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Sleipner · external thruster · bow or stern
Sleipner EX180D: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 287 lb (130 kgf) of push. Sleipner sells it for boats of 46 to 59 ft. It runs on 24 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 3 of 5: split with the yard
- 2-year warranty
Quick stats
- Thrust 287 lb 130 kgf, Sleipner's rating
- Boat length 46 to 59 ft Sleipner's own range
- Price per lb of thrust $61.85 Unit only. $72 to $89 installed
- Voltage 24 V As sold
- Battery Not published Ask the maker before wiring
- Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Anodes No US price The parts list names them
About the Sleipner EX180D
The EX180D puts two EX motors in one pod: 287 lb at 23 V, for displacement and semi-planing boats of about 46 to 59 ft, at the bow or the stern. Sleipner sells it as the "180" on the same 1.4 times "thrust equivalent" as the EX95S.
Imtra, Sleipner’s US distributor, lists it at $17,750, before a separate tariff line. It takes two NH00 fuses rather than ANL ones, and the panel and main switch add about $263 to $492. The parts list.
Read more
It runs on 24 V. Each motor draws about 175 A, and the manual names two 125 A fuses. Like the single pods it runs about 3 minutes at a stretch. Warranty: two years, transferable to the next owner.
Installers will find the wiring figures and dimensions further down. For the rest of Sleipner’s line, read the Sleipner (Side-Power) review.
Sleipner sold its thrusters under the Side-Power name until 2021, and many dealers and owners still call them that. It is the same company and the same thrusters.
Where this summary comes from (6 sources, read 14 October 2026)
- Sleipner product page
- Sleipner EX series installation and operation manual, document 2893 rev 7 (2019): about 3 minutes continuous, "thrust equivalent (kgf x 1.4)"
- Imtra, Sleipner’s US distributor: EX180 Dual listing (list price; tariff shown separately)
- Sleipner DC Product Specifications Sheet v1.0.3 (2016): EX thrust at 11.5/23 V and the "performance thrust"
- Sleipner external thrusters (displacement and semi-planing boats, under 20 knots)
- Sleipner warranty statement, effective 1 April 2022
Will the Sleipner EX180D steer your boat?
64 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 64 ft trawler the Sleipner EX180D (287 lb, which counts as about 210 lb on its own lever here) steers her in a 15 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 203 lb from an external unit at the very bow to steer her in a 15 knot breeze.
The finder lists it for her.
The Sleipner EX180D on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft40 kt
- 30 ft33 kt
- 35 ft28 kt
- 40 ft25 kt
- 45 ft22 kt
- 50 ft20 kt
- 55 ft18 kt
- 60 ft16 kt
- 65 ft15 kt
- 70 ft14 kt
- 75 ft13 kt
- 80 ft12 kt
Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside Sleipner’s own length range).
Two of them, one at each end
With a unit at each end she turns in her own length. One thruster on its own cannot turn her that way. On a 64 ft trawler, the pair installed from $40,316:
Turns her in her own length
Turns her at 22 kt
Bow one way, stern the other, and she pivots about her middle.
- 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?
Every kind of boat it fits, by length
| Boat | Full thrust at 15 knots | Still a fit, in lighter wind |
|---|---|---|
| Pontoon & tritoon | Not listed. Its maker does not name this kind of hull. | |
| Sailboat | 48 to 64 ft | None |
| Houseboat | Not listed. Its maker does not name this kind of hull. | |
| Catamaran | Not listed. An external unit bolts to the side of a single hull at the bow or to its transom, and a cat has two narrow hulls with a bridgedeck between them, so there is nowhere forward to hang one. | |
| Trawler | 47 to 64 ft | None |
| Motor yacht | 47 to 64 ft | None |
| Bass & flats | Not listed. This site lists no external bow unit for a boat that planes. | |
| Wake & ski boats | Not listed. This site lists no external bow unit for a boat that planes. | |
| Express cruiser | Not listed. This site lists no external bow unit for a boat that planes. | |
| Center console | Not listed. This site lists no external bow unit for a boat that planes. | |
The Sleipner EX180D 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 every kind of boat it fits gets full thrust to 64 ft. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the Sleipner EX180D 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 where it mounts 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 64 ft, just past Sleipner’s own range (46 to 59 ft).
It is sized for three 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
A yard job, everything in. Our estimate.
| Boat | Total installed |
|---|---|
| 47 ft | $20,483 to $25,112$71 to $87 a lb of thrust |
| 55 ft | $20,623 to $25,492$72 to $89 a lb of thrust |
| 64 ft | $20,773 to $25,932$72 to $90 a lb of thrust |
From the shortest to the longest boat it is sized for.
