Trolling motor battery selection

[airborne_angler]

Can anyone help me choose a trolling motor battery for my 10" Jon Boat? I fish a 125 acre lake and have several batteries to choose from with different ratings and prices. What would a good all around battery be for this little boat on this lake. I dont want something that will leave me stranded out on the lake half way through the day,But im also not looking for a Cadillac of Batteries. Something in between that will last me from say 10 am until 7-8 pm,with the motor running off and on during the day. I plan on recharging every night when I return from the lake

[tennwalkinghorse]

That's hard to say don't know how many amps you are drawing I use two type 27 180 AH rated but buy the biggest battery that will fit for me that is the 27 I like Interstate batteries but that is a matter of choice JMHO I have a fully decked 14' Jon

[moloch16]

For a day that long I'd say a type 27 battery is what you want.  I like Delco Voyager batteries, they are more expensive but well worth the extra money.  You can tell the difference between a Voyager and Wal-mart battery immediately.

Whatever you get make sure you maintain the battery correctly and it will last for years and years.

1.  Charge the battery immediately after each use.

2.  Charge occasionally during the off months.

3.  Don't store the battery where it gets really, really hot.

4.  Use the lowest possible amps when charging.

[lv2fish]

Why do you use the lowest amps to charge?  Do you ever add water to a deep cycle battery?  Is there any way to bring a battery back that appears to be on its last leg?

[Way2slow]

He uses the lowest amps because he doesn't know that's not good for the battery and can lead to stratification, which seriously damages the cells. The battery should be charged at 10% of it's rated amp hour capacity. That's approx 8 amps for most group 24's, 10 amps for 27's and 12 amps for 30/31's.

You must maintain proper water level and only add water after the battery has been fully charged, unless it's below the cells, then add just enough to cover the cells to charge the battery.

As for bringing a battery that appears to be on it's last leg back. Depends on what's wrong with it. If the cells are deteriated from stratification, deep discharges, overcharging or lack of water, they are pretty much junk. If the cells are sulphated from letting it sit in a discharged state, a high frequency conditioner/maintainer like the Battery Minder can restore it back to it's full potential but it will take a month or two.

If I was going to try and run only one battery, I would get the Trojan SCC 225. You will want a group 30/31 battery that has 120 - 130 amp hour capacity. Bear in mind, this is going to be one heavy *ss battery. Don't waste your money on Optima's or most other AGM batteries, they will not give you anywhere near the runtime a good flooded cell battery gives.

No matter what battery you get, you WILL NOT be able to use you high speed settings on the TM and expect the battery to last all day, don't care what size TM you plan to use. If you get one of the digital TM's (with fully variable speed control) they will give you a hellava lot more run time at partial speed settings than the TM's that have a set number of speed settings.

[moloch16]

Looks like I may have been wrong about charging at lower amps. A lot of batteries prefer a slow charge at low amps (i.e your cordless drill) but it seems Way2slow is right that larger deep cycle batteries like a fast charge at higher amps.

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm#Battery%20Charging

I thought I read that if you take a battery down to nearly empty then a slow charge at low amps is best, can Way2slow comment? Also, if the battery is on it's last leg a slow charge at low amps may help with the sulphation.

I'm just regurgitating what I've learned over the years I'd like to hear more from Way2slow he seems well versed!

[Way2slow]

You should never run a battery below 30% charge.  Deep drains on the battery greatly shortens it's life.  The average battery gives say, 200 cycles when run down to 30%  may give 500 cycles when only discharged to 50%.  Now, these are only examples so don't get real picky about the numbers.   Run one all the way down to zero, it may not give 100 cycles.  A cycle is a discharge and recharge.

You want to maintain enough current going through the battery for bubbles to form in the electrolite.  The rising bubbles keep the electrolite mixed so the acid can't concentrate in the bottom and only have water in the top (stratification).  That's why it's important not to use a low amperage like the 2 amps many seem to think is best.  

No regular charger is going to get rid of sulphation, don't care what amperage you use or how long you charge it.   Some of the high frequency chargers will.  I know the Battery Minder will because I've been using them for several years and have reclaimed a number of batteries.   I seldom use my van and the battery in it had gotten down to 430 CCA from just sitting.  After six weeks on a Battery Minder Plus, it's back up to 780 CCA.  

[noway]

EverStart group 27 at Walmart. $62.00.  (Battery is made by Johnson Controls).

[lv2fish]

are they any good

[noway]

are they any good

I've been using them for years. Good performance. There really is only a few companies that make batteries. Johnson Controls has been around a long time.

...Johnson Controls now supplies original equipment batteries for leading automakers, including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. A stable of leading battery brands, including DieHard, Duralast, Interstate, ProStart, and Everstart, along with others, all bear Johnson Controls signature. Aftermarket service is also important, and customers represented in this segment of the market include AutoZone, Interstate Battery, Sears, Wal-Mart, and Costco...

http://www.themanufacturer.com/us/profile/204/Johnson_Controls?PHPSESSID=c88bc

[airborne_angler]

They were all out of the group 27 Everstart at my local Wal Mart,so I went with a group 29 Everstart Maxx for $79. More than I wanted to spend,but its all that was available. It may be overkill,but its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!!

[noway]

They were all out of the group 27 Everstart at my local Wal Mart,so I went with a group 29 Everstart Maxx for $79. More than I wanted to spend,but its all that was available. It may be overkill,but its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!!

After re-reading your initial post, I assume the trolling motor is the only means of propulsion.  If that's the case, more is better.  Good choice.

I'm not a big proponent of Walmart but, with the prices of some deep cycle batteries at $200 +, common sense plays a big part.  Hell, the Pros on tour shop there all the time because there's a Walmart in just about every town.

[airborne_angler]

Yes, the TM is the main method of propulsion on my Jon Boat. The HP limit at the lake I fish is 8 HP so alot of people choose to use TM's only. You rarely ever see decked out Rangers ,Trackers or Skeeters out there,Sometimes those even get kicked off the water for having to large of a motor.