Trolling Motors
Is the Minn Kota Ulterra worth the jump over a Terrova?
Quick answer
The Minn Kota Ulterra is the only bow motor in this lineup that deploys, stows and trims itself from the remote, a real advantage for anyone who cannot reach the bow or fishes alone, though that automation adds mechanical complexity and a meaningfully higher price than a comparable Terrova.
The Minn Kota Ulterra sells on one genuine feature: it deploys, stows and trims itself from a remote, a foot pedal, or a compatible Humminbird display, rather than requiring anyone to push a lever by hand. This review is built from Minn Kota's own published specifications and the recurring themes across verified owner reviews, not from a unit tested in person.
Everything else, the i-Pilot Link GPS system, the built in MEGA Down Imaging transducer, Spot-Lock and Jog, is shared with the Terrova line. The Ulterra's entire case rests on automation that a Terrova simply does not have, and that automation is exactly what should decide whether it is worth the extra cost.
On this page
- What makes the Ulterra different from every other Minn Kota bow motor?
- How does the Ulterra lineup break down by shaft and platform?
- Who actually benefits from power stow and deploy?
- What the Ulterra costs you compared to a Terrova
- Should you step up to the Ulterra Quest, or step back down to a Terrova instead?
What makes the Ulterra different from every other Minn Kota bow motor?
The Minn Kota Ulterra with MEGA Down Imaging and i-Pilot Link, 60 inch shaft automates the one physical task every other bow motor in this catalog still requires by hand: getting the motor in and out of the water. A button on the remote, the foot pedal, the One-Boat Network app, or a compatible Humminbird display stows or deploys the motor and trims it up or down, without anyone reaching over the bow rail. i-Pilot Link carries Spot-Lock, Jog, path recording and speed control over from the Terrova line, and the built in MEGA Down Imaging transducer publishes coverage down to 125 feet.
How does the Ulterra lineup break down by shaft and platform?
Minn Kota's Ulterra line runs from a 45 inch shaft up to the dual voltage Quest platform, which delivers up to 115 lb of thrust on 36 volts.
Published figure A published engineering, regulatory or manufacturer figure. It does not change because somebody disagrees with it.
| Model | Shaft | Thrust / voltage | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulterra 45 | 45 in | 80 lb / 24V | Power stow and deploy |
| Ulterra 60 | 60 in | 80 lb / 24V | Power stow and deploy, built-in MEGA DI |
| Ulterra Quest 90/115 | 72 in | 90 or 115 lb / 24V or 36V | Dual voltage platform |
Who actually benefits from power stow and deploy?
Anyone who fishes from a boat where the bow is hard to reach safely, anyone with a shoulder, back or mobility limitation that makes leaning over a bow rail unpleasant, and anyone who fishes alone and deploys and stows the motor dozens of times in a single outing. For a two person boat where deploying the motor once at the start of the day and stowing it once at the end is the whole routine, the manual lever on a Terrova does the exact same job for meaningfully less money.
What the Ulterra costs you compared to a Terrova
Price is the first cost: the Minn Kota Ulterra with MEGA Down Imaging and i-Pilot Link, 60 inch shaft carries a published price well above the equivalent Terrova 80, for a motor sharing the same thrust, voltage and imaging transducer. The second cost is mechanical: power stow and deploy adds a motor, gearing and control electronics that a manual lever simply does not have, which is more that can eventually need service. The Ulterra and Terrova also use different foot pedals, the Minn Kota foot pedal for Ulterra and Riptide Ulterra rather than the Minn Kota foot pedal for Terrova and Riptide Terrova, and the two are not interchangeable if a boat is ever switched from one motor to the other.
Should you step up to the Ulterra Quest, or step back down to a Terrova instead?
Step up to the Ulterra Quest when the boat genuinely needs more than 80 lb of thrust and the flexibility to run either 24 or 36 volts on the same platform. Step back down to a Terrova 80 instead when the built in imaging and thrust are the actual goal and the boat's owner is comfortable reaching the bow to deploy it by hand. The Ulterra earns its price on convenience, not on thrust or imaging quality, which are identical to the Terrova.
Sources
- Minn Kota published specifications for the Ulterra with MEGA Down Imaging and i-Pilot Link
- Minn Kota published specifications for the Ulterra Quest 90/115 dual voltage platform
- Recurring themes in verified owner reviews of the Ulterra
Frequently asked questions
What does power stow and deploy mean on the Ulterra?
It means the motor lifts out of the water and drops back in by itself, driven by its own small motor rather than a hand operated lever. The same button also trims the shaft up or down while fishing to adjust depth for changing conditions. It is controlled from the wireless i-Pilot Link remote, the foot pedal, the One-Boat Network mobile app, or a compatible Humminbird fish finder, giving several ways to trigger the same automated motion.
Can the Ulterra be run from a foot pedal instead of the remote?
Yes. The Ulterra ships with a multi function foot pedal that controls steering, speed, Spot-Lock and the power stow and deploy function, in addition to the wireless remote. Dual mode operation means a angler can choose heel and toe pedal steering or left and right buttons depending on preference, and the pedal cable runs 18 feet, which is enough to reach most bow to console layouts on a bass boat.
How much more does the Ulterra cost than a comparable Terrova?
Check $3,299.99 against $2,299.99 for the current gap between a similarly equipped Ulterra and Terrova, since both prices move with the market. The difference has consistently run into four figures across recent listings, which is the price of automating deploy, stow and trim rather than any difference in thrust, voltage or the imaging transducer, which are shared between the two motors.
What is the shaft length difference between the Ulterra 45 and Ulterra 60?
Forty five inches against sixty inches, and the choice comes down to how high the bow sits above the waterline. A low bow deck stows a 60 inch shaft badly, catching on gunwales or fouling the deck when it comes up, so Minn Kota publishes the shorter 45 inch version specifically for that boat style rather than expecting every buyer to trim a shaft that was built for a taller bow.
Does the Ulterra connect to a Humminbird fish finder?
Yes, through Minn Kota's One-Boat Network, which links compatible Ulterra motors to select Humminbird displays and to the One-Boat Network mobile app on iOS or Android. That connection lets a driver control stow, deploy, trim and Spot-Lock directly from the fish finder screen at the console, in addition to the wireless remote and the foot pedal that ship with the motor.
Is the Ulterra worth buying if a fishing partner can deploy the motor by hand?
Usually not. If someone aboard can comfortably reach the bow and operate a lever, a Terrova with the same thrust, voltage and imaging transducer covers the same fishing at a lower price. The Ulterra earns its premium specifically for anglers who fish alone, cannot reach the bow safely, or deploy and retrieve the motor often enough in a day that the automation saves real time and effort.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published engineering and regulatory figures, manufacturer specifications and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are boating convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Marine electrical work is not house wiring. Use tinned, finely stranded marine cable, size it for voltage drop and for the ABYC E-11 ampacity table rather than one or the other, and put overcurrent protection within seven inches of the battery positive terminal, because everything between the post and the fuse is unprotected. A lithium battery needs a charger with a lithium profile. Never load a boat past its capacity plate, and remember that canoes and kayaks carry no federal capacity plate at all, so their stated capacity is the manufacturer own figure. Wear the life jacket, and treat early season water as the hazard it is: cold water immersion takes your breath and then your hands long before it takes your core.