Boat Batteries

[KokeKruiser]

I have 2 batteries in my boat, 1 for the trolling motor and 1 for the engine starting and accessories. I need to replace the starting battery and am not sure whether I should get a deep cycle or standard battery to replace it with?

Any recommendations on a specific brand of battery I shoud purchase or one I should stay away from? I've heard good things about Walmart batteries but am a little leary about the quality myself.

 

[Bduck]

Definately stay with a deep cycle battery.

•A car's battery is designed to provide a very large amount of current for a short period of time. This surge of current is needed to turn the engine over during starting. Once the engine starts, the alternator provides all the power that the car needs, so a car battery may go through its entire life without ever being drained more than 20 percent of its total capacity. Used in this way, a car battery can last a number of years. To achieve a large amount of current, a car battery uses thin plates in order to increase its surface area.
•A deep cycle battery is designed to provide a steady amount of current over a long period of time. A deep cycle battery can provide a surge when needed, but nothing like the surge a car battery can. A deep cycle battery is also designed to be deeply discharged over and over again (something that would ruin a car battery very quickly). To accomplish this, a deep cycle battery uses thicker plates.

Pricing is not much different between the 2 as long as you stay with lead acid. I use a lead acid deep cycle(approx $60) for my downriggers and a Gel type deep cycle battery(approx $160) as my main. My main can be mounted in any position without acid spillage and provide 8-10yrs service. Its 4yrs old now. Standard deep cycle life expectancy is about 3yrs. I can usually sqeeze 4yrs. I also have a system going when my RV deep cycle gets to 2yrs old, I transfer it to the boat and put a new one in my RV. My Gel battery is a Sears Diehard. They have a great warranty program. I once ran the power down on it sitting in the garage where it wouldn't start the main motor. Sears instructed me to put on fast charge for an hour and go fishing. It worked, I was amazed. Lead acid deep cycles take a slow charge over a long period of time to build back up.

 

[lowe1648mt]

I use 2 Deep Cycle Golf Cart Batteries for Starting and my electric trolling motor. The cost is close to the same as 2 group 24 deep cycle/starting batts. The weight is only slightly more.
However, the amp hours output is many times as much. I used the trolling motor for four days. The Volt meter read 12.4 after and still had plenty of juice left. Estimated hours with out charging-20. My 9.9 mec. only puts out 6 amps when running. My trolling motor uses more than 40 amps, My depth finder-1.5 ,and my 2 GPS's use 1.5 amps. I dont run my 9.9 enough to charge the batts. so I need all the batt. I can get. Hook them in series and that gives you 12 volts and more amp hours than you will believe.
I forgot to add 2 Cannon Electric Down Riggers. They use 10 to 15 amps each when in use.

 

[kokaguy1]

you need to buy a "starter" battery do not buy a deep cycle for starting your main engine, deep cycles should be used for things like your electric trolling motors down riggers etc. In the winter when I am not using my boat I charge my batteries up all the way then I hook up battery tenders to keep them charged through out the winter, when I'm ready to go fishing in the Spring I unhook the battery tenders I have fully charged batteries and I'm ready to go!

 

[lowe1648mt]

you need to buy a "starter" battery do not buy a deep cycle for starting your main engine, deep cycles should be used for things like your electric trolling motors down riggers etc. In the winter when I am not using my boat I charge my batteries up all the way then I hook up battery tenders to keep them charged through out the winter, when I'm ready to go fishing in the Spring I unhook the battery tenders I have fully charged batteries and I'm ready to go!

Sorry to rain on your post. Now days, there are Deep cycle/ Starting batteries. They are dual purpose. Check the Interstate Batteries page. I've installed them in 30 or so 28/29 Trophys . They work fine.

 

[kokaguy1]

your not raining on my post I had no idea they had such a thing. However I use what I use with excellent results and hate to see someone go out and buy a deep cycle and be disappointed as I was. thanks for the info!

