I'm getting ready to buy one or the other, not sure which to get. Both seem to have their advantages. The one thing that bothers me about the Talon is that I never see anyone with one. But the quick deployment,easy installation and being electric seems to be a great deal. And with the new jack plate bracket it re-enforces the mount. Pros & cons anyone?

Power Poles all the way. Especially if you keep your boat in the garage. Here's a pic of the back of my boat. The PP's stick up above my outboard by about 7"-8". My outboard barely clears the top of my garage, so there is no way my PP's would. BUT I can lower them and get in just fine. You can't do that with a Talon.

Talon, they are not as tall as the PP anyway. Whichever you get buy two.

I second the Talon I have the quick disconect on mine and I can lower them down real quick to put the boat in garage of on the carport.

Sweet lookin' cat!!

PP here. Virtually flawless performance and unmatched customer service. Plus it doesn't look like you're running around with a couple gutters on the back of your boat.

� You can't lower Talons like you can power poles to lower for clearance, with the powerpole its just a button press away with the remotes... I think you can get a quick disconnect to raise and lower but not 100% sure, you may have to buy that..

� They have had " numerous" problems...

� Look at the Elite & Tour guys, there are lots of them sponsored by Minnkota with free trolling motors and battery chargers yet they still run Power-Poles because they are Proven, Quick, have a better appearance & are the BEST...

� FYI- the Talon ($1499-8' BPS) is anodized aluminum as is the Power-Pole Sportsman Series (Free Remote offer going on now + toggle switch so you don't have to use remote), which makes the PP a better value at 995.00 for an 8 footer.

I hear even with the new Talon Brackets they still wobble pretty bad from the heavy top. Is this true? Both are good products and if I knew the truth about the talon I would say get whatever is the best deal. I didn't know all the facts about Talons when I was ready to buy so I got the PP Sig and think it's pretty nice, no issues with it. Seems that PP is just gonna have the upperhand since that's their game and not Trolling Motors.

Cody I never have to take mine off to put the boat in. I just turn the 4 handles an slide them down.

The only real problems with Talons was the bracket and they are fixed, maybe overfixed they are so stout. I have a Talon and love the thing.
Either is great Talon doesn't take any extra pumps or take up room inside the boat. Plus for one price you get 2 remotes.

Power pole!

Power Pole hands down!!! More powerful, looks nicer, performs better, and to notch customer service. Plus they invented the product, not tried to do a cheap knock off.

The Talon does look awkward on the back of boats.

I'm waiting for the new 'blade' to come out from PP! Completely wireless design and 10ft depth!

Had Power Poles only. Proven performance and reliability.
One of the best new products weve seen in recent years.

Power Pole! They look better too.

Power pole here, if I ever get a new boat it will have a pair on it.

The reason the Minn Kota guys in the Elites run PP, is because they are given to them for FREE! So of course they are going to run them. Plus PP is a major sponsor of BASS.

With that being said, I love my Talons, but would own either one. Both are great products, and both get the job done.

Power pole for me, I went back and forth on both and the PP won. Look at which fits your needs and go from there. Also PP is giving two remotes with there poles now, offer good through May I think.

Cody do run with Talons or PP's?

Those same guys that get PP's for free could get the Talons for free, too. They run PP's because they are the best and don't look like aluminum gutters.

You get two remotes and a flush mount switch with the Power-Poles

I like the power pole. Like mentioned earlier you really need two.

I'm leaning toward a set of PP's. I have a little time to decide, next month. Thanks for the input everyone.

I run Power-Poles, I had a chance to be with Minn Kota and denied..

2 is the "cats meow"!

With two Power-Poles they have an angle during deployment towards the port & starboard side creating a wide "footprint" with the Talons they go straight down creating a close footprint which is less stable.. Not an opinion either it's basic physics

Just wait until that Power Pole pump fails with it deployed down. You have to jump through hoops to get the thing pulled up so you can get back to the ramp. With the Talon's, all you have to do is turn a wrench on top of the unit to pull the spike up. Got stuck out in the middle of Lake Calcasieu one time with a Power Pole. What a nightmare. Had to jump in the water (55 degrees) and take the entire unit off of the mount and throw it up on the back deck in order to get back to the ramp.
And also, you CAN lower the Talons so that they will fit in the garage. I wish people would get more informed and give out CORRECT information. Especially people who are sponsored by a company and INCORRECTLY talk bad about competitors. Shows a lack of education.

Why do these threads always have to become a pizzin match?IMO they both look stupid but my next boat will have 2 poles.

It's my understanding the Talons will pulsate down when the boat is bouncing around in the waves, where the PP will "walk off" in this situation.

powerpole without a doubt, I would be po'd every time I had to take the talons off or adjust to get under bridges, in my garage, etc.. Plus they r top heavy. I did all the research when I got my dual PP's. Was an easy choice. I love mine and wouldnt trade them for nuthin!

Come on now, don't you thInk Minn Kota will give the guys running their other products I.e. TM & Chargers free Talons if the fisherman wanted them.. Uh Yes.. 95% of pros and fisherman want the best, so they get the Power-Pole, the best!

If you knew the product all you needed was to pull one line of the pump, that releives the pressure then just pull it up and tie it up.

I give correct info bud, since I worked at a #1 boat dealership for over a year, and had alot of questions I had to have answers. I also know a few guys who ran them, untill they lost them in lakes or highways.. Then they started loosing stakes from the inside..

And I am sponsored by Power-Pole, so what.. Just giving Facts!

PP and Talon need to give me two each and I will test them both and keep the one that is the better product. I wonder if they are both up to the challenge???

I have one PP now, they should give me one to test also , since I am on the water 3-5 days a week.. lol

Yeah I dont want to get just one and when you are a poor boy fisherman with a baby on the way its hard to drop the cash for two.

