The raptors have been out for a while now, any verdict on whether there is an advantage to these over powerpole? I have never seen them in person but like the price compared to blades. Is the active anchoring anything special and worth getting or more of a "feature" to sell to fishermen?
One gripe I have with powerpole is how much they shake while running down the lake, trailering, or even when you grab them. Is there any difference with the raptors in regards to being "solid"?
I have the 8' Raptors with AA. Since I have a 17' aluminum the AA gets a bit annoying as just moving around the boat sets them off so I keep AA turned off. The typical 18' plus glass boat won't have the same issue. They are absolutely solid....Zero shake. If I deploy them in my yard I can see the suspension on the trailer lift a bit. 100% confident if I took the straps off the trailer they would lift the stern with a 90-2s off the bunks. As for the Active Anchoring I really don't believe it's necessary but then again I personally don't see a situation where I need to pin down in 2ft rollers.
That being said...
Power Pole customer service is the best in the business and that is priceless.
I have a buddy who purchased a small marina 2 years ago that has an account with MK so I got the Raptors at cost 1400CND (List is 2400). If it wasn't for the hookup I probably would have gone with PP.
I have had them for 2yrs now ... not 1 problem, Nada, nil, zilch, zero. As far as "shake" goes, they shake some but nothing alarming. Get into a habit of tightening your bolts from time to time. The only thing I have seen that shakes less than a Raptor or a PP is the Talon, which is comparing apples to oranges.
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Originally Posted by 89tracker
After selling / Servicing and installing Power Poles for 18 years and RAPTORS since they were fist launched a few years ago. My opinion for what it's worth.
a RAPTOR is not a BLADE.. Comparable to a PRO2 Series.
Power Pole benefits
Includes (2) remotes, This is something that can be taken into consideration for price point. RAPTOR includes (1) remote.
Functionally of the remote itself. I personally like the way the PP remotes function vs the RAPTOR. Again, JMO. The RAPTOR remotes just seems bass ackwards to me.
Power Pole brackets fit a vast majority of all applications better. The PP braced side mount brackets cost less, are lighter.
Power Pole can be serviced by end user.
Power Pole best in the business warranty support.
Power Pole pump has a built in relief valve providing drive off protection. - To release pressures on RAPTOR pump/hoses the user must have access to the relief valves and use a tool to turn valves. Keep this in mind when locating and installing the pumps.
I do NOT like the pump/remote programming features of RAPTORS. PITA
RAPTOR hardware design has seemed to hold up. Can't say I have much negative feedback.
Active Anchoring I am personally not sold on. If your fishing soft bottom bodies of water you may want to your money. From what feedback I have received... While fishing soft bottom areas, the AA feature will continue to drive the spike down causing them to get stuck in the soft bottom. You can turn off the AA feature but then why pay for it only to disengage it?
Current Price point is definitely something to consider for some boat owners
Total weight of either brand is specific to application so for me that is a wash.
Looks are personal preference. I personally like the way a Power Pole looks over a RAPTOR. To me the RAPTOR has looked dated since birth. The BLADE is the runway model
Last edited by Hydrilla Gear; 12-14-2022 at 12:38 PM.
Thanks for the information! Im new to shallow water anchors have been leaning towards powerpole since they are the standard, but figured I would ask just in case I am missing something with the raptors.
Power Poles Customer Service sells itself.
As stated above you have to understand Power Pole has 3 models at various price points. The Raptor is comprable to the mid level anchor from Power Pole the pro II with that in mind price point is relativly the same. A raptor does not compare to a blade by any means. Like Rich stated above im not really sold on active anchoring . IMO I believe it is just more amp draw on the battery, more pump wear through the day and frankly more noise all for unnecessary feature. Customers of mine who had raptors and now went back to poles the major complaint was the same as above in soft bottom it drives the spike deeper into the mud to the point it gets stuck. Also the raptors foot switches and remotes constantly have to be paired and re paired as they use bluetooth for connectivity. The plus is the brackets are more rigid they also are more expensive. The rigidity of the bracket coupled with no pressure relief valve built into the pump however can lead to big problems if you forget one or both are down and go to get on plane. Another major drawback is the having to go to a ASC certified warranty center for any little issue. I unlike Rich think the Raptor has a little more of a updated cool look to them, however knowing and using both products I will continue to have Power Poles on the back of my personal Rig. And yes I now sell Raptors not only Power Pole. However 95 percent of my customers demand Power Pole. 2023 will be Piwer Poles 25 year anniversary of building IMO the best hydraulic shallow water anchor.
