AGM Batteries are they worth it?

[Llunker]

Just like the topic states. Whats your opinion on these batteries for trolling motors? Are they worth the extra expense. will this babys keep you trolling on the water longer?

I was pretty much sold on the idea of a couple stowaway batterys from academy when someone told me AGM is the only way to go for trolling batteries.

i think they will last like 4-7 years but the cost is twice as much running around $199 at academy i think.

Let me know what you guys think--especially you owners of the AGM's.

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

I have two AGM batteries for my trolling motor, they are mixed duty battery's made by Orbital and available at any Canadian Tire Dealer in Canada.

They are OK but like all battery's they are still lead cell with acid electrolyte. The AGMs are really compact and handle vibration very well and do put out the amps even when nearly discharged, I recently ran both my bats down to 10.8 VDC (sonar and trolling motor for four hours) and was really worried I wasn't going to be able to start the boat.

Needless to say it was no problem, apparently they have very low internal resistance so you can still pull amps out of them even near discharge. They also work well in low temps, I would guess because of all the glass insulation in them. The other feature is they can handle being discharged fully for long periods of time and still be able to be recharged to 95%, not sure I want to test that but its good to know.

A battery is a battery if you ask me but I like the small size of these "spiral" cell battery's, kinda nice to have the extra room. I take real good care of my batteries so some of the features are lost on me but the low internal resistance and small size are features I appreciate.

I think in most peoples minds warranty and availability trump pricing when it comes to this kind of purchase and these are available across Canada even in small towns if they have a store so it was a no brainer for me.

 

[Llunker]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

Well after much pondering and thought --i really dont see the major difference in paying almost triple for one of these batterys. I can get a Stowaway battery that I have to maintain that has a RC of 205 for about $89. Or coming from the same store which is Academy sports--I can get their AGM which has a RC of 200 for $199.00. I need 2 of them for my 24v trolling motor. Which i like to switch between 12 and 24v all the time.

Kinda seems like a no brainer for me since I don't have a problem keeping these puppies filled. Just thought i would ask to see what the biggest key difference is and i think i got my answer---NOTHING !!! except maintenance. :redface:

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

The warrany killed them for me. I could buy 2-year battery for my boat (X2) for 160.00 at wally world. I know these batteries will last at least 2 years on my boat. The AGM batteries for 200 each have a three year warranty. We all know battery warranties are useless after the first year.

So on year three I can buy 2 new batteries with a full warranty and have an additional year of warranty for less than the cost of the original 2 AGMs that are now out of warranty.

BTW I dont use a trolling motor so that usage doesnt apply to me.

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

Kinda seems like a no brainer for me since I don't have a problem keeping these puppies filled. Just thought i would ask to see what the biggest key difference is and i think i got my answer---NOTHING !!! except maintenance. :redface:

Well I wouldn't say there is nothing to be gained from going with an AGM battery, I am on year two with these batteries and they are still in perfect condition according to my pulse charger.

I did a lot of head scratching before I bought these and having had "old style" deep cycle batteries in the past and was not impressed with their performance...especially for their girth. These batteries are half the size and dump juice for longer than any standard deep cycle I have owned, its pretty impressive technology that gives a significant performance improvement.

My first exposure to these batteries was in a automotive racing application where their vibration resistance is a huge factor to consider, my Mazda rotary engine would kill regular auto batteries in one season of racing...they saved me a pile of cash in dead batteries and lost races.

In one race I lost the alternator belt and I ran the entire 20 lap race (almost 30 minutes of track time) on only the battery, this had happened with a regular battery in the previous season and the regular auto battery died after five laps with the monster ignition system I had on the engine.

I think the key thing to consider here is these batteries are what I call "mixed duty", the plates are thin so you can pull amps out of them quickly and run them lower than you could a standard deep cycle, the spiral design allows the thin plate design without durability issues and the wrap prevents the cells becoming sulphated from deep draws.

All pretty significant things to consider in battery design and worth the extra cash if you ask me...especially if they last longer. I have yet to be disappointed by them, not so sure the "Optimas" are worth the premium price I see them advertised for when I get good performance from this cheaper Orbital model. I paid $189 Canadian dollars for each regular price.

Another thing to consider is if you can run them down to lower voltages the ratings are rather deceptive, when I ran my two down to 10.8VDC I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't been watching the sonar display voltage reading, all my electrical draws were working perfectly and the trolling motor didn't even slow down...and they started my 90 Merc with no problem!

Something has to be said for that, I'm pretty sure a regular deep cycle battery would have left me stranded in the same conditions and I would have been pulling to start. I'm a believer and unless these die in the next two years I will continue buying them.

Money well spent if you ask me.

 

[ziemann]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

The answer to this questions depends on what is important to you. For me- my trolling motor batteries are located deep in the hull below my rod locker- so it is a pain to get to the batteries to check the water levels. I have killed a few flooded batteries due to my lack of maintenance. I don't have to worry about the AGM's. I get run times from my AGM's that I have never gotten from any flooded cell battery. I can leave them installed year round and don't worry about them sitting all winter in this deep freeze called Minnesota.

