# Rhodan vs Minn Kota vs Motorguide



## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Anyone using a rhodan? Considering adding a trolling motor to fish dock lights. 

I have had 2 Minn Kota I pilots in the past and the spot lock always let's you drift well off the mark before it kicks into overdrive trying to get back into place.

Would like to hear input.


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

I had a Rhodan on my larger CC I just sold, loved it! 3500lbs and the 24v 80# always held within a few feet is some crazy currents and chop. I also like the simplicity and size of the remote. 

Their customer service is outstanding. Had one issue while under warranty and Rhodan overnighted a return box to send it back for testing. They replaced a sensor and I had it back within 5 days of sending it. 

Getting ready to buy a 12v for the skiff in the coming week. Lots of info/reviews on THT


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Water Bound said:


> I had a Rhodan on my larger CC I just sold, loved it! 3500lbs and the 24v 80# always held within a few feet is some crazy currents and chop. I also like the simplicity and size of the remote.
> 
> Their customer service is outstanding. Had one issue while under warranty and Rhodan overnighted a return box to send it back for testing. They replaced a sensor and I had it back within 5 days of sending it.
> 
> Getting ready to buy a 12v for the skiff in the coming week. Lots of info/reviews on THT


Thanks for the info.


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## LtShinysides (Dec 27, 2018)

I can't say anything on the rhodan other than I've heard good things. Between the other 2 I prefer Motorguide, though the minn kota has a couple advantages in my opinion. I currently own both, the xi5 on my action craft, the minn kota on my sm heron 16. Pros for xi5-quieter, cheaper, my experience with customer service was very good, much smaller and lighter remote, more accurate.
Pros for minn kota--little more durable(paint seems to stay on better than my xi5), easier to deploy, I like the color better.
That being said, I have owned the Xi5 for much longer. It has been used and abused for 5 years, with only one real issue. My motherboard went out 3 months out of warranty and they still fixed for free. And replaced my parts that were missing paint.


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## Indy (Aug 21, 2015)

I have a Rhodan on my Lostmen. I really like it.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

Have you used the new iPilots? Mine is the older version, and like you, I notice a decent bit of drifting away before it gets locked in. However, my buddy has a new one and it works much, much better. Is quieter too.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

windblows said:


> Have you used the new iPilots? Mine is the older version, and like you, I notice a decent bit of drifting away before it gets locked in. However, my buddy has a new one and it works much, much better. Is quieter too.


Haven't used a newer one. Last one I had on my old boat was probably back in 2016. 

Also debating 12v vs 24 v. Really will only use it for dock lights but the current can be heavy so not sure a 12 v will cut it .


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## ZisMe (Sep 29, 2014)

Ive owned multiple Minn Kota ipilots, and most recently a Rhodan- all 24 v. I dont think ill own a Rhodan again. Yes, the Rhodan spot lock drifted less, and i did really like the LineX-coated head. The Rhodan lacked an Autopilot feature (that MinnKota button with “N” and upward arrow) which may not seem like a big deal, but ultimately means many more button pushes are required to maintain a course with the Rhodan. Also, there was a slower response time after pressing a button on the Rhodan that i found annoying. Finally, the Rhodan prop i had was quite thin and brittle at the leading edge, and broke very easily with light contact on oysters that the Minn Kota prop would hardly have noticed. All in all, as much as i was hoping to really like the Rhodan, i really didnt.


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## Scott Kor (Feb 3, 2019)

I ha


windblows said:


> Have you used the new iPilots? Mine is the older version, and like you, I notice a decent bit of drifting away before it gets locked in. However, my buddy has a new one and it works much, much better. Is quieter too.


I can vouch. I have a new Riptide 80 with IPilot and bluetooth. It keeps me within 3 feet of my anchor lock. Love it.


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

No autopilot would be a deal breaker for me. I love that feature on the iPilot. And I’d go 24v if you have the room.


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

I haven’t had a Rhodan so I don’t have any thoughtful insight on them. I have had two Xi5s, an original wireless remote Motorguide and an IPilot Ulterra. 

