Boat Batteries

Having to replace 2 of my batteries. I was curious what batteries yall use and which ones give the biggest bang for the buck. Thanks for your input.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/duracell...31dtmagm/prod3590232?xid=plp_product_1_1

Best bang for your buck. They put them on sale often at $20 off.

Everstart Group 31 series at Wal Mart $89, just change them out every 2 years and you will never ever have another battery problem.

Duracell 31 AGM from Sam's club

duracell is the best bang for the buck that i have used. I have only used the lead acid ones just keep water in them.
the AGM they will be my next purchase just so i dont have to add water anymore.
they may be better batteries but not at the same price point.

Is the duracell AGM a good cranking battery for a Yamaha Sho 250 4 stroke? I've read some and some say it's too much battery for a 4 stroke.

say WHAT? .....like free lunches.....thar' ain't no such thing as "too much battery"! ....What you get is lots of "save your butt" juice stored in that battery if you've been running accessories too long for a typical battery to start the outboard.. If you're lucky, the big AGM will still get it done.

When you say "replacing two" is that two for a 24V TM, or 2 of the 3 for a 36V TM? I ask because it is best to replace all in a series connection at the same time. This is because any remaining battery (batteries) will eventually begin to fail, dishing out more abuse of the newer battery(or batteries). Overall, you'll be happier with a set at the same age, whether it's a set of 2 or 3. Just to be clear, a standalone starting battery isn't part of a "set" as it isn't connected to the TM batteries.

Been getting 4 years out of the Everstarts. I replace because I get nervous, not because they quit performing.

What do they mean by too much I wonder? It supplies 12 volts at 800 amps cold cranking with lots of capacity for powering sonars, pumps, lights and such. The one in my boat is 2 years old and still doing great.

Assuming you're replacing 2 trolling batteries, not cranking. I use the group 29 everstart marine maxx for a 36 volt trolling motor. I usually get 2.5-3 years out of them. $100 each and there's a wal-mart at every exit on the highway.

This is what you want.

Replacement every two years......forget that. Too much taking them in and out every two years. Not for me.

I'm looking to replace all three of my batteries, currently in running two 27 Napa batteries on my TM and on 24 as my cranking battery. I'm looking for input..

deka or duracell, same battery, same co. makes both.

I went with deka, 3/27s and a 24.

We use an Odyssey 2150 for a Merc 300 v8. Puts out over 1100 cca and 2150 pulse cranking amps. One of the best dual purpose batteries made

I had 2 batteries go bad...one was on the trolling motor side and the other was my cranking battery. I have already decided to go ahead and replace all 3 for the reasons you have stated. Great input..thanks.

Your boat size, outboard size, and amount of boat accessories (such as how much electronics) play into what battery is "enough". For a big boat that can take the weight, it is hard to beat a Group 31 AGM battery. It has the MCAs that meet spec for the big Mercs, and a nice deep cycle reserve to boot. I agree with many here that the Sam's Club AGM Marine battery is hard to beat for the price. You may not need a Group 31 in your application. For TM use, I don't feel there's as much of an advantage for AGM, but some are willing to pay the extra to never have to check the electrolyte level in batteries. Stored energy-wise, the Sam's AGM is no better for TM use than their traditional "low maintenance" marine battery also available at a very good price.

I just put two of the Sam's Club AGM's on my boat for my trolling motor. Only down side is 70 lbs each. I thought I was going to have to have help lifting them in there. 140 lbs right on the back of my boat just in front of the 600 lb motor.

Wayne

If weight was your concern (69#, not 70#), you could have gotten the same energy (for deep cycle, 105 AH) from the lighter weight wet-cell batteries Sam's sells. Those are 60#. The AGM doesn't give any advantage to TM use other than no electrolyte check needed; that AGM has the same deep cycle profile as the wet-cell.

Go 31 on your cranking!

Walmart Everstart MAXX are impossible to beat for the price, go with the biggest that will fit it your boat.

Super Start brand from O'Reilly Auto are East Penn batteries which is who makes Deka and Duracell. Same exact batteries with same specs. Check out 34MAGM, 27MAGM, and AGM31DT. Or for starting 24MS or 27MS. Been using for years with great success.

