Thread: 24 volt Trolling motor - 10 ga. stranded wire?

If you know the maximum amperage of the motor (probably around 40 or a little more), use the chart below. According to that, #6 (as others mentioned) would put you right on the money. I don't know I wouldn't step-up another size. I bought some #2 a couple years ago (for drop from solar panels) and Amazon had the best price (stranded welder wire). 50' (to cut in half) might run you around $100. I would have someone with a hydraulic crimper install the lugs, or buy the tool to crimp them in a bench vice.

Klein tools makes a hand crimper that will do from #1 to #8... I have one.

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D using Tapatalk 2

Originally Posted by storminyoung

I appreciate all the replies guys, looks like I'll be takin the 8 ga. back anyways, 6 ga. it is!

6 gauge is what MK recommends.

Picked up 40' #4 welding wire from the guy I get my oxy tanks filled at for $65. The number 4 looks a little bigger than 6ga. so it should be good to go. Thanks for all the help guys.

Good choice on the #6 wire. Wire is like a motor on a boat, bigger is better. You will be happy that you made the right choice because it's better to do it right the first time instead of doing it twice at double the cost! Happy days ahead.

Very good decisions to move up to #4 and to welding cable.

All voltage drop is bad. Some you can tolerate, but too much may cause your devices to shut down or behave strangely. (My HB-1197, for example, shuts down when the voltage drops below 10v DC. Using wire that was too small, this was happening--even though a voltage meter showed 12v+ at the battery end of the 16' connection.) This is one of those times when it's really important to shell out whatever it costs to get the "good stuff."

HOLY COW! Just wanted to throw this update out there, I moved up to a 70lb. thrust 24 volt. MK from a 55lb. thrust 12 volt MK. This motor FLIES! I didnt really think there was going to be much of a difference in the speed, I was looking more for the longer run time going to 24V, but a pleasant surprise was to be found when I launched the boat for the first time Sat. after getting everything buttoned up. I'll have to bring my GPS along next time to see if I can get a m.p.h. The lake I fish the most is trolling motor only, and it takes me @30min. to get from the launch to the back spot I start out at. I got there in 18min. Sat.! My dad and son came with me, and Dad was complaining about not being able to troll on the way back, his worm wouldnt drop. I really wanted to push it, just to see if it would blow a breaker or get the wires hot, so I left the TM on 5 (highest speed) the whole way back there. I checked my cables, front and back, to see if they were getting hot: they barely got warmer than the air temp. We fished for 5 hours, hitting several spots, all on 5, then ran headlong into the wind coming into the launch on 5. When I got home and hooked up the batteries to my charger, a digital Schumacher, it showed both batteries still at 75%. Overall, EXTREMELY pleased with new set-up and cant thank you guys enough for the suggestions and insight.