go to a 24 volt motor and was considering a hand control bow mount. I hate foot trollers. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you prefer to fish from the bow, I would suggest a Maxxum 24 volt motor. You have much better control and more responsive steering than with a PD motor.

If you backtroll, go with a 24 volt such as the Minn-kota Vector. Your big motor will also work as well but a transom trolling motor is best if you don’t like to use the big motor.

Also measure your battery compartments and see if you can fit group 31 batteries, if not, go with group 27’s.

Dave, it’s super easy to adapt to..and yes, it steers easy (effortless) even with the short handle I put on. I did find myself oversteering it a number of times but the big yellow arrow on top is easy to see and shows motor direction. I can’t answer the question on reverse for unwinding line…guess it truly is to remove the prop. I really DO LIKE the ability to flip it into a backtroller position in about 3 seconds..great feature. It seemed a bit awkward when I tried it in the garage but was effortless on the water.

Beegee1,
No..the motor didn’t help us catch fish, but we went down trying!! Minnows did not prove to be the ticket early and ring worms didn’t either as the day wore on. We fished a lot of spots from the Park in Red Wing up to the dam but seldom marked any fish. My strategy will change for this Friday..I’ll be fishing even shallower than last week.

Thanks for your help Derek.

My preferance is to fish from my seat at the rear of the boat. That’s why I tried the remote foot control the PD has. Too slow to respond and unable to see the direction with passengers up front.

My dad has an older Minn Kota 24v/70lb hand control bow mount that is nice, but they tend to wear the head loose on the top of that shaft.

A lot of people have told me I need a much bigger motor on the stern than the bow, but I don’t plan on using it for trolling, just slowing or repositioning.

Again thanks for your advice.

Sounds like a great motor.
Whats the major difference between the Vantage and the Vector models now? They seem to share similair characteristics with the high speed turning ratio.

Price,weight, and the Vector doesn’t have the power up and down. The Vantage motors are a bit spendy. The Vector is a great motor with the same concept as the Vantage for half the price making it more affordable.

Derek, That’s correct. We do have a few in stock in the model your buddy was asking about. But, we also have other Vector trolling motors. We have four models ranging from 55# to 74# thrust. I’ll add one other selling point, the Vector 3X comes with a 3 year warranty.

Minn Kota Vector

Just talked to my buddy. His check is in the mail. Hes pumped.

OK, I looked at the Vector 3X models this morning and have a couple questions. I was looking at the Vector 65 3x and the Vector 74 3x.

One, is being only 9 pounds of thrust difference a big difference? The 74 draws 45 amps to the 65’s 38. Will that be a large difference if battery time?

Two, the 74 has a blunt, fat ended motor wheras the 65 has a slim pointed end making it break water easier. With that design will there really be a notable difference between the two?

There is $80.00 difference in price. It’s a lot at the time of purchase but not if your unhappy with the decision.

I also noticed the 3X bowmounts have a much improved head to shaft mount than the older styles. Look like they should remain solid unlike the previous ones.

:

Good questions riveratt, I’ll also be interested in any answers you get.

Did you notice much of a difference in overall weight between the 65 & 74 thrust transom motors? If the 74 were much heavier, then wouldn’t it also be harder to raise out of the water?

Both motors will only draw its max amps at its highest speed setting. You will need to ask yourself how much will you be running it at max speed. The larger the thrust the motor has, the larger the magnets will be for the motor overall making it larger. All Minn-kota motors use the water they are used in to keep them cool. The difference in design shouldn’t effect the overall performance of the motor since you will be at low speeds. Bottom line is, do you want 74#’s or 65 #’s of thrust? I’ve always recommend the bigger the better and with Minn-kota’s Maximizer feature, I wouldn’t worry about the difference in amperage unless you will run the motor on high all the time. And your trolling motor is only as good as the batteries it is wired to..

I have a MinnKota Vantage 74 for sale. I used mine on a 1800 Pro V so it should work just fine for you. I put a kicker on the transom so the Vantage has to go.

How much? How old? Any pics? Thanks!

Below are the shipping weights for the following Minnkota Transom mount motors with a 42″ shaft:

Vector 3X, 65 lb thrust, shipping weight 45 lbs.

Vector 3X, 74 lb thrust, shipping weight 51 lbs.

Maxxum, 65 lb thrust, shipping weight 29 lbs.

Maxxum, 74 lb thrust, shipping weight 35 lbs.

According to the above numbers the 3X steering adds an extra 16 lbs of weight, and the bigger 74 lb thrust motor adds 6 lbs of weight.

Dave Gulczinski

My co-worker got his Vector from Wade at Jolly Ann Sales and is very happy with it.

Wade, He wanted me to tell you thanks for the fast shipping and great service.

Tell him thanks please!