First off, I would only ever buy an Ulterra again if I had a tower boat. Just for the simple fact that you wouldn’t have to get down everytime to deploy the unit. I also would have a spare ipilot, non Ulterra unit on the same boat for when the Ulterra decides to do what it wants and not work. 

I like the Xi5 because it turns faster than my ipilot did and has a much smaller remote than the ipilot came with. The anchor feature works great too. I feel like my Xi5 is also quieter. 

They make an xi3 now without the “fangs” on the front of the trolling motor which is nice. Unfortunately for me it only offered in 12v and 24v.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Great info, keep it coming!


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## Swe (Apr 19, 2017)

Can’t say anything about the Rhodan and not ready to spend my money on one having not known anyone personally with one. Always been a fan of Minn Kota and have had no issues with the many boats I have had them on. The new Xi units look nice but don’t like the remote with no screen.


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## Scott Kor (Feb 3, 2019)

Also, with Minn Kota, if your finder happens to be a compatible brand, you can run your trolling motor off of it to your saved way points. You can also follow the contour lines on your map chip. So if you want to follow a 6 foot contour line, with autopilot you can. The way I like to use it is when scanning with my side finder I can mark several fish holding spots on my screen and then tell the motor to go back and hit each one.


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

Scott Kor said:


> Also, with Minn Kota, if your finder happens to be a compatible brand, you can run your trolling motor off of it to your saved way points. You can also follow the contour lines on your map chip. So if you want to follow a 6 foot contour line, with autopilot you can. The way I like to use it is when scanning with my side finder I can mark several fish holding spots on my screen and then tell the motor to go back and hit each one.


This could be something to look at as well depending on what unit you have currently or what unit you plan on getting. I have a Lowrance unit on my current boat which is another reason I switched to an Xi5. The motorguide units are compatible with Lowrance (and I have heard Simrad units, this I cannot confirm. Both are Navico units so it's possible) for GPS tracking and waypoints. The Ipilot units are compatible with Humminbird GPS'.

So this could be of use to you as well.


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## BobGee (Apr 10, 2019)

LtShinysides said:


> I can't say anything on the rhodan other than I've heard good things. Between the other 2 I prefer Motorguide, though the minn kota has a couple advantages in my opinion. I currently own both, the xi5 on my action craft, the minn kota on my sm heron 16. Pros for xi5-quieter, cheaper, my experience with customer service was very good, much smaller and lighter remote, more accurate.
> Pros for minn kota--little more durable(paint seems to stay on better than my xi5), easier to deploy, I like the color better.
> That being said, I have owned the Xi5 for much longer. It has been used and abused for 5 years, with only one real issue. My motherboard went out 3 months out of warranty and they still fixed for free. And replaced my parts that were missing paint.


What model Minn Kota are you using on the Heron 16? Thrust? Are you happy with that one or would you get something different now?


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## wrinklestar (May 7, 2015)

I have a 2017 24v 80# terrova on my 20 ft flats boat and use it at the inlet in new smyrna and also recently at Bahia Honda in some very strong currents. It holds very well and at Bahia honda around the bridges those tidal currents were cranking while I was there. I rarely use an anchor anymore.


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

I can't find the reference any longer but I remember reading about a year ago that the Rhodan was more efficient; meaning it used less juice from the batteries to produce the same thrust.

My MK 24v, 80lb is not that quiet when making heading corrections and the spot lock is not very good and it is abrupt. I only use that feature on a reef where there is no danger of drifting into something and its abrupt corrections are not going to spook everything within 30 yards.

When the time comes, I'm going Rhodan.


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## LtShinysides (Dec 27, 2018)

BobGee said:


> What model Minn Kota are you using on the Heron 16? Thrust? Are you happy with that one or would you get something different now?


