SoCal Jet Boats
Tech Talk => Engine Mechanical / Electrical => Topic started by: SLCKREG on January 13, 2009, 02:02:29 PM
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Yeah I know kind of a lame question....I've always bought deep cycle batteries for my boat(my season is about 6 months ) seems like a few months back over on perf. boats, a few guys were saying not to use the deepcycle ones?? As long as we're talking batteries I've also heard to stay away from the ones with high cranking amps, because they don't last as long. Just curious what everyones thoughts were, my battery is toast and I'm trying to figure out what's best. If your an optima fan, I wouldn't mind hearing it....but I don't see me going there. I've heard/seen too many bad stories there. TIA
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ran an optima red top in forkedup, had it for a year with no problems, took it out and put it on the shelf for a year and a half while rebuilding the boat, charged it up and is still working great, first year of its life I was not running an alternator either, just ran it and recharged it all the time, new boat has 2 interstate deep cycles in it, seem to be working great (knock on wood), boat sits for a couple weeks bring it home, play the stereo while cleaning it and still fires right up.
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I have run a deep cycle since I have had my boat. Never a problem. 3 or 4 years now with the same one. The one thing I do tho is once a month or so I put the trickle charger on it, and I think thats a big reason I havent had any problems knock on wood ;D just my .02
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1) Deep cycle batteries generally are not designed for cranking (not good for high compression applications).
2) Deep cycle batteries will have a higher amp hour rating (takes longer to run down) than a start type battery.
3) A cranking battery will have a higher cold cranking amps rating but a lower amp hour rating.
4) A cranking battery will not survive being run down repeatedly, where a deep cycle will have many "life cycles".
5) The only reason I would run a deep cycle type battery in a jet/v-drive type boat would be if you didn't run an alternator and did recharge after every run.
6) I would recommend getting a good quality (high cranking amps & good warranty) cranking battery for all other jet/v-drive type boats.
7) If you have a day cruiser with a large stereo, I would have a start battery seperate from and use deep cycles to run the stereo, and use a Perco switch so you could use the deep cycles to jump the start battery if necessary.
Class dismissed ;D
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optima red top
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Thanks Chief, that's some good info.
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1) Deep cycle batteries generally are not designed for cranking (not good for high compression applications).
2) Deep cycle batteries will have a higher amp hour rating (takes longer to run down) than a start type battery.
3) A cranking battery will have a higher cold cranking amps rating but a lower amp hour rating.
4) A cranking battery will not survive being run down repeatedly, where a deep cycle will have many "life cycles".
5) The only reason I would run a deep cycle type battery in a jet/v-drive type boat would be if you didn't run an alternator and did recharge after every run.
6) I would recommend getting a good quality (high cranking amps & good warranty) cranking battery for all other jet/v-drive type boats.
7) If you have a day cruiser with a large stereo, I would have a start battery seperate from and use deep cycles to run the stereo, and use a Perco switch so you could use the deep cycles to jump the start battery if necessary.
Class dismissed ;D
X2, What actually determins the life length of a battery (lead acid) is the amount of space in the bottom of the battery for sediment, when a battery sits idle (especially under 12.5 volts) they start to degrade and sulfide or oxidize the plates, this drops off over time and fills the bottom cavity of the battery and poof, they short a cell or two...
The best method is to keep it charged up (those little maintenance chargers are the bomb for this), you want to keep the voltage above 12.5 volts, some of the new "Smart Chargers" are great for prolonging the life of a battery, they are designed with battery lif in mind.
Optimas are OK, I actually work for the company that owns them, I have a couple, perfect for cranking for a short period of time, suck at everything else, they have a rapid discharge capability superior to lead acid, but not a lot of reserve, red top or yellow top work killer in a boat, but very important to keep it charged and charge gently...
One of the batteries in my motorhome is 7 years old, I keep it on a solor charger with a solid state controller, works fine, just have not needed to replace it, it should have puked two or three years ago. :screwy:
GT
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I read an article in Consumer Reports and believe it or not they said that the Autozone Gold Tops were their best buy. I have been buying them since and not a single problem. I just bought one of their Blue Tops (Marine) batteries and am giving it a try. The best part is that there seems to be an Autozone with any 10 mile radius.
Joe
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Ive got a 6 year old optima thats still running strong. Well worth the money. Its a red top btw.
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1) Deep cycle batteries generally are not designed for cranking (not good for high compression applications).
2) Deep cycle batteries will have a higher amp hour rating (takes longer to run down) than a start type battery.
3) A cranking battery will have a higher cold cranking amps rating but a lower amp hour rating.
4) A cranking battery will not survive being run down repeatedly, where a deep cycle will have many "life cycles".
5) The only reason I would run a deep cycle type battery in a jet/v-drive type boat would be if you didn't run an alternator and did recharge after every run.
6) I would recommend getting a good quality (high cranking amps & good warranty) cranking battery for all other jet/v-drive type boats.