What is in each total
These totals are our estimate of a yard job: the unit’s price, plus a yard’s hours at $160 to $180 an hour, plus the batteries, cable and charger, plus the other parts the box does not hold. A Lifting the boat out of the water on a travel lift or a trailer so work can be done below the waterline. It is billed separately from the job itself. adds $940 to $3,090 at these lengths, with 5 to 7 days out of the water, worked from eight yards’ own rate cards. The hours come from what owners and yards report. The cost page builds the same figures line by line.
| Boat length | The unit | Yard labor | Haul-out | Batteries, cable, charger | Other parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 ft | $17,750 | $1,280 to $3,6008 to 20 hours | $940 to $2,270 | $250 to $1,000 | $263 to $492 |
| 55 ft | $17,750 | $1,280 to $3,6008 to 20 hours | $1,080 to $2,650 | $250 to $1,000 | $263 to $492 |
| 64 ft | $17,750 | $1,280 to $3,6008 to 20 hours | $1,230 to $3,090 | $250 to $1,000 | $263 to $492 |
For every length in the table above.
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 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 DIYYou: 4 to 16 hours Yard: 4 to 8 hours Electrician: 2 to 4 hours Plus a haul-out.
Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs
Every step, and who does it
- Drill, seal and bolt the unit below the waterline Yard 4 to 8 hours Our estimate. No maker times it; one owner paid his yard about a day of labor to mount two units. Source.
- 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.
- 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
One of Sleipner’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.
Know before you buy
What sets this model apart, what it costs to keep, and what to weigh.
Price per pound of thrust
$61.85 a lb The unit’s price over its published thrust. The bars are Sleipner’s next sizes and the nearest other makers.Controls
Gasket, bolts and anode with the unit. The panel, its cable, the fuse and main switch are bought.
- Side-Power 8950 G touch panel, one thruster (SM8950G), $219.21 at Fisheries Supply.
- Side-Power 4-lead control cable, 4 m (SM61277-04M), $29.23 at Fisheries Supply.
Anodes
We found its anode in Sleipner’s parts list, with no US price. The parts below name it.
Service and warranty
Sleipner gives 2 years for leisure use and 1 for commercial use. It transfers to the next owner, and it starts no later than 18 months after the boat's first launch.
See Sleipner’s warranty Sleipner's warranty statement, effective 1 April 2022.Special mentions
Sleipner 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 holes through the hull for the pod's mounting and cables.
It bolts under the hull about 15% of her length back from the bow, not at the very end, so the boat tables on this page count its 287 lb of push as worth about 210 lb from a unit right at the bow.
Parts for the Sleipner EX180D
See the Sleipner EX180D manualThe US dealer number comes first, then Sleipner’s own. 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
The manual button above opens it on the maker's product page. It has the hull, wiring and fuse figures for this model.
From Sleipner’s EX series installation and operation manual, document 2893 rev 7, 2019, read 14 October 2026.
- In the box
- The pod with its mounting kit and gaskets, and the i-BOX, the control box that holds the relay.
- Bought separately
- A main switch and an NH00 protection fuse in the positive cable (the manual: both "must be integrated"), a control panel (joystick, touch panel or radio remote), its 4-wire cable and the battery cable.
- Charging
- The word "charging" is not in any of the Sleipner guides we read. The battery is sized by cold cranking amps, and a battery near the thruster is suggested. How it gets charged is left to you and your installer.
The manual’s words, page 19: “For installations on large vessels with bow and stern thrusters or catamarans a dedicated battery for each thruster should be considered.”
The “other parts” line in the estimate above covers these parts as a range, $263 to $492 at Fisheries Supply’s prices on 30 September 2026 and 26 October 2026, because the exact items depend on your boat. The batteries, cable and charger have a line of their own. The cost page has what every maker says about each part.
Control panel
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Side-Power 8950 G touch panel, one thruster”.
Control cable, panel to thruster
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Side-Power 4-lead control cable, 4 m”.
Sold in lengths from 4 to 22 m. This is the shortest: measure the run from the helm to the thruster and buy the length that reaches.
Main fuse
Ask for Two NH00 fuses, 125 A each ("2x125").
An NH00 blade fuse at the battery, the type the EX manual names, in the size it prints for the model. Not priced. NH00 fuses and bases come from electrical suppliers; no marine dealer we read lists one.
Fuse holder
Ask for An NH00 fuse base; the manual names none.
The base the NH00 fuse clips into. Not priced. NH00 fuses and bases come from electrical suppliers; no marine dealer we read lists one.
Battery switch
Fisheries Supply lists it as “m-Series 300 A battery switch, on/off”.
Rated at or above the 125 A main fuse. If your manual names its own switch, use that one.
