Close to pulling the trigger on a new motorguide Xi5 troll motor with GPS Pinpoint to connect to my Lowrance unit. Trying to figure out if I should go with the 55LB 12V system or the 80lb Thrust 24V system. I'm assuming having more would be better than less, but just curious if anyone has had any experience with either. My boat is a 19.5FT G3 center console aluminum with a 115 Yamaha. I'm guessing total package weighs in the 1500lb range. Thanks for any input.

BK

the 55# will move it just fine but the 80# wont struggle in strong winds. If you do go with the 12v at least set it up with 2 batteries. Even a single group 31 would probably run low after a days fishing.

No one ever said they wish they had less power..

Get the 80#!

Thank you for the input. I've never owned a GPS troll motor and was just concerned about it holding on location in wind and current with the 55LB. Think the 80lb is probably the way to go just to be safe. Thanks again.

You'll get better battery life from a 24V system plus the extra power when you need it. With a single battery 12V system don't expect your battery to last all day. Another thing to consider is battery lifespan. If you use a single 12V battery you'll likely deeply discharge the battery more frequently than with a 24V setup which will significantly reduce your battery lifespan.

Sounds like 80# should do good for you. Just for the record, I have said that I wished that I had less power in a trolling motor. On the first generation terrova I changed to a 36v because I got a good deal on it and after it almost threw me out of the boat 4 or 5 times I traded it off for an 80#. The newer ones being more accurate don't seem to have the same problem of over correcting.