I have had minn kota & motorguide,My last minn kota quit 2 times now once under warraranty this time on me :( Anyone ever tried Newport?
I got a Watersnake "Tracer", it was $100 off on prime day. It has a 3 blade prop seems faster than my Minn Kota 2 blade?
I never heard of them. I had a minnkota riptide 80 w/spot lock that worked great! Never had an issue with it. Had as in I sold the boat today so no longer have it!
Running any motor under water is difficult and never cheap. As the motor heats up and then cools down everything expands and then contracts. Seals work best when the pressure is always from the same direction. When the pressure gradient is switching from one direction to the other then it's extra difficult to keep the seal seated. There is a limit to how tight the drive/propeller shaft seal can be before the motor loses efficiency so that's usually the weak link. A little moisture getting past the seals is the beginning of the end and it's just a matter of time from there on.
They should make magnetic drive trolling motors, Magnetic drive is a good solution for smallish water pumps. It eliminates the drive shaft seal so the motor can be totally encased. The magnetic drive can also act as a fail-safe should the propeller become lodged on something; like the shear pin on an old outboard.
Good information here. So, maybe a tight spin-around turn is better than going into reverse.
What about some kinda lube treatment for the propeller shaft seals, anyone have any advice about the best option. should it be done at all? Would they do it at the factory?