Starting Battery

[2000subaru]

It looks like I am in need of a new starting battery for the Skeeter. After multiple chargings, I'm afraid that she just can't hold power anymore. I have no idea how old the battery is, so I am not too upset at having to replace it. I am not sure what to replace it with, so I am posing this to you WL.com. Any suggestions? It will be going into a 16 foot Skeeter with a 70HP Yamaha and a 24V Minn-kota Powerdrive V2 bow mount. It will be used as the starting battery in a 3 battery system that is charged by a BPS 3 bank charging system. What would you replace it with?

[hewesfisher]

An AGM (absorbed glass mat) battery, and with no hesitation either. That's what I'm getting when my other two finally give up.

[mallard83]

I like the Optima Blue Top deep cycle marine battery. It is a little pricey at almost $200, but Optima makes great very durable batteries. http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/blu ... attery.asp

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

Joes has Trojan batteries for sale this week at 20% off.

[Dave]

Good topic. I am not a battery expert but have used them in my boats for over 20 years of fishing as an adult. In the past I have used multiple batteries to run my boat and electronics but have finally narrowed my battery use down to just 1 deep cycle marine battery. I choose one with strong cranking power to start my outboard. Because my 75 hp 4stroke Honda outboard keeps the battery charged while it is running, it allows me to run my two downriggers, fish finder and gps off of it. One battery can do everything you ask of it as long as your motor is charging it. I have done this for years now, as do my fishin buddies who have their own boats, and I have not had one issue. So if you don't want to pay top dollar for the "best" battery on the market, you can do just fine (in my opinion based on my experience) with a good battery that may run you 80 bucks or so and can last you three or more years if you maintain it in correctly during the off months. I use a battery buddy to maintain my battery and I check the cells water level before fishing season starts back up. It keeps the battery fully charged without cooking it. I am however interested in the deep cycle batteries that don't need maintenance, (one that doesn't need distilled water added every so often). I believe they are a bit more money but I think it might be worth it to bypass the hassle of maintaining the cells. Good luck and good fishin.

[hewesfisher]

I'm not a battery expert, but I have done some research on the subject. For marine applications, there are, essentially, two types of batteries - starting and deep-cycle. Primary difference between the two is the construction of the plates that hold the charge. Starting batteries use thin plates for a fast, high current delivery like that used when starting engines, while deep-cycle batteries have thicker plates designed to hold, and release, their power over a longer period of time. While you can use a deep-cycle as a starting battery, it won't last long and the same holds true if you use a starting battery in a deep-cycle application. I've done both and learned the hard way. Manufacturers are now providing dual-purpose batteries designed to offer the benefits of both types - starting and deep-cycling.

The decision process for us recreational users is basically limited to what type of battery we need and whether we want a wet cell (traditional lead-acid), gel cell, or absorbed glass mat (AGM). We all know what a wet cell is, and hopefully, how to properly maintain them. Newer technology provides us with sealed gel cell batteries and AGM that can be used in any position, even under water. They cost more than lead acid batteries, but last much longer. It's interesting to note that Optima is an AGM battery just with a fancy coil mat.

Here are a couple quick battery primers for those interested, one from [url="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... mistry.htm]West Marine[/url] and one from [url="http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... ieldguides]Cabela's[/url]. There is a lot more out there about batteries if you want to know, just do a Google search for marine batteries and you'll find out!

The smart battery shopper compares MCA, reserve capacity, and charge cycle life for comparably sized batteries to make sure they get the most for their money, well, at least I do.



EDIT: The links aren't working, but if you visit either of their websites you can find the battery info pages without much effort.

[2000subaru]

You all rock and I am researching as we speak. I appreciate all of your opinions and thoughts.

Chris

[ChrisB]

If it was me, I would get a Trojan Starting battery. Most are not maint free, so make sure you check the water level every month or two. Like someone above said, they are on sale now a Joes, I'd check them out. My boat came with Trojans and its going on 3 yrs old. I've replaced the 2 deep cycles (because they get hammered the worst by the TM) but I'm on the same starting battery. I think my Starting is a group 24, which is small so that shows they last well. I know your boat, enjoy it this year !!

Chris

[kzoo]

I like the Optima Blue Top deep cycle marine battery. It is a little pricey at almost $200, but Optima makes great very durable batteries. http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/blu ... attery.asp

Optima are great batteries. They came with the boat that I bought and like Mallard says they're very durable. They also hold charges for long periods of times. I believe they're also maintenance free. Well worth the extra dollars.

[hewesfisher]

Optima "spiral cell" are AGM batteries, and they cost more than a "traditional" looking AGM battery, so what's the benefit?

Let's compare apples to apples and one orange, Cabela's Advanced Angler AGM Group 24 "traditional" battery versus Optima D34M (group 24 equivalent) versus West Marine SeaVolt AGM Gp24 versus DieHard Marine (the orange) traditional lead-acid "wet" battery.

Brand/Model MCA CCA Reserve Weight Cost

Optima D34M 870 750 120 43.5lbs $199.99

Cabelas AA Gp24 1195 995 178 53.5lbs $169.99

West Marine AGM 660 N/A 140 53lbs $199.99

Sears Diehard #27494 N/A 500 135 46lbs $79.99

All of the batteries have a warranty but they vary among makes. Most are 12 - 18 months replacement with pro-rated periods beyond that. Only the West Marine and Cabela's batteries had information about charge cycles, with Cabela's offering over 400 drain/rehcarge cycles followed by 300 from the West Marine version. I could not find any cycle info on Optima's website and Sears didn't have any on their website either.

Bang for buck is answered in the specs above. Cool looking blue tops are nice, but there's better value with the same technology elsewhere.

My $.02. :-)