Minn Kota Fortrex Model Trolling Motors

Key Features of the New Minn Kota Fortrex

• Mono Arm Design (eliminates motor play, reduces steering torque, twisting and racking, provides tighter tolerances, stays quiet for life-of-trolling motor)
• Single main hinge point
• Extruded Marine-grade aluminum structural beam design
• Composite bushings on all metal-to-metal interfaces
• Counter Tension Stabilizer Technology (CTS) featuring integrated spring arm
• Lift-Assist with gas-charged spring
• Reduces effort to stow and deploy motor by 50 percent
• New motor head made of a hybrid composite material
• 500 percent increased impact resistance
• Directional arrow is raised and illuminated for easy direction indication
• Bowguard 360
• Breaks away at impact and resets automatically
• Updated design allows for motor removal
• Redesigned foot pedal
• Ergonomically designed to fight foot fatigue
• Provides ultra-responsive steering
• Non-slip speed dial for precision control
• Redesigned pull handle
• Constructed of non-marring soft rubber
• New abrasion resistant rope
• Optional Universal Sonar 2
• Integrates fishfinder transducer into lower unit and wires into the shaft
• Dual beam capability
• Indestructible Composite Shaft - guaranteed for life
• Cable Steering for responsive boat control
• Digital Maximizer - delivers up five times longer run time on a single battery charge
• Weedless Wedge 2 Prop
• 3-Year Warranty
• Available with either 80 or 101 pounds of thrust and shaft lengths of 45, 52 or 62 inches
• Suggested Retail Prices range from $1,119.99 to $1,369.99

FORTREX Freshwater Bow Mount Models

DM=Digital Maximizer   US2=Universal Sonar 2   AP=Auto Pilot

FORTREX Freshwater Bow Mount Features

Mono-Arm Design Sometimes, the simplest solution is best In this case, it's a revolution Fortrex's innovative Mono-Arm Design features an extruded, anodized aluminum, structural beam that operates with no metal-to-metal contact and 75% less torsion A single hinge point and rear pivot bearing with 20% more surface area deliver less wear, longer life, and quieter operation than traditional motor mounts.   Counter-Tension Stabilizer (CTS) CTS uses an integrated spring that applies force whether the motor's stowed or deployed On the water, that translates to a motor with no play, no give, reduced steering torque and silent operation.
Removable Bowguard 360º Lifting the motor and bowguard off of the mount is now even easier on Fortrex - just remove a single cap screw The patented Removable Bowguard 360º also features a dual bearing system that eliminates noise and allows for improved breakaways from any angle.
Lift-Assist Fortrex's patented Lift-Assist design cuts the weight of stow and deploy in half, making it as easy as lifting your SUV tailgate It features a stainless steel, nitrogen-charged gas spring to get you in and out of the water with ease.
Foot Pedal Get wired to the water with our ultra-responsive foot pedal Its new design is easier to operate, with more room for your foot and more exact speed control.
Indestructible Composite Shaft - Guaranteed For Life! Pound for pound, our composite shaft is stronger than steel It flexes on impact and won't break, kink or corrode That's why we're confident enough to make it the only trolling motor shaft that's guaranteed for life.
Illuminated Directional Indicator - Fortrex The easy-to-read, illuminated directional indicator leaves no doubt about where you're headed.
Weedless Wedge 2 Prop Push weeds away and take on the thick stuff without battery-draining chopping and hacking Weedless Wedge 2 features swept-back, flared blades for unrelenting, reliable prop performance
Cool, Quiet Power Nothing runs cooler or more quietly than a Minn Kota Our extra large windings and commutators dissipate heat, resulting in cooler operation, extended battery power, and longer motor life And our unique bearing system reduces friction to cut fish-spooking noise So quiet, they'll never hear you coming.
Digital Maximizer Digital Maximizer controls and optimizes power to extend battery life and reduce damaging heat You'll stay on the water up to five times longer on a single charge Available on select models.
Universal Sonar 2 (select models) Universal Sonar 2 has an integrated, concealed transducer that provides interference-free sonar performance, water temperature sensing, and dual beam technology for an expanded view and greater bottom detail It's compatible with most major fishfinders and available on select models.
Three-Year Warranty This motor is backed up with Minn Kota's three-year warranty.

FORTREX Freshwater Bow Mount Accessories

MK 110P Marine Portable Charger Take the power with you Brings your batteries back to their proper charge quickly and conveniently Offers recovery time of 4-6 hours 7" length x 9" width x 7-3/4" height Weighs just 6.5 pounds Fully automatic 3-stage charging (bulk, absorption and maintenance) so you get a full charge every time 10 amps total output LED display indicates power ON, charging, full charge and check connection Short circuit and reverse polarity protection prevents the charger from operating if improperly connected to the battery a real safety feature For use with 12V/6-cell batteries (50-130 amp hour rating) that are flooded/wet cell, maintenance free or starved electrolyte only FCC compliant UL listed to standard 1236 3-year warranty	$75.99
MKR-18 Trolling Motor Plug & Receptacle Universal design for 2 or 3 wire configurations on 12 to 36 volt systems Watertight sealing cap and corrosion-resistant, plated brass electrical components Locks into receptacle for a watertight seal Requires a standard 1-1/8" diameter mounting hole	$27.49
MKA-23 Quick Release Bracket Composite Easily remove your bow-mount motor with these high-yield composite brackets They're ultra-strong, corrosion-resistant and feature a low-profile design that leaves the deck clear when the motor is removed A locking handle with stainless steel pins can be secured with a padlock (not included). MKA-23 Quick Release Bracket Details Compatible with any Fortrex, Maxxum, Maxxum Pro, All Terrain or Edge models	$94.99

• What about shaft length selection?
  

