Without a doubt, Minn Kota and Motorguide dominate the trolling motor market.
Yes, Rhodan and Newport Vessels are viable competitors, and Lowrance’s Ghost and Garmin’s Force offer enviable tech and amazing performance. But there’s no questioning the hold that Minn Kota and Motorguide have on the trolling motor market, and the vast majority of anglers are running one of the two.
Both Minn Kota and Motorguide offer fresh- and saltwater trolling motors in a variety of shaft lengths and thrust outputs.
As you can guess, people want to know which is better: MK or MG?
We’re going to pit these two manufacturers head-to-head, and since we’re not sponsored by either company, we’ll offer a fair, no-holds-barred battle.
Keep reading to find out who wins!
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Related:
Minn Kota vs. Motorguide
The powerful Motorguide Xi5 can handle the roughest seas you want to fish.
Performance and Features
Neither of these two companies has a monopoly on performance.
Each offers motors in a variety of thrust ratings, shaft lengths, and bow- or transom mounts, though true apples to apples comparisons can be tough because of individual specs and features.
That said, the “Big Ms” have staked out slightly different territory, with Minn Kota focusing more on cutting edge tech and Motorguide preferring to keep things simple.
That doesn’t make one better than the other, but Minn Kota generally offers more impressive high-end tech.
Minn Kota
Minn Kota offers trolling motors at various levels of tech, from the Ultrex, Riptide Terrova, and Riptide Ulterra on the high end, to the stripped-down Maxxum and Riptide Maxxum on the low end.
Unless you’re new to the water, you’ll know that one of the major selling points of Minn Kota is its tech. Features like i-Pilot that allow you to control your trolling motor from your Humminbird fish finder, Spot-Lock and Jog that enable you to hold your position effortlessly, and Autopilot that makes following a preset heading a no-hands (or feet) affair have placed Minn Kota at the head of the pack.
They even offer smartphone connectivity through i-Pilot Link that allow you to use your mobile to control your trolling motor!
Minn Kota’s remote reflects their commitment to high tech.
The Ultrex, Riptide Terrova, and Riptide Ulterra are very hard to beat for the high-tech wizardry they offer, and there’s simply no question that these features can be game changing.
You’e probably heard of the K.I.S.S. maxim, “Keep it simple, stupid.”
Great complexity creates more opportunity for failure, and that’s certainly true for Minn Kota’s flagship Riptide Ulterra and Ultrex.
When these units are functioning flawlessly, they leave Motorguide’s Xi5 well behind, but reliability is a known issue with both of these motors.
Pretty much anything that can fail has, from the auto stow, to the trim motor, to the spot lock and remote control features. Bad motherboards and cheap components seem to be the culprit for these problems, and while some users report lawless performance, that’s pretty rare.
This has driven many Minn Kota fans to the Riptide Terrova, Terrova, and Fortrex models, as reliability with these motors is excellent.
The good news is that Minn Kota’s customer service is the best in the business, hands down. So if you do have a problem, they’re going to work hard to make it right.
Motorguide