Garmin Force Trolling Motor Review

The best trolling motor for a lot of fishing excursions is a must-have for you. Maybe you’ve had enough of a mediocre trolling engine and want something better.

For anglers and fishers, efficient trolling motor is essential, and we’re here today to look at a new model from Garmin in that market.

Who is Garmin Force Trolling Motor For?

Garmin’s Force Trolling Motor is intended for fishers who want to catch more bass. There is no doubt that the Garmin Force is a top-notch trolling motor with impressive power, quietness, and efficiency.

This is a good choice if you’re going to be fishing for days or weeks at a time in waters with strong currents and winds.

Don’t forget to factor in the fact that this motor is both large and expensive. For the serious and devoted fisherman, this is the trolling motor to have.

Garmin Force Trolling Motor Unboxing

The following items are included:

  • Garmin Force trolling motor
  • Wireless foot pedal
  • Wireless remote
  • High-Efficiency propeller
  • Installation and mounting hardware
  • Documentation
  • Stabilizer

You can manage your trolling motor from anywhere on your boat with the supplied portable remote, which has a sunlight-readable, transflective display. Remote control buttons may also be programmed to operate your Chartplotter. As long as the remote doesn’t fall into the water, you don’t have to worry.

The Force Trolling Motor from Garmin is made to last. This Trolling Motor is simple to deploy and stow thanks to two gas springs, and it’s also rugged and sturdy. A limited lifetime guarantee covers the shaft.

What Can I Expect When Buying Garmin Force Trolling Motor?

There’s a lot of value in the Force Trolling Motor, and we’re certain you’ll enjoy it. Everything you need to operate the motor, including the remote control and propeller, is included, including all necessary mounting hardware. However, it is just the beginning of the story.

For example, it has two gas springs for simple deployment and stowing and a wireless foot pedal for convenient operation.

You may use a wireless foot pedal to make your life easier. The Trolling Motor is strong and fast, yet it steers and feels just like a pedal with a cable management attached to it. It can be used wirelessly using AA batteries or hardwired if that’s what you desire.

Using a built-in autopilot on Garmin Chartplotter is simple, thanks to a wireless connection. Build routes to your favorite fishing spot and use the tracks to get you there. These functions are provided via the built-in autopilot, which includes a GPS and a direction sensor.

Check your steering on your wireless chartplotter connectivity. It’s as simple as deciding where you want to go and letting GPS take you there.

A Garmin NMEA 2000-compliant multi-tier sonar system and the display may also be purchased as part of a bundle package. These machines will include GPS, autopilot, chart plotting, cruise control, anchor lock feature, and other functions.

Garmin Force Features

If you want to use this Trolling Motor on the water, it comes with a user manual. These are the features worth mentioning:

#1 Strong, Silent, and Effective Tool

A quiet trolling motor like this one is a great choice for navigating difficult currents and battling high gusts. When it comes to specs, this trolling motor is far more powerful than most others on the market right now.

Think about the fact that this trolling motor is huge, making it suitable for even larger fishing boats that need a longer motor shaft, particularly when there are heavy gusts or waves to contend with.

It can function at either 24 or 36 volts, which is outstanding. Incredibly, this motor can generate equivalent thrust at 24 V compared to other 24 V motors. This unique characteristic allows the trust to match other 36 V motors without sacrificing thrust. For those who don’t want to rewire their whole boat, this motor is a wonderful option.

You can reach where you need to go fast and effectively with minimum motor noise. It is powerful enough to cope with strong currents and hard winds. On a related point, this trolling motor is very efficient in both speed and fuel consumption.

The fact that Force Trolling Motor is so whisper-quiet is another major benefit. Despite what many people believe, a trolling motor that powerful is better quiet—something that fisherman of any skill level will be grateful for.

Although this Trolling Motor is very strong, efficient, and quiet, it also has many other notable qualities. We have a more in-depth look at our review below!

#2 Durability

It is one of the harder alternatives available today in terms of durability. Designed with durable components, it should last for at least a decade with no major issues. It’s also a smart choice since it has two gas springs, making it simple to deploy and store.

#3 A Foot Pedal

In addition to a portable remote control, the device has a foot control for steering. When using this cable-steered pedal on a boat, you don’t have to worry about long wires getting in the way and perhaps creating an accident. You can maintain the foot pedal in whatever position you choose.

AA batteries must be used wirelessly, but it also has a hardwired alternative that eliminates the need for batteries. If you choose the battery-powered model, you’ll get around one full fishing season’s worth of use out of the device. You may also alter the pedal resistance to suit your preferences.

Furthermore, the pedal is waterproof, so it won’t break if it gets wet.

#4 Sonar, GPS, and Autopilot

One of the best things about this Trolling Motor is how highly sophisticated it is. To ensure that you can see everything clearly and in great detail even when the sun shines directly on display, the Garmin remote includes a high-quality display that has a high resolution and is glare-resistant.

Garmin Force Trolling Motor includes a sophisticated and multi-functional GPS when used with a suitable chart plotter. The mapping, spot lock feature, and charting functions on this GPS are very accurate.