 

[Trout Tracker]

I use 2 Deep Cycle Golf Cart Batteries for Starting and my electric trolling motor. The cost is close to the same as 2 group 24 deep cycle/starting batts. The weight is only slightly more.
However, the amp hours output is many times as much. I used the trolling motor for four days. The Volt meter read 12.4 after and still had plenty of juice left. Estimated hours with out charging-20. My 9.9 mec. only puts out 6 amps when running. My trolling motor uses more than 40 amps, My depth finder-1.5 ,and my 2 GPS's use 1.5 amps. I dont run my 9.9 enough to charge the batts. so I need all the batt. I can get. Hook them in series and that gives you 12 volts and more amp hours than you will believe.
I forgot to add 2 Cannon Electric Down Riggers. They use 10 to 15 amps each when in use.

Wiring in series will double your voltage, so you are using 6 volt batts. then or are you wiring in parallel 2 12 volt batts?

 

[lowe1648mt]

Batteries

All I use are the 2 -6 volt batts. In series that gives me 12 volts.

 

[Trout Tracker]

OK, thanks

 

[KokeKruiser]

Thanks for the feed back guys. I will look into the dual purpose battery.

 

[KokChris]

Speaking of batteries, Thank you again Chris for the offer! (My response would have been sooner but I have been up to my eyeballs with school) I did go out and purchase the largest deep cycle Walmart has to offer to get me through the season. It was cheap and so far so good.

 

[gdub]

I just bought a wal-mart everstrat max, deep cell marine battery for my trolling motor, went out yesterday trolled for 5 hours and the battery died. I did have the batteries plugged in to my battery tender for a couple days to make sure they were charged. Is this all I can expect out of my battery 5 hours? I thought batteries would last 15 to 20 hours, or am I way off? Is it the wrong type battery? Is it to much work on the battery using my trolling motor for that long. Should I invest in a small kicker for long trolling days. Guys any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[SuperD]

gdub, what size battery and what lbs thrust trolling motor? You can add a second battery to your system to get a long day in but it won't give you 2 days nor will it properly recharge overnight to fish a full day the next day. I use a bow mount electric for 5 - 6 hours a day and use the kicker after that. If I'm fishing multiple days in a row, it is almost all on the kicker.

 

[SuperDaveMT]

Another consideration is the level at which you are running your motor. The amperage draw goes up significantly as you get nearer the max thrust for a motor. If your motor is marginal for your boat (or it's a really windy day) and your are running 7.5+ a lot of the time, you are going to eat up those amp hours in a hurry. I have 2 - 12 volts wired parallel (12 volts, 2X amps) and I routinely troll for 7 or 8 hours without running out of juice.

 

[bob r]

We use one of the larger sizeTrogen deep cycle batteries with a smaller Minkota (30 lb. thrust) and can expect 7 to 10 hours pushing a 15 ft, 110 lb. canoe around, 15 or 20 hours? Never. We use a 4 hp, 4 stroke with drift socks for longer trips and bigger lakes, a safer deal as you can get in a lot faster in bad weather.Bob R

 

[gdub]

I have an older aluminum 16.5 fishing boat, 75 hp evenrude, my trolling motor is an older 36 lb thrust minkota. The battery I have for the trolling motor is a Everstart MAX 24DC 92 amp hours at 1A and 690 Marine Cranking amps. Based on what the replies say for what I'm trolling with, 4 or 5 hours is a good day for the trolling motor battery? So it sounds like a Kicker might be the best idea for a good day of trolling?

 

[SuperD]

You went small with the 24 class battery. You are getting what would be expected out of that system so you don't have a system problem. It never hurts to have a kicker if you can afford one.

 

[Trackerg]

Not sure if this has been said already....but it bears repeating. Only use a regular or dual purpose battery for your engine and accessories. Use deep cycle for electric trolling motors, downriggers, etc. When you charge a deep cycle, set ur battery charger on 10 amps. Trickle charging at 2 amps will decrease the life of the deep cycle battery.

I installed a second deep cycle battery on my boat for the trolling motor and electric downriggers but wired them through a battery selector switch. The reason for this method as opposed to two batteries in a series.......with selector, when one battery is low on power, I switch to the 2nd battery and I know how much battery I have left.

One note (from Mercury mechanic)...running a deep cycle battery on your engine can be very hard on the alternator.

Good Luck

 

[hooked4life]

I have never heard that trickle charging will decrease the life of your batteries? I thought that the trickle charger was good for the battery?