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  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Grenada, Ca.
    Posts
    150

    Ultrex going back to MinnKota

    First time out with my new Ultrex started out great with everything working perfect. Spot lock is the best thing ever to happen to a trolling motor, stress free fishing in the wind when wanting to stay on a point and just fish. About half way through the first day with little to no breeze and with spot lock engaged the motor would have to go all the way to stop to the left and some times all the way to the right stop to stay on the spot, no problem working great. Then the spot lock started tuning off when it hit the stop to the right but never to the left. Not all the time but got more frequent as the 3 days of fishing went on. Thought an easy adjustment just call Minn Kota and they will walk me through it and back on the lake, wrong. Called and told a rep what was happening and he said to send it back no adjustment fix, bummer with out a trolling motor until I can get it back, wrong again. They are shipping out a new motor and when I get it installed to send them the old motor. Minn Kota is covering the shipping both ways. Bummer to have to install again but no problem as I am some what good at it now that the one I have now has been on and off the boat a few times. Customer service at Minn Kota I could ask for nothing more.

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Brookfield Illinois
    Posts
    1,618
    #2
    They want to keep you happy. Never had an issue with them always up front and work toward a solution.
    Please release me,let me go.

  3. BBC SPONSOR/ Shallow Water Anchors Moderator
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    10,916
    #3
    Love my ultrex but maybe the shortage is due to having to replace 50 percent of them sold. For every 1 they sell they have make 2. Kinda would put you behind in manufacturing.

  4. Banned
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Clarks Hill Lake
    Posts
    20,876
    #4
    Where do you get the 50% figure? There have actually been very few reports of issues considering the number of units sold

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Phoenix
    Posts
    202
    #5
    I am returning my second Ultrex because of foot pedal problems. First one, the problem was the momentary on/off switch malfunctioned. The second one, the pedal would freeze, unable to rock forward or backwards to change direction. In both cases the problem was in the foot peday. Maybe third time is a charm.

  6. Moderator TMG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    31,969
    #6
    Quote Originally Posted by TroyBoy30 View Post
    Where do you get the 50% figure? There have actually been very few reports of issues considering the number of units sold

    I've read about quite a few problems. Alot more than I expected.
    " Talking to you is like clapping with one hand "
    Anthrax

  7. Banned
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Clarks Hill Lake
    Posts
    20,876
    #7
    Very few post about not having issues. It may seem like a lot but there are 1000s of people that have had no issues.

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Phoenix
    Posts
    202
    #8
    I have run into a couple of guys on the water who are having issues with their new Ultrex as well, and both cases have to do with foot pedal. Apparently thier problems are intermittent at best, so they are just living with it for the time being.

  9. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Buchanan TN
    Posts
    5,530
    #9
    I to have meet many on ky lake having pedal issues. The momentary switch is a problem. Ive actually adjusted this for guys on ky lake. Its just something minn kota is working on to fix. Right now Im lake testing my ultrex momentary switch to see if my adjustment continues to work right, that i made from last trip out. Minn kota told me if it doesnt to send this one back to them like i did the first one. This isn't something to hide or not talk about. This is just something min kota will work out over time.
    Just have to except we are the ones helping to work it out as minn kota goes forward.

  10. Member Syncros's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Papillion, NE
    Posts
    919
    #10
    I believe I have read posts in the past about having to adjust the magnet on other MK trolling motors. Having said that, I have had 3-4 Maxxums, 2 Fortrex, and 2 Ultrex and had to adjust the magnet on one Ultrex but none of the others. The funny thing is my Ultex was fine when I winterized my boat in November, but was stuck on when I got to Texas in January. How does that happen? I adjusted it and didn't have a problem mid January through the end of February when I got my link Ultrex. I still have a Fortrex and Maxxum and will pull the foot switch out and see if it looks different at some point.

    I have had the problem with the foot pedal getting stuck. For me it happened after messing around with the indexing. I was checking to see how much rotation I had (I was trying to make sure I had the same turning degrees heel down, toes down). I still had the cover off and unplugged the cable, plugged it back in and haven't had a problem since. So there might be something to the cable plug but they shouldn't be shipping from MK like that. So this problem might be twofold and it could be if you indexed the pedal and didn't get the wire connectors together right or fully (not exactly MK fault) and motors shipping from MK bad. The manual makes it sound like you need to index the pedal so people might be doing it and I know I did when I got my in November.

    I'll share another story about that little plug even though it makes me feel like an idiot. While I was in TX I decided I wanted the pedal angle a little different. So I pull it apart like you would to index it, moved the cable pulley doodad a notch, put it all back together and head to the lake. I launch and make about a 3 mile run, the water is a little rough but not 4 feet rough. I get to my spot, drop the trolling motor in the water, and the motor turns and maxes out the pedal turning range (not sure if was toes down or heel down) and it's locked there. It does this all on its own.

