batteries

[hdforester]

Going to have to replace a couple of batteries for 24 volt TM. What do yall us? See a 31 series AGM at Sams for 179. Seems pretty pricey. Just want the most bang for the buck especially since my Grizzly order came in today.Thanks.

[Joey Clark]

I have had good luck with deka batteries

[Alphahawk]

You will get every answer known to man with this question. Some swear by the cheapest battery on the market......some say buy the best there is. You can read on many forums and find what some call junk others praise them as the best batteries in the world. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, but batteries....like trailer tires....are a crap shoot. I would say that is just my opinion but doing the research says it is not opinion...but fact. A retired striper guide of note here used nothing but the cheapest Walmart marine batteries for years and loved them.....another friend of mine buys nothing but Optima Blue Tops.


Regards

[Slabprowler]

I'm in the same market but I'm going to have to buy 3 going to 36 v .the 2 that I'm replacing is optima they will be 6 yrs old come June but they will still run a 18' express 6 hours trolling at 1.0 mph plus. But they r about 275.00 each plus .I have looked at the Duracell at SAMs only 18 month replacement. not sure which way I'm going yet . Walmart Batterys are 100 bucks each 2 yr free replacement but not agm so ????

[skeetbum]

I agree with the above posts. I've had interstates last over 4years, and used em hard. Right now I'm using a pair of 29 series I got at wally for under $230 if memory serves. I haven't killed em down in a day yet after trolling nonstop for 6hrs. All the input I can offer.

[sinkermaker]

I use Wally World batteries and have been happy with them. Will probably go to better batteries when I replace them in my walleye boat as they are hard to get to. Getting old and can't wrestle with them like I use to.

[hdforester]

Walmart web site shows the $100 group 29 deep cycle as out of stock.(at least around here)

[flycaster]

Walmart web site shows the $100 group 29 deep cycle as out of stock.(at least around here)

Best to go to the store to check stock.
Some times (MOST) times the stock report does not reflect the current stock.

i found that out by going to the store (local) that internet indicated no stock and the battery shelving was slam full of batteries, including the one that I was interested in buying.
Don't go by the warranty listed on the web site, check the warranty on the side of the battery and be sure to keep your receipt, or best to scan the receipt to keep a clear copy. The store receipts will fade over time and may not be readable when you need it.

[CatFan]

For the most part, a year or two or three warranty is not much different if you take care of the battery. At least 90% of battery warranty failures are going to happen within a few months of putting it in service, and you don't see many of those.

[wolfhnd]

I have done some research recently and have concluded that wet cells are a better way to go. If you want to discharge your batteries below the 50 percent recommended level then you reduce the life of the battery from 1000 cycles to 300 at 90 percent discharge. It doesn't matter if you use an expensive AGM or a cheap wet cell the effect of deep cycling is the same. If you don't use them at all and maintain the recommended 1.26 voltage during storage they will still only last 4 to 7 years. If you use your battery twice a week for 4 years that is 208 cycles or 5.7 years to reach 300 cycles. The only advantage of AGM is that they don't leak, they are heavier and easier to destroy by a bad charging procedures and typically requires a charger designed for AGM batteries.

You can buy a 90 amp hour wet cell for under $90 dollars, the same capacity AGM battery is around $240. Unless you fish every day and use two large batteries that will never be discharged below 50 percent then you should think of batteries as disposable items. To me buying one cheap battery and fulling discharging it and replacing it every three years makes sense.

Wet cells require maintenance, the water has to be checked, but even for a lazy person like me that is a small extra burden compared to the hassle of charging it in the first place. The real problem is that even if you buy an expensive battery you cannot be sure you will not ruin it if you drive your boat hard on choppy water and a plate comes lose or you accidentally overcharge it or let it run dead. Things can and do go wrong with batteries even if you are careful.

I would like to know if anyone has experience with a wet cell leaking because it was bounced around in rough water? That is a problem I have never experienced but it could be a deciding factor for some people. Let me know what you think of my arguments because they are only theoretical with no extensive experience to back them up.