Pontoon boat - electric motor

[gilbertslake]

I saw someone using an electric motor on their pontoon boat last summer. I should have asked him the make, model, thrust etc at the time but didn't.

Does anyone on the forum use an electric motor on the pontoon boat.
If so what make, model, thrust? Is it mounted on the frame, or are mods needed?

I have a regular 8ft pontoon, rated for up to 350lb capacity.

I used to have an old, Montgomery Ward motor which I think was 15lb thrust. It was a lot smaller and lighter than my 35lb thrust Minn Kota and would have been perfect, I think :thinking-006:

[FishingFrenzy]

I saw someone using an electric motor on their pontoon boat last summer. I should have asked him the make, model, thrust etc at the time but didn't.

Does anyone on the forum use an electric motor on the pontoon boat.
If so what make, model, thrust? Is it mounted on the frame, or are mods needed?

I have a regular 8ft pontoon, rated for up to 350lb capacity.

I used to have an old, Montgomery Ward motor which I think was 15lb thrust. It was a lot smaller and lighter than my 35lb thrust Minn Kota and would have been perfect, I think :thinking-006:

If you already have a 35lb thrust Minn Kota, use that. It should be perfect for zipping around the lake on a pontoon. You won't want any smaller than that if you want to use it for moving around.

[stinkynuts]

A Buddy of mine parents have on on there Poonton it is mounted to the leg of there 115 fourstroke merc and they bought it already mounted on the boat brandnew I am not sure how many pounds of thrust it is but there boat is a 21 footer and it will push it along with 4 guys on the boat no proablem

[FishingFrenzy]

A Buddy of mine parents have on on there Poonton it is mounted to the leg of there 115 fourstroke merc and they bought it already mounted on the boat brandnew I am not sure how many pounds of thrust it is but there boat is a 21 footer and it will push it along with 4 guys on the boat no proablem

I think we are talking about small inflatable pontoon boats, typically used for hike in lakes and trout ponds.....:)

[mrhanke]

my father uses a 30lb thrust base model minn kota, works fine on his he has a 8' model as well in a fish cat i believe

i dont think minn kota makes anything would under 30lbs, but a 15 would be ideal if you could find one, i know sevylor makes a couple electric motors as well, maybe take a look around, not sure who carries them though, i know wholesale does NOT.

[gilbertslake]

my father uses a 30lb thrust base model minn kota, works fine on his he has a 8' model as well in a fish cat i believe

i dont think minn kota makes anything would under 30lbs, but a 15 would be ideal if you could find one, i know sevylor makes a couple electric motors as well, maybe take a look around, not sure who carries them though, i know wholesale does NOT.

OK I see that Sevylor has a 18lb thrust motor which is smaller and lighter than the Minn Kota 35lb. The one this guy was using looked really small, but maybe just because the most of it was in the water.

[WayneChristie]

I use one on my 9 footer. works great, I tried it on the included motor mount but you have to be a contortionist to use the handle, so I mount it on my canoe motor mount which puts the electric on the outside of the pontoon, works like a charm. I use it to travel, not to troll so it lasts quite a while. pretty sure I have pics of it in a thread on here

[Russ C]

I have used my electric a number of times on lakes in Alberta and BC. I don't steer with the handle just set it up to go straight and use your flippers like a rudder to turn. Works like a charm

[gilbertslake]

I have used my electric a number of times on lakes in Alberta and BC. I don't steer with the handle just set it up to go straight and use your flippers like a rudder to turn. Works like a charm

Good info guys re the canoe mount and using fixed drive and fins instead. Maybe the Minn Kota would do ok on itif I side mount.

Guys do you use a regular size marine battery or the small golf cart size (just concerned about weight, although it will be on the cargo platform)?

[SalmoTrutta]

I have a huge pontoon boat, 2 man and a minnkota 35 is plenty, any larger and you'll have issues with keeping your battery life up. I can zip around all day on a full battery with two people, I;d invest in a good deep cycle battery rather than putting the money in a larger motor.

[gilbertslake]

I have a huge pontoon boat, 2 man and a minnkota 35 is plenty, any larger and you'll have issues with keeping your battery life up. I can zip around all day on a full battery with two people, I;d invest in a good deep cycle battery rather than putting the money in a larger motor.

I have a good battery, at least t does ok for me.. I get a full day of intermittent use on my 12ft aluminum boat and about 4 hours trolling almost continually. I actually have an even better one on my sail boa., However, my sail boat is up for sale and I was going to let it go with the boat. But, now I am thinking, maybe I will swap out the two batteries.

[FishingFrenzy]

Just a tip for some guys using trolling motors on 'toons...

You can fab up a nice little extension handle out of 2in ABS

With a heat gun you can strech one end out to fit over your motor handle, then use some fittings to make it the shape you want.

Did that with my small inflatable so I didnt have to reach back so far...worked good!.

[SalmoTrutta]

I have a good battery, at least t does ok for me.. I get a full day of intermittent use on my 12ft aluminum boat and about 4 hours trolling almost continually. I actually have an even better one on my sail boa., However, my sail boat is up for sale and I was going to let it go with the boat. But, now I am thinking, maybe I will swap out the two batteries.

