36V maxxum TM question

[strawny1]

i'm new here so be kind as this is possibly a really stupid situation and question i have.

my boat is an 1994 17' yarcraft (1778WW). i ran across a good deal on a 101 lb 36V minn kota maxxum trolling motor so i grabbed it. i would venture to guess that 36 volts and 101 lbs of thrust is more than way overkill for my boat, but i'm kind of thinking that this might be decent insurance against being stranded in the event of motor trouble since i don't have a kicker as a back up. it would obviosly have more than enough power and run time to get me back to shore in any weather conditions.

anyway, the real question is, can this trolling motor be wired and run as a 24V or will it ruin/kill the motor or batteries. i know that running a 12V motor on 24volts or a 24 volt motor on 36 volts will burn up the motor but i'm not sure how it works going the other way. since i really don't need the full power of the motor i'm not concerned about the "loss of performance" by going to 24V from 36V, and being that i'm in a 17' boat finding a spot for 3 more batteries is going to require sacrificing some storage probably under one of the consoles. i'm really just worried about killing a great trolling motor.

any advise or info is greatly appreciated.

thanks
andrew

[Topwater]

I ran a 36 volt Vantage most of last year on 24 volts and never had a problem. I asked the local Minn-Kota repair dude and he said it would work just fine, only it would be reduced to 80 lb thrust of coarse. I'd phone your local repair center and ask to make sure but it should be fine.

[Burr]

Having been in a similar position in the past - looking for a used Maxxum and what I found was a killer deal on the 101 36 volt - and having a smaller boat than yours - a 16 foot tiller with a 50 -

I can't for the life of me figure out why you would consider not springing for the extra battery? It's like hitting a home run and insisting on stopping at 3rd base.

What??? :cookoo::banghead::fishhit::frypan:

Just get the extra battery, you'll like it.

[strawny1]

thanks for the info,

i haven't ruled out running it on 36 volts. part of the great deal was that i got all 3 deep cycle trolling batteries with it. it pretty much just boils down to space. i have a spot i can fit 2 batteries and not loose any critical storage space. most of my boating/fishing involves the wife and 2 small kids and all the "extras" that go with, so storage locations are essential to keeping the "extras" out of the way.

i just like to know my options and get others opinions. no matter what it is, seems like somebody else has already been there and done that and it nice to hear what their opinion is.

thanks