I use my batteries hard. I run extremely long days and really put a drain on my batteries especially when running electric trolling motors in the wind. It is worth it to me to run AGM's. In contrast, my father is never on the lake for more than 6 hours and is maybe out on the lake 15 times a year. For him a cheap Walmart battery meets his needs. He runs a smaller boat than I do and does not put much of a strain on his deep cycle batteries.

Everyone has different needs- and only the end user can determine what makes sense.

Here is what I am using:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...e=Batteries+&+Chargers&sName=Marine+Batteries


I especially like the replacement warranty.... The specs are great. Check out the user ratings.... Z

 

[Llunker]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

I'm pretty sure a regular deep cycle battery would have left me stranded in the same conditions and I would have been pulling to start. I'm a believer and unless these die in the next two years I will continue buying them.

Money well spent if you ask me.

I am not knocking your AGM's --but for the price it is just not worth it--

Thats Why I always run 3- batterys.

1 - for starter battery for the main motor and 2-batterys for the trolling motor(along with a 2 bank on board charger). Why would you be running your electronics and trolling motor off your just one battery or even two in sync. I always thought everybody runs 3 or more battery's?

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

I am not knocking your AGM's --but for the price it is just not worth it--

Thats Why I always run 3- batterys.

1 - for starter battery for the main motor and 2-batterys for the trolling motor(along with a 2 bank on board charger). Why would you be running your electronics and trolling motor off your just one battery or even two in sync. I always thought everybody runs 3 or more battery's?

One battery is my starting/electronics battery and the other is for my 12V trolling motor (42pd MK). Usually I shut the sonar off while I am trolling but this time I was trying out a Lowrance update and was checking it out over a ledge with different settings. My two batteries are separated by a ACR controller so usually my starter bat is always charged but in this case both draws on the batteries were nearly the same and ran them down evenly. My boat is only 16' long so I don't need 24V and unless the current is really strong (over 5mph) the 42 pd T/M does just fine...I rarely run it over 50%.

Talked to my buddy the other day who bought my Mazda GT3 race car and the original AGM battery is still in it and running strong (his words), that makes it 10 years old! I have never had a battery last me 10 years in the cold up here.

Something to think about.

 

[Llunker]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

One battery is my starting/electronics battery and the other is for my 12V trolling motor (42pd MK). Usually I shut the sonar off while I am trolling but this time I was trying out a Lowrance update and was checking it out over a ledge with different settings. My two batteries are separated by a ACR controller so usually my starter bat is always charged but in this case both draws on the batteries were nearly the same and ran them down evenly. My boat is only 16' long so I don't need 24V and unless the current is really strong (over 5mph) the 42 pd T/M does just fine...I rarely run it over 50%.

Talked to my buddy the other day who bought my Mazda GT3 race car and the original AGM battery is still in it and running strong (his words), that makes it 10 years old! I have never had a battery last me 10 years in the cold up here.

Something to think about.

Very good to hear 4Jawchuck---glad it has worked for you. That is the reason i posted--i wanted to hear real storys from real people instead of all the hoopla on all the reading on the internet. But i guess for me and in my situation which is i live in the South --Way south(TEXAS) and we don't worry about winter down here so one of the main reasons one would use an AGM is it is hardy in the winter months--i think the trickle down rate is 3-5% over a month. That is Awesome not to have a battery even hooked to a float charge for that long and it only go down 3-5%. Excellent.

Again though in my situation i fish Year round--and yes i know its hunting season here--i am not a hunter----i LOVE to FISH !!!! at age 44 i just bought my first new to me boat and finally did something for me now that the kids are getting older. Down here the wind can blow you almost off the bow while fishing. My trolling will only last (with 2 batterys) about4 hours if heavily used. Course The batterys used are old --dont even know how old but just wanted every ones opinion on a battery before i make a large purchase. Thanks for any ones input.

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

Cool Lunker!

I am only a few years younger and the fishing bug has me bit hard also, I tell people its the only thing you can do this close to doing nothing and still accomplish something.

AGM's aren't for everyone as your are finding out and may not be a good investment. As I mentioned I thought long and hard before buying and I already had positive experience with them, that first Optima battery I bought was when they first came out and was a pretty penny (over $400 CDN$)...if it wasn't for my race car I would have passed on them.

For the boat I didn't see the advantage since vibration really wasn't an issue but the size form was (I have them tucked under the splash well), the deep draw capability ended up being a feature I wasn't considering at the time but I sure appreciate it now. I would have thought they would be lighter but they sure seem to weigh the same as a larger battery.

Down in the US you can probably find similar battery's to mine for a lot cheaper, we pay a premium for anything nice here. It would be a shame to buy a standard battery for 10$ less than an AGM and miss out on a superior product, shop around you have a lot more choices available to you in the US.

Is it worth 1/3 more? I think so but I tend toward paying more for technology than most folks. I can see a day when all battery's will be AGM and regular battery's will passe', it would be nice to own a vehicle with a battery that lasts for the life of the vehicle...so far I think AGM's are close to that goal.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[redfishn]

Re: AGM Batteries are they worth it?

I have an 18.5' Shallow Sport with three AGM batteries. One 24 group for starting my 150 and two 31 group for my trolling motor. I never have to worry about adding water since they are sealed. Also, you can mount them in any position which is necessary for me since the space for my trolling motor batteries is such that 31 group batteries must be mounted on their sides. The AGM batteries also last much longer than any other batteries I have ever used.