Trolling Motor Batteries?

[Moose1am]

I'll tell you the answer to that question if and when my Optima Dies. Which I hear is twice the lifetime of the other batteries?

So if the marketing guys are right then I will pay only once for a battery that lasts twice as long as the others. If that is the case then I guess I will be the winner.

My Optima's are still going strong and that's the only thing that matters to me at this time.

If they last me 6 years then I will be happy with that. I only paid about 120 bucks. If you paid $70 for your battery and they only last half as long as my optimas then I would have saved 20 bucks over what you did for the entire lifetime of my optimas.

It all depends on how many hours of operation each battery gives to the fisherman. That's something that we both have to figure in.

How many hours or operation will each battery give to us over it's lifetime. Heavy use will deplete the battery faster than casual usage. So the number of years that each last is very dependant on how many times it's been drained and recharged over those years.

I do know this. I have talked to people who own large fleets of heavy duty trucks and they use the Optimas in their fleet. These are businessmen who know how to get the most out of their batteries. They buy in huge quantities of batteries and they purchased Optimas.. not the other brand. So I am banking that they are right and that my Optimas will last twice as long as the other brand but won't cost twice as much. They may coast 1.5 as much and give me twice the number of operating hours. That's a deal I can't pass up!

PS: I have had my boat for over 25 years and have gone though a lot of different type deep cycle and regular batteries over those years. None lasted me over 3 years. Maybe I didn't keep them charged up over the winter months or didn't add the right quality of water to them during the hot summer months. But with my Optimas I don't have to worry about adding water or having them turn over and leak. And the lead plates don't fail nearly as much due to vibration as the old batteries I use to buy. I used a lot of Marine Deep Cycle type batteries in the past so I have enough experience with them.

But when you depend on your battery to get you back home on a trolling motor only lake I would recommend getting a Optima Battery. It will get the job done right.

My everstarts hold a charge during the winter, not a perfect 100% charge. but hey if yours last 6 years and mine last 4 or 5 who got the better deal overall. Price+waranty+24 hour service anytime+1 year free replacement= around $70
What does yours cost?

[Newlight]

Moose, where is your dealer located? If these are as good as you claim we'll all be using them in 4-5 years because of their price/longevity advantage and even WalMart will be stocking them soon if you are correct from the demand. So you gave $120 for two batteries - one deep cycle and one starting?

[VMAXX]

Optimas and Everstarts are made by the same manufactuer....Johnson controls, the spiral wound agm batts are sub contracted to a company called Banner in Austria, nobody should have to worry about a battery turning over while runnning down the lake if your battery is not secure your taking a chance of a damaging your hull or worse(fire). Deep cycle batteries regardless of brand have a life expectancy they will only be drawn down and recharged a number of time, before they start having capacity loss,....even if your charger tells you their 100% try running a load on them and see if they have the same reserve capacity that the sticker says,I'll bet not. Likewise deep cycle marine batteries are built with heaveir plates to withstand the abuse they get(vibration and pounding)Optimas are built good so are Everstart marine batts. but without proper maint. none will live their expected lifetime.

Johnson Controls Inc. [Sears' DieHard, Auto Zone's Duralast, Wal*Mart's EverStart, Motorcraft, Optima, etc. ], (US)

[Moose1am]

I paid about $120 for EACH Battery. One is a deep cycle/starter Combination type Optima Blue Top. The other is Deep Cycle Blue Top Optima.

I got mine at the Auto Parts store on Morgan and Stockwell Road. Autozone or AutoParts is the name of that store.

Autozone in Newburgh also has them now. And I've noticed that at Sam's Wholesale Store on Burkhardt Rd there are similar Spiral Cell type Six pack batteries for sale. The price may come down in the future after their patent runs out.

It's the way the lead is wrapped around in a circle or spiral that gives this design the advantage over regular lead acid batteries.

If you are fishing a tournament and have to recharge your batteries at the end of the first day the Optiama will charge back up faster than other batteries due to their design. They have less internal resistance to being charged.

I have not had one problem with my Optima for over 4 years now. I'll have to look at my credit card records to find out exactly when I bought these batteries.

