What's your favorite deep cycle battery?

[fishinwrench]

Yes an onboard charger will do it fine.   I'm not a fan of them myself. How hard is it to open up the hatch and hook up a portable charger?  But when onboard chargers work they work fine.  I have swapped out hundreds of them and reboxed the old ones so people could start fighting for warranty.  They are sealed (can't breathe) and suffer alot of vibration so their lifespan is typically short. And the truly good ones aren't cheap.    I just don't find the convenience of them worth it.    

Having to hook up a portable charger forces you to open things up and look at the battery.....which is something you should do pretty often anyway.  Guys that use onboard chargers always have mold and mildew in the bilge area.  It's the wettest part of a boat, and it's good to open things up and let it dry out back there.  

[MOPanfisher]

There are a few times when an on board charger is handy for me, once a year we go to a place where the boat gets parked outside, about half the time it rains.  So I plug an extension cord into the on board charger, wrap a plastisol bag around the connection, add some electrical tape and make a waterproof connection.  Then run the cord under the barn door and plug it in.  When it's in my building at home about one out of every 3 or 4 trips I use a regular charger simply because the cheap on board one might not be charging it fully, and I like to see the % displayed.  As for a battery I usually buy a NAPA brand one because they are close to my work place and give me a good price,  I want to say group 29 but don't remember if that is the starter or deep cycle.

[Harps]

Thanks for the responses folks!

I got way more response on this question on a hunting forum than I did here. That's puzzling.

[fishinwrench]

Well what (pray tell) did we fail to touch on?  ☺

[Flysmallie]

6 hours ago, Harps said:

 

I got way more response on this question on a hunting forum than I did here. That's puzzling.

What's puzzling is that you are part of a hunting forum, that gives out exceptional information apparently, and you still suck at hunting. 

[fishinwrench]

Hunting forum guys are always anxious to run their mouth. They have alot of built up twisted thoughts from sitting quietly in the woods being bored for hours on end.

I'm a really good shot, but a lousy deer hunter. Mostly because I'll get bored and decide to try a head shot on a chipmunk at 40 yards. Then field dress him, drag him out of the woods and hang him in a tree, just so I can finally be done and have a cigarette. 

Any animal with legs that long has no excuse for taking 15 minutes to move 3 feet.  Ain't nobody got time for that!

[dan hufferd]

I read something, somewhere that said, there are only 5 battery makers in the USA. They no doubt have 100's of different specs they build to. So there is some worthless info.

I buy the best one I can afford. The last one I bought was from Academy, it works well.  

[Brian Jones]

May have already replied to this on another forum.

I have used the Fish Hunters that are distributed by Ellis Batteries for about 13 years. Start batteries have lasted anywhere from almost three years to the date to over six years. I change trolling motor batteries every three years regardless. 

I charge the trolling motor batteries before and after every trip and charge the start battery after trips where I've run the bilge or aerator and recirculating pumps a lot. I also check the water levels once or twice a year and add water as needed. I tried an on board charger once and it sucked. I have since used two automotive/conventional type chargers with trolling motor males attached to them and have installed trolling motor females in my front deck that are wired directly to my trolling motor batteries to accept the males.

   

[Harps]

On 10/27/2016 at 9:07 PM, fishinwrench said:

Well what (pray tell) did we fail to touch on?  ☺

I think you covered it well Wrench. (beer cheers emoticon) (why are there no beer cheers emoticons on this forum?)

On 10/27/2016 at 9:43 PM, Flysmallie said:

What's puzzling is that you are part of a hunting forum, that gives out exceptional information apparently, and you still suck at hunting. 

Har har SmallieFly!

[Harps]

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