Autopilot mode is one of the coolest features of the Trolling Motor’s GPS. You can calculate a path, plug it into your computer, and automatically drive you there. You may fish to your heart’s content as this vehicle travels.

#5 Built-in anchor lock

Another perk of this Trolling Motor is its built-in spot lock feature. In addition to cruise instant control, this engine also offers a heading anchor lock mode, so you may keep a certain speed without really using the gas.

On the other hand, Garmin Force Trolling Motor may also be used with a high-wide CHIRP traditional sonar and built-in Ultra High-Definition sonar such as ClearVü, SideVü, and Panoptix with unnoticeable sonar noise interference.

Still, there is a lot of sonar and fish finder equipment available. To put it simply, the Garmin trolling motor was intended to work flawlessly with a wide range of sonar devices that may help you find fish more quickly and easily.

#6 The Garmin remote

It also comes with a remote control so that you can operate the GPS, chart plotter, autopilot, and anything in between from afar.

Point-and-go gesture steering is a new feature on Garmin remotes that we haven’t seen previously. You may turn the boat in any direction with point-and-go steering by pointing your remote and pressing the direction key.

When submerged, the remote control will still float to the surface, allowing you to fish it out without fear of losing complete control.

#7 Ease of Use

Although this high efficiency brushless motor has many useful capabilities, it’s simple to operate. Only a few steps are required before you can start using the foot pedal to regulate the engine on your boat.

While it may take some time to get acclimated to the complex GPS and sonar functions, they aren’t much more difficult to operate than any other fishfinder or GPS device on the market.

On the other hand, the owner’s handbook provides a wealth of information on more complex capabilities.

My Experience with Garmin

Garmin Force is fast, according to my experience with it. Our 21-foot Nitro test boat could get close enough to the pad because of the engine’s power. At 30 percent greater thrust than their main competitor’s 36V trolling power arrangement, Garmin claims Force is the most powerful trolling motor on the market today. This assertion passes all three tests: visual, olfactory, and tactile.

Great Balance of Speed and Auto Power

The balance is perfect. Everything comes at you naturally.

There is a gradual increase in force as soon as you press your wireless foot pedal’s throttle. As a result, the machine is significantly less jerky than a really strong trolling motor would be.

According to Garmin Lead Product Manager, Greg Groener, thrust rating isn’t a measure of how powerful a force is. That’s because trolling motor manufactures don’t utilize a single thrust rating criterion. It’s like light bulbs, he added. “It’s the same thing,” he said. “Based on their own tests, companies may practically set any lumen figure they want.” The slogan “30 percent more powerful” is based on Garmin’s own firsthand comparisons with other GPS devices.

I like its Remote Control

At first glance, customers may overlook a key element of the Force—the remote. How dependable can remote controls be?

Well, very much!

One of the Force’s most unusual features is a motion control, which you may be acquainted with if you’ve ever used a Nintendo Wii.

When a unique button on the remote is depressed, the Force trolling motor will follow the controller’s hand motions.

It’s a cool approach that allows fishers to use Panoptix to scan the area around them while still sitting at the wheel. Additionally, saltwater guides on flybridges may find this capability very beneficial if the product ever finds its way to blue water.

It is a sexy tool

The Force is indeed a robust tool with anchor lock capabilities. A familiar buzz can be heard from the head unit while steering, but it’s practically hard to tell what’s going on in the engine since it is quieter steering.

Force is a standout among the competition, including the newest Lowrance and Motorguide options. The Force’s clean lines are undeniable. When compared to an Abrams tank, this trolling motor looks more like an F117 stealth aircraft.

Accurate GPS directions

Anglers and fishers will appreciate the trolling motor’s automated route-following accuracy. The Garmin Force’s GPS location is as precise as you’d expect from a firm with more expertise in GPS than probably any other business on the globe. It employs a GPS signal that Groener claims “wraps a line around the Earth” to ensure that you get to your destination, no matter what the weather is like outside.

Pros

  • Powerful and efficient.
  • Quiet.
  • Exceptional durability.
  • Advanced sonar features.
  • GPS with auto-pilot, chart plotting, and precise anchor lock

Cons

  • Due to an upgrade on 2/9/2020, this product is no longer compatible with saltwater.
  • Not very cost-effective.
  • Transducers built-in can only be used with Garmin equipment.

Garmin Force Trolling Motor Alternatives

You can’t use the Garmin Force Trolling Motor when fishing in saltwater since it doesn’t have a saltwater model. But there are other choices to consider as well.

The Motorguide xi5 Trolling Motor is one of these solutions. This option is available in a variety of power and size choices, as well as with sonar. Whether you’re not sure if your device is compatible with an adapter cable or NEMMA 2000 converter, refer to the user’s handbook. The Motorguide choice has a lesser price, but you’ll have to give up some of your other options.

Final Thoughts

Garmin Force Trolling Motor is one of the top heavy-duty trolling motors with a lot of technology to support its power. For serious fishers, this should be your first choice for a reel.

It is also possible that this engine will become a popular choice for bass fishing since it is only usable in freshwater.