ThrustMe…Seriously!

[chipko]

Well, before you all stop rolling around the floor in hysterics, picked up one these the other week.
Not expecting much but couldn’t resist giving one a try. Bleedin expensive trip to Boatworld methinks!

Ridiculously light at 4.5 kilos all in, smallest prop in the world (submarine tech allegedly) and designed by some trendy young Norse Men. What could possibly go wrong!!

Went for a river run the other day in our 3.4m Ocean Runner mini rib so time to try the tiny ‘Kicker’ and fairness did exactly what it said on the tin. Boat, motor, kit, fuel and helm etc. about 260kg running weight.

Six available power levels in both forward and reverse. Found running on level 3 pushed us along at just over 3mph upstream with the main still down, and battery lasted a good hour…battery life all as stated in the manual. So the claimed 2.5hrs on level one and 30mins at level six seams achievable.

Hopefully will try out on the sib sometime soon.

[Fenlander]

Do you know I'd had a mad thought about an egg whisk such as this for our river outings, no more than two hours out in total and a 4kt limit. Very little flow and we always return with the flow.

Mind you I looked at the Ryobi cordless strimmer and a spare old prop I have.

[Mattster]

Interesting, if a bit pricey. I could imagine using this as a trolling motor on the back of my Elling just for the last 100m approach to shallow bass reefs etc. Then again maybe better off with an actual transom mount trolling motor at half the cost.

[TmMorris]

I do find electric motors appealing for freshwater use. The speeds are fine and the quietness is just such a big benefit. I certainly feel I'm being a little anti social on smaller rivers full of paddle boarders and kayaks when using my 4hp 2s.

The problem for me is the pricing. They contain too much premium for what they are. At the end of the day they're just a cheap, mass produced electric motor, in a cheap to produce case, with cheap to produce electronics. Barely any moving parts and assembly takes a fraction of the time that a complex petrol engine takes with its hundreds of intricate parts.

Even Li battery packs have slumped in value while increasing enormously in quality.

I'd move to an electric outboard for rivers in a shot if I wasn't of the view that they were simply far too expensive which boils down to a combination of low volumes and general p taking by all the entities in the chain wanting to take their slice of the action.