Power Pole versys MinnKota Talon

[Alby]

Hey guys,

Thinkin' of adding a shallow water anchor (or 2) to my boat next summer. Lookin' for your opinions, experiences on these 2 brand names.

I own a Stratos 285 ProXL with an Evinrude 150hp motor.

Thanks for your time and opinions!

Bryan

[Paul Shibata]

There is no comparison. I have been running Talons for the past 3 years and I will be making the switch to Power Poles. The number of times they have failed in the down position has gotten ridiculous. How much fun is it to have to unbolt a heavy 8' aluminium mess and have your partner hold it as you try to get back across Lake Ontario!! I know so many guys that have the same issues. They hydraulic mechanism of the Power Poles is far superior both in design and in execution. Power Poles are reliable, quiet and much more powerful. There really is no question for anyone who's actually used both. I have a pair of 8' Talons that you can have for real cheap!!

[StarTzar]

There is no comparison. I have been running Talons for the past 3 years and I will be making the switch to Power Poles. The number of times they have failed in the down position has gotten ridiculous. How much fun is it to have to unbolt a heavy 8' aluminium mess and have your partner hold it as you try to get back across Lake Ontario!! I know so many guys that have the same issues. They hydraulic mechanism of the Power Poles is far superior both in design and in execution. Power Poles are reliable, quiet and much more powerful. There really is no question for anyone who's actually used both. I have a pair of 8' Talons that you can have for real cheap!!

I had a Power Pole on my Stratos 275XL
Purchased a Z118 Ranger this season and opted for the Talon.
We did not have any issues with the Talon getting stuck in the down position but we do carry some tools just in case.

If I had to do it all over again, I would get the Power Pole. (For the exact same reasons that Paul gave)
Better design (much better design), stronger, quiet.

[lape0019]

[quote="StarTzar
I had a Power Pole on my Stratos 275XL
Purchased a Z118 Ranger this season and opted for the Talon.
We did not have any issues with the Talon getting stuck in the down position but we do carry some tools just in case.

If I had to do it all over again, I would get the Power Pole. (For the exact same reasons that Paul gave)
Better design (much better design), stronger, quiet.[/quote]

I was leaning towards going with a Talon on my next boat because of the pre conceived notion that it weighs less. Frank, Why would you go back to the Powerpole over the Talon? Does it hold better? or is strictly because of reliability?

Adam

[Lonnie]

I have a Talon on my Lund Explorer and I love it..In fact I use it extensively. I installed it myself... I don't know if you could install a Powerpole yourself, given that it is powered by Hydraulics. Knock on wood, I have never had it stick! The good thing about a Minn Kota product is that the company offers great customer support as well.

Cheers,
LK

[TheMaverick]

I was leaning towards going with a Talon on my next boat because of the pre conceived notion that it weighs less. Frank, Why would you go back to the Powerpole over the Talon? Does it hold better? or is strictly because of reliability?

The preconceived notion of the Talon being superior was my doings.
As of now, we haven’t run into any problems with the Talon.

Depending on how your team utilizes the boat space, I much prefer the Talon.
Example, Frank (co-angler) lol0ol usually stays on the back deck, to me 2x PP’s arched and sticking out in 2-3 feet of water minimizes your casting area. Probably a different scenario if both anglers fish on the front deck.

The Power Poles are quieter, but I don’t necessarily see that as an advantage.

I've noticed that the Talon anchers much better when using only one. The PP used to bend and we would drift. Again, probably a different scenario when using two PP's at the back of the boat.

Obviously, when you do experience failures with one brand, you’ll definitely be switching to one’s competitor as they’re the only two companies offering this type of anchor system.

But then again, I've heard of very little problems related to the Power Poles as opposed to the Talons.

[StarTzar]

I have a Talon on my Lund Explorer and I love it..In fact I use it extensively. I installed it myself... I don't know if you could install a Powerpole yourself, given that it is powered by Hydraulics. Knock on wood, I have never had it stick! The good thing about a Minn Kota product is that the company offers great customer support as well.

Cheers,
LK

Don't let the hydraulics scare you away. A power pole is fairly easy to install.
It took me less than an hour to install the one I had in my stratos.
Th after sales service is also very good.
I've herd others say they had problems with a sticky Talon Pole.

[StarTzar]

I was leaning towards going with a Talon on my next boat because of the pre conceived notion that it weighs less. Frank, Why would you go back to the Powerpole over the Talon? Does it hold better? or is strictly because of reliability?

The preconceived notion of the Talon being superior was my doings.
As of now, we haven’t run into any problems with the Talon.

Depending on how your team utilizes the boat space, I much prefer the Talon.
Example, Frank (co-angler) lol0ol usually stays on the back deck, to me 2x PP’s arched and sticking out in 2-3 feet of water minimizes your casting area. Probably a different scenario if both anglers fish on the front deck.

The Talon sticking out 4' is in fact a pain in the butt for the angler on the back deck.
You need to be aware when doing a sweeping hook-set.
When the Power pole is lowered, there is nothing in the way.
It can also be lowered out of the way when drifting along a shoreline whereas the Talon is always there.
If I had dual Talons, I would be fishing up on the front deck.

[StarTzar]

I was leaning towards going with a Talon on my next boat because of the pre conceived notion that it weighs less. Frank, Why would you go back to the Powerpole over the Talon? Does it hold better? or is strictly because of reliability?

Adam

The Power Pole 8' Pro model weights 30.3 #'s and it has a 5 year warranty.
The Talon weights 33 #'s and has a two year warranty.

[Pepe]

I think this is like the never ending Ford vs Chev vs Dodge debates - both models certainly have their benefits.

Myself, I have the 8 foot Talon and I am more than pleased with it's performance - I have yet to experience any issues with it.

I prefer the vertical deployment of the Talon rather than the scissor style deployment of the Power Pole.

As was mentioned by others, I also installed mine - it was a relatively easy process.

Either way, I'm sure you'll be pleased with what ever model you choose.

[toobinator]

You're right Pepe. I've never had a problem with my Talon, other than trying to use it in 8.5" of water, which is why the 12' model is going on this spring. Personally, I have never had an issue with my Talon although I have talked to people that have. Along the same line, I have talked to people that are perfectly satisfied with their Power Pole and others that have had more than their share of problems.

Ed

[Alby]

Thanks alot for your replies gentlemen. Some very knowledgeable people on this forum, with sound advice.

After reading your posts, I think I'll be leaning toward the Power Pole anchors. After reading Paul Shibata's post, I know it would boil my blood if my gear had failed me time and time again.

Sounds like the hydraulic system is definitely more sophisticated and well engineered, over the simple electric system MinnKota uses...

And I like that the Power Pole system lays horizontal with the water, nothing sticking up when fully deployed.

Thanks again guys. Gonna start shopping for a set of Power Poles. Merry Christmas to me !!!

Appreciate it,

Bryan