Non-Lithium Battery for TM Recommendations

[gunsinger]

Well, based on budget and input received regarding charging, I will end up buying 2 flooded 27 90ah batteries, a tray for the 2nd one and rig them in parallel. I’ll charge using the same plan I intended to use on the AGM’s.

 

I could only afford one AGM so I figure 2 90ah flooded in parallel is better than one 100ah AGM. 

[NHBull]

Size 31 Tanks are hard to beat and are often on sale.  I know guys with 7 years on theirs...I am going on year 5

[gm4511]

Your 5 amp charger is fine.  10 amps will charge faster but will generate more heat which reduces the life of the battery.  

https://federalbatteries.com.au/news/charging-absorbed-glass-mat-agm-battery

 

[Big Hands]

Having to do a deep dive into 'battery world' every so often has revealed to me that the the landscape is constantly evolving. But generally speaking, there are two major battery manufacturers in the USA. Those are what used to be called Johnson Controls and has somewhat recently been purchased by a brand now known as Clarios. The second major manufacturer in the USA is East Penn, There are others like Exide, but their market share is much smaller than the two aforementioned manufacturers. 

 

Optima started out as an independent brand, but eventually sold out to Johnson Controls (now 'Clarios') and manufacturing was moved to Mexico. 

 

Once you start researching the 'big two' you begin to notice that you can see just by looking who the manufacturer by the case on the battery. What I found interesting is that, even with 'deep cycle' batteries, the various brands that slap their own label on these batteries often use different ways to rate the output, making direct comparisons a little fuzzy. 

 

Prices can vary significantly for what appears to be the same battery depending on where you purchase the battery, and in some cases the warranty may more . . . generous.

 

A decent case can be made in favor of going with the Ever Start flooded deep cycle batteries from Walmart. The cost of acquire them is certainly hard to beat to put it mildly. In most locations, they are from Clarios (although I have read reports of people finding East Penn batteries at Walmart, but I haven't personally seen them there). Of course, longevity is dependent on many factors, one of them being how well they are maintained, stored, and charged. Many people get several years out of them, and if you have one go bad, there is usually a Walmart close by to get it replaced. 

 

For me, the other best option would be to go with an AGM manufactured by East Penn. Their house brand is Deka, and they also supply AGM's under the Duracell, some of the Super Start AGM's (sold at O'Reilly auto parts) and several other retailers. With some retailers like Napa, they will sell a certain battery in one area made by Clarios, and in another part of the country sell the same 'size/spec' battery made by East Penn depending on what distribution channels work best for them. For my boat, I needed to use Group 27 deep cycle due to size constraints. I initially replaced a failing Interstate flooded battery with a (East Penn made) Super Start AGM (from O'Reilly) that sold last summer for $209 (currently $219.99) with a 12 month warranty. A few days later, I decided to replace my other battery that was also over 4 years old, and found the same AGM sold at Sams Club with a Duracell label for $50 less and came with an 18 month warranty. 

 

Since AGM batteries are sealed, they do not require you to add water to them and in that sense are considered 'maintenance free'. AGM batteries also have a better reputation for longevity, and that has been my experience, however anecdotal that may be. 

 

So, my conclusion is that the two best choices for the money for me would be to go with either:

 

a) Ever Start Group 29 deep cycle (flooded) rated at 845 MCA @ $89.97 with a 12 month warranty

 

or

 

b) Duracell Group 27 deep cycle (AGM) rated at 900 MCA @ $168.44 with an 18 month warranty

[Bdnoble84]

What about these. Anyone have any experience here?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

On 5/19/2022 at 3:29 PM, J Francho said:

My last two boats had Optimas and they worked flawlessly.

Is the optima a good choice for a cranking/electronics battery? My tracker cranking battery went dead one day on me and that’s without lights, live well etc. 

[A-Jay]

5 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Is the optima a good choice for a cranking/electronics battery? My tracker cranking battery went dead one day on me and that’s without lights, live well etc. 

I run a 31M Blue top for cranking/electronics/Talons

Serves me well.

A-Jay

 

[Woody B]

My tracker had a group 24 cranking battery that was always going dead.  I had 2 sonar units on it, but usually no pumps, lights ect.  I bought a lithium trolling motor battery and use my the group 24, and group 27 Interstates that came in my boat for cranking now.  

 

I understand budget considerations.  However, the sting from the price on my lithium battery is gone by now.  When my group 24/group 27 cranking combo goes bad I'll go with lithium for cranking too.   

[J Francho]

On 6/25/2022 at 8:18 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Is the optima a good choice for a cranking/electronics battery? My tracker cranking battery went dead one day on me and that’s without lights, live well etc. 

Yep, should be no problem. Get a good charger for sure. I like Dual Pro.