MK Ultrex vs Garmin Force vs Ghost

I am currently looking at new trolling motors and have narrowed it down to the Ultrex MDI, Ghost and Force. I have seen a few videos on the subject and reviewed some comments on other sites, however I would like to hear from owners/users that have experience with these products. Thanks to all that participate.

force

force

Wondering if you had any experience with the Ultrex or Ghost and if so maybe expand on reasons for preference.

Why is the Motor Guide tour pro getting no love? True cable steer and works with any graph. I have my eye on it.

I did not know the MG was compatible with any graph so that opens up the menu. Back to research LOL

No love, because they won’t ever build one to sale! My bud had one on order for 3 months and they missed their release date and have no new release date at this time. He canceled the order and bought a ghost.

Sounds like you haven't narrowed anything down then lol

Motorguide missed the mark so bad with their new motor. I can't believe they showed up 4 years late to the party. If they keep going the way they are I cant imagine they'll be in business long.

I have an Ultrex and although I don't have any experience with the garmin or Lowrance, I've been very happy with my Ultrex.

I just looked at a video on the MG that explained the features. It looks like it is pretty well made and might turn out to be the best all around TM out there, especially if you like cable steer.

Did you forget that the other trolling motors did the same thing?

I am in the same boat... that being said, I'm leaning towards the Force because I run all Garmin graphs... The thing to look at is the software update and if it worked. The issue was the anchor lock (whatever Garmin calls it) was not accurate and constantly over correcting to keep you on the spot... if that issue was worked out, I think the Force is a solid choice.

That being said, I think it comes down to compatibility with your electronics. My 2 cents....

The MG cable steer is appealing to me in case of an electronics failure. With the cable steer you can keep fishing if there is a steering motor failure.

LOL you are right there are many variables to consider and at $3K I really need to get the right one for my purposes
.
1. I am gravitated towards the Ultrex because I have HB graphs but one needs updating so that opens up the competition and started considering the competition.
2. The Ghost was somewhat entertaining but lost some interest after watching a video that showed it to be very loud underwater.
3. The Force is definitely interesting with consideration to garmin graphs including live scope but have heard it struggles to stay on position with anchor/spot lock feature also it appears to be very large .
4. Tour Pro is interesting with the ability to communicate with several brands of graphs not sure how well though with consideration to Helix G3 graphs and I have heard they are not readily available yet.

Ultrex

I may have experienced the before and after on that, updated second trip out. first trip/set up it went nuts after I calibrated the compass, settled down but did some 360s at full speed for a few seconds. update stopped it I guess, last trip it worked perfect and held me within a few feet of my spot in moderate wind. overall I am lovin this set up. have a 93 sv plus at bow and console and use the phone app. it is on 36v and I can almost pull a skier behind the 202, couple mph faster than the 112 fortrex I had. have fished in boats with the ulterra and ultrex and they too were impressive but with all the bells and whistles on the force I went with it. totally happy with it so far, just broke for about 6 months now. lol not used to puttin almost 6k into boat stuff all at once.

The Garmin and Lowrance were both released on their stated date. MG can’t find a supplier for one of their parts on the Tour Pro.

Oh you mean the video by the guy that’s sponsored by Garmin???





That video is the biggest sham ever produced. Here is a real users video, without bias.

I just put a Ghost on my boat, and really like it. It is extremely strong. The mount is very solid, and doesn't move in rough water. It seems very quiet, however, I'm coming from a MotorGuide older Tour. It was worn, and pretty noisy. A few things I really like about the Ghost: I run Lowrance units, and the interface was real easy, and mostly plug and play. The Ghost rigs real clean - I mean super clean. The transducer cable connects below deck to the foot-petal. One cable. It doesn't wrap around the head, doesn't stick up when it's stored, and is just clean. The motor stores a little lower profile than an Ultrex also - a little easier to see around. The mount seems really easy to stow and deploy as well. The anchor feature works real well, and has made me a little hard-headed about leaving the off-shore haunts.

I have a few concerns as well: like others the electric steer concerns me - how long will it last. The cables in my old MG went 6 years. Lowrance's customer service also isn't known for ringing the bell, and with a new product that's a risk. I've got to get used to the feel of electric steer. The nosecone of the motor is interchangeable transducers, and I've heard that the next gen of forward scan will have a transducer that can be changed out - that may be interesting. Another interesting option is that the motor is convertible from 24 to 36 volt. And it's supposed to be almost 90 pounds in 24 volt. I may give it a try in 24 volt to see if I could get rid of a battery.

As I said I came from an older MG, and when I decided to change, I was going to go with either the Ghost of the new MotorGuide, whichever was here first. Lowrance won. Only time will tell how it last and holds-up, but so far, it seems very good.

I never buy version 1.0 of something... But the force looks cool

I love the ultrex we have

I like my Ultrex and would definitely have another. I have no experience with the Garmin but my dealer has one on his demo and said his only complaint was foot pedal was way too sensitive and didn’t have a way to adjust tension.

I have had Ultrex since they came out, my new boat will have Lowrance Ghost, just seems to be a better motor, really like all the features.

My dad put a Force on one of his boats and I was very impressed with it. First time out(before updating) the anchor feature did go nuts at first but it only lasted about 15 seconds and all was good after that. He has updated it and said it is even more accurate. I like it enough I'll be making the switch to Force on my next trip to DFW.

sartin marine in yantis had a 50" when I picked up my 57".

