battery info needed

[Red]

i am looking to get the trolling motor for my boat soon, it will be a 30lb thrust most likely.  i have no clue what kind of battery to buy.  i want a decent battery that will last so i dont run out of juice during a trip.  but i also dont want to spend a ton of money.  additionally do i need any certain charger for it?  or just any old battery charger will do?  down the road i also plan to get a depth finder, will this require its own power source, or could it be run off the same battery as the motor?

thanks!

Cliff

[Sam]

Cliff,

What a question!

Hold on, for you are going to receive a lot of answers.

Some guys like Optima Blue Tops, but they are VERY EXPENSIVE.

George Welcome, a guide and a great guy from Florida, just told me he uses Venture batteries.

Some of the guys in my bass club go with the Wal-Mart batteries and they swear by them.

There are many deep cycle batteries out there which will make your selection more difficult.

IMHO, if you stick with a brand name with a good warranty you can't go wrong.

As for recharging the battery, you can buy a trickle charger or do what I have been told to do, get yourself a battery charger from a hardware store and recharge the battery that way.

The guys will probably have a fit and say that you need to charge your deep cycle battery on a slow trickle charge. So please take their advice.

I can only suggest purchasing a deep cycle battery you can afford and then seeing how many hours it gives you on the water so you can determine if you need to upgrade in the future.

Have fun with your selection process.      

[nick76]

Red.....

This seems like a simple question but, is actually more involved than you think.  You seem like you are set on a 30lb thrust?  Is that going to be enough for your boat (depends on size of boat, weight, and overall desire of performance)?  If it is.....then great.

You will definitely want a deep cycle battery for your trolling motor.  Just like SAM said you can get a million answers for this one.  If you are trying to stay inexpensive give Wal-Mart a shot.  They actually sell a pretty good deep cycle trolling battery.  I know many who have used them with nothing bad to say.  I use them as well.

As for a charger.....bought mine at a place called Tractor Supply.  Simple set-up.  Has a slow and fast setting on it.  I use the slow setting when I have enough time to charge it, or if I am in a hurry I use the fast setting.  I have not noticed any major effects on the battery....but I do get a better charge on the slow setting.

You will also need to talk wire at some time.  Come back when you get it.  As for running a fish finder....remember this- a deep cycle battery for trolling should be just for that.  If you are out on the lake and you are running many things off the same battery you are going to get less time on the lake.  In an emergency situation I would rather have too much battery only running one thing than not enough running multiple things.  Just my 2 cents.

[Way2slow]

Do a little homework before you buy anything.

For a Trolling motor, I would stronly suggest you look into the Digitals. Cabela's has the MotorGuide 45# Varimax Digital for $170. If your a MinnKota fan then look at the Traxxis 40 with Digital Maximizer. The reason for paying almost double to get a digital is it will greatly increase your run time from your battery as long as your partial thrust. When running at max thrust there's no big difference.

You've gotta remember run time on the water is only what the amp hour rating of the properly charged battery is and the amp draw the Trolling motor is putting on it. At half thrust the digitals are only drawing about half the current a standard TM is drawing, yet you're still getting the same speed. Jump out their and run on max speed and in less than two hours you will be paddling.

Think hard about what you want from a battery also. Run time only comes from one thing in a battery, the Amp Hour (aH) Capacity, PERIOD. Batteries that are going to give you the absolute max aH, thus run time are flooded cell batteries, the ones that have removable caps so you can add water. In the flooded cell batteries you are going to want a good brand with the highest amphour rating you can get. Typically a good Group 24 gives approx 80 aH, a Group 27 gives 105 aH and a group 31 gives 120 ah. In your case you will want to get a Deep Cycle only battery. One easy way to tell is if it has Cranking Amps on the label, it's not a true Deep Cycle, it's a dual purpose. Dual purpose will work, but for TM only use, the true Deep Cycle will last longer and give longer run times.

The batteries that are going to cost you the most and give you the least amount of run time are the AGM's. These are the ones like the Opitmax's. They also require a special charger designed to charge AGM batteries, which ain't all that bad because you need a good charger to get max life from your battery and good chargers usually have an AGM mode built into them.

