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Garmin Force thoughts

Crow Terminator

Crow Terminator

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Joined
Oct 23, 1999
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Do any of you guys have a Garmin Force or have fished with someone with one? My first pick for a trolling motor is the Ultrex but it's backordered everywhere for 2+ months. The Force is my second pick but only because it's Garmins first foray into trolling motors while Minn Kota has been doing it for decades. What are your thoughts on it? I currently have all Garmin electronics on the boat so that's a plus for integrating everything.
 
I have a Garmin Force. For the way I fish in the summer (spider rigging for crappie) it is a GAMECHANGER. I can quickly set up routes, go to way points, set the cruise control, etc. I spend a LOT more time fishing and relaxing, and a lot less time trying to stay on my spots, fighting the wind, etc. I can't believe I spent $3100 on a trolling motor, but it was worth every penny. I have not put the foot control in the boat for a day of bass fishing yet, but I hope to do that soon.
 
I don't know anything about the Garmin, but I have a Ghost and it is awesome. 24 volts, 97 lbs and 36 volts 120 lbs. Runs either way.
 
I was getting ready to buy a Force and was talking to a dealer about the installation for them. I had heard the wiring on the Tracker boats like mine, would be too small gauge wire to suit a Force, and wanted to know from a dealer that does installs. I mentioned my first choice would have been the Ultrex but I couldn't find a 24v 80lb in stock. He said he had one in stock with the 52" shaft and U2 sensor...which was exactly what I was looking for. I ended up buying the Ultrex. He could have been quiet and just sold me the Force for over $1k more but I'm glad to have gotten the Ultrex. Now I have money to put towards a 12" graph.
 
bluball said:
I own a ultrex ,but have heard the same about the ghost by alot of people
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My point is "they" will say anything is the best due to many factors. The only logical reason to pick one over the other to me is what electronics you run. You run Garmin? Buy a Force. Lowrance? Buy a Ghost. Hummingbird? But an Ultrex. Otherwise you aren't getting the most out of your high tech trolling motor.
 
Spurhunter said:
My point is "they" will say anything is the best due to many factors. The only logical reason to pick one over the other to me is what electronics you run. You run Garmin? Buy a Force. Lowrance? Buy a Ghost. Hummingbird? But an Ultrex. Otherwise you aren't getting the most out of your high tech trolling motor.
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Most guys i know that are buying the ultrex are not linking them to there units.I honestly only know one guy that uses his ultrex linked to his unit.Most guys are livescoping,i could see an advantage if trolling and could follow contours etc.The onevlocal guy i know that had the garmin one hated it,but he had a ultrex on his previous boat.His biggest complaint was the garmin took up more room size wise vompared to his ultrex,his buddy calls it his $1000 dollar mistake cause he only used it 3-4 times snd then sold it.
 
Spurhunter said:
I'm sure there are plenty "theys" that say the Force or Ultrex are head and shoulders above the rest.
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Naw just for the Ghost. I'm not promoting them. I dislike lowrance (graph related) and own an Ultrex. I'm just saying from the tournament industry and people who fish 200+ days a year I hear Ghost is the way to go.

I'm holding out for the Power Pole trolling motor to see what it's all about. They keep getting pushed back over and over though.
 
I stand corrected and to the OP, I apologize. The Garmin Force sucks. I shouldn't have given my firsthand review as a Garmin Force owner with hours and hours of experience. "They" say (whoever in the hell they is) the Ghost is the greatest invention since the wheel and there is no second place.
 
The Ghost wasn't even on my consideration list. I already had my mind made up about that. If you get on the Facebook group pages for these trolling motors, you'll quickly see the number of people who are having trouble out of them; which ones are praised and which are cussed. The Ghost would be right up there with the self deploying Ulterra for the amount of problems people are having. Some of those guys are on their 2nd and 3rd motors from warranty issues. Several YouTube videos pointing out problems with them as well. There can be lemons in even the best but when there's that many people having reoccurring issues and the factory not coming up with fixes, that's a different story. The Force had issues early on but Garmin has addressed those for the most part. I'm happy with the Ultrex for sure though. My boat is a Tracker 190 TX Pro and has high sides. It just as well be sails on a sailboat for any wind. It's nice just sitting back, tying baits, etc and not having to be on the foot pedal all the time. Especially when trolling.
 
I know a couple techs, their job is working on trolling motors, the ghost so far is giving the least issues by far.

It has couple advantages over the ultrex.

Ghost can be 24 or 36V. Compared to the ultrex at 24V which has 80 lbs thrust, ghost has 97 lbs and when used at 36V has 120 lbs thrust.

Ghost use on batteries is awesome.

All my friends who have them told me to expect creep when using the spot lock on the ultrex when there is no wind. I do not know if that is true, but that is what all the people I know who have an ultrex told me. They said spotlock works best with some wind.

I know the ghost holds in an incredibly small area, no creep, whether there is wind or not.

And in my lifetime, I have always said "there is only one trolling motor, MINN KOTA".

I love my ghost, only thing to be seen is how well it holds up over time.
 
Spurhunter said:
I stand corrected and to the OP, I apologize. The Garmin Force sucks. I shouldn't have given my firsthand review as a Garmin Force owner with hours and hours of experience. "They" say (whoever in the hell they is) the Ghost is the greatest invention since the wheel and there is no second place.
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Sorry my different suggestion hurt you so much.
 

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