I use a MotoMaster Nautilus 625 cranking amps with a 120min/70 amp hour reserve, there are better batteries available but this one was about as heavy as i would want to go for a "regular" size battery. Ive ran it for two seasons so far. on a Minnkota 35 and its been good.

[WayneChristie]

I have a regular deep cycle, its heavy but since I already have it, I use it. no issues except I have to put my seat as far forward as it will go.

[mayuan]

If you are going to buy a motor make sure you get one of the digital motors. You save a lot of battery power and can run longer. Minnkota states that you can get 5X longer battery life.

The costco deepcycle has been doing the job on my pontoon very well. Heavy battery though.

[bobalong]

I use one on my 9 footer. works great, I tried it on the included motor mount but you have to be a contortionist to use the handle, so I mount it on my canoe motor mount which puts the electric on the outside of the pontoon, works like a charm. I use it to travel, not to troll so it lasts quite a while. pretty sure I have pics of it in a thread on here

Put a swivel on your seat, then just turn sideways when steering, trolling etc, works great.

[gilbertslake]

Put a swivel on your seat, then just turn sideways when steering, trolling etc, works great.

I have a swivel mount from Canadian Tire, but just haven't got around to installing it. Looks like it will bolt onto the frame as the hole placement is the same as on the seat.
I like the idea Wayne has re using a canoe bracket for the motor.

[Outcast 1100]

i have a 30lb thrust minn kota and its gets me around great. a tip would be get the lightest one you can get, any weight savings you can get is well worth it, with the battery and motor it can get a little rear end heavy. i made a steering rod for mine with a on off switch, works deadly. if your interested i can post pics. i also made a battery box that sits down right behind the seat, frees up my back deck for storage of gear and 60 feet of rope for anchor.

[WayneChristie]

Put a swivel on your seat, then just turn sideways when steering, trolling etc, works great.

got one, and long arms. had too hard a time steering our my shoulder, the canoe bracket puts the control at a perfect spot

[tallieho]

great info.wayne...would you happen to have a picture of the canoe mount...thanks

[gilbertslake]

I have a swivel mount from Canadian Tire, but just haven't got around to installing it. Looks like it will bolt onto the frame as the hole placement is the same as on the seat.
I like the idea Wayne has re using a canoe bracket for the motor.

Well, I lucked out today. I had to go to Lac La Biche and thought I would drop into the pawn shop on main street. There, propped in a corner was this Minn Kota 10, 8lb thrust trolling motor. Only weighs about 5lbs or so.
They had $100 on it, way too expensive. So I did my best Canadian Pickers impression and said ' whats your best price' he said $80. I dickered awhile and he let me take to my vehicle to hook it to the battery and it ran great. Only 2 speeds though, but that's ok.
So,I brought it back in and just like on Pickers I managed to find something to make it seem like I was loosing interest, as the top cover had not been put back on properly and I said looks like it doesn't fit ( although I knew it would, it just wasn't seated properly).
He says ok you can have it for $60. Although it is like new condition, I still thought it was a bit too high, but I could see he was ready to put it back on display so I coughed up the $60.
Now, I just have to get the mount figured out and I am set for this summer. I think this was the same type motor I saw they guy using last
summer.

[WayneChristie]

great info.wayne...would you happen to have a picture of the canoe mount...thanks

I do somewhere, when I get home tomorrow night I will try and find it. I just made the mount from a piece of 2x4 for the arm and 2x6 for the motor mount,quick easy and cheap\
dug it up, this is what I use, fits perfectly in the wire cage on the back of my pontoon.
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=96460&highlight=pontoon+motor+mount&page=2

[gilbertslake]

I do somewhere, when I get home tomorrow night I will try and find it. I just made the mount from a piece of 2x4 for the arm and 2x6 for the motor mount,quick easy and cheap\
dug it up, this is what I use, fits perfectly in the wire cage on the back of my pontoon.
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=96460&highlight=pontoon+motor+mount&page=2

Wayne, that looks like it is what I need. My pontoon boat doesn't have a wire basket, it has a mesh platform with tie down D rings for cargo. So I am going to have to figure out a way to attach it. I would like to have it on the outside of the pontoon same as yous, and be able to row without hitting the motor. Guess I just need to do some trial fitting until I get it right

[gilbertslake]

Wayne, that looks like it is what I need. My pontoon boat doesn't have a wire basket, it has a mesh platform with tie down D rings for cargo. So I am going to have to figure out a way to attach it. I would like to have it on the outside of the pontoon same as yous, and be able to row without hitting the motor. Guess I just need to do some trial fitting until I get it right

This is the motor. It looks like it was only used a few times, probably on a canoe.
I weighed and it is a shade over 5lbs

[WayneChristie]

my pontoon is a 9 footer and even with the heavy battery and motor it still works great, I just have to slide my seat all the way forward. a swivel from crappy tire is only about 9 or 10 bucks and easy to install as well,