Batteries

[Tim_T]

yeah, i've known Harry since I was a kid and still fish with him a couple times a year. I grew up down the street from him and he is a real good guy. Honest and fair. I'm not trying to sell batteries for him, they really are IMO the best. My uncle runs Taylor Battery which sells Deka but I am a Superlex fan.

LOL I coached Kevin in Little League Baseball (man I am old). Good people!

[Fisherjoe]

I've always had good luck with Sears Die Hard and Interstates. Have never experienced any of them breaking unless I dropped them. I run them hard and both brands hold up for several years.

Joe

[jeremys]

I have a used Red top optima that I've had for 5yrs and on 3 different vehicles so I'm really a believer in them.

[Duayne]

As for getting a motor that can help extend your time on the water, go with a 24 volt. I've had Minn Kotas for as long as I can remember and they've always treated me right. I am sure the motor guides are fine as well, just designed different. Both will have several models in different price ranges with different features. I'd define the features you must have, the ones you might would like to have, then go to their sites and check them out. But the main point you need to consider is a 24 volt system is MUCH more efficient than a 12. Close to twice as efficient when it comes to power lost by heat.

As for batteries, many brands are made in the same factories. There is sometimes a difference with regard to materials used but sometimes not. I use Decas but I'm not gonna tell you it's the best battery made. I can get them from the factory outlet close to Louisville at a really good price, so for me they are probably the best battery for the money. More times than not, if I didn't get good life out of one, I can usually trace it back to something stupid I did like forgetting to plug the charger in and running them down or not checking the water level enough. It's my opinion that most batteries will take care of me about as much as I take care of them. Some have defects, and if you can find a chart on the % of defective batteries per model, you'd be in business with making a wise choice. I simply take my chances with the decas and hope for the best. I've only had one that I'd say was defective and I've probably bought 20 or more over the years.

[fishinfreak]

I have a minn Kota right now but it's on a 12 volt system. What would it cost to put it on a 24 volt system?

[Duayne]

I apologize.. I read your post as if you were getting a new trolling motor AND new batteries. If what you have is a 12 volt, it can't be changed unless you replace the motor and that wasn't in the scope of what you really were asking about. You could run two batteries in parallel and get close to twice your time on the water with it. In that case you are doubling the available current (amps) instead of doubling the available potential (volts). Many people do this with great success and I've done it with my first bass boat.
You won't gain the efficiency of a 24 volt system. That gain, in simple physics terms, comes from the power formula and current loss to heat. P=V*A If you double the voltage, you only require half the current for the same amount of power. With using half the current for the same amount of power the amount of power lost to heat is cut in half as well. There are other factors like wire size and connection quality, but this is just to give you an idea of how a 24 volt system improves efficiency.

For you, if you want to double what you have now, get two IDENTICAL batteries for the trolling motor instead of one. Get a good quality short red battery cable and a good short black one. Make sure you get the right terminal connectors on your cables. Hook the two positives together with the red cable, along with your motor's positive cable. Hook the black cable to the two negative terminals of the batteries along with the TM's negative cable. As simple as that, you've almost doubled your time on the water.

[fishinfreak]

Thanks for the help

[alycat]

i use Everstart batteries never had a problem and if I do there is always a wally mart around to take care of it. And I have a 24volt system and have only changed batteries twice in the last eight years.

[GeoFisher]

Another quick point on motors...........the PCM (digital controlled) motors are much better on energy usage than the analog controlled motors.

If the motor has 5 unique settings instead of a variable speed control it is more than likely analog.

PCM sends pulses of energy where analog uses the same energy for setting 1 or setting 5......but for setting 1, it bleeds the excess off as heat........NOT completely true, but it wastes quite a bit of energy.

Later,

Geo

[IFISH2]

I have run several brands over the years. Optimas used to be better than now I think. Ran them in two previous boats. I have done lots of research and now I am sold on Sears Platinum Marine PM 1's. They are made by Odyssey. Cant be matched being AGM, Cold Cranking amps and reserve capacity. Have 4 new ones waiting on the boat to come in.

[wamp]

How many of brands do you think are made at the same location and the only the name lable changes---you may be suprised

[kydonky]

How many of brands do you think are made at the same location and the only the name lable changes---you may be suprised

Products made in a common factory under different brand names may have very different specifications and quality. This may include battery manufactorers.

A prime example is MTD mowers. MTD manufactors several brands of mowers, Cub Cadet, Craftsman, MTD, Bolens, Yard Man etc. However they do manufactor these mowers according to the brand specifications. So a Cub Cadet lawn tractor is built to Cub Cadet specifications in the MTD plant. The Yard Man tractor is built in the same factory but to the Yard Man specs. Yard Man parts will not necessarily fit a Cub Tractor.

I usually buy the highest reserve capacity battery I can find at the lowest cost. I don't like maintenance free batteries because they can still boil out and then you cannot add water or acid. I keep them charged but I don't over charge them. My onboard charger may be plugged in over a couple of days but I don't leave it charging for weeks or months.

Another good thing about deep cycle batteries is that just about all of them are made in the good ole USA.