Having a trolling motor to support your vessel is great until you need to multitask.
Though electric motors have made our lives easier and our experience out on the waters better, sometimes it can still be a bit of a hassle to control them while you are trying to fish or doing any other activity that requires your hands.
That’s where a foot pedal comes into the picture!
With additional equipment like a foot pedal to support your trolling motor, it becomes easy to change the direction or to keep the boat moving and adjust the speeds.
This makes for a better and more convenient fishing and outing experience. So why not give it a try?
Here you will find the specifications of a foot pedal and what I personally like about this particular product.
But not everything is suitable for everyone, so you can take a look at this and a couple of other alternatives listed here, then make your own choice regarding the foot pedal best suited for your needs.
Then let’s get started!
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Minn Kota PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal
The Minn Kota PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal is one of the best foot pedals on the market because of a number of reasons.
One of these reasons is that this trolling motor foot pedal comes with a co-pilot system, thus enhancing your boating experience even further as the person can concentrate on the fishing and boating activities, while the pedal does all the work.
The Minn Kota PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal has several other features such as:
- Side to side control mechanism which lets the user direct the boat with their legs in all directions, giving the most optimum boating experience.
- The momentary/constant-on switch, which is quite convenient to use and to turn the pedal on. It makes the use of the pedal extremely agreeable and easy.
- This foot pedal also comes with a really convenient speed control knob, which helps you make precise adjustments in the direction and the speed of the boat according to the needs of the user.
- It comes with a size 18 cord, and a waterproof connector, which is extremely important as the connector can come in contact with water while boating and can spoil the entire unit.
Pros:
- It helps one to freely steer their boat without occupying their hands and only by their foot; thus, one can fish carefree.
- It comes with a waterproof connector, which is extremely important since it is going to be connected to the motor and will come in contact with water, and can spoil the motor along with the pedal. Further, having a foot pedal is better as it does not come in contact with water, and thus, the chances of it getting damaged are very low.
- The pedal is quite sturdy and has a comfortable feel on the leg, which makes it a complete steal for its price.
Cons:
- The foot control pedal is not waterproof in itself; thus, it can get spoilt if it comes in contact with water.
- The throttle control is slightly uncomfortable and does not have a great grip, especially if you have long feet or if your shoes are wet.
- This product could have been slightly cheaper, but since it’s from a reputed brand and a reputed company, it is understandable.
What Does it Have to Offer?
The Minn Kota PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal has a lot of discerning features as well as benefits.
Let’s take a look at its key specifications:
1. Performance
The overall performance of this product is quite great. This is beyond doubt a good foot pedal, which is quite sturdy and easy to use.
It is quite compatible with your trolling motor and comes with a great waterproof connector to keep your motor and the pedal safe from any water damage.
One can shift the direction of the boat easily using the pedal, and the co-pilot system also makes it extremely simple to handle the boat, even on turbulent waters.
Thus one can enjoy leisure time with their family and friends carefree as the motor does all the work for them.
It’s easy to control and easy on your feet too. Convenient and reliable, it’s worth taking a second look into.
2. Built Quality and Design
The built quality and design of the Minn Kota PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal is quite good.
The pedal is sturdy, to say the least, and also has a good side to side control, which gives control of the boat in all directions and a momentary-on switch, making it quite easy to use for the user of the product.
Though the body of the foot pedal is not waterproof, the power cord or the connecting cord is, as it is more in contact with water.
Thus overall, the product is pretty sturdy and comfortable to use, and one can easily control their boat using the foot pedal.
3. Compatibility and Use
This foot pedal is quite easy to install and use. Even a complete amateur can easily control the boat through this foot pedal owing to the convenient and reliable design.
Further, it can be used and coupled along with several trolling or boating motors taking care of the compatibility department of the product.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Foot Pedal
There are certain things that need to be considered before purchasing a foot pedal. You need to see:
- If the particular foot pedal is compatible with your boat or kayak.
- If they know how to operate the foot pedal.
- The price range it comes under might be a factor too if you are looking for a more economical option.
Once you are clear about what you need and what parameters to keep in mind, it will become a lot easier for you to decide which foot pedal to go for.
Alternatives
So we know the discerning features and advantages of using the Minn Kota PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal.
But it’s always better to look into a couple of alternative products before you go ahead with the purchase.
This will reassure you that you are spending your hard-earned cash in the right place and that the chosen product is perfect for you.
Let’s take a look at a couple of alternative products you can consider:
1. Minn Kota Foot Controlled Trolling Motor
The Minn Kota Foot Controlled Trolling Motor is quite sturdy and durable while also being easy to use.
It gains the upper hand in regards to the fact that you don’t need different trolling motor and foot pedal units, and it has both incorporated in it from the get-go.
You can control this trolling motor easily even with your feet, and though it is not waterproof or saltwater compatible, it still gains points for the convenience of use.
2. Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal
With dual-mode operation control and a waterproof connector cord, the Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal is on par with the PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal.
It also comes with auto-deploy and stow function and can be controlled with a handheld remote, in addition to feet.
While it does sound like a good bargain, it only works with Ulterra, and thus not very versatile in use or compatible with other vessels.
Bottom Line
The Minn Kota PowerDrive Trolling Motor Corded Foot Pedal is an extremely sturdy and compatible product to use and has great controls.
Even though slightly pricey, it offers quite a few convenient services such as the side to side control, the co-pilot system, and the waterproof connectors.
So if you are someone with a generous budget and want a reliable and easy to use foot pedal to go with your trolling motor, this might be an option worth considering for you.