Bump for you as I logged onto make almost the exact same post!

I know I plan on adding Livescope at the bow and that has me wanting a force. I also know I prefer the feel of cable steer which points me to an Ultrex.

The two setups I am considering are a Force with a 12” screen Garmin and livescope at the bow and a 10” Garmin at the console. OR an Ultrex linked to a Humminbird each at the bow and console Plus a Garmin with livescope at the bow. I just can’t decide and it is too much money to make a mistake and regret!

I like minn kota but after watching the threads for the last couple of years, the ultrex just seems to be plagued with too many issues. Granted most seem to be on the minor side and can be fixed by the user but who really wants to spend a couple grand and have to work on it? I am curious how the other models hold up over the next couple of years.

It's priced lower as well. I loved my MG with anchor and the move 5 feet to the left or right function is something I really miss. The shaft kept breaking because it would deploy at speed after hitting a rouge wave and snap. Other then that I liked it alot but the new mg with cable came out after I had already purchased my Ultrex with DI

What graph do you have paired with the Ultrex DI ?

I have an Ultrex and mostly fish Fork... I've busted one shaft and after this weekend I know I'll bust another very soon. I can't see any stumps right now. The new shaft is getting a major workout... The ghost might be what I need because it has a spring that really helps in a stumpy lake like Fork. I also like the Power Pole buttons on the side of the foot pedal and I run Lowrance units... I'll be waiting to see how this shakes out.

I had one of the very first Ultrex sold as they came out right when I was getting my new V20 in March of 2017. I never had any significant issues with it but did break the shaft and also bent the prop shaft. Both of these I viewed as my fault for going too fast and hitting Monticello "concrete" stumps. That being said, I just switched everything over last week to Garmin from HB/Ultrex.

The main reason for the switch was wanting to have LIvescope and the reviews I got directly from some guys who had the Force on their boats already.

My initial impressions after about 8 hours with it this weekend are the following:
1. The strength/speed of the Force is INSANE. On high, it would get my boat up to nearly 4 mph.
2. On speeds of 50% or less the motor is virtually silent. Even when on full power I would say its 50% quieter than the Ultrex. i was shocked how quiet this motor was.
3. The noise of the head spinning is probably less than 1/3 of the noise the Ultrex made
4. The one drawback I am still working through is the pedal is insanely sensitive. I started getting use to it but it's very different than the Ultrex. I am going to tighten the tension knob to see what that does when I get back on my boat in a couple of weeks.
5. Anchor/Spot Lock was about the same as the Ultrex but it didn't seem to let me drift as far off the spot before moving me back as the Ultrex would do at times

Other than the sensitive pedal, I was incredibly impressed with all other aspects of the Force.

One non-trolling motor specific thing I really liked was that when I turned everything on and connected my cell phone to the graphs via the Garmin App, it instantly recognized every device I had on my boat, registered them, then told me 2 of them needed software updates which I did all through my phone. The app itself was even very cool and has a map on it which actually has all of my way points and trails on it. It was also VERY easy to move all my way points and trails from the HB units to the Garmin.

I had this same issue. However, there is a knob on the left side of the pedal than can be adjusted. I haven't adjusted mine yet but plan to next time I am on the boat.

Thanks Chris G for the thorough evaluation.

I’m in the same boat, but different boat. Lol.

I am waiting till April of this year, then I will sell my Ultrex and buy the Lowrance.

I've had my Ultrex for 6 months but really like it. Can't speak to the others. It's powerful, responsive and seems to hold in the wind well.

Which one did you get and do you have a review for us?

I just put a Force on my boat. I've spent a TON of money thru the years on hunting and fishing stuff but none was as well spent as what this thing is. It's freaking amazing and the remote is way handier that I thought it would be. You can put it on anchor mode then use your remote to move you 5 feet, teen feet etc whichever way you wanna go. Heck you can mark way points with the remote and go back to them. The pedal is sensitive but within 30 Mins I was used to it already. It's much cleaner on the boat with no cord too. Best part.. Moved my aluminum boat a 4.3 mph using 24 volts!

I have a 2017 Ultrex and the only issue was the steering cables broke, and newer stronger were put on it and I have had absolutely no issues since.
Minn Kota warranty has been excellent and they added another year to it. I like mine just fine.

I wouldn't buy the Ghost because of Lowrance's Customer Service.

So how much you want it?

Two and a half years of heavy, heavy use and I literally have done nothing but drop my Ultrex in the water and fish. Not a single issue.

A reliable source told me Ghost uses a couple MK Ultrex internal parts.

Force

We have an Ultrex right now in my Ranger 212LS Reata which has a very small casting deck despite being almost 21.5 ft long. We’ve added the extended deck which helps but the Ultra, with its cables makes it get crowded in a hurry. We’re planning on going Garmin eventually due to a number of reasons. The remote control with no cables takes up a lot less space on the deck. The brushless motor is supposed to be much quieter and more efficient. Not a bunch of room in the back for three TM batteries so a 24V system that is as powerful as a 36V system is an added bonus. Lastly, we’re going to put a LiveScope up on the bow so we’d like to keep it all the same

Well, do tell.