I ordered the model 812 with autopilot. When It arrived I anxiously installed it and set out to test it. It worked like a dream. The only thing wrong at first was the fact that the head stuck up about 18-20 inches on the bow of my boat. I soon learned not to let that bother me as I cast and even found the coils of cable were handy for laying a rod while changing lures. I could set the speed to just creep along a channel edge with the autopilot keeping me on course even when there was a wind or current to contend with.
After a few days of use I found that I had some difficulty steering manually with the power steering controls. The control tended to overshoot causing a zig-zag course. This was because the response time of the motor drive on the steering was much slower than my old foot control using the rack and pinion driven by the wire from the foot control. I got used to the slow response after a while and became pretty adept at getting through the stumps here on Seminole.
Another problem became apparent sometime thereafter. I found that when I hit the foot control steering to turn to the right the stop-go switch cuts off leaving me without power to maneuver. I then have to hit the go button again. One time this resulted in crashing headlong into sunken stump with motor. I heard a sharp crack and found that the composite shaft had cracked at the top. Fortunately it was above the water line and no water got into the lower unit. The shaft itself, has a lifetime warranty but I will have to pay to have it taken out and a new one put in.
Finally the other evening suddenly my autopilot quit working. The unit is not a year old yet and seems to be falling apart. I am very disappointed in the quality. I had always found that Minn-Kota had been good quality but I later found that the company had been purchased by another company and apparently had not held as high standards as the old MinnKota company had held.