I want to make sure that my boat batteries are in good shape when I need them as I fish by myself a lot. I also do some night fishing and need something very dependable that will last me at night.

Moose, where is your dealer located? If these are as good as you claim we'll all be using them in 4-5 years because of their price/longevity advantage and even WalMart will be stocking them soon if you are correct from the demand. So you gave $120 for two batteries - one deep cycle and one starting?

[Moose1am]

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...ig/splash.html


Thanks for that information. Johnson has purchased a lot of companies that deal in sports and the outdoors.

When a regular battery the plates are just hanging there and there is a large space between each plate. There is nothing really in between the plates to secure them well.

With the optima there is a the plates are wrapped around in a cylinder shape with a fiberglass matrix between the plates. Each cell is in the shape of a cylinder and then they put six cells together. It resembles a six pack of beer if you look at it from the top view.

Optimas and Everstarts are made by the same manufactuer....Johnson controls, the spiral wound agm batts are sub contracted to a company called Banner in Austria, nobody should have to worry about a battery turning over while running down the lake if your battery is not secure your taking a chance of a damaging your hull or worse(fire). Deep cycle batteries regardless of brand have a life expectancy they will only be drawn down and recharged a number of time, before they start having capacity loss,....even if your charger tells you their 100% try running a load on them and see if they have the same reserve capacity that the sticker says,I'll bet not. Likewise deep cycle marine batteries are built with heavier plates to withstand the abuse they get(vibration and pounding)Optimas are built good so are Everstart marine batts. but without proper maint. none will live their expected lifetime.

Johnson Controls Inc. [Sears' DieHard, Auto Zone's Duralast, Wal*Mart's EverStart, Motorcraft, Optima, etc. ], (US)

[phoenix]

I get 5 yrs from AC Delco Voyagers 27series. Have a set of Dekas now and not very satisfied with them. I think my next ones will be Voyagers. They are a sealed battery, never need water , and never any terminal corrosion.But they too have increased in price over the years, but what hasn't.

[Monarkman]

Some everstarts are also made by exide. Earlier in the year I was looking at the Maxx 29's at the Florence store and noticed that some of the cases were different. Some were made by johnson controls and some by exide. Now all the Maxx 29's they carry are exide made and have a solid black case instead of the bright yellow.

[flippinstick]

So what do I need to look for when purchasing batteries? Reserve Amps, Amp Hours, Reserve Minutes. Whats the deference between all of this?

[VMAXX]

So what do I need to look for when purchasing batteries? Reserve Amps, Amp Hours, Reserve Minutes. Whats the deference between all of this?

Try this site,you can learn just about everything about a battery that you want to know...and don't want to know! LOL
Basiclly you want the biggest you can get away with(physical size,weight,cost) the more capacity you have the longer it will run before it is discharged.It's kinda like asking what brand truck do you drive you'll get 10 different arguements,the optima's and the other AGM batts. are nice but a little pricey for me and I've had zero problems out of my everstarts but thats my .02

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq7.htm

[billm_usa1]

I have the walmart Max 29 There is an 18 month free replacement which gets you thru this season as well as next. The everstart is a 12 month which really only would get you thru this season. The MAX was $67 ea with core.

[Newlight]

Try this site,you can learn just about everything about a battery that you want to know...and don't want to know! LOL
Basiclly you want the biggest you can get away with(physical size,weight,cost) the more capacity you have the longer it will run before it is discharged.It's kinda like asking what brand truck do you drive you'll get 10 different arguements,the optima's and the other AGM batts. are nice but a little pricey for me and I've had zero problems out of my everstarts but thats my .02

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq7.htm

I agree. I have to replace three batteries and that's a chunk of change when I do it. I always check my batteries with a hydrometer for the exact specific gravity before switching the charger off. I hit the lake 2-3 times a week now that I'm retired so its even more important that I take good care of them.

[flippinstick]

Now that I bought my batteries what is the best procedure to get the max life out of them?
1) Plug them in to my on board charger and leave them plugged in and let them set at a float on the charger?
2) Go out and plug them in every few days
They will get used (fished) about 1 time a week thats it.