Greetings, time for new batteries and wondering if I should use an AGM for the starting and electronics (2 Humminbird Helix, one with SIs) and regular 27 lead acids for the trolling motor (MinnKota Terrova with iPilot), just to keep thecost down. I fish once a week or so from a 2004 Skeeter SX190 with a Yamaha V-Max 150.

Thanks,

Scott

If the batteries are easy to get to to keep the water topped off, I would not think it would matter. I just went to 31 series AGM's in my Champion bass boat because getting to the batteries to put water in them was a huge PITA, and I ruined the batteries that were on it by letting them go dry. I topped them off and kept my charger hooked up all the time and they dried up and went bad in less than three months.

AGM's mean just one less thing I have to worry about.

Wayne

Scott, your thinking would be correct on going with AGM for starting/main battery use and flooded cell for the TM. AGM shines for cranking amps and having a sealed case. AGM typically doesn't offer any more deep-cycle capability in a TM application. The flooded batteries tend to run just a bit lighter than AGM technology. If you want to simplify and reduce effort for the task of adding distilled water to flooded cell batteries, you could use what is called a "battery watering system". This is an assortment of replacement battery caps with fittings and tubing to fill up to 12 battery cells from a single tube with a primer bulb on it. The fittings that replace the caps are designed to insure that no cell is overfilled. It resolves the issues of difficult to access batteries, and makes the job much simpler. This is technology used in large back-up battery banks that has been around a long time. Flow-rite makes and sells such a system. I happen to have a spare set I would sell as well.

Why not stop cooking your batteries to death? If you put your battery charger on a 24-hour timer and have it kick on for an hour a day, it will keep your batteries topped off and won't boil them dry. Low-tech thinking. ....IslandJim.....

I agree with not keeping the charger active 24/7 for a number of reasons. The reality is that a well designed charger connected to good batteries properly maintained won't boil them out. But, those are tall assumptions in some cases, so caution is warranted. I also know two who had a garage fire due to charger/battery issues.

Thank you all for the feedback.

lurenthewind - I have the same issue with watering, three of the six cells on each battery are hard to get to.

Flippin-out - I'll look into a watering system. Do you keep it "flooded" all the time?

IslandJim - the batteries are 10 year-old. Stayed on a Dual Pro charger all the time when I wasn't on the water and were topped off once a year. That said, I'll look into a timer.

10 years old!!!! That is waaaaaay past the normal life for a flooded cell battery!

You're not as surprised as I am, bronco71,

As much money as you make just get a bigger boat with more room .

The battery watering system is basically a bunch of tubing connected with special replacement caps for the battery cells. These caps won't allow any cell to be overfilled. A tube and primer bulb attaches to the tube assembly so you can just put the tube end into a container of distilled water and pump the bulb until it begins to get firm, at which point you have added water to all cells, not too much, and not too little. You can then put away the filler tube and bulb - you're done. Pretty simple!

That battery water tender is just what I need for my cranking battery. What I really need to do is swap battery and charger locations. I have a Minn Kota 3 bank digital charger and it is supposed to go in to maintenance mode but I still unplug it after about 24 hours. I have also have a Minn Kota alternator charger. I can fish most of the day and even with short runs get home and trolling motor batteries show 100% on my Minn Kota battery tender.

Here is what one looks like. They are pretty cool in that they never overfill any cell, but correctly top off all cells. A float/valve assembly replaces each cap to make that happen so you fill all from the one tube with the primer bulb.
Battery Watering System

Yeah, right...

Saw a new Ranger at Cabella's the other day for a measly $86,000. I should get two.

So you looked at a cheap stripped down model

That is pretty ingenious. So all three of my lead acid battries are sealed, no way to add water.Just buy those ????