Customer Reviews

MinnKota Trolling Motor Power Center

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm very pleased with this box. It's not weak or flimsy and has molded in lift handles on each end. Its inside dimensions are 13"L X 7"W X 9"H. The vented cover has access for cables on either end and has a pretty sturdy handle attached that will tip down and lay flat and includes a steel backing plate inside for reinforcement and strength. Inside the cover is a plastic plate covering the internal wiring but can be easily accessed by removing two small screws in the cover. Underneath is the trolling motor terminal wiring, the circuit breakers, and the 12 AWG wiring for the accessory terminals. On top of the cover the battery charge indicator light illuminates when you press the test button. Instructions are also printed on the cover. The 10 AMP circuit breaker is wired to both cigarette lighter style accessory terminals, one on each end, and the 60 AMP circuit breaker is wired for the trolling motor accessory terminals. Also includes a nice sturdy belt to hold the cover on with and easy to use connector, not a buckle, and a pair of plastic hold down brackets if you need them. This box is very well thought out and built for its intended purpose. I can't think of anything else I'd want from it.

Purchased this battery holder for my 14' Jon boat. I have a 55 MinnKota trolling motor and a fish finder which hook up easily with this holder. You get every thing you need with 2 circuit breakers one for your trolling motor and one for accessories that plug into the 2 cigarette lighter plugs. I had to make a power cable for my portable fish finder, so it could be plugged in. Test button on top tells you how much charge you have left in your battery. Sturdy case that makes it easier to carry a 50lb deep cycle battery.
I highly reccomend for any need where you are using a heavy duty battery that you will be moving from place to place. I will also be using this to power my 3000lb utility winch. For 110 volt power I hook up my inverter to this power center.

Very well designed. Fits group size 24 and 27 batteries. Keeps the battery dry with a sturdy plastic box and you safe with a built-in circuit breaker. There's a 12-volt accessory jack built in along with two manual reset circuit breakers, a 15-amp for acccessory plugs and a 60-amp for the trolling motor itself. The screw down's on the front work great, but you need to remove them to recharge the battery with a clamp-type charger, but that's less hassle than removing the battery from the case to recharge. I'm very happy with this purchase.

The product is better than I expected--very sturdy. Not having to worry about the charge level of your battery while fishing you can check it with a push of a button. The two accessory ports are a nice option.

I own both the MK (Minn Kota) pwr station and the UM (Unified Marine) 50090681, therefore I'm writing this for both. Luckily I purchased the UM to hold my back up battery. If quality is worth the cost to you then the Minn Kota is the choice. I've had the MK pwr station on few trips so far with no problems.

Quick comparison: MK box container is well made and transports my heavier 27 battery with no problems, strap is well made. Now for the UM, placed my lighter 24 battery and proceeded to lift box by the handle - handle came up but the box remained on the floor. Unbelievable...quick fix drilled some screws through to secure the handle, not sure how long this will last. Strap hasn't broke yet, but my confidence is very low that it will make it out of the garage for the 2nd trip.

Power meter: MK works well with good quality readings on charge. UM, not sure why they bothered to even place this on the box...cheap/unless. Only reflect a full charge when you have it plugged to the charger, and that's the only time you can trust what it reads.

Power lugs are fine on both, with the MK still being better quality.

Power accessory have not used yet so can not provide any feedback.

As stated above I only got the UM for my back up battery case so not overly disappointed, it works for my application, it's priced low, has a circuit breaker and pwr lugs work fine, so I'll give it a 2 star rating. However, if your getting this as your primary box for your trolling motor with needs of a higher quality box with a power meter that works, it's best to spend the extra money on better box. I'm rating the MK with 5 stars

We have a 17' day sailer & as such need to take the battery in & out after use to recharge. This makes carrying a snap. Plus so easy to hook up my Minn Kota 50 electric outboard way down in the bilge. Previously had a Minn Kota circuit breaker that was made of plastic & broke very quickly. You get a circuit breaker as well as a battery meter built in. Easy to strap down & seems to secure properly. A well thought out product that should provide many years of use.

I bought this for emergency backup power(hurricane, etc.).

With a 56 amp-hour deep cycle battery and a small DC to AC inverter Duracell 813-0291-07 175 Watt DC to AC Pocket Power Source Inverter, it provided enough power for 15 nights of light with a 2-5 watt LED bulb, or a couple of days running a small fan O2Cool 1078 Indoor/Outdoor Battery/AC-Powered 10-Inch Portable Fan.

The whole package is light enough with the current 40 pound battery (unit is designed for a slightly larger type 24 or 27 battery) for my wife to move if needed, but I also purchased a small fold-up luggage cartSamsonite Compact Luggage Cart to make it easier to move.

To keep the battery charged, I picked up a Battery Minder Plus.

I'm very pleased with the unit. It appears sturdy. The re-settable breakers (rather than fuses)are a nice touch, avoiding potential problems with finding replacement fuses in an emergency. The plastic screw caps on the exterior terminals seem serviceable and a nice safety feature. The built in side handles work well.

The next step would be to add a small solar panel and controller. Adding even a 10 or 20 watt panel would be enough to support LED lights almost indefinitely, and (particularly with a slightly larger battery) would make a nice solution for remote cabin type lighting.

All in all, a very nice package for emergency backup power.

This is a case of You Get What You Pay For. It's more expensive than the cases sold at Wal-Mart etc. and there's good reason for it. The battery is safely enclosed - the connectors are on the outside - easy to hook up as well as a handy little accessory port in case you want to charge up your laptop or depth finder or some such fancy-dancy piece of equipment that you want to impress your friends with while on your boat. Yes, it's a plastic box, but you'll love it, trust me.

This product is everything it purports to be. Very rugged case, and it is great to be able to see how much battery life is left by simply pushing a button on top of the box. Minn Kota recommends the addition of a 60 amp manual-reset circuit breaker in line with the trolling motor positive (+) lead as close to the battery as possible (i.e., part number MKR-19, which runs about $39.95). This 60 amp circuit breaker is built into the Power Center, so it makes the cost of the Power Center relatively inexpensive. I also like the rugged carrying handle, and the ability to attach the charger without removing the lid on the case.

This box is really big, it's long and high, it took so much space in my raft so I ended up buying one at walmart for $8. I don't have the use for this box now, too bad I didn't return to Amazon in time. It has a circuit breaker.

PRO:
12v sockets. -/+ connectors outside the box. thick plastic.

CON:
too long and high, only got 1 size for long battery. no locking latch, it only rely on the strap to hold the heavy battery. when you carry it feels so flimsy and the lid wobble against the box it feels like it will fall off the strap and drop on your feet. It's better to carry with two hands.