best deep cycle battery?

[gman223]

looking for a good deep cycle battery for around $100ish new i have a core which brands are best are optima blues really worth the $200

 

[Black Snow Slide]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

My boat is an 07 and the dealer put in 2 start batteries for the house power so I am in the same research mode as you. From the 3 hours of research I have already done this is what I have found.

Your wet cell batteries( the ones with caps that need distilled water) require TLC throughout the year. The water level need to be kept in check. Secured so it doesn't move and nothing can rub against it. On a trickle charger when not in use. Taken out and stored in a warm dry area during the off season with a trickle charger on it as well. They also need to be in a vented are as the omit a gas when charging that has the potential of explosion.

Next is a gel filled battery. It can be mounted sideways,(but I wouldn't). They are sealed so no water is required. They also admit very little to no gas when being charged so a vented area is not as important. If this type of battery gets a hole in it you wont get sulfuric acid all over the inside of the boat as you would with wet cell.

Finally AGM, Absorbent Glass Mat. It is a glass mat that is saturated with 95% sulfuric acid. There is no other water of aditives. It can not leak and mounts in any position. It also does not put out any gas when charging. These batteries charge up alot quicker and can rebound much better from deep draining or neglect. A quality charger is important with AGMs because there life span can be cut short from over charging.

Optima Batteries are the AGM type. Most people who have them swear by them. People that are unhappy with them seem to think that 2 wet cell batteries are better then the one optima. I am replacing with the Optimas for a few reasons.
1. No chance of sulfuric acid ever spilling and causing damage of other components.
2. The less gas produced in the engine compartment that could create an explosion hazard is always good.
3. Faster recharge times
4. Better life span so I don't have to revisit this problem for a long time.
5. Dead batteries out on the water is like being out of gas. You cant Mcgiver your way out of that one.

Will it be worth the money? If you can afford it I would say go for it. If it turns out to be a waist of money, Ill buy you a beer.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

My boat is an 07 and the dealer put in 2 start batteries for the house power so I am in the same research mode as you. From the 3 hours of research I have already done this is what I have found.

Your wet cell batteries( the ones with caps that need distilled water) require TLC throughout the year. The water level need to be kept in check. Secured so it doesn't move and nothing can rub against it. On a trickle charger when not in use. Taken out and stored in a warm dry area during the off season with a trickle charger on it as well. They also need to be in a vented are as the omit a gas when charging that has the potential of explosion.

Next is a gel filled battery. It can be mounted sideways,(but I wouldn't). They are sealed so no water is required. They also admit very little to no gas when being charged so a vented area is not as important. If this type of battery gets a hole in it you wont get sulfuric acid all over the inside of the boat as you would with wet cell.

Finally AGM, Absorbent Glass Mat. It is a glass mat that is saturated with 95% sulfuric acid. There is no other water of aditives. It can not leak and mounts in any position. It also does not put out any gas when charging. These batteries charge up alot quicker and can rebound much better from deep draining or neglect. A quality charger is important with AGMs because there life span can be cut short from over charging.

Optima Batteries are the AGM type. Most people who have them swear by them. People that are unhappy with them seem to think that 2 wet cell batteries are better then the one optima. I am replacing with the Optimas for a few reasons.
1. No chance of sulfuric acid ever spilling and causing damage of other components.
2. The less gas produced in the engine compartment that could create an explosion hazard is always good.
3. Faster recharge times
4. Better life span so I don't have to revisit this problem for a long time.
5. Dead batteries out on the water is like being out of gas. You cant Mcgiver your way out of that one.

Will it be worth the money? If you can afford it I would say go for it. If it turns out to be a waist of money, Ill buy you a beer.

Agreed. In addition, the AGM batteries hold their charge better and for a much longer period of time. I use the Optimas in the trucks and the boats. They even work when submerged. Please don't ask me how I know that. Costco has the best price on them. I think the last time I looked the blue tops were hovering around $140. That's compared to $200 you'll spend just about anywhere else.

Funny that's the second time I've suggested Costco as a vendor in the past 10 minutes. Plus, you can't beat their return policy. I just had a red top battery that quit after 2.5 years, (odd, but this is Arizona). They took it back without a receipt and gave me a brand new one AND a little cash back because the price had dropped on them. AND I got a fresh 3 year free replacement warrantee on the new battery.

Yup, Costco? I'm hooked.

 

[JB]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

What is your boat? How do you use it?

In a small, (under 24') open, outboard powered boat the advantages of the Optimas are trivial for a lot more bux.

"Dead batteries out on the water is like being out of gas. You cant Mcgiver your way out of that one." Don't agree. Almost any outboard can be rope started. I have started a 150HP Johnny with a rope.

