Thrusterpedia

Which boat thruster, what it costs, how to get it installed

We may earn a referral commission from some links on this page. It doesn't change your price or our recommendations.

Drawing of a tunnel thruster: a tube through the bow below the waterline, the hull cut away to show the motor on top.
Our drawing of a tunnel thruster, the same for every maker. It is not Max Power’s own design.

Max Power · tunnel thruster · bow or stern

Max Power ECO 150: specs, price and the boats it fits

It gives 320 lb (145 kgf) of push. Max Power sells it for boats of 37 to 62 ft. It runs on 24 V.

  • Haul-out to install
  • DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
  • 3-year warranty

Quick stats

  • Thrust 320 lb 145 kgf, Max Power's rating
  • Boat length 37 to 62 ft Max Power's own range
  • Price per lb of thrust Not worked out It needs a price and a thrust figure
  • Voltage 24 V As sold
  • Battery at 24 V 950 CCA Two batteries, near the thruster
  • Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
  • To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
  • Mounts Tunnel Fixed mount, bow or stern

About the Max Power ECO 150

The ECO 150 is a larger proportional ECO unit: 320 lb of push from twin propellers in a 250 mm tube with a bronze leg, on 24 V. The joystick sets the push anywhere from a light touch to full power.

Max Power publishes no price, so it is a dealer quote. Its rating is a little below the 150 in its name, so compare the pounds, not the model numbers. The 24 V bank is two strong batteries, lead-acid or lithium. A joystick and a control cable come with it. See the parts.

Read more

Its brushless motor has no minute limit: it runs while the batteries hold up, with reduced thrust once hot. The mobile app (Android only) shows faults remotely. Warranty: two years, three if registered.

Installing it yourself? The installer section has every spec, and the Max Power thruster review sets this model against the rest of the Max Power range.

Where this summary comes from (4 sources, read 12 October 2026)

Will the Max Power ECO 150 steer your boat?

68 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND

Size forThis page always opens on Steering.

Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.

Steers her at 15 kt

On a 68 ft trawler the Max Power ECO 150 (320 lb) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 308 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze.

The finder lists it for her.

23.8 FT LEVER Max Power ECO 150 pivot

A tunnel at the bow of a 68 ft trawler 308 lb ★ this unit · 1 to 3: the three cheapest others that steer her at 13 kt or more, installed

  1. ★ Max Power ECO 150 this unit 320 lb · tunnel no US price Steers her at 15 kt
  2. 1 Max Power CT165 408 lb · tunnel from $12,418 Steers her at 17 kt
  3. 2 Lewmar 250TT GEN 2 Tunnel Thruster 308 lb · tunnel from $13,013 Steers her at 15 kt
  4. 3 Max Power CT225 (composite leg) 551 lb · tunnel from $13,057 Steers her at 20 kt

The Max Power ECO 150 on a trawler, by length

  1. 25 ft41 kt
  2. 30 ft35 kt
  3. 35 ft30 kt
  4. 40 ft26 kt
  5. 45 ft23 kt
  6. 50 ft21 kt
  7. 55 ft19 kt
  8. 60 ft17 kt
  9. 65 ft16 kt
  10. 70 ft15 kt
  11. 75 ft14 kt
  12. 80 ft13 kt

Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside Max Power’s own length range).

  • Under 10 kt
  • 10 to 15 kt
  • 15 to 20 kt: the sweet spot
  • Over 20 kt: more than she needs

Prices are the low end of the installed total, from our estimate. For your own boat, drive and installer, the finder prices each unit.

Is it right for your boat?

What Max Power says 37 to 62 ft The maker's own range, from its listing
What our sizing says 53 to 68 ft Full thrust in 15 knots, across the kinds of boat it fits
Every kind of boat it fits, by length ten boat types
Which boats it fits, by length
Boat Full thrust at 15 knotsStill a fit, in lighter wind
Pontoon & tritoon Not listed. A pontoon has no hull body between the logs to bore a tunnel through, and nobody sells one for these boats.
Sailboat 50 to 68 ft None
Houseboat 37 to 53 ft 54 to 61 ftfull thrust to about 13 knots at 61 ft
Catamaran 57 to 68 ft None
Trawler 49 to 68 ft None
Motor yacht 49 to 68 ft None
Bass & flats Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls, and a bass boat’s shallow planing bow has almost no depth to hold one.
Wake & ski boats Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls.
Express cruiser 63 to 65 ft None
Center console No length. More thrust than the boat needs.