I have the riptide 55 ipilot. I'm fairly happy with it. Was really expecting it to pull my light boat better. It struggles in the strong currents. Not very keen on going 24 volt though. If I could choose it would probably be the xi5 again for the reasons I stated before.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Neighbor has the Rhodan , needed the extra length ,has had to send back to company twice for repairs. No local dealer


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

I had a Rhodan on my last skiff and I have a MG Xi5 GPS now. Functionally they are identical. I don't know what the other poster was saying about autopilot, but Rhodan does have that feature, but the remote is very simple, smaller and with fewer buttons so it may just be he doesn't know how to use it. 
The MG standard prop is not as efficient, but I bought a 3 blade OEM prop and it works just as well as the Rhodan.
I did pay significantly more for the Rhodan for what I believe is identical performance. The only thing I don't like about the MG is the remote is pretty big but I hang it off my belt buckle now instead of around my neck.
I would buy the MG again today if I had to make the choice between Rhodan and MG.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

The mk remote is huge. They sell a little one w/o the led window


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

Godzuki86 said:


> I have a Lowrance unit on my current boat which is another reason I switched to an Xi5. The motorguide units are compatible with Lowrance (and I have heard Simrad units, this I cannot confirm. Both are Navico units so it's possible) for GPS tracking and waypoints.


I too have Lowrance and will likely get an Xi-5 for my blackjack. I like that it’s quiet and has a good anchor lock for reef fishing etc. I also read many iPilot reviews online that said the deploy and stow motor gives out easily. TM constantly in shop etc...then you hear of many people who have no trouble with their Ultrex’s. The inconsistencies in reliability in the reports I read is a turn off.

Anyone hear anything about the new Lowrance trolling motors???


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## Viking1 (May 23, 2010)

Recently I took my Minn Kota TM for repair for the first time in 10 years. I asked the repair shop owner who he would recommend as far as reliability. He took me to the back of his shop and showed me the wall were he keeps customer's TM for repair. He had 11 Minn Kotas and 1 MotorGuide in for repair. He said from what he is seeing the Rhodan is more reliable. On the other hand I can[t complain about getting 10 years of heavy service out of my Minn Kota. Good luck with your decision.


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

I 


Viking1 said:


> Recently I took my Minn Kota TM for repair for the first time in 10 years. I asked the repair shop owner who he would recommend as far as reliability. He took me to the back of his shop and showed me the wall were he keeps customer's TM for repair. He had 11 Minn Kotas and 1 MotorGuide in for repair. He said from what he is seeing the Rhodan is more reliable. On the other hand I can[t complain about getting 10 years of heavy service out of my Minn Kota. Good luck with your decision.


i Don’t know if rhodan has been around long enough for any repair shops to have a good understanding of how much repair business there will be. Plus the still have a very small piece of the market


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## BobGee (Apr 10, 2019)

Viking1 said:


> Recently I took my Minn Kota TM for repair for the first time in 10 years. I asked the repair shop owner who he would recommend as far as reliability. He took me to the back of his shop and showed me the wall were he keeps customer's TM for repair. He had 11 Minn Kotas and 1 MotorGuide in for repair. He said from what he is seeing the Rhodan is more reliable. On the other hand I can[t complain about getting 10 years of heavy service out of my Minn Kota. Good luck with your decision.


I guess you would have to adjust that wall for market share... but I hope whatever I get lasts 10 years, too.


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## 18590 (Aug 21, 2017)

BobGee said:


> What model Minn Kota are you using on the Heron 16? Thrust? Are you happy with that one or would you get something different now?


Running an Xi5 55 on my heron 16, and I couldn't ask for a better trolling motor. If it drifts after I hit anchor, it's unnoticeable. I've run it hard all day, and it doesn't struggle in a decent current. Running Drakon/Northstar AGM pure lead battery, so maybe that has something to do with it? Swear you can crank it on high all day and the indicator never leaves green with that battery.


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## Capt. Gregg McKee (Sep 28, 2007)

If your iPilot has any issues with its mother board or steering drive be prepared to wait at least two to three weeks for the parts to come off back order from Minn Kota. Mine has been in the shop since 4/8 and still no firm date when I'll have it back. Mine is only 18 months old and still under warranty so thanks Minn Kota! My next trolling motor will be a Rhodan.


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## Thefishingchef (Nov 27, 2018)

Capt. Gregg McKee said:


> If your iPilot has any issues with its mother board or steering drive be prepared to wait at least two to three weeks for the parts to come off back order from Minn Kota. Mine has been in the shop since 4/8 and still no firm date when I'll have it back. Mine is only 18 months old and still under warranty so thanks Minn Kota! My next trolling motor will be a Rhodan.




