Talons vs. Power Poles

[RichmondVa]

Hey there I'm in the market to buy one or the other but have a few questions and would like some info please. 

1. What are some pros/cons to each that you have experienced?

2. The Talon 6' and the 10' have the same closed dimension whereas the 8' and the 12' are a foot taller closed.  Would you opt for the 10' over the 8' to gain not only the depth but also the less height for clearance?

3. I have fished on boats as a co-angler that had the Power Poles and found that as long as they were deployed, there weren't any casting issues.  But upright, they were in the way of any cast other than an overhand cast.  Will this always be an issue with the Talons as the housing never goes down?

Thanks in advance,  Tommy

[Lee Smith]

I have power poles and haven't had any problems.  My co's have fussed a little  and I understand.  Really like my poles, wouldn't be out there without them.

I do have a friend that is selling his Talon and replacing with a Powerpole.  He has had a couple of issues with the Talon, I don't know what they where honestly, so can't help in that department.  I'm sure there are some guys around that have dealt with the Talon that will Chime in.

[BigDBasser]

I have the 8' Talons and love them.  Best thing I've gotten for the boat.  They have never given me a problem, but mine are only a year old.  I got them over Power poles for two reasons.  Price and available space for the equipment.  For my boat, I would have had to give up storage space to find a place for the pumps. 

I bought 2 Talons with all the extra's for far less than the Power Poles only. 

The only thing I can say against the Talons are that they are pretty flexible.  Although they do a great job of holding the boat in a stiff wind, they do flex a lot.  I think in the 10 - 12 ft models, that may be a problem unless they addressed that issue. 

I've heard people say things like they make a lot of noise, they fall off the boat, they are too tall to get under low bridges.  But I can say that I think Minn Kota addressed all the early problems and are putting out an excellent product.  I have two Talon's, one is so quiet that I have to look to see that it raised or lowered.  The other unit is louder but not bothersome.  With the new quick release bolts and tilt brackets (sold separately) the units can be lowered or removed quickly and without any problem. 

Hope this has helped. 

[RichmondVa]

Thanks for the info guys.  I appreciate it

[Mike Bush]

I have the 8' Talons and love them.  Best thing I've gotten for the boat.  They have never given me a problem, but mine are only a year old.  I got them over Power poles for two reasons.  Price and available space for the equipment.  For my boat, I would have had to give up storage space to find a place for the pumps. 

I bought 2 Talons with all the extra's for far less than the Power Poles only. 

The only thing I can say against the Talons are that they are pretty flexible.  Although they do a great job of holding the boat in a stiff wind, they do flex a lot.  I think in the 10 - 12 ft models, that may be a problem unless they addressed that issue. 

I've heard people say things like they make a lot of noise, they fall off the boat, they are too tall to get under low bridges.  But I can say that I think Minn Kota addressed all the early problems and are putting out an excellent product.  I have two Talon's, one is so quiet that I have to look to see that it raised or lowered.  The other unit is louder but not bothersome.  With the new quick release bolts and tilt brackets (sold separately) the units can be lowered or removed quickly and without any problem. 

Hope this has helped.

Price for comparable size models (8') are almost identical. If you weren't paying retail....then you can't compare prices...not a fair comparison.

I could care less about the backseat guy complaining about Poles in the back. They sure do love them when we get to anchor and he can go to work being in perfect position and not get blown off the spot.

Poles can be deployed to get them out of the way of needed, Talons cannot. Unit is fixed.

Power Poles has some of the best CS is the industry as well. Hard to beat that.