battery question

[bass nut]

What is the board consensus on starting battery type, are the AGM's the way to go or not.
​Thanks in advance for your replays.

 

[alldodge]

What is the board consensus on starting battery type

No such thing here at iboats

It's all opinion, I vole AGM

Now let the party begin opcorn:

 

[SeaDooSam]

All the batteries we have are interstate deep cycle. They have worked perfectly.

 

[Silvertip]

Exactly what engine is it you are starting?

 

[bruceb58]

I have AGMs in my Wellcraft.

A battery like an Interstate is not a true deep discharge...it's a hybrid. A true deep discharge battery like a Trojan would not be a good choice for a starting battery.

 

[gm280]

Isn't best battery basically the same as what is the best 2 cycle oil? :noidea:

 

[David Young]

Isn't best battery basically the same as what is the best 2 cycle oil? :noidea:

​Yep. Lets not forget ethanol vs no ethanol Batteries are a crap shoot. No matter what brand, it might last 2 years or might last 12 years. The OMC battery in my Mustang is 5 1/2 years old and still going strong. I know its on borrowed time

 

[wrvond]

For a starter battery on an unspecified type of boat - I vote lead acid.

 

[bruceb58]

For a starter battery on an unspecified type of boat - I vote lead acid.

AGMs are lead acid in case you didn't know. Just a different type of construction.

 

[bruceb58]

Isn't best battery basically the same as what is the best 2 cycle oil? :noidea:

He wasn't asking about what brand was best. :facepalm:

 

[dingbat]

My experience with AGM hasn't been good.

The bad...
Story #1 - I'm on my third AGM in 10 years in my truck. Not one made it past the 3 year warranty. All three failed the same way, shorted internally. Distributor told me it's a pretty common failure mode as he pointed to the pallet of dead ones behind the counter

Story #2 - A good friend had just put 2-grp. 31 AGM batteries ($600+) on his boat a couple of days before we went fishing. Long story short. Somehow lost his voltage regulation prior to our trip. Took out battery #1. An ACR spared the other, A cooked battery isn't a warranty condition.

The good.... all three where replaced under warranty, no questions asked.

I typically get 4-5 years out of my lead acid batteries. Counting warranty replacement, I get 5-6 years out of the AGM.

IMHO, GM is not a cost effective solution.

 

[bruceb58]

My experience with AGM hasn't been good.

The bad...
Story #1 - I'm on my third AGM in 10 years in my truck.

IMHO, GM is not a cost effective solution.

If you are using Optima AGM batteries, I can understand your frustration and I would buy one of those anymore. They lost their quality when the company got sold and they moved production.

Not sure how a voltage regulation problem is the fault of a battery. I take it your friend doesn't watch his gauges?

For me, I don't buy AGMs for their extra life. They are maybe a break even proposition if that's your sole reason to buying them.

 

[dingbat]

If you are using Optima AGM batteries, I can understand your frustration and I would buy one of those anymore. They lost their quality when the company got sold and they moved production.

Not sure how a voltage regulation problem is the fault of a battery. I take it your friend doesn't watch his gauges?

For me, I don't buy AGMs for their extra life. They are maybe a break even proposition if that's your sole reason to buying them.

Yes, Optima

Battery didn't take out the regulator. Supposedly.....a faulty regulator took out the one battery. Can't say for sure. I diagnosed the shorted battery at the dock. Disconnected both batteries and installed his truck battery for the day. He took it back to the dealer that installed the batteries and ACR to sort things out.

Wish I had a voltmeter to work with that morning. Things where not making sense during the troubleshooting process. I suspect they screwed the wiring up (had both tied to a hot somewhere) when they installed the ACR and didn't want to fess up to the problem

 

[bruceb58]

Optimas suck. I would never buy one of those anymore. The 2 in my boat are Sears re-badged Oddysey batteries which Sears recently stopped selling. They were way cheaper than what Oddyssey gets for theirs. I think AllDodge uses Dekas if I am not mistaken.

I use an Oddysey battery in my Harley. It's the only battery that lasts more than a year since AGM batteries are good in a vibration environment.

If for some reason a person wants to mount his battery in a place other than the stern, the AGM is the way to go because vibration won't kill it.

 

[alldodge]

I use Odyssey in my Seadoo and Lawn mower and Lifeline in the Formula and Rinker

 

[bruceb58]

I use Odyssey in my Seadoo and Lawn mower and Lifeline in the Formula and Rinker

Lifeline may be the ones I get from now on for my boats. PWCs are also a perfect candidate for an AGM because of vibration and pounding.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Optima went down hill when Johnson Controls purchased them and moved them to Mexico about 15 years ago.

Enersys (odyssey, hawker, etc) makes military batteries and rescue boat batteries. Some of the best batteries made.

 

[wrvond]

AGMs are lead acid in case you didn't know. Just a different type of construction.

Yes, I know. Would you prefer I call them wet cell batteries?

 

[wrvond]

AGM are very temperature sensitive. A charger that adjusts its charging rate based on battery temperature is a must to maximize battery life.

 

[alldodge]

Ah, I don't agree. None of mine have temp sensors and their still doing ok dokey