7) If you have a day cruiser with a large stereo, I would have a start battery seperate from and use deep cycles to run the stereo, and use a Perco switch so you could use the deep cycles to jump the start battery if necessary.
Class dismissed ;D
VERY GOOD INFO Teach ! Thanks !
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Im going to buy my new battery tomorrow...For my boat ;D Optimas are out of the question.........
I was thinking , the Autozone as posted above or the good ole fashioned Walmart battery.... i have had good luck with wally world batterys..
Any input on this ??? Looking for a good battery on a jet boaters wallet ;D
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Steve,
I always purchased my batteries at Costco. Never a problem and would exchange them out about every year while still under warrenty. Gotta love Cosco warrenties ;D
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Steve,
I always purchased my batteries at Costco. Never a problem and would exchange them out about every year while still under warrenty. Gotta love Cosco warrenties ;D
Costco...........Bob , im in Bullhead :screwy: Walmart has a good warranty also.. One year free replacement after that its pro rated.
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Costco...........Bob , im in Bullhead :screwy: Walmart has a good warranty also.. One year free replacement after that its pro rated.
No Costco in Bullhead? Huh....Just dont forget what happened to Skip with his Walmart battery :o Hate to see you get your face acid washed before you got the boat wet. When is this going to happen again? I know youre close. Keep it up.
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No Costco in Bullhead? Huh....Just dont forget what happened to Skip with his Walmart battery :o Hate to see you get your face acid washed before you got the boat wet. When is this going to happen again? I know youre close. Keep it up.
Well......... I was just told that Tom is out of top mount starters so looks like im giving up mine so i can get the Eliminator out of my hair :banghead: and i was also told my order from CP performance is on hold due to no inventory on what i ordered :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
So in short.........not for awhile :'(
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I was told once that you don't want the one with the super high cranking amps, because to make them like that they increase the amount of lead that's exposed to the acid, in turn that makes em have less of a life, and also makes them more fragile. ??? :screwy:
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I've alway had good luck with Delco batteries. Most Delco automotive batteries have a minimum 2 year free replacement plus the pro-rate.
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I've alway had good luck with Delco batteries. Most Delco automotive batteries have a minimum 2 year free replacement plus the pro-rate.
i will see if i can find Delco batteries here in town , thanks ;)
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A friend of mine works at the local Auto Zone part time. In his words optima batteries are JUNK.
He said they have more returns of them than any other part he's ever seen.
I use a nice big Wal Mart deep cycle battery. No problems and we run the stereo a lot with the engine off. It's not nuts just nice music.
Any battery can last a long time or die tomorrow. It's the nature of the beast.
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I have a few red top optimas, and all were junk after a year. I picked up a autozone gold battery, with the three year warranty, last season and have not have one single problem. I let it sit for 2-3 months and it fired the motor right up. It keeps a constant 12.5-14.0 amps too.
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Run two 6 volt batteries in series like the golf carts do , your charge will last a long time and your cranking amps will be through the roof.
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I was almost too lazy to search this topic and well lookie here, a year to the day the last time anybody asked about this. I guess I am off to AutoZone for a battery. Not a fan of the crowd mentality at Costco, but that replacement guarantee is hard to beat. Thanks for the schoolin' Chief. :thumbup:
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i think i am going to try two 6v golf cart batteries or i am going to install a remote start on a honda generator in the back of my boat so my stereo can run all day.
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I've had good luck with Delco AGM batteries. 2-year no cost replace, the next 5 are pro-rated.
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Good thread to revive John!
After my troubles at Big River last June with a near new Autozone battery (had to rod the second battery from the truck to complete the weekend) I bought a Blue Optima for Moo. Seems to work just fine, and my mentality says that the gel cell format of it will be better suited to the constant jolts I throw at her! I beleive that is what killed the original battery.
Autozone was cool about it, they gave me full credit on it towards the Optima. We'll see how it holds up long term, but it's already outlasted, and quite a bit and then some, the lead acid battery.
Food for thought though. Warranties are great, especially when stood behind, but they won't tow you in or not succeed in ruining your weekend when they DO go out.........
Warranties and reliability are 2 completely different things.
Ray
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I have a red top optima in my truck, but this may sound weird, and I have a hard time believing it myself, but I found that the Everstart MAxx deep cycle series batteries seem to be VERY good. The one in the boat is now 3 years old, and it sat on my shelf for a year while i rebuilt the boat and started the engine right up when i put it back in without having to even be put on a tender. I was also told that they were rated higher than optimas by consumer reports too, lol wow whoda thunk that.
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Deep cycle batteries are designed for deep cycles....complete discharges before recharges. Great to run stereos, power travel trailers, go carts...etc.
Cranking batteries are meant to deliver greater amps in shorter spurts, but will not last long if completely discharged on a regular basis.
