My Tour Pro has been bullet proof like a Fortrex. Maybe more as the Fortrex could go thru bushings if abused.
The interference is just a Motorguide thing in my experience. Always has more sonar interference on MG vs Minn Kota.
But I’m not entirely convinced that a Tour Pro or Ultrex are lesser motors than the brushless ones. I’ve had and been in boats with minn kota motors with worn out seals. Lots of water inside and they ran fine for a long time. It was only when a bearing rusted away was the water intrusion noted. A quick clean and cheap parts and all was well.
I recall seeing some pictures of a Garmin Force, looked like a cordless drill inside essentially. I wonder how they would hold up if water got in. And surely the parts are more expensive than MinnKota parts.
2019 Phoenix 21PHX
Mercury 250 4 Stroke
I just cannot imagine how brushless would change my experience in any way. I get zero interference, I never run it on high, and I never get below 75% on my batteries.
2021 BassCatt Pantera II
200 Pro XS(3B056653)
Motorguide Tour Pro
2018 Ranger RT198p
Charcoal Metallic
Etec 150HP G2 HO
24p Raker Stainless prop
82# MotorGuide Tour Pro TM
Fishes as good as anything out there, with the TM down...
Love mine. Spot lock is Precise, and the built in sonar is excellent. Quietest TM I’ve owned or fished around.
Effort to Stow/Deploy is minimal.
BassCat Sabre FTD
Mercury 150 Optimax
"It's just fishing"
2021 BassCatt Pantera II
200 Pro XS(3B056653)
Motorguide Tour Pro
I had the opportunity to run a Lowrance Ghost for 4 consecutive days (I am a MG Tour Pro owner) - Observations and comparisons:
-Did not see any more or less interference on electronics - Brushless vs Brushfull.
-Ghost doesn't like grass very much. It wraps around prop and gets in gap between prop and motor. Blew breaker more than a few times when bound up; Tour Pro eats grass all day.
-Ghost deploy and retract effort is 3x the lift effort of Tour Pro.
-On higher thrust settings, Ghost electric steering requires you to set direction with pedal, then hit power. Otherwise it likes to throw you.
-Tour Pro head is too large, Ghost better.
-One is not markedly quieter than the other.
2018 Ranger RT198p
Charcoal Metallic
Etec 150HP G2 HO
24p Raker Stainless prop
82# MotorGuide Tour Pro TM
Fishes as good as anything out there, with the TM down...
2018 Ranger RT198p
Charcoal Metallic
Etec 150HP G2 HO
24p Raker Stainless prop
82# MotorGuide Tour Pro TM
Fishes as good as anything out there, with the TM down...
2021 BassCatt Pantera II
200 Pro XS(3B056653)
Motorguide Tour Pro
I'm still liking mine. I will say, I suspect IF you have a problem Motorguides customer service might be.....a problem. For some stupid reason I updated the software on mine. It had "G" level. I updated to their latest which is "H". Now, when I power the motor up it takes ~10 minutes to get a GPS fix. It was 30 seconds or less before. Not a big deal, I just power it up as soon as I arrive at the landing, instead of when I'm on the lake ready to use it. I emailed Motorguide, explained my problem and asked if there was a way I could download and reinstall the "G" level software. They said no, and advised me to perform a compass calibration to speed up it getting a GPS fix. IT NEEDS A GPS FIX TO PERFORM THE COMPASS CALIBRATION!!!! If I had a "real" problem I suspect I'd be on my own.
It's powerful, easy on batteries, and works great. No interference, but the only transducer I have up front is Active Target.
Don't deal with MG customer service!
Go directly to the tech service link - service@motorguide.com. This is e-mail communication, but the tech folks have been VERY helpful and responsive, and I have been through a multitude of issues last year... All of which are resolved and I am a happy camper, the exception being the EMI that the motor spews... but i can use the internal UHD xducer to remedy that..
2018 Ranger RT198p
Charcoal Metallic
Etec 150HP G2 HO
24p Raker Stainless prop
82# MotorGuide Tour Pro TM
Fishes as good as anything out there, with the TM down...
I wasn’t trying to start a debate on which one is better. I only mentioned having a brushless motor as being a big deal to me… The entire world is going brushless simply because it’s better. It’s more efficient and no brushes to wear down.
-I thought long and hard about which motor to go with and the Tour Pro was tops on my list for a while.
However, I don’t think Lowrance is hard to deploy at all.
-I don’t fish in weeds so not a big deal to me. I can see where that be for a lot of guys tho.
-Another ability the Lowrance has that was huge to me is the ability to switch between 24 and 36v. I started with 24 but switched to 36v. So if I lose a lithium battery I can disconnect it, go 24v and still fish. That’s pretty cool imo.
BassCat Sabre FTD
Mercury 150 Optimax
"It's just fishing"
I put one on my tracker 175 and it was a dud, MG sucked and wanted me to send a new out of the box broken trolling motor to a service center which is about 300 miles from me, but the vendor stepped up and sent me a new one which has been perfect. I use two ionic 50ah batteries which are small and easilly rigged into that tiny battery compartment. Plenty of power for two days of fishing between charges. Brushless would be cool for interference issues but a friend of mine has a lowrance ghost and nothing but issues, I guess every brand has a dud or two once in a while. The MG tour mount is as solid as it gets.
I have new motorguides on my stroker and on my basstracker running lowrance and garmin on the trolling motor with zero interference. Personally have always been a motorguide tour and OMC trolling motor fan myself. The new tour is much improved over the older version IMO. Everyone that has fished in either one of my boats have been impressed with the new motorguides.
"Luminous beings are we not this crude matter." Yoda
My MG Tour Pro experience has been like Paul and some of the others here... very good after the firmware update.
I get zero sonar interference on AT2 and 2D sonar images when running the motor. It stows and deploys with little effort. The mount and pedal are solid. It is quiet when turning and running... quieter than an Ultrex for sure. I run my 82# 24V on two group 27 lead batts and never run out of power but I don't fish grass and don't usually stand on the pedal. The head looks like a space ship I guess but honestly I do not notice it anymore. A 47-48" shaft might be a little better than the 45" in choppy conditions on my boat but 45" is great in calm water. The anchor lock is great in wind... it hunts a little at times in low to no wind but they all do as civilian GPS is only so accurate. It is a little lighter than the competing anchor lock TMs and a little less expensive.
I like my MG Tour Pro just fine. It is not perfect for sure but it gets a bad rap. Not sure any of the other competing TMs would improve my total ownership experience.
John Walker - Matthews NC
2021 Ranger RT198P - Mercury 150 4S - Enertia Eco
VesselView Link - MotorGuide Tour Pro - Lowrance Carbons
I have the HD+ and my Garmin 94 UHD is plugged into the pedal, using the built-in CHIRP transducer. Zero interference with that setup. I still need to add another Garmin with Livescope. From what I've heard, there's no issue with interference with Livescope mounted on the shaft either.
2000 Bass Cat Classic
2004 Optimax S/N: 0T795443