Reason I went with AGM was that I ruined the flooded batteries by letting them go dry. I know, MY BAD, but, I topped all three batteries (cranker and two trolling batteries) on the same day. When the trolling batteries went dry and were ruined, I checked the cranking battery and it needed no water at all. It had only been about 2 or 3 months since I had filled them. I have no idea why the trolling batteries went dry so quickly. They were a PITA to fill because of their location, so now I have AGM's. One less thing that I have to do and at the burden of extra weight, I went from 27's to 31's.

Wayne

I bought these four years ago. They are still going strong. My best experience ever with batteries.

Ok...So I bought the Duracell batteries. On the front it states “starting and cycling”. Is this a dual purpose battery used for starting the engine and also a deep cycle battery for the trolling motor side? Also...when I install them should I go ahead and hook them up to the charger for maintenance reasons or wait until I use them for the first time?

No, that battery won't do squat as a trolling motor battery. It's AGM, and that's about it as it's the smallest weakest AGM offered at Sam's Club.
When you see a lot of guys here speak about "get the AGM at Sam's" they are implying the BIG battery - Group 31, a real beast compared to the Group 34 you bought.

Labels aren't where you find the real application match - you have to look at the specs.
You haven't said what motor you're cranking with the battery, and that matters a lot. The specs of that battery are under what Mercury specifies for a number of their outboards. You need to look at the manual for your outboard to see what the minimum cranking amps is, usually expressed as "MCA" (Marine Cranking Amps). That battery has 890.

You never said (though I keep asking) about how much electronics you have. A Group 34 may meet your starting spec, but there's a reason a lot of us run a Group 31 AGM, and the difference is HUGE (not just "3").

For Trolling motor: What motor do you have? volts and pounds thrust? This matters. Unless you're in a jon boat, I wouldn't even try a Group 34 battery. That one is only rated at 55 AH (amp hours) at the traditional 20 amp rate category. A group 27 deep cycle battery on the other hand has from 80-95 AH. Reserve minutes is another good way to compare for deep cycle use. The group 34 has a puny 120 reserve minutes compared to 175 for the Group 27 battery in the same family. The wet cell Duracell Group 27 Deep Cycle battery is only $82, and has a Reserve Capacity of 175 minutes. 175 for $82 or 120 for $120 where more minutes is better. Group 34 AGM is not where it's at for your TM.

Batteries should always be charged before use. They are never shipped with a full charge, and they lose some of what they do have while sitting on the shelf. Unless you have a small boat, at least two of those 34s really should go back. Get a Group 27, AGM or not. My opinion is that for TM use, the extra $ for AGM is no bonus other than no need to check electrolyte every 2-3 months.

Ok....My engine is a Yamaha 200 hp vmaxx and my trolling motor is the ultrex 24 volt 80 pound thrust. So what would you recommend?

I also plan on installing a hummingbird 360 up front and a solix 10 at the dash.

Whatever battery you get make sure you charge them back up as soon as you get back from fishing....I have the on board charger plugged in almost all the time at home to keep them topped up.. and have 2- 2014 and 2 2015 walmart batteries with about 175 trips with an average of 5-6 miles trolling....that's how you get the most out of a battery...technically you should not go below 50% charge on each battery before charging up full again...one of them doesn't hold a charge as good anymore and use it just for accessories now...you really need to get a starter battery for cranking the engine and deep cycles for the trolling for a bass boat with multiple batteries..dual purpose batteries do half a good of job for cranking life and half a good of job for constant amp pull of trolling...

I say get the Sam's Group 31 AGM for the main boat battery. You want to be able to start that outboard after running 2 sonar units all day along with livewell pumps, etc. You might get by with the Group 27 AGM, but you'll have a lot of peace of mind with the Group 31 (instead of the Group 34 you had). For the TM, you should be just fine with 2 of the Group 27 Deep Cycle batteries (the black ones). Those are ~$83, have good specs, and will save you some $ and a few pounds vs. the Goup 31s that I think would be unnecessary for the TM. You will need to check the wet-cell batteries every couple of months for electrolyte level to learn if you can go a little longer between checks. (Only used distilled water in them, and learn what the proper fill level is if you aren't familiar with how battery filling works.) The ones I have with an 80# thrust motor can go 3-4 months between checks, with my particular charger. You don't want a charger that's going to "boil them out" as that ruins batteries.

