Charging deep cycle batteries

[jfw]

Is it best to put my battery charger on 10 amp or 2 amp when I charge my deep cycle battery?

Thanks in advance

[rustedhook]

Is it best to put my battery charger on 10 amp or 2 amp when I charge my deep cycle battery?

Thanks in advance

10 Amp

[first2fish]

I have always been told that its best if you have the time to charge deep cycle batts on 2 amp for a better charge. If your in a hurry charge on 10 amp. And remember as soon as you can after a trip to recharge deepcycle batts and they will last much longer.

[peter]

I just bought 1 schumacher charger yesterday and two Battery Tender chargers today.
They guy from Schumacher just told me on the phone to use the higher amp setting (12) for deep cycles because this charger is controlled by a microprocessor which is unlike the older chargers. As you had heard I was told in the past that charging it at a lower amp rate was better but took more time. ...so where does that leave the topic....with a lot of questions I suppose. Maybe it now depends on the charger.

That is weird because Battery Tender charger is only 5 amps and that is what they recomend for deep cycle batteries. These chargers are more for periods of low use like winter storage or using the battery every few days and put the battery in sort of a state of suspended animation--neither charging or discharging--after the battery is brought up to full charge. They say it is not a trickle charger and not an on and off charger with high and low voltage limits controlling the on and off's.

That's all I know. Hope it works better than just paying a ton of money for a battery at the marina when the battery goes totally dead which has been my strategy so far.

[Panfish Man]

This is a question that I would love to get the answer to. I charged with 10 amp for a long time, and kept burning up batteries. I have been going with 2amp this season and everything is working out so far, takes a lot longer. I just would like to make sure I'm getting the most out of my batteries. I know that I check my fluids every couple charges, very important. Everything you read, seems like a bunch of mixed results.

[DJD]

I would contact a battery company and ask them and please post the recommendations. My uneducated opinion is an occasional high amp charge would be good for the battery plates. It could help clean them of any junk from the slow charges.

[slobslayer]

I have always been told that its best if you have the time to charge deep cycle batts on 2 amp for a better charge. If your in a hurry charge on 10 amp. And remember as soon as you can after a trip to recharge deepcycle batts and they will last much longer.

Agree 100%. I follow this strategy and have had very good luck with batteries. If you can store your batteries in your basement or somewhere out of the cold temps over winter it will help the life of them a lot.