Trying to upgrade on a budget is hard!! Having a hard time finding a 36V trolling motor with spotlock I can afford. What is the consensus on moving down to 24V 80# thrust on a 20 foot boat? Thank you

It will work. But you will need some pretty solid batteries for it to lug a 20-footer all day. I have a 80lb/24v Ultrex on a 19ft and I have two BIG group 31 lead acid batteries. It will struggle to get through a windy 8 hour day of tourney type fishing. Spot lock is efficient, but the in and out of docks and flipping brush fishing is what takes it toll on the batteries.

Does save weight though.

If you go with a Garmin Force, you can start with a 24v & then add a battery later if you need the 36v, it will recognize either voltage. I think the Lowrance Ghost will do the same thing.

for what it is worth...I have an 18ft bay boat with a minnkota 24v 80lb.......I have used it in windy conditions and trolled the entire lake, spot locked for 4 hours then trolled the middle with umbrella rigs 2 days in a row and never recharged...then took less than 3 hours for full charge....are they new batteries, yes AGM. boat has 3 batteries now.....1 for main, 2 for trolling motor. 36v didn't make engineering sense based on thrust difference between 24v and 36v

I think real thick grass performance can be the difference between the two. Basspro had the 36V Ultrex for $2749.

I have an 80# 24v on a 22 foot center console that works perfectly fine. Never been in a situation where I felt like I didn't having enough trolling motor.

With that said, if you CAN afford it, bigger is always better IMO

I'm in this camp...the newer TM have the ability to be 24v or 36v. I would look into those if I were in the market for a new TM.

I was in the 36 volt or bust camp for a long time but with multiple motors running on either, I would have zero issues going with a 24 volt system on a 20 footer as long as it was a brushless motor and I had big batteries.

You can do the same with the Lowrance Ghost but both cost more then anything else out there.

36v is definitely the best for the 20ft bassboat you can get a 24/36v switch installed on the board of current motor and just add a breaker and a new battery.(Inexpensive way to upgrade). I would have it done by a good experienced troll motor technician. Best troll motor that I ever owned
was a 36v motorguide that was on a 20ft 90s model Skeeter. It had a switch were I could change from 24 to 36v. In 36v it would leave a wake behind the boat,never had any issues. Just an idea.

I see you have a Legend V20. I love that boat. That boat sits up fairly high in the water and is not a small lightweight boat. Depending on your style of fishing I would save a bit longer and go with a 36V for that rig to be safe.

I hear ya!! I've been saving for a bit and was going to go the 24v Ultrex route but finally just bit the bullet and ordered a ghost. I used paypal credit to pay for it, no interest for 6mos. I paid a chunk off immediately and will pay the rest over the 6 mos. I used the remainder of cash I had saved to buy a 24v lithium set up from Amped Outdoors.

If you go the Force or Ghost route you have the flexibility to try 24 and if it's not enough you can add another battery. Plus, both these motors on 24 will out pull the 24v ultrex all day. I think the Ghost draws the least amps of the 3 as well. I don't know much about the newer Motorguide tour pro but I can tell you I have a friend who has had one for like 6 mos now and has maybe only used it once or twice. They have been good on warranty and working with him, just sent him a whole new motor and restarted warranty. He installed it and took it out on Rayburn and it never got a satellite lock in 8 hours. Now he's sending it back, for like the third time. I'd steer clear.

Never heard a man say: “I wish I had LESS trolling motor”.