Update: I did learn that Yamaha is "playing it safe" in saying don't use anything other than conventional flooded cell batteries with their outboards. I view this as more of a CYA to weasel out of any unpredictable issues. My personal choice would be to go with the AGM anyway. If someone here knows that yammys have an issue with AGM, please speak up.....

I did find the minimum battery specs provided by yammy for a 200hp 2-stroke:
380 CCA (502 MCA)
124 RC @ 25 AMPS
70 AH @ 20 AH RATE

Min. specs for yammy 200hp 4-stroke:
512 CCA (675 MCA)
182 RC @ 25 AMPS
100 AH @ 20 AH RATE

The $159 Group 27 AGM Sam's Club battery has the following specs that exceed what Yamaha 2-stroke calls for (which I like and would probably be fine now that I found your engine requirements). This one is a bit weak ion RC and AH if you have a 200hp 4-stroke.
Battery purpose: starting/deep cycle
20 amp hour rate: 92
CCA at 0 degrees F: 580
MCA at 32 degrees F: 900
Reserve capacity: 175

What kind of battery for a yammy 115 4 stroke?

On application charts I see the following footnote concerning Yamaha 4 stroke engines, including yours: "Yamaha recommends a cranking-type battery that can have distilled water added to its cells when necessary. Maintenance-Free, sealed, or Gel batteries are not recommended because they may not be compatible with Yamaha's charging system."

So, if you want to follow what Yamaha says, you should stay with traditional flooded cell batteries. The MINIMUM specs for the yammy 115 are documented as:
380 CCA or 502 MCA (CCA is rated at 0 degrees, MCA is rated at 32 degrees)
124 RC (@ 25 AMPS)
70 AH (@ 20 AH RATE)

Sam's has an $80 kick-butt Group 24 marine battery battery with the following specs that exceed what yammy says you need, and is they type battery they want you to use.
CCA at 0 degrees F:840
MCA at 32 degrees F:1050
Reserve Capacity:182
Sam's Group 24 Marine Starting Battery

They are at a great price. They have 105 amp hours. They will run the trolling motor as long as anything out there. Last set lasted 6 years. Only downside is that they are heavy.


Deep cycle batteries aren’t made for outboards. For that cold cranking amps are more important. That’s not what deep cycle batteries are made for. They are made for longer steady current drain. So for a outboard make sure the battery is at least rated dual purpose.

Just replaced my starting battery yesterday with another Exide AGM Group 24 from Academy. Old one completely caput but still had original receipt from 2013 so not complaining to get that much use. That said not real cheap at $179.

Listen to this man ^^^^^^ he is a wealth of knowledge. Was kind enough to spend an hour with me on the phone talking batteries etc.. VERY helpful and VERY knowledgeable.

Thank you sir!!!!

Thank you, Frank. I wish I knew "catchin' " as well as I know electrical!

You could have gotten the whooping Group 31 AGM for that price at Sam's Club. Huge difference!

Mostly true. The Duracell AGM is $180. For TM use, the Duracell Deep Cycle battery (flooded cell, Group 31) is also 105 AH, but comes in at a much lighter $100 price tag! It also weighs a few pounds less. AGM is fantastic for heavy amps (like starting), but for deep cycle, not really any better when comparing to equal counterparts in flooded cell. The bottom line is you spend $80 to avoid having to check the electrolyte level every 2-3 months.

Also the Duracell AGM 31 isn't big enough in terms of CCA for most new 250's plus all the stuff guys are running. 4 graphs, poles, pumps, aerators all day etc. The Odyssey, X2, Northstar are best I've found for the dual purpose stuff.

As far as Mercury spec, that's as follows: MCA: 800 Reserve Capacity: 135 Minutes (@ 25 Amps, which is the traditional measure for RC)
The Duracell AGM Group 31 is: MCA :1000, AH: 105, RC: 210.minutes

I looked up the Northstar Group 31 at their website (NSB-AGM31) and found the following:
MCA: 1350, AH: 103, RC: 220 minutes
So, the Northstar can provide more high-discharge amps to start a really big motor, but not really a bit more deep cycle capability than the Duracell (made by East Penn I believe).

