Lithium batteries and max speed on your trolling motor

Electrical & Electronics
1

Found this little nugget on Minn Kota’s website:

  • Power Output
    Lithium Batteries maintain higher voltages for longer. Motors engineered to make the most of flooded lead acid batteries can be damaged by the higher power output. To prevent this damage when using Lithium batteries you should not run your motor at its highest speeds, staying at 85%/Speed 8.5 or lower.

https://minnkota-help.johnsonoutdoors.com/hc/en-us/articles/6470890831895-Trolling-Motor-Power-Considerations#Lithium

Anyone experience any issues with their trolling motor and lithium batteries at full speed?

2 Likes
2

im running a 36 volt z pro. i run it on hi fairly often not knowing it was a issue. im up in the back whwre FMT fears to go. lol
lots of limestone in shallow water so i leave big motor off.
so i run it sometimes nearly a 1/4 mile on high going to another spot.
forget tides but 3 mph against the wind up to 6 with the wind.

with that said Power pole just put a new motor on a 4 month old troller.

so you may well be right !

3

I have a 12v 55 thrust and a lithium 100ah. I have found that the highest speed (5) heats up the motor if I run it for more than 10 min. I use the second highest speed (4) and have no problems all day. That’s my experience!

4

Is it the motor or the control head that gets hot on speed 5?

5

interesting…seems like a we-told-you-so statement if something breaks. I really don’t run mine at 10 ever…rarely above 5.

6

Its the head

1 Like
7

My trolling motor is a 55 lb with variable speed. I am running a 100ah lithium battery. I haven’t noticed any heating but I will check the control head in the future.
Chip

8

I run a Minn Kota Terrova, 24 volt model (two 12v Lithium 100AH batts… I did read that caution from Minn Kota and try to follow it… I’m at nearly four years on my troller -but only the last year of that powered by lithiums… Since my troller moves my skiff pretty well I don’t need the max power -except for very short moments when I need to get my skiff out of trouble in a current with obstacles (particularly at night around bridge pilings). I’m perfectly willing to abide by their caution since I’m VERY interested in the long life of that trolling motor in hard commercial service…

9

I’m running a MK Riptide Fortrex on two 12V lithiums. I keep it at 75% or less except for short bursts. I’ve actually noticed that there is very little speed difference between 75% and 100% on my rig.