  Choosing the correct shaft length is important so that the angler's electric motor does not cavitate, creating fish-spooking noise The rule of thumb is that the center of the motor section should be submerged 9" In general, shaft length selection is more critical with bow-mount motors versus transom-mount motors Most boat transoms are similar in their distance to the water, and Minn Kota's standard transom shaft lengths should be adequate With bow-mounted motors, there is much greater variation in shaft length requirements Measure down from the mounting surface of the transom or bow to the water level Add 5" to waterline measurement for fishing in rough water Add 12" to waterline measurement for steering a hand control motor while standing Use this measurement and the tables below to find the appropriate shaft length.

• Bow Guide

  

  Bow to Waterline	Recommended Shaft Length
  0"-10"	36"
  16"-22"	42"
  22"-28"	48"-52"
  28"-34"	54"-62

  Transom Guide

  

  Transom to Waterline	Recommended Shaft Length
  0"-10"	30"
  10"-16"	36"
  16"-20"	42"
  Over 22"	Consult Factory

• Electric motor power ratings are in pounds of thrust How do I determine the thrust requirements for my boat?
  

  Thrust requirements are determined by the size and weight of your boat As a rule of thumb:

• 40 lb thrust max boat size 17 feet
• 50 lb thrust max boat size 20 feet
• 55 lb thrust max boat size 21 feet
• 65 lb thrust max boat size 23 feet
• 70 lb thrust max boat size 23 feet
• 80 lb thrust max boat size 25 feet
• 101 lb thrust max boat size 25 feet

However if you frequently fish in heavy winds, rivers or adverse weather conditions, you may want to consider a higher thrust electric motor It's always better to have too much power than not enough!

Minn Kota has a trolling motor selection guide on their web site where you can enter specifics about your boat and it will recommend a model that fits your input You can access that site by clicking HERE.

• How important is battery selection for electric motor usage?>
  

  The battery is a critical element of your electric motor system A high-quality deep cycle marine battery should always be used Unlike automobile batteries, deep cycle marine batteries are designed to be run down to a discharged state and then recharged (To extend the life of your battery, always recharge after use Most trolling motor batteries fail due to lack of proper charging )

• What are the benefits of a bow-mounted electric motor?
  

  Boats do not tend to go in a straight line Because of this, it is much easier to pull a boat than to push a boat It is also easier to move the bow of the boat sideways compared to moving the transom Therefore, a bow-mounted electric motor allows for much greater boat control and positioning If quick-response boat control and positioning is what you are looking for, a Minn Kota bow-mount electric motor is a must.

• Digital Maximizer Analogy
  
  • You are driving a car fully accelerated To slow down, you lift your foot off the pedal to decelerate allowing only the proper amount of gas (power) to be used This burns less gas than the first analogy and does not heat up the brake system.
  • Same theory applies to the Maximizer Only the necessary power to go the desired speed is delivered to the motor providing extreme efficiency and longer running time.

• Digital Maximizer Benefits>
  
  • Extended trolling time (up to 5x longer on a single charge).
  • The Digital Maximizer speed control saves valuable power over a conventional speed coil motor.
  • The Digital Maximizer allows more fishing time on your battery charge, up to five times longer run time per battery charge, compared to the 5-speed switch.
  • With variable speed control, the Digital Maximizer allows for proper speeds to be set and maintained while trolling lures for proper presentation.
  • Virtual speed adjustments for changing conditions.
  • The Digital Maxmizer allows for fine-tune speed adjustments.
  • The Digital Maximizer allows the user to control boat speed more effectively in changing environments.

• How Digital Maximizer Works
  
  • Since speed coils reduce the power going to the motor, the Digital Maximizer feature was designed to eliminate this inefficient speed control method by using rapid on/off switching The Digital Maximizer is simply a switch that turns the connection to the battery on and off 20,000 times per second.
  • If "on"time is longer compared to "off,"the motor receives more power If "off"time is longer, the motor gets less power Since there is minimal power lost to accomplish this, the overall motor is very efficient.

• 
  

  How Speed Coil Motors Work

  • Electrical loads are hooked up in series with the motor so that power from the battery is split between supplying the motor and supplying the additional loads (speed coils).
  • Power from the battery is fairly constant regardless of the speed setting Therefore, on speed 1 for example, more power is diverted to the speed coil than is supplied to the motor This makes the overall motor assembly less efficient (vs variable speed/Digital Maximizer).
  • Extra power consumed by the speed coil produces heat, much like an electrical heating element The heat is then transferred through the motor housing to the water.
  • That is why speed coils are located in the lower motor unit.

• Soft Start
  A feature of the Digital Maximizer, it limits how fast the motor can go from "off"to "on

• Will the CoPilot work with my cable steer or hand control trolling motor?
  

  No, CoPilot is designed only for electric steer motors