The Max Power ECO 150 against each kind of boat, in a 15 knot wind. Our sizing, from the finder’s own rules.

The first column is where one unit gives all the thrust the boat needs in 15 knots. The second is where the finder still lists it: the unit steers her in a 13 or 14 knot wind, within 15 percent of the 15 knot breeze this site sizes for. On a boat shorter than the first column’s shortest length, the unit is more than the boat needs.

How we size it

Our figure is the longest boat one unit can steer in a 15 knot wind. It is a range because each kind of boat catches the wind differently. Here a houseboat gets full thrust to 53 ft, and a sailboat to 68 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.

The table tries the Max Power ECO 150 on each kind of boat, at every length that kind of boat is built in. The wind is 15 knots and the rules are the finder’s own. A length counts as a fit when the unit gives the thrust that boat needs at the bow and the maker lists it for that length.

A boat up to 10 percent past the maker’s range still counts here, as it does in the finder. So the table runs up to 68 ft, just past Max Power’s own range (37 to 62 ft).

It is sized for six kinds of boat here. For your own boat, the finder gives an answer that also counts your drive and who does the installing. The compare page sets this unit beside others.

What it costs installed

No US dollar price is published for the Max Power ECO 150, so we build no total for it. The yard’s share of the job is on the cost page.

The sizing and the costs on this page are estimates, for guidance only and without warranty. They are no quote, and nobody has inspected your boat. Check them against the maker’s manual and your yard before you rely on them. Terms of use.

DIY breakdown

DIY 2 of 5: Wiring prep only. The yard installs the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.

DIY levels

  • Level 5: Owner install. No yard, no electrician.
  • Level 4: You install it, electrician connects. You mount and wire it; a marine electrician makes the final connections.
  • Level 3: Split with the yard. The yard does the below-waterline part; you do the wiring.
  • Level 2: Wiring prep only. The yard installs the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.
  • Level 1: Yard job. A qualified professional does all of it.

You Yard Electrician. The bar is labor hours; a haul-out is a note.

How we rate DIY

You: 4 to 16 hours Yard: 32 to 70 hours Electrician: 2 to 4 hours Plus a haul-out.

Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs

Every step, and who does it three steps
  1. Cut, bond and fair the tunnel; fit the gear leg, motor and propeller Yard 32 to 70 hours The low end is two crew over two days, the job as owners describe it on the forums. The high end rises with boat length between two real billed figures: 32 hours at 35 ft, and the largest invoice we hold, 70 hours at 47 ft.
  2. Mount the battery box, switch and fuse holder; run and secure the cables You 4 to 16 hours Our estimate. No maker times this step, and a first-time owner is slower than a yard, so the range is wide.
  3. Final connections at the battery and the motor, load test Electrician 2 to 4 hours Our estimate. Nobody publishes a time for the final connections and test on their own.

A qualified marine electrician should make the final connections and test them before first use. Hours are labor only.

Related videos

Two of Max Power’s own videos, from its YouTube channel. They play only when you tap. A maker’s video is its pitch, so take any claim back to the figures on this page.

MAX POWER ECO Proportional ThrustersMaker Max Power’s own channel
Max Power Hero ProductsMaker Max Power’s own channel

Know before you buy

What sets this model apart, what it costs to keep, and what to weigh.

Price per pound of thrust

There is no US price to divide by its thrust.

Controls

Proportional. Delivered without accessories: the fuse, holder and panel are bought.

Service and warranty

Max Power's website gives 3 years. Its manual gives 2, and 1 more if the warranty is registered within 3 months of installation. Outside pleasure craft it is 6 months. It transfers to the next owner, and the first year covers up to 2 hours of labor in the field.

See Max Power’s warranty Max Power's warranty conditions.