For a charger. I would also recommend you try to stay away from the manual or the ones that just say Automatic. The main thing they are best at is cooking a battery if you forget to take it off at the end of the charge cycle and then forgetting to put it back on about once a month when not using the battery. If you get a good Intelligent or Smart charger, they have a digital controlled charge cycle and will drop into a float mode when the battery is fully charged. These can be left on the battery 24/7 and are by far the best for charging any battery.  You will see all kinds of recommendations on how to charge your battery, trickle, slow etc.  Amost ALL manufactors recommend a 1C charge to to properly charge a battery.  That means you should charge a 100 aH battery at 10 Amps.

Yep, all this will cost you a few dollars more, but will save you in the long run.

[sneaker]

I think W2S is right on regarding Maximizers and batterys. The maximizer will more than double your run time when at lower power settings cutting your battery costs in half for the same performance as a 5/3 speed motor.

If you have a boat over 12 ft long, I would recommend a 40 lb motor. The larger motor will draw the same battery current as the smaller one when operated at the same boat speed (because they are doing the same amount of work), but will have the extra power you will need when dealing with wind or load. The extra 40 bucks are worth it. I fish a 12 ft kayak and have used motors from 26 to 50 lb thrust. All push this light boat at the same max speed within +- .2 mph. I found the 50 is too heavy and the 26 too light.

[Red]

here is my boat, it only weighs 86lbs by itself.

[sneaker]

Here is a pic of my home made. I have more fun on the water than anyone I see (I think) and it has never seen 5 mph unless while on the truck. ' alt='>Here is a pic of my home made. I have more fun on the water than anyone I see (I think) and it has never seen 5 mph unless while on the truck. '>

[Red]

yeah most of the time i will be by myself, but occasionally i will have my buddy with my or one of my nephews.  they just cant wait, i see them in the back yard and they just get up in it and sit in the seats.

Cliff

[FD.]

wal-mart everstart 27dc-6.  Best money I have ever spent.  warmer just bought a pair last week and he loves them too.

[Red]

wal-mart everstart 27dc-6. Best money I have ever spent. warmer just bought a pair last week and he loves them too.

i looked at them today actually, plus they have a 40lb minn kota for $166 and a nice battery charger for $50.  looks like i can get everything i need in one spot!

[ww2farmer]

I have the same boat, I do just fine with a 30lb thrust Minn-Kota, and a Wal-mart everstart deepcycle (can't emember which one off the top of my head. One thing you'll want to do is take the screw out of the shaft that holds the top of the motor one, rotate the top 180 degrees and put the screw back in. Now you have a bow mount TM. Put the battery in the back in the little "tray" it has for it, and go to BPS, Gander MTN, or Cabelas and get a plug that you can put on the TM and will plug right in to the plug in the front. The boat steers better, and is soooooo much easier to postion with the TM on the bow. I weigh 320 lbs and with the battery and mat gear behind me, and me in the front the boat is balanced very well, and is rock solid for stability. I carge the battery with the same charger as I do with the TM on by bigger aluminum bass boat. wal sell them too, it's the Schumacher "ship to shore" portable marine charger.

Those boats are great. There alot of small places they can go I just can't get to with my 17' Bass Tracker. You'll love it. Never had 2 people in it though.

Before I bought my Bass Tracker I would take it out on bigger lakes, it's fine as long as the weather is good, and traffic is light and you don't need/want to run all over the lake. I once got caught out in some 2-3 footers in it, and made it back fine, just don' t make a habit out of it.

[bass or bass ?]

