Best Deep Cell Battery Brand?

LuvBoating

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Looking for a descent Deep Cell Battery for our 1992 20' Celebrity Cuddy Cabin w/a 5.7L I/O engine. We have a Dual-Battery setup and our Starting Battery currently is a NAPA one. We were using two Starting Batteries, the NAPA and a Barracuda, that we bought from the dealership where we have our boat repairs done. The Barracuda went south (bad) last year and now we've decided we want a Deep Cell to go with the Starting one. I found out that our NAPA is a Group 24, while the old Barracuda was a Group 27. Wonder if a Group 24 would be ok for a ?house? battery? Be less power, but only running a small Fish Finder/Depth Finder, a small black/white GPS and our CD Player. We don't sleep in our cuddy cabin bc there just isn't enough room for the both of us.

We looked at a Sears Die Hard Deep Cell Group 27 yesterday, but it only had a 1-yr. Warranty. It was like $124, while the Premium Die Hard Deep Cell cost $234 and had a 36 month warranty. We really don?t want to spend that much for a ?house? battery bc we just aren?t using that much for the ?house?.

***Besides the ?Group? question, was also wondering what brand of Deep Cell a lot of boaters use and recommend.***



Info/Advice please.
 
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Silvertip

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$230 for a group 27 deep cycle battery is insane and I seriously doubt that battery would last significantly longer than the same size and capacity battery (regardless of the brand name) than one obtained from your local farm supply store such as Tractor Supply, Farm & Fleet, Fleet Farm, etc. and properly maintained Every one of my boats over the years has been fitted with a group 27 deep cycle from my local Fleet Farm and when the boat is sold, the original trolling motor battery is still there and functioning just fine. I should add that the boats also had a decent smart charger installed to keep the battery topped off when not in use. I didn't ever pay more than $75 for that battery.
 

bruceb58

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The Sears Die Hard Platinum battery is a rebadged Odyssey AGM battery and is one of the best batteries you can buy. I have 2 on my boat.

However, if you really want a "true" deep discharge battery that is a flooded lead acid, the best is probably a Trojan.

With what you are using on your "deep discharge" battery, you don't need an expensive one. You can get by with the marine deep discharge batteries at Costco. They aren't real deep discharge like the Trojans...more of a hybrid. Just don't discharge beyond 50% and they will last a long time.
 
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dingbat

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I run AC-Delco voyager deep cycles. $125 each, average 5 years of service.
 

Chad Flaugher

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If you have a "Batteries Plus" store in your neck of the woods, they're good people to get educated by. They actually know what they're selling, because batteries is all they do! Personally though, I agree with Dingbat and Bruceb58. Pay between $90 and $130 at Costco or Walmart, and EXPECT only 5 years. If you abuse or over drain your battery, you'll shorten it's life no matter how much you paid.
 

Scott Danforth

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Optima batteries are not worth the money any more since Johnson Controls purchased them back in 1997 and cheapened them up. the Sears Diehard premium is made by Enersys (which also makes all the military batteries). It is a very good battery.

Deka / East Penn makes a good battery. Exide also makes a quality battery

below is a list of every battery sold along with where they are manufactured

http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm
 

82rude

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Scott. I have to disagree about the optimas bud.ive had mine for 5 plus years and it doesn't leave the boat period,nore has it ever had a charger on it !winter time here can get down to -25 or 30 sometimes and all ive ever done is tarp up the boat that's it.the battery stays in the boat in the open with zero issues atall .
 

alldodge

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. Would like to have better than a 1 yr. Warranty, but don't necessarily want to pay a couple hundred or so dollars for one.

Any help from anyone"?

Guess you don't want Lifeline (5 year), they cost me almost 300 each 3 years ago, there more then that now. Agree with Bruce, if your sticking with lead acid go with Trojan. next would be Interstate or Deka.

Buddy just bought a Duracell AGM (group 31) from Sam's for 175, but it only has a 1 year warranty. They are made by Deka
 

Scott Danforth

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Scott. I have to disagree about the optimas bud.ive had mine for 5 plus years and it doesn't leave the boat period,nore has it ever had a charger on it !winter time here can get down to -25 or 30 sometimes and all ive ever done is tarp up the boat that's it.the battery stays in the boat in the open with zero issues atall .

Consider yourself lucky. Pre JCI optimas were great batteries, I used to specify them. After JCI bought the brand and "cost engineered" the product, our warranty claims went from 1% to 38%. Switched to Hawkers from Enersys and never looked back
 

alldodge

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Looking for a descent Deep Cell Battery for our 1992 20' Celebrity Cuddy Cabin w/a 5.7L I/O engine. We have a Dual-Battery setup and our Starting Battery currently is a NAPA one. We were using two Starting Batteries, the NAPA and a Barracuda, that we bought from the dealership where we have our boat repairs done. The Barracuda went south (bad) last year and now we've decided we want a Deep Cell to go with the Starting one. I found out that our NAPA is a Group 24, while the old Barracuda was a Group 27. Wonder if a Group 24 would be ok for a “house” battery? Be less power, but only running a small Fish Finder/Depth Finder, a small black/white GPS and our CD Player. We don't sleep in our cuddy cabin bc there just isn't enough room for the both of us.

