Motorguide Xi5 Review – Trolling Motor Guide
Hello and welcome to another one of our articles. The A xi5 trolling motor from Motorguide has made a lot of our readers curious. And what makes you curious makes us just as curious too. Thus, today, we will do a Motorguide xi5 review for you guys.
The Motorguide 80FW Xi5 Trolling Motor Review is very overdue considering the countless requests we received for it. We will peel through every feature of this product layer by layer to see if it is any worthy of being your next purchase. Let not waste any more time and get right to it then! Keep reading.
Motorguide xi5 Review
The Motorguide xi5 at a glance
Let’s start with first impressions. First of all, right of the bat, just looking at it you just know.. .and almost feel that it is different from the rest in its class. It has a great touch-feel to it; robust, sturdy and all-in-all just feels reliable. Looks okay too, we guess. It comes in all black; nothing too special.
Having said that, the real appreciation comes when you realize that the Motorguide xi5 comes in 3 different heights. You get a 45-inch, 53-inch and 60-inch long shafts. In addition to this, you have options to choose from standard kinds, ones with foot pedal or ones with GPS, sonar, foot pedal, etc. In other words, you have complete control and freedom to choose the basic and simple Motorguide xi5, or go all out and choose the ones with the entire rings and bells.
Here’s what you get with the purchase:
- Foot pedal (or remote controller depending on the model)
- Power leads
- Mounting hardware
- Owner’s manual
Shafts
The 45-inch shaft is great for your boat if your bow to waterline is from 22 inches to 28 inches. Use the 54-inch shaft for 28 inches to 34 inches of bow to waterline distance, and the 60-ich shaft for distances over that.
Thrust
Thrust is super important if you want your boat to sail smooth and consistently. The lowest heigh shaft from the xi5 series produces thrust up to 55 pounds, which is good enough for boats that measure about 17 feet and weigh along the lines of 2500 pounds.
The 54-inch shaft generates 80 pounds of thrust. This level of thrust will do great on boats that are 20 feet long and weigh near around 4000 pounds.
Finally, the 60-inch shaft can easily pump out 105 pounds of thrust that will do some great work on larger boats. For example, the ideal boats for this trolling motor would be boats that are a little over 22 feet long and weigh over 5000 pounds.
Water type
One place where the base Motorguide xi5 models fall short is right at the water type. The basic models are made to be for saltwater use only. However, we wouldn’t get don’t get put off just yet if we were you since Motorguide has been kind enough to make specific xi5 models that can be used in saltwater as well!
Motor
The motor is the single most important part of any best trolling motor. This tiny part right here will decide how far and how well your boat will sail with the trolling motor on. And the Motorguide xi5 motor didn’t disappoint us so it will hopefully impress you too.
The motor include fully protected electronics and parts. You have settings with various speeds that give you complete control of how fast or slow you want your boat to tread through the water. Furthermore, you get an electric foot pedal, LED indicator lights (great for dark or nighttime sailing), and a very low profile and user-friendly mount.
The propeller in use is a 2-blade one that is usually larger in size and deemed more efficient so we are more than okay with that.
Upgrades
Here’s what is in store for you if you wish to upgrade from the Motorguide xi5 base models and move up a few notches.
First of all, you advanced and integrated GPS-powered boat control that lets take charge of your vessel’s control and position.
Second, you will also enjoy a US2 built-in transducer (also known as sonar) which will let you see everything that is going on under the water. This sonar uses dual-beam frequencies (83 and 200k Hz) which increases the accuracy of scanning the water by a whole new level.
Third, with all the freshwater models you will be getting a wireless foot pedals, a hand-held remote controller for all the saltwater models.
Durability
The Motorguide xi5 shafts are composite shafts that are very durable, and is actually stronger than steel! These shafts guarantees not to break, curve, corrode, kink and are probably one of the very few kinds that offer lifetimes guarantees on them.
Moreover, Motorguide treats their xi5 motors with premium grade alloys to prevent damages from corrosion and saltwater damages. The Motorguide xi5 looks very promising from our side, hhonestly.
You may also like to check out another article of ours, that we’ve already reviewed on Best Trolling Motor Battery & Minn Kota Terrova Review
A quick look back at the Motorguide xi5 trolling motor:
Pros:
- The Motorguide xi5 caters to most standard boats sizes; great choices
- Is very powerful and reliable, even with strong winds and current
- The shaft is very durable and comes with a lifetime guarantee
- Also come in saltwater models
- High-quality motor
Cons:
- Many customers didn’t feel comfortable using the foot pedal
- The remote does not have an indicator for the status of the motor
Also read article on marine stereo: https://www.fishingrex.com/best-marine-stereo/
Your FAQ on Motorguide xi5
1. What is the warranty scheme on this Motorguide xi5?
Answer: First, the composite shaft gives you lifetime guarantee. Other than this, you will also enjoy a 2-year warranty against any manufacturer’s defects.
2. What is the amperage draw?
Answer: 56 amps at max speed.
Conclusion
So far, we see only good in the Motorguide xi5 trolling motor. It is easy to install, adjustable, upgradable, durable and great for most boats. Yes, it a bit on the expensive side but all is justified when you consider its stance and Herculean performance. In conclusion, we see absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t go for it. Highly recommended!
We hope you enjoyed and found our Motorguide xi5 review useful. Click on the product link for any further information. Until then, have a good one!