Special mentions

Battery: at 24 V it wants two batteries of 950 CCA or more, Max Power's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Dyno Group 8D heavy duty marine starting (flooded), $443.02. A sealed one is the Lifeline GPL-3100HC Group 31 AGM starting, $551.95. Check your own bank.

Charger: a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger, $146.41. It is the one our estimate prices.

Max Power sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.

Dealer prices at Fisheries Supply, read 26 October 2026.

What to weigh

The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a tunnel bore below the waterline.

No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.

Parts for the Max Power ECO 150

See the Max Power ECO 150 manual

Search for the number as printed here, with no spaces. Prices are each dealer’s on the day shown, before shipping and tax. Check the plate on your motor before you order: some parts change with the tunnel size, the voltage or the year.

For the install what the box leaves you to buy

9 parts

The manual button above opens it on the maker's site. It has the hull, wiring and fuse figures for this model.

From Max Power’s ECO Proportional 150 installation manual, read 25 October 2026.

In the box
The manual: "The thruster is delivered with electric motor, controller with mega-fuse preinstalled, CAN panel, CAN cable (10 m)." The panel and its cable are in the box.
Bought separately
A fuse for the cables, because the built-in mega-fuse protects only the motor and controller. You also buy its holder, a manual battery isolator (Max Power advises one, beside the automatic isolator in the controller), the battery cable and the tunnel.
Charging
Max Power is the one maker that asks for both: the engine's alternator and a charger. A dedicated bank is optional and goes "as close as possible to the thruster". It wants starting-type batteries with high cold cranking amps.

In Max Power’s words, from its CT100 and CT125 installation manual, page 3: “The batteries used by the thruster must be charged by both the main engine's alternator and an appropriate battery charger.”

A yard job adds these parts on top of the unit: $643 to $1,646 for the priced ones, at Fisheries Supply’s prices on 30 September 2026 and 26 October 2026, plus the batteries, cable and charger. The cost page has what every maker says about each part.

Tunnel tube

Fisheries Supply lists it as “Sleipner fiberglass tunnel tube, 250 mm bore, 1000 mm”.

Sold in lengths from about 39 to 60 in. This is the shortest: the yard cuts the tube to the width of your hull at the thruster. No Max Power tube is listed at this bore. This one is another maker's.

Part number SM10010

Main fuse

Fisheries Supply lists it as “ANL fuse 175 A”.

The maker's figure: 200 A ceramic or 175 A ANL.

Part number 5128

Fuse holder

Fisheries Supply lists it as “ANL fuse block, 35 to 750 A, cable up to 4/0, with cover”.

Part number 3903

Battery switch

Fisheries Supply lists it as “m-Series 300 A battery switch, on/off”.

Rated at or above the 175 A main fuse. If your manual names its own switch, use that one.

Part number 2306

Control-circuit fuse holder

Fisheries Supply lists it as “Waterproof in-line ATO/ATC fuse holder”.

The maker asks for an 8 A fuse on the control supply.

Part number 5065

Batteries

Fisheries Supply lists it as “Dyno Group 8D heavy duty marine starting (flooded)”.

You need 2, each at 950 CCA or more, in series for 24 V. The cheapest listing that meets it.

Part number DNO 8DC

Battery cable, red and black

Defender lists it as “Ancor tinned battery cable 4/0 AWG, cut to length, red or black”.

You need 10 ft of each color. For about 20 ft of cable in all, out and back. Measure your run and check it against the cable table in the manual: never go smaller than it asks for.

Part number None on the listing. Order it by name.

Cable lugs

Fisheries Supply lists it as “Tin-plated starter lugs, 4/0 AWG, bag of 10”.

The listing runs $47.52 to $49.44 by stud size. Eight ends on one run, with two spare.

Part number 91066-P10

Charger

Fisheries Supply lists it as “GEN5X2 on-board charger, 10 A, 2 banks”.

Or a DC-to-DC charger from the house system: ask the electrician.

Part number GEN5X2

Outside the hull replacement parts in the water

4 parts

Propeller

The propeller on the drive. Max Power calls it “MAX POWER PROPELLER Ø250”.