As far as cranking a Merc, the Duracell AGM is more than adequate, well above minimum. Poles? Power-pole says a 55AH battery will cycle a pole 1200 times, yes, 1200 times. I'm betting most don't cycle (a pair) more than 50 times in a typical fishing trip, on average. You mention "aerators, pumps", where both are pumps (4 total) but it's rare to keep running fill pumps constantly in addition to aerator pumps - why would you?

Based on numerous comments here, I'd gather that quite a few do just fine with their rig and a Group 31 AGM as I do (3 graphs, structure scan, plus more), even with the "lowly Duracell" that really isn't much different than premium price branded batteries. One group may manage their power better than the group that has issues.
The gotcha is running 4 big graphs + livewell pumps + who knows what else NONSTOP from the moment the hull gets wet.
Nonstop usually isn't necessary for 4 graphs simultaneously. There may be other things some turn on once and leave on all day, need it or not, then complain about their battery. I bet most of them have no clue what sleep mode is for a graph as my experience has been few ever let daylight see the inside of an owner's manual. You can't sit at the console AND be at the bow, but I guess it looks way cool to never use that sleep function I bet many have never tried. (Sleep allows the unit to come back up to full function without a reboot.) As Jeff Foxworthy says "Y'all turn something off!" (when it doesn't really have to be on) and I'd be surprised if you can't "get by" with a Group 31 AGM with the specs of the Duracell unit. For the rest, Honda sells some rather quiet generators.....

As a courtesy, please point out the 250 that requires more than 1000 MCA.

Thank you so much!!! I am learning about all this as I go and you have taught me a ton...I appreciate you taking the time to inform me properly. I am a first time boat owner and currently trying to get my boat set up exactly how I want it. You have saved me from some future frustration for sure. I will go with your suggestion for sure.

The Duracell just wasn't enough at the end of the day for us. It's a great TM battery but just wouldn't hold up once you had all electronics and accessories drawing from it. The Odyssey pc2150m is perfect for our application

I think the view is subjective, just as some are convinced that their "brand" is better in the Ford vs. Chevy argument.
The battery you are tickled with has no more Reserve Capacity or AH rating than the Duracell AGM. In fact, that particular Odyssey rates ever so slightly lower on BOTH of those specs.

I have a question about the 27ms battery for a starting battery. Does this hold up well for starting and running graphs and accessories? Don't you want a dual purpose battery to start the big engine and run graphs and pumps? I am confused about this. Will this battery pull everything under extreme use?

I just replaced my two TM batteries with 2 blue top optimas. They seem to last longer on the water than the flooded type batteries I had in there. I still need to replace one for starting engine and electronics. I may look at getting one of them duracells.

My last Question: Its about the starting battery. I know you don't want a deep cycling battery for starting. If you buy just a starting battery will that hold up to the drain it gets from the pumps and graphs? Do I want a dual purpose battery for this purpose? Does it matter if its a AGM Battery? The duracell 31 AGM says "deep cyle" on it....I am confused. What does the starting battery need to be? 1. Starting? 2. Dual Purpose? 3. deep cycle AGM?

The Duracell AGM is a dual purpose. Works great as a starting battery

My God! I'm going to have to give up with you. Has nothing I have typed sunk in at all? I provided you with all the info previously, and yet you still keep asking!

I told you before you don't look at the labels - you look at the SPECS!

The Marine Cranking Amps is all about starting your outboard. Yours requires 675 MCA as I already pointed out.
The Duracell Group 31 AGM provides 1000 MCA as I have also pointed out. That's ~48% above the minimum requirement for your motor.
The AH rating of that battery is 105 I believe, about as good as any straight deep cycle battery you will find. I have never seen the discussion for the purchase of a battery go on for 4 pages. . This isn't that hard.

My question wasn't about the specs..I understand that. Its was simply about can a battery that is labeled only as "starting" withstand the draining it would encounter from the graphs and pumps.Will a "starting" battery have cycling capabilities and last over a period of time.

I've run Everstart Maxx 29 series for many years and usually get 5 years out of them. Just switched out a 6 yer old battery that was still somewhat reliable.

You could tie a hint to a brick and hit someone in the head and they still dont get it