Hey guys,
I have a Ranger 185vs. I been wanting to put Talons on, but have read that putting 2 on a boat my size would not be good. So do I go with just 1 or will it cause me too many problems, headaches, etc. I dont want to go with Poles because I dont want to have to deal with hydraulics, etc. Any advice, thoughts, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
You might want to rethink that. I do not like the hydraulics of the Poles but as a unit way less moving parts to deal with. The Talons are all cable drive and if one screws up get ready for a huge head ache, i am dealing with that right now. They both have there problems just pick your head ache.
2004 Ranger 521VX with 2019 Evinrude G2 250 H.O.
Weight can be a concern, if it is the only other solution is power poles. Now that we are on power poles, hydraulics are annoying sure but not something to worry about with new purchases. 1 talon is sweet, 2 is better same with poles. I have ran both with virtually no issues with either. Side note power pole has the best customer service I have ever had EVER!
Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089
I put 2 10 foot talons on my 2013 ZZ with a 150 Pro XS and the boat seemed to handle the added weight fine other than my holeshot. I had to reprop to get the hole shot back.
Keep in mind that just one 10 foot Talon with mounting brackets, flip plates etc is 60-65 lbs so I'd ask Ranger or on the Ranger board if anyone has done it. It's a lot of weight on the transom and all the weight is on the transom.
If you don't have an Ultrex that's personally what I would do first unless all you fish is shallow water. But keep in mind its not great on calm days or days with light wind.
Mechanically my Talons have been great (I have had the outer housing replaced twice for paint chipping), but I just ordered 2 8 foot blades yesterday. I am leery of hydraulics as well but with an Ultrex the benefits of PP out weigh that one negative for me. I do not like that I can't really service a Talon on my own, I probably can't service the PP pump, but I can easily buy one if needed. The 8 foot blades are going weight half as much on the transom. PP sit closer to the motor and can be deployed so they are out of the way of a co angler.
But the kicker for me is that you can't get a foot pedal now for the gen 1 or gen 2 talons. That chaps my hide.
You might lose 1 mph on top end and more than likely holeshot will suffer. You can do various adjustments for holeshot but the one that gets you instant results is a hydrofoil...I am not talking one of the ugly plastic ones I am talking a stainless custom foil.
Scroll through this link and look at the custom foil I spoke about...http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread....316&highlight=
I put two Talons on my 18'9" boat with 150 HP about 5 years ago. My biggest regret was I didn't do it sooner
Everyone talks about not liking hydraulics, my question is why? It's a much more simple and reliable way of doing things. With the 2.0 version of poles with real hydraulic hoses there are no leaks, no hose blowouts. It's a install and forget about it , sure you have to change fluid every other year but it's literally a 30 to 40 min process. Read syncros post, he was a diehard talon guy, and is moving to poles. His reasons are spot on. Especially the one about not having to drive and leave your talons or rig at a certified ASC repair facility everytime any little thing goes wrong. I'm not nocking talons im pointing out the benefits of poles. If your only concern with poles is hydraulics it need not be. You dont see commercially used equipment using cables , pulleys and liner actuators do you.
Look in my bilge, that's why I don't care for hydraulics, no damage or leaks but... if I want 8' anchors I'm definitely getting power poles 10'-15' without doubt is talons from now on. And I have 10' blades just so you know
Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089
so no damage or "leaks" so just what a pair of pumps, little 2 stroke oil spillage? you cant judge a set of poles based off the old tubing and ferrule and nuts, things are way different now with the hydraulic hoses and crimped on real hydraulic fittings.Originally Posted by Fishysam
I looked into Poles up until last fall when i was pulling into a boat ramp in upper 30 degree weather and a guy pulls in with a set of Poles and deploys them at the ramp. He blows a line and covers the back of his boat in oil. I asked him how old his set up was and he said it was brand new in the spring installed by a dealer. I saw the hose as i tried to help him out. That pretty much convinced me no hydraulics. Now i have Talons and after my cable problems i think i should have stayed with just the Ultrex. I bought my Talons second hand and know that someone had been in there before from what i found, I will see how they do now but they were about ready to head to the trash can i was so pissed at them and would not have replaced them either. Now that i have the cables all set i will see how they do. Yes Poles are way more simple then Talons by a long shot. It really is a matter of picking your poison. Both are a complex system that have a large margin for failure.
2004 Ranger 521VX with 2019 Evinrude G2 250 H.O.
From my experience I would go with power poles. I have a talon and plan to swap over. I have a 12ft bluetooth and have no complaints when it works.
More then happy to help you out when your ready Ray. I know they can be frustrating.
Hydraulic fluid is still hydraulic fluid no matter what type connection it has or what container it is being held in. I guarantee working on a electrical or mechanical problem is 100 times less messy than working on a component with hydraulic fluid. Bilge areas tend to be a tight space. Some people just don't want to give up the space for two reservoirs full of hydraulic fluid when running a couple wires is so much more simple and it takes up little to no space. There have been instances where people had to use a rear compartment and give up storage space because they could not fit two hydraulic fluid reservoirs in their bilge.