Max Power's VIP250 manuals print 35032 for the propeller; its VIP250 product page lists 35042.

Part number 35042

Propeller pin (drives the propeller)

The pin that locks the propeller to its shaft. Max Power calls it “Propeller Pin”.

The ECO 150 manual prints this 5 mm pin for its bronze 250 mm leg, where the composite 250 mm leg takes 312059. Confirm with Max Power for the ECO 150.

Part number 312053

Drive leg (complete, bronze)

The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Bronze leg (includes n° 8, 9, 11, 12)”.

Part number 633674

Drive leg gasket (seals the leg to the tunnel)

The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Leg Gasket”.

The ECO 150 manual prints this gasket for its bronze 250 mm leg, where the composite 250 mm leg takes 310252.

Part number 310254

Inside the boat replacement parts on board

1 part

Rubber coupling (flexible link between motor and drive leg)

The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Max Power calls it “Rubber Coupling”.

Part number 633743

The install parts are matched to Max Power’s own figures and priced at Fisheries Supply, with the battery cable at Defender, cut to length.

Spare part numbers come from Max Power’s parts pages and manuals. A dealer may sell a part we have not priced. Search for the number.

Other sizes and close alternatives

Compare them side by side

The other makers listed are the nearest match each makes, of the same style and for the same end, within a quarter of its thrust. The compare page lists every model, and the thruster index lists every model with a page here.

For the yard and the installer

Every published figure, with its source.

Full spec sheet thrust, motor, mounting, price, part number, documents
Full spec sheet
Thrust and motor
Thrust 320 lb (145 kgf) As printed: 145Kg
Motor9.5 kW
Voltage24 V
Run limitNot published
Installation
TypeTunnel, fixed mount
End of the boatBow or stern
Tunnel diameter250 mm
What it does to the hullTunnel bore below the waterline
Haul-out to install itYes
Maker’s boat length37 to 62 ft
Price and ordering
Price No US price published
Part number 636763Duo propeller, bronze drive leg, proportional, 24 V
Documents
Manual Installation manual (PDF)on the maker's site
The site’s reviewMax Power thruster review

Every published figure the site holds for the Max Power ECO 150, with where each came from.

Draw, cable, fuse and battery at each voltage 24 V

These are the maker’s own figures, at each voltage it is sold at. The cable is the size for the shortest run in the maker’s table. A longer run may need heavier cable, and the wiring calculator works that out for your own boat.

Draw, cable, fuse and battery
Voltage Draw Maker’s cable Fuse Battery Run limit
24 V 290 Anominal draw 3/0 AWG for up to 22 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableECO-PRO 150 installation manual 200 A ceramic or 175 A ANLECO-PRO 150 manual 950 CCA minimum, as the manual recommends DIN 535, SAE 950Max Power installation manual ECO-PRO 150, Version 4 Not published

The Max Power ECO 150’s draw, cable, fuse, battery and run limit, as the maker publishes them.

The tunnel: length and depth rules

Depth below the waterline. The minimum acceptable position is 139 mm below the waterline. Ideally the top of the installed tunnel sits 185 mm below it. Shallower than the ideal, the manual says, performance falls off progressively. CT100 and CT125 installation manual (July 2024).

Our notes from the manual and listings

In the box: Proportional. Delivered without accessories: the fuse, holder and panel are bought.

Our note

Proportional control in a 250 mm tunnel with a bronze leg, named 150 and rated 145 kg on its page. The ECO proportional series is built to run on lithium (Li-ion or LiFePO4) as well as lead-acid, AGM or gel. The ECO 90 page promises unlimited run time until the battery runs out. The standard CT100 manual rates its motor at two to three minutes.

Max Power publishes no price and sells through dealers. Its Global Network page lists ten in the US.

Where each point above comes from
  • Max Power sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.The maker's listing
  • The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a tunnel bore below the waterline.The mounting: a bore through the hull, or a housing recessed into it
  • No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.The maker and the dealers the database reads

Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.

Where to go next

The specs are the maker’s and the dealers’, on the dates shown. The sizing and the costs are our arithmetic, done without seeing your boat.