Damn that stinks, took a friend of mine out (older gentleman) and his ipilot wouldn’t steer. The remote was acting up so either that or the motor. Either way he was bummed. No input on all brands. I use the original trolling motor. It’s about 21ft


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## apollobeachboatrenta (Nov 3, 2021)

Review of my 2yr old 36v Rhodan Trolling motor. Skip to the end if you would like to purchase one. Purchased and installed by a AFA Marine of St Pete On 1-15-20. “Authorized installer”
First trip 40 miles offshore Deployed unit, hit spot lock, and prop would barely spin 6 revolutions a minute at any speed. Came back home. 

Next day took time away from work and took it to AFA Marine. Once there they referenced me to Rhodan in Sarasota for service. After much complaining they decided to call Rhodan and see if they could figure it out for me. Turns out the Rhino paint was applied to thick and was causing friction on the prop.
Next attempt was 30 miles offshore the following week. Get to my spot and FOB will not communicate with trolling motor. 

Call Rhodan this time and they give me a long list of stow deploy commands to erase FOB and a long list of stow deploy commands to Learn new FOB. Then a series of calibrations that have to be done to recalibrate it again. Seem to have it working locally.

The next trip is 50 miles offshore. Flat calm night. Holds lock for 10 minutes then the multiple rapid beeps of death. Turn off back on, holds lock 15 minutes then rapid beep of death. This goes on all night until I called it quits at 4am.

Called Rhodan again. Rep tells me it is possible I was in a dead area for a gps signal. Told me to try again in a different area. Also to record what was happening if it did it again. That Didn’t sound right to me but ok I try again.
Head offshore Does the same thing. Loses lock after 10-20 minutes of running.
Call Rhodan again and they agreed to pick it up. Four days later they tell me they ran it on their trolling motor raft in a simulated environment and it never acted up. They updated software and it seems to be working.

Took it out again 20 miles offshore. Would not hold lock longer than 15 minutes, but I did notice it was flat calm again.

Called Rhodan again. Told them it seems to loose lock when it is flat calm. They agreed to pick it up again. This time they did duplicate the problem. They called to let me know they could not figure it out but decided to replace it with a “NEW” unit. Remember this phrase as it becomes important to the story.

Next four trips offshore finally I have a unit that is holding lock and working.

Next trip turn it on and it just spins in circles and wraps the cord around itself.

Called Rhodan again. Needed calibrated again despite being calibrated.

Next trip offshore back to no anchor “It is big and clumsy in the boat, and part of why I bought the trolling motor” 40 miles offshore deploy trolling motor and FOB does not work. 

Call Rhodan again. They tell me the battery is probably dead. New battery does nothing. They then tell me it must be the black control box in the head unit. They send on to me for free. When I take the first screw out of the head unit, salt water pours out of the head. I replace the black box and let Rhodan know that the head unit had water in it. They tell me that is normal not to worry.

The new black box now allows the fob to communicate with the trolling motor. It is working fine locally in my lake. I now spend the next 6 months diving without using the trolling motor. My next trip in the bay locally I deploy the trolling motor and the fob does not work.

I call Rhodan again. They agree to pick it up since all they suggested are things I tried. Two days later a tech tells me the circuit board went bad and they did get it fixed. The problem he tells me however is this unit is Over *FIVE YEARS OLD and is no longer under warranty!* I have my paperwork in front of me and know* it was purchased under 2 yrs ago* and it in fact is under warranty! He would have no part of it. Telling me they go by the serial number on the foot not the serial number on my paperwork. I then realize that the “NEW” unit they told me they replaced it with 6 month previous, was actually very old stock! Of course I have a conniption fit, and threatened to sue if they would not stand behind the warranty. They ended up sending it to me for free and it now sits in my garage with 2 months of warranty left. It is also for sale to anyone that can make a reasonable offer. 72” shaft 36 volt. Can come with mounting bracket, charger and three batteries.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

Sooooo, what you are saying is that you would buy another Rhodan.

Sounds like a nightmare!


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## BrandonFox (May 14, 2013)

Never had any issues running a 12v Rhodan... that being said, I prefer the MK remote.


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