Does this mean Talons are better than Power Pole...heck no...does this mean Power Poles are better than Talon...heck no...it just a classic Ford/Chevy/Dodge debate. At the end of the day they both do the same job and that is anchor your boat. Now if you want to anchor in say 12 or 15 ft of water then you can exclude Power Pole from that last statement. Anyways I could list several good and bad things about both products. I do not sell Power Pole therefore I have no gain from promoting the product like you do. I once actually recommended someone to order from you even though you are constantly walking the line about being anti Talon. Let me be clear with that statement I never said you were anti Talon my imply was you regularly jump on every thread trying to promote Power Pole and constantly give reasons why they should consider Power Pole over Talons and never say anything about the positive things Talons have over Power Pole. Let the customer make their mind up based on customer reviews and stop being like a car salesman trying to push product...you act of pushing Power Pole is getting old. I have no ill will toward you nor do I have any grudge. I wish you well in your business endeavors. Hopefully you can accept my constructive opinion.
I dont believe Kevin was being a " car salesman" at all. He simply pointed out to the OP a few of the benefits of Power Poles hydraulic system and pointed out that mess, leaks and hose blowouts even though few and far between are gone forever with the 2.0 system. I was in the market and on the fence between the 2. I gave Kevin a call and glad I did hes very knowledgeable about BOTH products. He doesnt sell talons and made that clear however at no time did he ever badmouth the talon product. He put it to me, "I'm not going to sell a product to my customers to make money if I wouldnt use the product myself" I respect that. He pointed out the benefits of Power Pole and JL marines customer service as he knows the product inside and out. To be honest I dont ferl he needs to "push sales" on power poles...why? Power Poles and JL marines customer service sell themselves. I went with Power Pole and glad I did after reading all the issues w talons on this forum. Is one better then the other Yes I believe it is. I wouldnt install a set of talons on my boat if they were givin to me.
I dont feel your attack on him was "constructive" at all Gene I and others will read it very opposite. You wanna always write" a book" in a post here ya go...
I respect your opinion. In the future if you don't want to read my opinion just click on my profile and 1/2 way down, click on add me to your to ignore list.
Kevin and I butted heads hard a few years ago over Talons. He was the first and only person I contacted when I made up my mind to change because he is on here every day helping people with PP questions. He also answered my text messages at 9 PM his time because I was fishing all day and the BBC pm were to hard to read on my phone.
John Jones with Jones trolling motor delivers the same customer service which is why I've bought my Talons and both of my Ultrex trollers from him.
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer there is only what's best for you. 2014 when I got my Talons they were the best for me. Now with spot lock what is best for me has changed and the PP benefits that didn't matter to me have become more important than depth, compact size and electric vs hydraulics.
Having read the installation manual for PP a couple of times now, and reading about the benefits the new hoses and connectors have, I'm no longer worried about the hydraulic side. My concerns were most born out of ignorance and repeated failed attempts to bleed brakes on my previous boat trailer. I also have a ton of room in the bilge of my boat so I can mount the pumps so they are easy to see and easy to get to. If I do have a problem I'm confident I'll be about get it diagnosed and fixed easily. It might be messy but will it be quicker to clean up the mess or pull off a Talon take it to an ASC?
Kevin is without a doubt second to nobody when it comes to personal customer service. That is and has never been part of my concern. He knows I have extend a helping hand to him on the prop and Evinrude forums. I have no problem publicly saying that I do not dislike him. He is your go to guy with needs for Power Pole but that still does not change the way I feel. Do some research here on BBC. There is multiple post where people other than myself have made comments about the way he speaks about Power Poles. I think it is just truly his passion and I respect that. Should he stay silent...no he should offer help but there is a time when some people cast themselves as being too eager with their helpfulness and it comes off looking like poor taste for the product they are actually trying to sell. I also bet there is several like me who often sit silent and think I wish this guy would just let the thread take it course without responding. Unfortunately that puts him in a no win situation and I sense-able enough to realize that. I also guarantee if you look in my history I have made the comment more than once that I value the opinion of customers who pay for a product over a sponsored pro staffer or someone who has vested interest to make capital gains from selling a product. So to be clear that is just me personally so by default his comments can rub me the wrong way. 99% of the time I stay silent but there has been 2-3 times when I post my frustrations and this just happens to be one of those threads. I guarantee there will be more people to come along and defend him and they should if that is how they feel. All I ask for is respect of my opinion and the other users who feel the same way as I do.
I have vented now I am done...unsubscribing from this thread. If anyone has a issue please feel free to PM me.
We sell Talons and are a dealer for them. Its 100% a personal preference. One is not any better than the other. Its like Chevy and Ford or Ranger and Phoenix etc. I have owned both and bought my last power poles from Kevin because I had a Ranger RT198P, which Ranger only warrantied with Poles. My current boat and all my others I have ran Talons. I like talons, easy install, quiet and easy to operate. Power poles are a little more work to install, due to pumps, but still really really easy. They work great as well. Like I said, its a preference. If you want poles, Get ahold of Kevin. If you want Talons, hit me up!
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k&k, i have green marine oil all around my pumps, never have to add any as there is never a low pump, but fish in the rain and damn it must just create it out of the air, like i can never get it gone gone..., still love them and use the hell out of them
Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089
is it on particular pump? or both, whens last time you changed your fluid ?
fluid is fresh, its easiest to locate near one pump but that is more likely because of its location, its like it sweats out the tank, and or comes out the caps (vents?) in a very fine mist. add water in past the hatch = it multiplies and then doesn't evaporate
Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089
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