If you have a small, open boat The Everstart Marine Maxx, at around $70, is a better value.

 

[gman223]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

its a flat bottom jon its going to be used for trolling but weight is a key issue

 

[Boatist]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

I think the optima battery are way over priced and many have had problem with boat charging systems not fully charging.

Normal lead acid batteries do need to have proper water levels but mine I fill one time a year the same as my car.
keeping them in a warm place in the winter is a bad idea.
All batteries self discharge and the warmer they are the faster they self discharge.
Do not use a trickle charger to charge batteries. Most have no voltage control and will over charge.
Instead charge once a month in summer and every 3 months in winter with a good Automatic or smart charger.
You can use a float charger or battery maintainer over the off season as they are smart charger and will not overcharge.

To extend battery life recharge as soon as possible. The longer it is discharged the more damage is done. Deep cycle you have no way of charging under way or can not be fully charged on the boat should be charged as soon as you get home.
Example trolling motor battery use all day even with a 60 amp I/O alternator is not going to be fully charged in the one hour trip back to the dock. It will need many more hours to be fully charged.
How you maintain you batteries when get home and over the off season will determin their life.
I have never had any battery that did not last at least 6 years.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

....outboard can be rope started....The Everstart Marine Maxx, at around $70, is a better value.

Glad I am not the only one who thinks so.

And yes, proper charging makes a huge difference to battery life, but there are batteries that don't last consistently no matter how well taken care of. Almost every vehicle I have has Everstart batteries. The one that doesn't is my 2000 Saturn which has an OEM AC Delco factory installed and still going. Only prob I had was when the alternator quit charging.

 

[tpcowfish]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

Since i tried Optima's, i have been really happy, since they raised price, it got me thinkin about switching, but if you troll constant for long hrs they last longer than all the standard deep cycles I have used. and the starting batteries have lasted a real long time, I say Optimas r one of the best.. but i don't know everything, maybe there's some out there i should try. But for now , I'll wear out the optima's first

 

[Shamus O'toole]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

I swear by Optimas...I've run them in my race cars,trucks,cars and will be going into my boat once these Interstates go bad. I've never,ever been stranded due to an Optima battery.

 

[dingbat]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

Optimas are over hyped and way over priced.

I bought a Redtop for the truck 4 years ago. I'm now on my second one. First one shorted internally after 15 months.

I've been getting 5-6 years out of my AC Delco Vogagers at 1/2 the cost of a Optima

 

[gman223]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

I bought a sears die hard marine battery for $89 bucks on sale today 18 month warranty

 

[JustJason]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

It all depends on how willing you are to maintain the batteries, how familiar you are with charging systems, if your willing to spend more dough on a quality (IE not sears craftsman) battery charger.

If you just want it to work, and charge it on any old charger (not the boats charging system). I've had great luck with both Interstate marine deep cycles and Exide (napa brand) deep cycles. Not bashing here... but I have seen alot of dead sears/walmart/autozone/off brand marine starting and deep cycles.

Optimas and AGM batteries do work well, but the battery is only half the price. You will need to buy an expensive charger to maintain those batteries.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

...I've had great luck with both Interstate marine deep cycles and Exide (napa brand) deep cycles. Not bashing here... but I have seen alot of dead sears/walmart/autozone/off brand marine starting and deep cycles...

That's funny I wouldn't buy a NAPA battery unless I am in a jam. Some of the Walmart batteries are made by exide, BTW. The Deep Cycle Everstarts and Maxx at Walmart (at one point) were contracted to Johnson Controls.

CAVEAT: I wouldn't buy the "cheap" batts at walmart- I did once and only got about two years out of it in my Olds. A friend in the industry informed me later that at that time the non-everstart were made by exide, FWIW

After several untimely failures (of NAPA batts), I was near a walmart once and needed a battery NOW. So I bought my first everstart. It didn't die and I have used them ever since. Maybe that's outside the 'curve,' but that has been my experience, and they have served me well since the '90s.

 

[JustJason]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

That's funny I wouldn't buy a NAPA battery unless I am in a jam.

I guess it all comes down to personal experience. I have a napa battery that's going into it's 8th year of service pretty soon.

 

[jhebert]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

...AGM batteries hold their charge better and for a much longer period of time.

Do you have any data on the rate of self-discharge of an AGM battery compared to a flooded cell battery? How long is a period of time that is "much longer"?

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: best deep cycle battery?

All the AGM battery's I have used seem to perform the same, at one time all you could get was the Optima but there are similar AGM's on the market now that work just as well and last just as long.

I have this model made by Exide/Orbital, great battery. Got em for $189 CDN at Canadian Tire, Optimas here cost upwards of $300.