We knew the product. Pulled the line and it still wouldn't come up. Turns out, the piston was bent, so there is no way that the thing was coming up, regardless of what we would have done to it. Bent piston = pull the whole thing off of the mount and put it on the back deck. Bent piston also = BIG MONEY TO FIX.

You don't give correct info if you tell people "You can't lower Talons unless you take em off..." That's false. The quick release handles allow you to adjust the Talons vertically.
And when you keep throwing out information about them falling off, you're talking about past history. Those issues have been fixed a long time ago. Why do you refuse to recognize that ??

So YES YOU DO GIVE FALSE INFO CODY MALONE.


People do not like salesman that bash the competition. It makes them think that the basher is either hiding something or trying to make up for having an inferior product. Your product should be able to stand on IT'S own merits. Sell it based on that.

I haven't bashed any product.. Just stating facts, and their problems were not to long ago, they have only been out a little over a year..

The Power-Pole is by far the best choice regardless..

I prefer the Stick-it Anchor Pins....

Darn cell double posted..

About these "facts" that you are stating. You said that you have to take the talon off in order to lower it ?

You still saying that is a "fact" ???

You didn't have correct info on lowering a Talon. Any time you want to walk across the field back of DSM I will show you a Talon can be raised and lowered without taking it off.

I wish I could be 100% correct on everything i say or do.. sometimes i am wrong. so sue me.. I have edited my original post. I also believe the quick release is 60-80.. correct?

If you are always right,Good for you

I don't remember what I payed Steve for ot but it was not 60 or 80.

There it is. A backhanded apology if I've ever seen one. Why not just be a man and admit you were wrong instead of droning on and on about someone else always being right, sue me, etc .... ???

A simple, "I was wrong" will suffice. The other stuff is just nonsense. Geez dude, come on.

THIS^^^^^^^

Problem is that's not exactly true. There are guys that could not get free Talon's that do get free Power Poles. That is a fact.

guys who are on mercury/motor guide couldnt, true

WOW, really.. first off I DONT HAVE TO APPOLAGIZE for anything.. no one is every ALWAYS right..

as far as the price on the quick disconnect. I wasnt sure on that price so i googled it they came up 60-80.. sure you might find it cheaper..

http://www.google.com/search?q=minn+kota+talon+quick+release&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBF_en&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=17345l18595l0l19204l8l7l0l6l6l0l359l359l3-1l1l0&oq=minn+kota+talon+quick+release&aq=f&aqi=g2&aql=

also i found a typo/goof on the lowering statement you are referring to. common sense tells you you can lower with out taking off sice its a track system.. i was referring to getting under say a bridge or dock walkway.

Power pole hands down next question

Texas Smoke,
Why would you state "wait until the pump fails and then return to say it was actually the piston that was bent"? It sounds like your try to bash the pumps. Dosen't that make you giving incorrect info as well?

I had PP on last Legend and will have one maybe two on the next one. From what I see on You Tube... you can run on pad with the dang PP fully deployed!!!

Check out You tube for power pole video's. Awesome product!!!

By design they just seem to be a better value and more funtional than Talons.

This,

Also we install alot more power poles than talon.

I own neither, but here are the facts I've gathered:

Most people haven't had hands on experience with both brands.

People that own them like whatever brand they have.

Power Poles have been around longer and have sold more (more customers).

Seems like an Abu Garcia VS Shimano or Ranger VS Skeeter debate. No one wins and in the end its mud slinging subjective opinons. "That one is ugly..." "That brand aren't reliable..."

Wah Wah Wah.

Ryan

Until this issue gets settled I'll just have to keep my brick and string.

Can I get an Amen?!!!

Ryan you hit the nail on the head! These type of discussions should stay as they are intended; just opinions. You would think some folks built these things themselves! In this case its a fancy stick for crying out loud!

You make a very valid point but I have been in boats with both, Power Pole hands down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99t_gfJgEe8

nuff said

I really like my 8' Talon so here are my random thoughts for what it's worth:

It holds really well in chop using the rough water mode.

Minn Kota sent me a new bracket for free and it is stout.

It has never fallen off.

It fits in my garage without doing anything.

I think it looks cool on the back of my boat but I'm sure opinions vary.

I'm not sponsored by anybody.

If I take the kids tubing, the Talon, bracket and all comes of in 5 minutes and goes back on just as quickly when I'm done playing with the kids.

Quite normal............

I just put a 8' sig series on my triton and love it so far just a FYI we install both the power pole and the talons and we've put on probably in a ratio 5:1 more power poles than talons!

All you guys crack me up with which one you back. And most of you back the one that on your boat.

The truth is, they are both great products, and I would use either one. It doesnt mean anything that one area of Texas sells more PP than Talons. Shoot, if you go down around Corpus down at the coast, you will see 5 to 1 Talons. If you fish around Fork, you see 5 to 1 PP's.

Is it really worth pissing back and forth about?

Look into both, and figure out which one suites you better.

I was talking about 2 different instances Mr. 101. One time I was in a boat where the pump failed. One time I was in a boat where the piston got bent because he left the thing deployed and took off with it deployed down. (Bet they don't show that on their Youtube videos). The Talon has an alarm that will sound if you start your motor with it still deployed down to remind you to pull it up. That's a very nice feature. It also has an LED readout to show you how far the spike is deployed. Another nice feature.

I can also tell everyone about the guy I know that has had to replace THREE Power Pole spikes because they have broken on him if you would like.


Unlike probably 99% of the people that have commented on this thread, I have OWNED both of the products. Neither product is perfect as some would have you think and neither product is complete garbage as some would have you think.