Please recomend a good DeepCycle Battery

[Mako]

I'm sure this has been discussed numerous times on this board, but the search is bringing up nothing for me.

My trolling battery just gave it up after only 2 years of use!! What a waste. Anyways I've got to get a new one before this coming weekend, so if you guys can tell me which is the best.

thanks..

[Phil T.]

Its short life is probably more due to the care you gave it than its maker. Go to h t t p://nyquist.ee.ualberta.ca?~schmaus/dcbat.html to learn how to care for a deep cycle battery, and note how few makers there are(probably some additional mergers by now).

[Phil T.]

Oops. That question mark should be a slash.

[Tommy Mac]

Mako,

I have had real good luck with Intestate batteries. The group 27's will run my 24 volt Minn Kota Vantage for a couple of days before they go dead. As stated in the previous post, it is very important to properly maintain deep cycle batteries. Find an Interstate battery dealer near you. They have an excellent brochure on the proper care and charging of deep cycle batteries.

Tom

[Fred_G]

Check out the Trolling Thunder line. A bit more expensive but worth it. You can read about them at #####://www.hepi.com/products/trolling.htm. LOL Fred

[Matt]

I realize that I may be an exception rather than a rule. But contrary to what Phil has said it may be your battery. I take VERY good care of my batteries and I lost both of my batteries this season. One at 8 months, one at 16 months. I bought the 16 month one at Kmart. It was an Exide/Minn Kota, MK20. Kmart was unwilling to help me out even though the battery has a 36 month warranty! Scheels said they would see what they could do and they said Exide wouldn't do anything either. Scheels gave me $20 off a new Interstate and so far so good. Better than a kick in the head, like Exide and Kmart gave me. I bought the 8 month one (GNB Stowaway Dual Purpose) at Fleet Farm and they replaced it no questions and as a matter of fact, I got money back! So far so good. My point is: customer service counts for something too. And good manufacturers sometimes put out a bad battery. Make sure the retailer is willing to stand behind the product!

[EAGLE EYES]

Good points Matt! Another thing to rememeber when purchasing a new battery, is some retailers stock way to many of one type on the shelf. When a Lead acid battery sits for a long time it loses some of it's electrolyte capacity and starts to discharge. When you buy a new battery put it on the charger Immediately. Lead acid batteries need to be charged there entire lives, to make them last as long as possible. My favorite battery is the Stowaway by GNB technologies. Check them out at GNB technologies.com.

[Eyemadman]

All I used to use was a trolling motor and would troll sometimes 12 hours a day, did this for 15 years, the best absolute best hands down is the 900-990 crankin amps DELCO VOYAGER getem at K-MART make sure you have a deep cell charger and trickle charge it and it will last 4-5 years heavy use, and store up off of the ground, These batteries have a green light indicator.

[Matt]

Eagle Eyes - I heard somewhere that GNB was bought out by Exide. Have you heard that too? I am wondering what that will mean for GNB battery owners and any warranty issues. I was not impressed with Exide during my battery woes.

[montana EYE hunter]

Trogans.

[twc[mn]]

Walmart has a 29 series that sells for 64.95% that can't be beat.I hope!good luck

[RiverRat]

Most, if not all batteries have a manufacturing date on the top for the battery. It is in code of course and I can't remember the formula for getting it. Perhaps a trusted dealer can fill you in. Some batteries on the shelf are a year old or more. Most are in "dry" storage (no acid in them) so a year old battery might be as good as a new one.

[Matt]

The code on the battery is a letter and a number. The letter is what month and the number is the year. Example: E9; would be May of '99. This date is also just a ship date. The date that the battery left the manufacturer. One retailer told me that even without a receipt they would exchange batteries if that sticker was still on the battery. They also said that they add 6 months to that date because of shipping, storage etc.

[Mako]

Thanks to all for the great advise. I let it sit over the winter without charging it.. and this may have caused the failure.

Thanks..

[Neal/CO]

Matt:

GNB used to be one of my clients. I called their agency just recently and they also said that exide had just bought GNB.