deep cycle suggestions

[BASS fisherman]

I just got my boat and I need to get some batteries for it.  I have a 12v trolling motor, and a 110 Evinrude motor.  

I believe I will need a minimum of 2 batteries, and 1 charger.

I would like to know 2 things.

#1 Has anyone on the BR forum ever bought a marine battery from Walmart?  I chose Walmart as a reference because it is close, and most of the boat dealers are at least a 45 minute drive away.  Convenience is key.

#2  What specific class battery should I get?

[boatnik13]

Wal-mart got BIG warehouses. That means there is no telling how long the battery sat (in years) before getting to the shelf. At wal-mart a typical depthfinder can be 2 years old, thank goodness they have a one year warr. from day of purchase.  I did some shopping > ie( WAL-MART,DICKS,GANDER MTN.,BASS PRO) all within 4 miles of my house and only "Battery Warehouse"  was found to have batteries being sold with the same year date on them and most with-in  6 months. Options? Deep cycle, wet, dry,gell!

I don't know what the effects are of long time shelf storage with batteries only showing 20% life at purchase till you charge em up for all day and night.  Just sounds like it would cut the life of a battery VS a new battery just 6 months out of the Mfc. plant.

[Pa Angler]

Get 2 chargers not only one a charger for each battery is the way to go. I would buy at least a group 29 battery for the trolling motor and depending what accessories your are going to have another one to cover those as well. I had a group 26 cranking battery that ran my accessories and it left me dead twice night fishing so I up graded to a group 29 cranker myself. I have 2 group 29's for my 24v trolling motor. The bigger the battery the longer the run time best to error bigger than smaller.

Chow

[BASS fisherman]

PA angler,  I didn't know that group 26 or 29 batteries existed. I have heard of group 24,group 27 and group 31, but not group 26 or 29.  Where would I be able to get  group 26, or group 29 batteries?  

[Pa Angler]

PA angler, I didn't know that group 26 or 29 batteries existed. I have heard of group 24,group 27 and group 31, but not group 26 or 29. Where would I be able to get group 26, or group 29 batteries?

Interstate has a Dual Purpose group 29 after looking at the old battery that I have stored in my basement I will have to stand corrected it is group 24 cranking battery that left me dead on night trips while running the lights, two fish finders, electric start, etc. I apologize for the error.

Chow

[George Welcome]

Most batteries our there are made by Johnson Controls - Wal-Mart's are some of them. Wal-Mart goes through batteries very quickly. It is highly unlikely that you will find an old battery on their shelves. All batteries are date coded - A6 for example would be Jan. 2006 - L6 would be Dec. 2006. The code is stamped in the case and in most cases is also on the label.

If you have the room the bigger the better - You need a deep cycle for the trolling motor and a marine starting battery for the big motor.

As for a charger: Ideally an onboard charger would be your choice.

I fish over 320 days a year - we have two boats going on that schedule and we use the battery that is on sale. As I said above - most batteries are made by Johnson Controls: discount auto parts stores, Sears, Wally Mart; they are all the same.

[BASS fisherman]

PA angler, no need to appoligize.  I just had no clue what you were talking about.  George, nice answer.  Thanks for the help.  

[NJfishinGuy]

if all the batterys are made by the same company, would all the shells be the same. i dont usually see 2 batterys that are identical. or do they make then diffrent for each customer? oh and the walmart thing yeah they sell batterys like crazy so i wouldnt worry about them being old. i have a group 27 deep cycle from walmart and im goin on 4 years with it and i never took care of it. id use it leave it dead for months and even dead all winter then charge it up and use it all day. my next battery i will take care of but i didnt know with this one so oh well still lasted 4 years.

[Way2slow]

They are not all made by the same company. Johnson control is just the largest manufactor in the US and a lot of brands are made by them. Of the major US companies, Decca makes their own, Trojan makes their own, US Battery still makes theirs and I think Exide still does.

There are a bunch of overseas companies selling batteries in the US. Most of these discount battery places sell foreign batteries, a lot of them come out of Korea.

Even though Johnson Control makes a lot of different bands, just because of that doesn't mean they are all made the same. The material the plates are made of, the grid structure, the way the plate are connected and a whole bunch of other things play into the makeup and cost of a battery and they make all types in all price ranges.

I will say for the best, longest running deep cycle TM battery in the group 27 - 31 sizes, none will run longer and live longer than a Trojan SSC 225.  There are lots of claims made but everytime they are tested against the Trojan, the Trojan wins.  That's one reason you hardly ever see other brands tested against the Trojan.

[Rob G.]

The batteries are Walmart are fine.  You actually can tell how old the battery is, they all have a date on them that states the manufacture date.  I have been buying my batteries at Batteries Plus for the past few years.  Been good batteries and if you get them on sale you will never find them cheaper.  Batteries Plus also has a great warranty and they honor it.  Each Spring I pull the boat down and they test all the batteries.  If any have lost performance they replace either free of at pro-rated price.  It has been a good experience.  

Second question, as for trolling batteries buy the ones with the highest reserve capacity you can find.  That information is printed on the battery.  For a starting battery look for the highest Cold Cranking Amps (CCA).   If your batteries will be temporary-permanantly stored in a compartment in your boat, make sure to measure prior to buying them otherwise they may not fit.  I have never used the gel-cell batteries.  Heard good and heard really bad about them.  Wet cell batteries have always worked great for me.  Just make sure to recharge them immediately after use and keep them charged.  -- Rob

[Way2slow]

One little note on Wal-Mart and most other batteries you see that have the date sticker on them.  That is the date the battery was delivered to that store, that is not the manufactor date.  The manufactor date is a coded date imprinted into the battery along with some other coded info, usually around the top edge of the battery.  To tell the date of manufactor, you have to have the quide to decode the info.   Companies will just change the delivery codes stickers every month or two or to keep from being so obvious, will swap them to another store and change them then.

Granted, Wal-Mart has a high enough turnover their batteries are fairly fresh, but I have seen batteries as much as eight months old at them, but the delivery sticker will say they were only one month old.

Where ever you buy batteries, buy them from a high volume dealer, theirs are going to come closest to having the newest date of manufactor.   If you go into a place and see a few batteries and they are all covered with dust, keep walking.

[Hillbilly_Hooker]

I have a group 27 battery that I purchased at Walmart to run the 12v trolling motor on my jon boat.  I've had it for over one year now with no problems.  Obviously, for a larger boat, I'd get larger batteries.  As others have suggested, I'd have 2 batteries from my trolling motor and one for cranking the big motor.  

Although my bass boat has an onboard charger, I purchased a 'car' battery charger at Sears and it works fine for a faster charge on all 3 batteries.

[Guest JoshKeller]

I'd personally go with a Wal Mart group 31 for your trolling motor, and a 27 for your outboard/accessories. Keep the receipts, and if one starts to go bad, go swap them out. There is a Wal Mart within about 10 miles of just about everywhere nowadays, and all of them will honor the 1 year warrunty.