MotorGuide is a trademark of its owner. Amp Hour Supply isn’t affiliated with MotorGuide.
The short answer. The X3 comes as a cable-steer bow mount, a hand tiller and a Digital Pontoon model, in 45 and 55 lb (12 V) and 70 lb (24 V). MotorGuide’s rule for all of them: a manual-reset breaker within 6 ft, “50-amp (good) or 60-amp (best)”. Don’t extend the 10 AWG cables more than 6 ft. On a 12 V X3, MotorGuide wants a ground bond to the engine’s starting battery. Lithium isn’t mentioned.
Eight versions, three voltages
| X3 version | Volts | Max draw (2023 catalog) |
|---|---|---|
| X3-45 cable steer | 12 | 38 A |
| X3-55 cable steer | 12 | 52 A |
| X3-70 cable steer | 24 | 42 A |
| X3-45 hand tiller | 12 | 44 A |
| X3-55 hand tiller (FW / SW) | 12 | 49 A |
| X3-70 hand tiller | 24 | 42 A |
| X3-55 Digital Pontoon | 12 | 42 A |
| X3-70 Digital Pontoon | 24 | 42 A |
The manual’s own voltage tables are scrambled in the PDF; the catalog and the head decal are where you confirm 12 V or 24 V. Note the hand-tiller 45 pulls more than the cable-steer 45 (44 A against 38) and the 55s differ too. Same motor name, different amps. Breaker for all: 60 A, since the cable-steer 55 sits above 50.
The 12 V ground bond
Unusual for a trolling motor, and in the X3 manual’s 12 V hookup steps: “Connect a common ground bond from the trolling motor battery negative (-) terminal to the engine starting battery negative (-) terminal.” The battery page also says “All batteries should have a common ground”, with no voltage named. The 24 V steps give no bond instruction either way. So: the bond is shown for 12 V; for 24 V the manual leaves it to you and your installer.
Cables
Included cables are 10 gauge. Extend them by 6 ft at most, 10 ft total; beyond that MotorGuide sells 8 mm2 (8-gauge) accessory cable. When power is weak, the troubleshooting page says “Six-gauge wire is recommended.” Jumpers between series batteries match the power cables. For your own run, the Wire gauge calculator.
Reset a tripped breaker only after you’ve found the cause. The manual says so, and so would anyone who’s melted a lug.
Batteries that fit
MotorGuide: “12-volt, deep cycle marine batteries”. More amp hours, more run time. No chemistry list, no size, no lithium line. Our fit is voltage plus a continuous rating above the catalog draw.
- 12 V versions: Pro-Guide 24M100 12V 100Ah Group 24 lithium, 100 A continuous. Charge with Victron Blue Smart IP22 12/30, lithium profile, 14.6 V.
- X3-70 (24 V): Pro-Guide 24VM90 24V 90Ah lithium (90 A) or Pro-Guide 24VM115 24V 115Ah lithium (100 A), or two 24M100s in series. No 24 V charger in the store yet (Pro-Guide 24 V packs want 28.8 V).
Run time (example)
Run time calculator math, trolling mode: 80% of the amp hours divided by amps, warm day.
| Version | Pack | At catalog max | At half |
|---|---|---|---|
| X3-45 cable (38 A) | 24M100 | 2 h 06 min | 4 h 13 min |
| X3-45 hand (44 A) | 24M100 | 1 h 49 min | 3 h 38 min |
| X3-55 hand (49 A) | 24M100 | 1 h 38 min | 3 h 16 min |
| X3-55 cable (52 A) | 24M100 | 1 h 32 min | 3 h 05 min |
| X3-55 Digital Pontoon (42 A) | 24M100 | 1 h 54 min | 3 h 49 min |
| X3-70, any (42 A) | 24VM90 | 1 h 43 min | 3 h 26 min |
| X3-70, any (42 A) | 24VM115 | 2 h 11 min | 4 h 23 min |
A cable-steer motor has five speeds, not a throttle; the lower steps pull a fraction of the max.
Quick answers
What breaker for a MotorGuide X3-55? MotorGuide says 50 A good or 60 A best, manual reset, within 6 ft of the batteries. The cable-steer 55 draws 52 A in the catalog, so 60.
Does the X3 need a ground bond? The X3 manual’s 12 V steps say to bond the trolling battery’s negative to the engine starting battery’s negative, and its battery page says all batteries should share a common ground. The 24 V steps give no bond instruction.
Will a lithium battery work on an X3? The X3 manual doesn’t mention lithium. A 12 V or 24 V lithium pack runs it; the approval is the pack maker’s.
How far can I extend the X3 cables? 6 ft, for 10 ft total, per MotorGuide.
Sources
- MotorGuide X3 manual 8M0121080 (2017), pages 7-8, 12-19, 38
- MotorGuide 2023 Product Catalog, spec tables and sizing rule: https://www.motorguide.com/content/dam/motorguide/owners-resources/product-catalog/MotorGuide_Catalog_3-1-23_WEB.pdf
- Pro-Guide brochures and product pages; Victron Blue Smart IP22 manual (our product page)
- Trolling motor battery: 12V, 24V or 36V, wired right, Run time calculator, Wire gauge calculator