    So I'm drifting now at a decent clip, I'm in 30 feet of water so I can't drop my Talons, and the pedal it locked. I can't stow the motor because the motor won't clear the gunnel because it's turned. After a few minutes I grab the head and force the motor to turn (which I have done when I rigged it). It takes enough force that I should have known better but turns only now the pedal won't work.

    I get back to the launch, load up, head to my storage unit, pull the indexing stuff/area apart and see that I broke the housing the steering cable goes through. Look at that little cable connector and realize I'd plugged it back in reversed. I call John Jones to see if I can get parts and he can't get them, I can't really be without a trolling motor and I don't have a spare with me so I buy a link version and John gets it to me the next day.

    So that little cable connector is not something to mess around with and not get it back together 100% right. And if this happens to you the motor will turn with the remote (so you can stow it) so don't be me and try to fix the problem with brute force.

    When I got home in March I called MK and told them what I did and what happened and Is there any way you can send me parts? The tech checks and they can't but they will pay the shipping back to them for repair. I thought that was cool of them. No ETA on turn around time because the demand is so high they don't have a ton of parts. Send it back. 3 weeks later I get my motor back repaired at no charge. Wow.

    Within 2 days of me sending my non link back I managed to cut the link's Ethernet cable on a hinge. Why? How? Because I didn't follow the instructions and didn't run the cable down the steering cable. You'd think it's like the US2 cable with a connector and all you need to do is change the cable but it's not. Its soldered to the board. I call MK, tell them what I did, please tell me you can sell me a part and ship it and I don't have to send this one back as well. The can't sell me a new head but they can ship one over night with a return label for the original head. Wow.

    I can't complain about the customer service seeing as how in both cases it was my fault and I was straight up with MK about it being my fault and not a defect. If my Ultrex was bad out of the box, like some of yours, that would be a different story.

  11. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    MICHIGAN
    Posts
    4,831
    #11
    Knock on wood, mine has been flawless. ..best motor I've owned

  12. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Jerseyville. IL
    Posts
    213
    #12
    Mine is going back due to momentary switch. Customer service is good but having to install again is not! I do believe several have been sent back.

  13. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Buchanan TN
    Posts
    5,530
    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by varbs521 View Post
    Mine is going back due to momentary switch. Customer service is good but having to install again is not! I do believe several have been sent back.
    Not much point in sending them back for the switch when replacements will be the same switch and magnet.

  14. Banned
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Clarks Hill Lake
    Posts
    20,876
    #14
    Maybe this delay is to make a change?

  15. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    3
    #15
    My ultrex going back to Minnkota too....3 weeks in, LU is filling with water and have to pull it out so it can drain.

    Thinking one of the guys who put the seals on it couldn't work OT...lol.

  16. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Living the good life on Lake Hartwell, Fair Play, SC
    Posts
    6,909
    #16
    So far my Ultrex is great....Keeping my fingers crossed.
    2013 Allison XB-21 BasSport Pro
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    ProMax 30P

  17. Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Soddy Daisy TN
    Posts
    126
    #17
    Just got mine installed. 2 trip out it froze. So disappointed in Minn Kota. You would think spending $2.300 bucks would get you a great trolling motor! Thanks for taking me off the water Minn Kota!

  18. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Hot Springs Village
    Posts
    4,172
    #18
    Took mine out for the first time yesterday. For the first hour or so no problems at all. Then I was pushing the button to move forward and even if I took my foot off the button the motor wouldn't stop going. You either had to turn the speed off or the power button off. I then figured out that if I pushed up on the button from the underneath the foot pedal it would stop moving. Since I had an issue with my old Maxxum motor with the spring for that button break I thought that might be the issue so I took the button off. The spring seemed okay so I put the button back on and still it would just run on it's own unless I manually pushed the button from the bottom. So one more time I took the button off and spring and put the spring and button back on and after that for the rest of the day it did fine. You would think for that amount of money and years they've made that foot peddle it would be a better design. I hope I don't have to ship mine back!
    2021 Skeeter ZX225
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  19. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Buchanan TN
    Posts
    5,530
    #19
    if minn kota isnt going to re design the momentary switch, then minn kota needs to step up in manufacturing and inspections and create a better way of setting it up before going out the door.

  20. Member FirstSergeantUSAF's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    46
    #20
    I'm curious, I have a brand new, just installed ultrex, never been out of the driveway, and the foot pedal will not move unless i use the remote or turn the head manually. Ive tried unplugging the wires, and plugging them back in. Nothing. Who pays for the ride back to Minn Kota? I received this back in early July, but just got around to installing last weekend because of a death in the family.
    FirstSergeantUSAF
    Jet Noise, The Sound of Freedom

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