I think AA is great for beaching your boat when camping
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8' Raptors
I've had 1st gen PP's on a past boat (with upgraded wireless pumps) and put Raptors (non active anchor) on my current boat. I probably would have gotten PP again if not for a ridiculous deal I got on the Raptors. That being said I've had ZERO problems with the Raptors over my first full season with them. They are mounted on PP brackets and I have the regular foot controller not the stomp switches. I've never had to re-pair either the foot switch or the remote and never had them not go up or go down or get stuck even in the mud and muck of the upper Miss. I don't know for sure but the Raptor pumps SEEM to be stronger than the PP pumps that I had but again those were older pumps...Raptors will lift the ass end of my boat up a little while the PP's I had did not.
I'd happily trade my Raptors for Powerpoles. Had Blades on my last few boats but this one already had the Raptors. They are too slow/inconsistent responding to the remotes. Sometimes they respond immediately. Other times they take multiple attempts. The remotes are too big and bulky and unnecessarily complicated compared to powerpoles.
Have had PP's for 7 seasons now and other than normal maintenance and occasional Bluetooth probelms..........no complaints at all.
Well here's an honest report on raptors since I've had them for two years. I got the ones without active anchoring and don't regret it at all. I first bought just a single one and had the stomp switches get swamped out in a terrential downpour. I contacted Minnkota and they promptly sent me a new set, haven't had a problem with the switch since. Also had to update the software right away Wich I thought was weird since it was brand new but none the less it wasn't to hard. Then towards the end of the first season it started spassing out when retracting, took it to a dealer and they figured out I had the sensitivity set to high. All was well after that so I decided to buy a second one a year later and haven't had a single problem with either one for this season.
Just wanted to add a couple more things to my review above, the raptors are way more solid than most power poles I've seen. I get zero slap when running or trailering. Also the retraction force is more powerful then all the power poles I've had experience with. I've never got mine stuck and I've been in plenty of muck. I've got no bias either way just giving an honest opinion based on my experience. I wouldn't pay the extra for active anchor as I haven't seen a need for it.
The nice thing about Raptors is the quality of the build, they are so strong and ridged. You feel like you are getting something for your money. Seeing shallow water anchors wobbling around on boat transoms as they go down the highway or across the lake just doesn’t sit well with me. Had my Raptors for two seasons now, 0 issues. Minn Kota customer service is excellent if needed, but I haven’t needed it. Ford/Chevy at the end of the day. Both get the job done.
Last edited by Hydro870; 01-02-2023 at 10:36 PM.
i wanted raptors on my ranger but the wait time was over 1 yr I was told??
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What, Just bought a new pair of Raptors on 12/30/22. There was plenty in stock. Mine are 8ft. Going on a Cat, using powerpoles brackets. Lakesidemarineandsrervice@gmail.com. www.lakesidemarineandservice.com.
Last edited by Rich1; 01-05-2023 at 07:18 PM.
Lets get some correct info on the Raptors. A single raptor comes with 2 remotes and a bracket should you wish to mount one remote on your dash. You can deploy them with remotes, stomp buttons, Ipilot remotes, your depth finder, or your Iphone. You can turn AA on and off as you wish. You can also set the Raptor for the type bottom such as soft, hard, rocky etc. If you do drill a raptor way deep in soft bottoms, when you raise them, they have a "jogging" feature that shakes them out of the mud. Yes, the brackets are a little larger and heavy, just use a PP bracket if that's a problem. Raptors don't shake much on the trailer or on the water and don't seem to have the joint wear problems some PPs do. YES, I have run Talons, PPs and Raptors, Will never leave raptors ever. As far as stomp button problems. Just like your fish finders, keep the software up to date and step in the MIDDLE of the button. Its a design of the button to help lessen inadvertent deployment by stepping on edge of the button when moving around on the deck.
we have raptors instock.i wanted raptors on my ranger but the wait time was over 1 yr I was told??
RICH1:
If they are sending (2) remotes this would be news to me.. Maybe initially they were advertising 2 however I have been a dealer since they were released and have only received 1 remote per pole. In addition, MinnKota openly states on the website that the Raptor includes a single remote...
The "JOG" feature would be specific to a MinnKota trolling motor (depending on model) and not a RAPTOR correct? I am unaware of the Raptor's JOG feature. If you have literature we can read please share. I would like to learn more.
Both Power Pole and RAPTOR have bottom type options.
I seen his post as well Rich and was like what?? I was gonna respond as well but decided wasnt worth it.
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