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I just bought new Cabelas AGM deep cycle batteries for my trolling motor. I brought my old wet-cell Interstate batteries in to get them checked when I was having problems with my Ulterra, come to find out the batteries were fine but the breaker was bad. However, in doing so I tipped one of the batteries over causing acid to leak out. What a mess to clean up, baking soda and water all over. Now there's white stuff all over the interior of my boat. Plus, when I opened up the batteries water level cap recently to check the water level, liquid sprayed out. Luckily I was wearing safety glasses and none of it hit my face. After that I was done with wet-cell batteries forever and bought AGM sealed batteries instead. The automotive industry has used sealed batteries for years, I can't recall seeing a car with a wet-cell battery. Why doesn't the marine boating industry all go to AGM sealed batteries as standard and phase out wet-cell batteries like the automotive industry did (the price would quickly come down on them)? Just like cheaper boat trailers use hubs that have to be consistently greased and higher end boat trailer hubs do not, we could go to a standard maintenance free hub like high end boat trailers and the price would eventually come down also. Just like backup cameras in vehicles that are now mandatory by state law, all cars have backup cameras now and the cost went from thousands to included in the price of the vehicle.

Had problems with my TM last year and had the batteries checked at Batteries Plus. They were fine, problem ended up being the circuit breaker. After that the trolling motor, a 2017 Minn Kota Ulterra worked fine rest of the season with the same batteries. They are Interstate deep cycles from 2014. Now this year I'm having problems with the Autopilot and Spotlock not working but the TM will still work for hours without those features. Whenever I tried the features I got a set of chirps/beeps and that feature wouldn't work. I charged the batteries with my other charger rather than the onboard Minn Kota charger and got the features to work again although only for about 10-15 minutes. I assumed it was the batteries. The TM continued working again without those features for hours. One the batteries on the onboard charger batteries always goes to solid green (full charge) and one always flashes green. I checked the water in the batteries and one is definitely low. I can see the top of the plates by about a 1/2" inch. The water in the other battery is fine. Note: I do keep my batteries plugged into the onboard charger all year long and it is in a warm pole-barn all year long. Can I put more distilled water in this battery and it will work or is it ruined now?

I've always brought my boat back to the garage and immediately plugged it into the onboard charger. I've always left the trolling motor and starter marine batteries plugged in 24/7 all year long, including during the winter with the boat in a heated pole barn or garage. I've had 2 boats, one with a high end Dual Pro Professional Series and low end Minn Kota charger. Someone said that you shouldn't leave it plugged in 24/7 if the onboard charger doesn't have a 'maintenance/trickle' charge function. I just assumed that all newer onboard chargers had maintenance/trickle charge built-in but apparently not. He said he brings his boat home, plugs it in until it's charged, about a day, then removes it. If he doesn't go out right away again he'll plug in the onboard charger the night before he goes out. Don't today's onboard chargers have maintenance/trickle charge feature and are meant to be left plugged in 24/7 all-year long? Even if it has a maintenance/trickle charge feature are you supposed to unplug it after it's fully charged? So, are you supposed to leave your Boat Batteries plugged in 24/7 all-year long on the Onboard Charger?

I had a Dual Pro Professional in my last boat for 7 years and it worked great. It charged 3 old batteries that it never should have charged for 7 years. They were odd batteries. One was an old battery from Comcast, one was an new battery that sat on the concrete floor of my father's pole barn for years, and the third I don't know where it came from. Out of those 3 batteries, two were from the previous boat owner and the third was from me. That Dual Pro kept them working for 7 years though, I never had to replace batteries in that boat. Ranger also puts these chargers in their boats which is a confidence booster. Also, I think the Dual Pro has 15 amps per bank which would charge the batteries faster than the others which are 10 amp per bank, no? My current boat has a cheaper Minn Kota charger. Not the higher end Precision charger that has the equalize cell feature. I have 2 batteries that are 4 years old and most likely need replacing. However, if I could equalize them perhaps I could get another year out of them rather than replacing them which would be nice. NOCO brand chargers are widely regarded on this forum as being compact and reliable. The Dual Pro's are fairly large, however they take space up vertically, so their footprint may actually be smaller than some of the other flatter chargers. I know that Dual Pro, NOCO, and Minn Kota are 3 of the biggest names out there in onboard charging but feel free to add others that I didn't add. So out of these chargers which is: 1.) Best 2.) Best bang for your buck I'm not sure if the NOCO does but it would be nice if the NOCO and Dual Pro had the equalize cell feature that the cheaper Minn Kota does. Also, if the Minn Kota Precision chargers can equalize cells why isn't this an option with the other more expensive brands?

So I'm at the point of replacing my batteries. I've been doing some research into batteries, and have some mixed opinions - but a lot of posts I'm reading are old. I know technology has come a little way since then. So, if you needed 4 batteries for your bass boat today.... you had a 36v trolling motor, and a Merc opti 200 proxs... what batteries would YOU buy?

Hey guys, I just recently decided to redo my bass tracker. I ordered two lowrance has touch 9 and the sonic hub system. The wiring in my boat is very confusing due to the previous owners inexperience and i need some advice! Currently there are three batteries(two for trolling motor and one for engine). I want to run direct power to my systems with a toggle switch. What kind of battery do i need and how, if i should, can i change how my batteries are set up now? Thanks, Matt.

I was speaking with a friend last week, a young man in his thirties, who had just seriously injured his back trying to remove his deep-cycle batteries for winter maintenance. He was kneeling on the rear deck of his boat when he attempted to remove the deep-cycle batteries; the first was ok but a heavy lift, but the second was further back and proved more difficult.... That's when a hot knife plunged into his back and he couldn't move, couldn't get off the boat, and his wife couldn't move him. Long story short - The EMT's were called and transported him to the local ER where a CT/x-ray revealed a ruptured disk. So, I just want to pass along to all of you a reminder to be careful of your backs when removing batteries from your boat. The best tip I can offer is to attach a short piece of rope to the lift handles of the battery, then stand straight up and lift the battery by bending at the knees; the rope will allow you to maneuver the battery to clear the locker sides and get it on deck. Bottom line, take a few extra minutes to protect yourself from injury. Cheers, and Merry Xmas