'04 Tracker PT175 shaft length...and can you shorten?

[bockscar]

So...I was doing some research and found a decently priced powerdrive with a 60 inch shaft. I have been planning on the 54 inch size but I wanted to see if the 60 would fit if I bought it.

Well....i started googling a bit....and it seems like even 54 is too long of a shaft for my tracker, let alone a 60!? lol So now im a bit confused on things. I want/need a 70# or greater TM because my home lake tends to be windy mostly. Im not planning on going on bad (25-30+ mph forecast) days....but there is a breeze usually between 5-15 mph regularly....and it usually sticks around all/most of the day. So for those reasons I want a 24v and a 70# motor....i also eventually want ipilot too!

ALL the Powerdrives 70s are 54inch minimum. The only MKs that are 70# or greater and shorter than 54 are the edge and maxxum. So considering the conditions, and the fact that ill prolly be shallow 50/50 of the time (trying to be an offshore guy tho since my home lake is a "featureless" sandy, rocky reservoir and Im a boat owner now and not on a kayak).....do I have to go with a Edge or Maxxum in that 42, 45 or 52 inch length?

****ALREADY ANSWERED....AND IT VOIDS WARRANTY 100% if not done by a certified provider******
And as the bonus question...and the one I was hoping to be the only question. Can a shaft on a trolling motor be reduced.....by a total noob like me? Its my first boat, and although I consider myself handy I saw a couple youtube videos and the reductions seemed very involved...and looked like you had to take apart and put back together the whole trolling motor instead of just unscrewing and sawing a couple ends the way I'd hope! lol Based on those vids, and some other posts I found via google....seems like the best bet is to get the right length from the jump. But im worried since there are no Powerdrive/iPilot capable options with shorter shafts.

[bockscar]

The edge, maxxum and Powerdrive are all I can afford....before I get hit with the "Just buy an Ultrex" replies :( Wish I could afford a ultrex, fortrex or ulterra....not currently or anytime in the next year or so unfortunately i want one so bad tho! lol Trolling motor envy is killing me right now!!! hahaha

EDIT:
Asking if the shortening of the shaft is a DIY project because the closest MK certified repair place is a little over 400 miles away. paying for the service, and additional shipping prolly defeats the purpose of going with a longer (60) shaft thats priced "right"

[bockscar]

sorry guys...im a classic over thinker and am kinda freaking out now....plus I kinda wanna order this TM asap! lol Found this video with more googling.....seems like something I can handle.....but, I also found out that i would basically void out my warranty if I did anything myself? I dont mind voiding the lifetime shaft warranty of course....but if I ran into issues with the actual motor and it went south on me...itd be devestating, and not likely to be replaced for many months due to additional cost if I needed to buy a new one. Cant afford to buy back to back trolling motors if something bad happened.


the warranty is completely void if I shorten the shaft myself. called MK.

[bockscar]

so this is why i had the urgency. https://jet.com/product/Minn-Kota-Po...acd2fedacd674b

im prolly gonna return it cuz its not gonna work out...but i had to pull the trigger because the guy told me there were only 2 available from the merchant, and the returns are free.

if all is like i hope...ipilot and 70# thrust....i think its about a $300 savings...maybe more because everyone is buying PD's online and theyre selling out+increasing in price about $50 (from yesterday to today on the same site, even tho it shows that its out of stock but the price still increased)