We looked at a Sears Die Hard Deep Cell Group 27 yesterday, but it only had a 1-yr. Warranty. It was like $124, while the Premium Die Hard Deep Cell cost $234 and had a 36 month warranty. We really don’t want to spend that much for a “house” battery bc we just aren’t using that much for the “house”.

***Besides the “Group” question, was also wondering what brand of Deep Cell a lot of boaters use and recommend.***



Info/Advice please.

You asked this same question on the Wednesday the 31st and receive several responses
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...g-motors/9299633-best-deep-cell-battery-brand
 

LuvBoating

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Had to redo my Thread, so please read it again. Sorry, but wanted the correct info in the Thread.
Am curious about the 24 Group Deep Cell since we aren't running very much "house". We think we might be overdoing it with a Group 27 for a Deep Cell. Thoughts? Would like to have more than a 1 yr. Warranty, but the 3 yr. Warranty seems like only comes with the high priced Deep Cell's. Am I right?
 

GA_Boater

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Had to redo my Thread, so please read it again. Sorry, but wanted the correct info in the Thread.
Am curious about the 24 Group Deep Cell since we aren't running very much "house". We think we might be overdoing it with a Group 27 for a Deep Cell. Thoughts? Would like to have more than a 1 yr. Warranty, but the 3 yr. Warranty seems like only comes with the high priced Deep Cell's. Am I right?

All you had to do was add info in a following post, just as you did here - Not start a new thread. Editing the first post in a thread with a page of replies isn't how to continue a discussion. Most users won't go to the first post to see if you changed something as you can see by the comments.

The other thread is deleted.
 

LuvBoating

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You asked this same question on the Wednesday the 31st and receive several responses
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...g-motors/9299633-best-deep-cell-battery-brand

Actually, I didn't ask about the Group number and if a Group 24 would be ok for a "house" battery. My first posting I put I was looking for a Group 27, until I looked at both batteries I have and found out the Group 24 was smaller and less powerful than a 27. When we got our Dual-Battery Set-Up done, we were told that we could run two Starting Batteries on it, so we bought a second Starting Battery (the Barracuda). We were told the two Starting batteries would be ok since we aren't running a lot of "house", but found out later that a Deep Cell would be better as a matchup for the Starting Battery/NAPA we have. The Barracuda battery will not hold a charge anymore, so it will be time to get another battery and I figured a Deep Cell would be better than getting another Starting one.

Since both of our batteries (NAPA and Barracuda) had 3 yr. Warranty, didn't understand why the Warranty thing went to 1 yr. on the cheaper batteries. Then, the Group number thing hit my mind and wonder about that. Then, there was the curiosity of the most popular Brand that most boaters use.
As you can tell, I'm sort of "foggy" when it comes to Marine batteries......sorry, but that is me.
 

LuvBoating

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All you had to do was add info in a following post, just as you did here - Not start a new thread. Editing the first post in a thread with a page of replies isn't how to continue a discussion. Most users won't go to the first post to see if you changed something as you can see by the comments.

The other thread is deleted.

Thanks for deleting the other thread.........didn't even know that one posted yesterday until I got on here today and redone one of the threads. When I was doing the thread yesterday, it kept reading "Working" and wouldn't stop, so I thought I'd stopped/deleted it when jumped out of the website.
 

alldodge

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Had to redo my Thread, so please read it again. Sorry, but wanted the correct info in the Thread.
Am curious about the 24 Group Deep Cell since we aren't running very much "house". We think we might be overdoing it with a Group 27 for a Deep Cell. Thoughts? Would like to have more than a 1 yr. Warranty, but the 3 yr. Warranty seems like only comes with the high priced Deep Cell's. Am I right?

In most cases your just not going to get the warranty with marine batteries for the regular brand. You might be over doing it with a group 27 in a 20 footer, but in most cases the cost is minimal. Never heard anyone complain about to large a battery only that it didn't last. Most the batteries you find are not actually true deep cycles, they are in most cases what is called dual purpose. If you want warranty you have to go with Lifeline and Odyssey batteries, and they cost, even Trojan only has a 1 year.
 

LuvBoating

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Messages
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If you have a "Batteries Plus" store in your neck of the woods, they're good people to get educated by. They actually know what they're selling, because batteries is all they do! Personally though, I agree with Dingbat and Bruceb58. Pay between $90 and $130 at Costco or Walmart, and EXPECT only 5 years. If you abuse or over drain your battery, you'll shorten it's life no matter how much you paid.

They may have the "marine battery" knowledge, but looking on their website, their choices for a Group 24 or 27 is only a couple of batteries for each of those groups! I was really surprised because I thought they have a bigger choice.
 
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