Thread: Trolling Motor Batteries

Originally Posted by artcarney_agr

Can you please provide a link to this battery you speak of? I get the feeling you might be a little confused on the rating, you might be comparing apples and oranges.

Any JCI group 29. Everstart Maxx 29 is the most common. Walmart advertises it at 205 minute RC, but it is the same battery that many other sellers and JCI themselves rate at 210 minutes. Basically the same physical size as the East Penn 31 but it has 13.5% more RC than the East Penn and is cheaper with a longer warranty.

The 23A RC rating that East Penn uses should be a crime. It's just like claiming a car gets 50MPG but using small print and confusing words to hide the fact that they test their cars on a downhill course only instead of the standard test method.

Originally Posted by CatFan

Any JCI group 29. Everstart Maxx 29 is the most common. Walmart advertises it at 205 minute RC, but it is the same battery that many other sellers and JCI themselves rate at 210 minutes. Basically the same physical size as the East Penn 31 but it has 13.5% more RC than the East Penn and is cheaper with a longer warranty.

The 23A RC rating that East Penn uses should be a crime. It's just like claiming a car gets 50MPG but using small print and confusing words to hide the fact that they test their cars on a downhill course only instead of the standard test method.

Can you provide the specs on that JCI group 29? The way JCI keeps their specs secret should be the real crime.

East Penn/Duracell/Deka does a great job with disclosing their specs, they show the 20 hr rating, the 23 amp RC, and the 25 amp RC - very difficult to find these for JCI

I own a couple of the JCI Everstart Marine group 29 batteries. The only data I've ever been able to find is an amp hour rating of 122 and a reserve capacity of 85 minutes, and doesn't tell me any of the specifics of how they arrived at those numbers. If the 85 minutes reserve capacity is based on the standard 25 A RC, then that is considerably less than the Group 31 (185 min at 25 A) and is exactly why the Group 31 is a bargain when compared to the JCI 29 at nearly the same price.

Again though, if you can post the full specs of the JCI Group 29, I'd love to have that link!

The DC31DT in the chart at the link below is the exact same as the Duracell 31DT that the thread starter is looking at. It's an East Penn battery, exactly the same battery as the Duracell and Deka, one has Duracell stickers, the other has Deka stickers.

http://www.eastpennmanufacturing.com...Sheet-0194.pdf

Also, review the battery purpose. The dual purpose has less reserve capacity than the deep cycle but offers more MCA. Selecting the right battery all comes down to demand/purpose, and it's intended use. When you go to comparing battery specs, prices, etc. it's not as simple as so many like to make it.

The $100 Duracell that the thread starter is looking at is a good battery, and a good value....which is all he wanted to know in the first place. There's no need for him to go with an AGM, an AGM is more suited for high horsepower engines that have greater MCA demands and benefit from the flat discharge rate of the AGM type battery. I certainly wouldn't try to sell him on a Group 29 if he has the room for a 31, there are many advantages to the 31 for such little (if any) additional price.

Originally Posted by artcarney_agr

The DC31DT in the chart at the link below is the exact same as the Duracell 31DT that the thread starter is looking at. It's an East Penn battery, exactly the same battery as the Duracell and Deka, one has Duracell stickers, the other has Deka stickers.

http://www.eastpennmanufacturing.com...Sheet-0194.pdf

Also, review the battery purpose. The dual purpose has less reserve capacity than the deep cycle but offers more MCA. Selecting the right battery all comes down to demand/purpose, and it's intended use. When you go to comparing battery specs, prices, etc. it's not as simple as so many like to make it.

The $100 Duracell that the thread starter is looking at is a good battery, and a good value....which is all he wanted to know in the first place. There's no need for him to go with an AGM, an AGM is more suited for high horsepower engines that have greater MCA demands and benefit from the flat discharge rate of the AGM type battery. I certainly wouldn't try to sell him on a Group 29 if he has the room for a 31, there are many advantages to the 31 for such little (if any) additional price.

I think you are missing something here.

OP is looking for a trolling motor battery, so dual purpose isn't part of the equation.

East Penn group 31 deep-cycle batteries are much poorer performers than virtually every other battery of the same size. Only 185 minute RC. They are barely better than a good group 27 which can be 180 minute RC. The JCI 29 is a much better performer as a TM battery than the East Penn 31. 29 and 31 are the same size for all practical purposes.

Originally Posted by CatFan

East Penn group 31 deep-cycle batteries are much poorer performers than virtually every other battery of the same size. Only 185 minute RC. They are barely better than a good group 27 which can be 180 minute RC. The JCI 29 is a much better performer as a TM battery than the East Penn 31. 29 and 31 are the same size for all practical purposes.

With what amp draw? That's the point you aren't getting.............

The Duracell Group 31 has a 225 minute rating at 23 amp

What's the amp draw for that Group 27 you're talking about with 180 minute RC ??? What AMP draw gives that 180 minutes? 20 amp? 23 amp? 25 amp?

You can spit out numbers all day, but there's important data missing from what you're saying to be able to do an apple-to-apples comparison.

Originally Posted by artcarney_agr

With what amp draw? That's the point you aren't getting.............

The Duracell Group 31 has a 225 minute rating at 23 amp

What's the amp draw for that Group 27 you're talking about with 180 minute RC ??? What AMP draw gives that 180 minutes? 20 amp? 23 amp? 25 amp?

You can spit out numbers all day, but there's important data missing from what you're saying to be able to do an apple-to-apples comparison.

That is the whole point. RC is defined by an SAE standard (J537) just like CCA and is always done at 25A. East Penn uses the 23A to give their batteries inflated numbers. The East Penn flooded cell batteries lag behind all other batteries for reserve capacity so they use a bogus test method to make their batteries sound competitive.

Originally Posted by CatFan

That is the whole point. RC is defined by an SAE standard (J537) just like CCA and is always done at 25A. East Penn uses the 23A to give their batteries inflated numbers. The East Penn flooded cell batteries lag behind all other batteries for reserve capacity so they use a bogus test method to make their batteries sound competitive.

What's your point? Exide does it too. Again, do you have a link to these specs you keep quoting?

I did find specs on the Everstart Group 27DC, a JCI battery, it lists RC at 65 minutes
The Everstart Maxx Group 29DC, a JCI battery, it lists RC at 85 minutes
No mention of the amp draw for those numbers, so one would ASSUME it to be the typical 25 amp like you said

If those are correct, and you can look on the Walmart website to verify, then the Duracell Group 31 looks like a heck of a deal with a RC of 185 mins at 25 amps....it's not even close!

All this back and forth is getting old.......the original question has been answered.

Thanks guys. A good debate here. Now I know about reserve capacity minutes rating and how it the amp hours. I agree the Duracell/Deka RC =185 @25amps seems to exceed the Everstart of 85 minutes for the same price.