Control-circuit fuse holder
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Waterproof in-line ATO/ATC fuse holder”.
Your manual names no value for this: size a small in-line fuse to the wire.
Batteries
Ask for Optima 900 BlueTop, 55 Ah: two banks of two, in series.
You need 4. The EX manual's recommendation, sized for "a runtime of 10 minutes without recharging". Or two 100 Ah gel batteries in series, the manual says. Not matched to a listing here.
Battery cable, red and black
Defender lists it as “Ancor tinned battery cable 1/0 AWG, cut to length, red or black”.
You need 10 ft of each color. The EX table: 50 mm² for up to 8 m of cable in all, 70 mm² from 8 to 16 m; 1/0 AWG is the smallest US size with at least that copper. The EX180D takes two 125 A fuses; check the manual for the cable to each.
Cable lugs
Fisheries Supply lists it as “Tin-plated starter lugs, 1/0 AWG, bag of 10”.
The listing runs $23.74 to $28.04 by stud size. Eight ends on one run, with two spare.
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.
Outside the hull replacement parts in the water
Anode
The metal that wears away in the water so the drive does not. Sleipner calls it “Anode, aluminium, for Exturn”.
Sleipner lists it as aluminum. A West Marine listing for SM41190 called it zinc. Sleipner’s kit code is SM900363.
Propeller kit
The propeller on the drive. Sleipner calls it “Propeller kit EX55C/70C/75S/95S”.
Three blades, right hand, per Sleipner.
Seal kit
It keeps water out of the joint it sits in. Sleipner calls it “Seal kit EX series”.
Gear leg end cap kit
The leg under the motor that turns the propeller. Sleipner calls it “End cap kit Exturn”.
Pod cover, black
Sleipner calls it “Exturn cover black”.
Two on the EX180D.
Inside the boat replacement parts on board
Delay relay (the motor control interface)
A small switch in the motor’s control circuit. Sleipner calls it “Electronic Interface for thruster motor control”.
On the SX35, SX50 and SX80 24V it sits inside the controller. The EX pages call it the Electronic Control box.
i-box (the solenoid box)
The heavy switch that sends battery power to the motor. Sleipner calls it “Solenoid / I-box 24V”.
For the 24 V.
Solenoid kit (the motor switch)
The heavy switch that sends battery power to the motor. Sleipner calls it “Solenoid for i-box - 24V”.
For the 24 V.
Main fuse
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Sleipner calls it “Recommended fuse A”.
Sleipner’s page reads "ANL250 or 2 x ANL125".
IPC interface cable
Sleipner calls it “IPC interface Exturn”.
Thruster cable
Sleipner calls it “Cable Exturn”.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
The install parts are matched to Sleipner’s own figures and priced at Fisheries Supply, with the battery cable at Defender, cut to length.
Spare part numbers come from Sleipner’s parts pages and manuals. A dealer may sell a part we have not priced. Search for the number.
Other sizes and close alternatives
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 and motor | |
|---|---|
| Thrust | 287 lb (130 kgf) As printed: "EX 180 D Thrust at 11.5V/ 23V* 130 • 264 Performance thrust* 180 • 397" - Sleipner DC Product Specifications Sheet v1.0.3 (2016); the asterisk: "Thrust equivalent (kgf x 1.4 due to positional advantages)" (EX installation manual 2893 rev 7, 2019) |
| Motor | 6 kW |
| Voltage | 24 V |
| Run limit | Not published |
| Installation | |
| Type | External, fixed mount |
| End of the boat | Bow or stern |
| Tunnel diameter | 150 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Holes through the hull for the pod's mounting and cables |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 46 to 59 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | $17,750 equipment only, a dealer's price, imtra.com, 26 October 2026 |
| Part number | EX180D24 V, 24 V DC |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manualon the maker's product page |
| The site’s review | Sleipner (Side-Power) review |
Every published figure the site holds for the Sleipner EX180D, with where each came from.
Our notes from the manual and listings
In the box: Gasket, bolts and anode with the unit. The panel, its cable, the fuse and main switch are bought.
Our note
Two EX motors in one dual pod, 130 kg at 23 V, marketed as EX180 for the same 1.4 "thrust equivalent". For displacement and semi-planing boats of about 46 to 59 ft, bow or stern. The manual fuses each motor at 125 A.
Where each point above comes from
- Sleipner 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 holes through the hull for the pod's mounting and cables.The mounting style
- It bolts under the hull about 15% of her length back from the bow, not at the very end, so the boat tables on this page count its 287 lb of push as worth about 210 lb from a unit right at the bow.Measured off the drawings in Sleipner's EX installation manual (2893 rev 7, 2019), section 3.3, figures 6 and 7
Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.