I use 2 top of the line Wal-Mart batteries. Cost@$60. Ihave them on a 1/2/both/off switch, and I also installed a fairly large (12"x18") solar battery charger  8-)on my boat, about 20" from the batteries. These batteries are great and I put the switch on "both" when the boat is sitting in my driveway so they recharge and stay fully charged between fishing trips. I just turn back enough of the boat cover to expose the solar charger. btw, my trolling motor is a MinnKota Edge 50# thrust. I also run a marine band radio, Sirius satellite radio, submersible lights, and my fishfinder and have never had a discharged battery ;D. I always use the battery switch to keep one battery as a dedicated starting battery and the other to run all my accessories .     Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~

[Red]

I have the same boat, I do just fine with a 30lb thrust Minn-Kota, and a Wal-mart everstart deepcycle (can't emember which one off the top of my head. One thing you'll want to do is take the screw out of the shaft that holds the top of the motor one, rotate the top 180 degrees and put the screw back in. Now you have a bow mount TM. Put the battery in the back in the little "tray" it has for it, and go to BPS, Gander MTN, or Cabelas and get a plug that you can put on the TM and will plug right in to the plug in the front. The boat steers better, and is soooooo much easier to postion with the TM on the bow. I weigh 320 lbs and with the battery and mat gear behind me, and me in the front the boat is balanced very well, and is rock solid for stability. I carge the battery with the same charger as I do with the TM on by bigger aluminum bass boat. wal sell them too, it's the Schumacher "ship to shore" portable marine charger.

Those boats are great. There alot of small places they can go I just can't get to with my 17' Bass Tracker. You'll love it. Never had 2 people in it though.

Before I bought my Bass Tracker I would take it out on bigger lakes, it's fine as long as the weather is good, and traffic is light and you don't need/want to run all over the lake. I once got caught out in some 2-3 footers in it, and made it back fine, just don' t make a habit out of it.

my boat is not the prewired model, so i dont have the little plug in the front.  so i guess i would have to put the battery in front as well, unless they sell some kinda of extension cables for the TM.  i have heard before that they are better with the TM in front.  that charger you mentioned is the one i was looking at too.

thanks

Cliff

[bass or bass ?]

Red, you can mount the battery where ever it is convenient and run wire from it to your motor. Use 6 guage wire from Home Depot, Lowe's or any hardware store. Add a marine grade circuit breaker in line and you're set to go.     Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S>~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~

[ww2farmer]

Cliff you can still, and should keep the battery in the back for balance. No big deal that you don't have the prewired model, just get some wire the same gauge as what the MK come with, and add on to the tm wires. Obviously use water proof butt-end conecters and heat shrink tubeing as well. I did this the first year I had the boat as I didn't buy the plug till year 2. The wires were never really in the way. That charger is a good charger, I am going on 5 years with it no problems. You'll be surprised how well the 30lb thrust move it. I see no need for bigger. Now if you had the 10 footer maybe, but the 30 is plenty for the 8.

A few more tips I have, when not in use keep the boat under cover or upside down, the pontoons are filled with foam, and  one good rain fills her up full past the seam water gets into the pontoons and thefoam soakes it up and then it gets very heavy, still floats like nothing is wrong, but man it can make it a chore to haul up/down a steep bank. And look in the little book that comes with it and order a couple extra plugs from Pelican, those little things are handy to have.

[bass or bass ?]

I have to dissagree with ww2farmer's advice concerning your extension wire. The guage of the wire the motor manufacturer supplied is intended only for the length they supplied with the motor. When you add distance to an electrical load , you also add resistance , therefore, you need to go to a smaller guage (larger diameter) wire to compensate for that extra resistance  . Use 6 guage and I assure you that you will have no problems ;D.     Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~

[ww2farmer]

I have to dissagree with ww2farmer's advice concerning your extension wire. The guage of the wire the motor manufacturer supplied is intended only for the length they supplied with the motor. When you add distance to an electrical load , you also add resistance , therefore, you need to go to a smaller guage (larger diameter) wire to compensate for that extra resistance . Use 6 guage and I assure you that you will have no problems ;D. Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~

Your right, when I did mine it was "temporary" till I bought the plug and used the pre-wired plug the boat came with.  I had no problems doing it my way, but seems as yours is not the pre wired boat, your set up will be more permanate.

[Red]

thanks for all the info guys, sure do appreciate it!!

Cliff