I would like to hear from guys who have owned both Power Pole and Talon. My question is what one held up the best as far as function. I am only concerned with reliability and durability. Thank you for any info you can provide.
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I would like to hear from guys who have owned both Power Pole and Talon. My question is what one held up the best as far as function. I am only concerned with reliability and durability. Thank you for any info you can provide.
I had first generation talons
and I now have Pro Series II power poles
IMO
the Talons held my boat better when I was perpendicular to the wind
18' skeeter
however in sandy mucky bottom the sections of the talon would bring all that debris up into the housing causing it to jam up full of crap, and you really had to work them to get them to retract back up....they do have an awful lot of downforce and it's really hard to get them to come back up in soft bottom
you really have to flush them EVERY time you use them
Talons made a lot of noise deploying and retracting...noises like bolts catching up against each other on the way up or down-pinging and clanging
and if that small diameter cable jumps off the pulleys inside the talons your done!
Not sure how far they've come since I bout them in 2011
maybe the newer ones improved
again, they sure did hold my boat better
but to me all that other stuff sold me on the PP's
I just have to play with my boat position in the wind a little different is all
not one problem with my PP's to date-I've owned them since like 06/2012
the PP's ya gotta keep an eye on all your bolts...re tighten them down every couple of outings...at least put a wrench on them and make sure they still tight
if they get loose your poles will start to wobble and wear out all the bushings inside.
I've replaced all the bolts and bushings twice since 2012 @$40/pole
small cost to keep them working properly
And I've changed my PP hydraulic oil a couple of times since I've owned them. Probably overkill but better safe than sorry
Talons a lot easier to rig on your boat
PP's a little more involved but man If you have room I'd go PP again in a heartbeat
Mayb some guys with newer model talons can chime cause I'm curious myself if they made any improvements
Thanks for the info.
I have owned 3 sets of power poles. Most recent 10foot Blades. I had lots of wireless issues at first, but power pole was great about service and replaced both boards and foot controls asap. My issue with all 3 sets of power poles that I have owned was just what you said I am always tightening bolts and need bushings every year. I do fish lots of very ruff water "like GREAT LAKES RUFF" long ruff runs most times. Just checking to see how low maintenance or if maintenance free exist.
Did the cable jump off the pulley on your Talon's? If it did, does it cause the Talon spike to be hanging from boat when running? Thank you again
How can you tell if you need new bushings?Quote:
Originally Posted by GEEBASS2000
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny3Times
They sway back an forth left to right and get very loose even after tightening
the new Talons are much better along with the supporting 360 bracket. I had a few go-rounds with customer service and they eventually helped get me into the G2 version from when I had the first gen talons. Now more rattling inside the talon.
Loctite wouldn't alleviate that?Quote:
Originally Posted by SlumpGumpy
I've had the 1st gen 8'. It was very reliable, never let me down or failed on me. I thought it was a bit noisier than I liked. The tilt bracket was not much to like. With a round pin latch it beat up the bracket slot that over time it would become very loose. Later when the new 12' came out, I dumped my 1st gen 8' and got the 12's. The 12's which uses the newer design and motor are much quieter and also a stronger anchor down force. I new tilt bracket are redesigned and are way better. I have no wear or tear on the new design tilt bracket. I had the 1st run of 12' talons and the paint was not much to like. It peeled over time, it was covered by Minn Kota under warranty. The newer talons has a spring latch on the bottom that pushes the deploy locking latch tend to fail. I've had mine failed and was also replace under warranty. I also have a few buddies who had the same failure. Other than that, it is a very durable unit.
I'm on the fence myself I would go pp except I like the 12 ft you get with the talons and they don't sit as high fishing in nor cal our lakes are deep.
I had a 12' Talon and I prefer that over my two 10' blades. I feel that the Talon is quieter especially to fish. My pp pumps beller in the bilge ( where the fish are in the water) vs the Talon has some noise above the water. Talon has more grip. Less flex.
I had the gen 1 8ft Talon and it was a decent unit. I didn't use it too much but when I needed it I was thankful I had it. The older one would get stuck from time to time in softer bottoms. I looked at the power poles, they are a little more pricey and use up more space. The Talon instal is very easy and only took an hour or so. I am in the process of getting a new 12' Talon. The new ones are much quieter, more powerful and have a soft bottom mode which will come in handy. I find the Talon are a great all around piece of gear. I found then very useful when docking. I never had to worries about my boat bumping up on the dock. I would just push it out 5 feet from the dock lower the Talon and rope it off. I think it comes down to person preference they both have their positives and negatives. If a power pole came my way at a good deal I probably would pass it up...
i have a 12' talon,i really like it,quiet,smooth and very easy to install and minn kota has been around a long time,i guess each one has its good points
I got a couple used gen1 8 foot Talons last year and so far I love them! Of coarse I wish they were 12 footers, but I got them for a great price.