Keep your junk tuned right so it fires in a timely fashion, and a regular battery is fine. I generally have a couple batteries lying around between all my vehicles, so I pick two and bring them with. Never had a problem.
I think most of the starting issues that exist in the marine world are due to starters that are full of water or rusty inside instead of due to battery issues. I've got a VW rabbit battery in the boat now and with a good starter...it works great.
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I have a red top optima in my truck, but this may sound weird, and I have a hard time believing it myself, but I found that the Everstart MAxx deep cycle series batteries seem to be VERY good. The one in the boat is now 3 years old, and it sat on my shelf for a year while i rebuilt the boat and started the engine right up when i put it back in without having to even be put on a tender. I was also told that they were rated higher than optimas by consumer reports too, lol wow whoda thunk that.
Love them or hate them...Optima batteries Suck IMHO...
I had one in the race boat, sucked...Shorted out the third day in the boat :banghead:
I had three in my motor home, sucked...Lights would only last about an hour and a half (vs. four hours with lead acid)
I had one in my GMC Z71 truck, sucked...Truck would sit for weeks at a time and always had to be jumped/charged...
BTW I used to work for the company that owns them (Optima is owned by JCI) and I could buy them stupid cheap, would not give you a nickle for a train load.....They do have a decent warranty though, every Optima I ever bought was replaced under warranty.... :screwy:
FWIW Most deep cycle batteries are just that, batteries developed to be depleted and discharged...Sometimes called a "house battery" (motorhome speak)...Whereas a cranking battery is designed for a rapid recharge after partial depletion...
The cranking battery is typically tougher for that reason. In a boat, look for a high reserve number and a high CCA (cold cranking amps)...The deep cycle will do less work, but for a longer time, but they take a little longer to recharge.
I have run both deep cycles and automotive batteries in my boats, and to be honest, it boils down to personal preference and how often you will get the boat wet.
I will say, you can buy a $50 Auto Zone 60 month battery and have the same luck as with a $200 AGM.
Battery tenders cost about $40 and work incredibly for the money...
A little tidbit though, the deep cycle is a little heavier for the same size chassis. Just food for thought.
GT
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Love them or hate them...Optima batteries Suck IMHO...
I had one in the race boat, sucked...Shorted out the third day in the boat :banghead:
I had three in my motor home, sucked...Lights would only last about an hour and a half (vs. four hours with lead acid)
I had one in my GMC Z71 truck, sucked...Truck would sit for weeks at a time and always had to be jumped/charged...
BTW I used to work for the company that owns them (Optima is owned by JCI) and I could buy them stupid cheap, would not give you a nickle for a train load.....They do have a decent warranty though, every Optima I ever bought was replaced under warranty.... :screwy:
FWIW Most deep cycle batteries are just that, batteries developed to be depleted and discharged...Sometimes called a "house battery" (motorhome speak)...Whereas a cranking battery is designed for a rapid recharge after partial depletion...
The cranking battery is typically tougher for that reason. In a boat, look for a high reserve number and a high CCA (cold cranking amps)...The deep cycle will do less work, but for a longer time, but they take a little longer to recharge.
I have run both deep cycles and automotive batteries in my boats, and to be honest, it boils down to personal preference and how often you will get the boat wet.
I will say, you can buy a $50 Auto Zone 60 month battery and have the same luck as with a $200 AGM.
Battery tenders cost about $40 and work incredibly for the money...
A little tidbit though, the deep cycle is a little heavier for the same size chassis. Just food for thought.
GT
I couldn't agree more. I've had about 3 of them over the years...they all seemed to suck...and die an early death. I stick with interstate
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40 bux? dammmn lol I picked up 2 baby tenders from harbor freight for 8 bux a piece. They take a while to recharge the battery if its really dead but do a great job maintaining a charge.
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40 bux? dammmn lol I picked up 2 baby tenders from harbor freight for 8 bux a piece. They take a while to recharge the battery if its really dead but do a great job maintaining a charge.
I have seen the China Freight ones and to be honest, they don't have the desulfide logic like in the Tenders...
I used to use the Tenders on the jet ski batteries and could get five years out of a cheap battery with them.
They allow the battery voltage to drop, then bump it back up, not just keep it at the same voltage...This keeps plate oxidization down and boils off very little water (electrolyte).
The cheapies work, but there is more to the Tenders IMHO.
GT
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:-) if it boils off I can get some brawndo because it has what plants and batteries crave (electrolytes) hawhawhaw sorry had to do it. I saw idiotocracy the other day and that shit had me rollin, sorry. .. back on topic...
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Well I've managed to limp this year out with the old deep cycle. Soooo did we decide if it's not going to be an optima, should you go deep cycle, or get a regular battery and keep it charged? Or is it one of those what ever cranks your motor type of decisions. :P
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GT among others convinced me to go regular car battery. I don't have a big stereo and this boat don't have a fridge like the FearLes does O0
When we ski we start and stop a lot. I have never really had problems with batteries that were not deep cycle, I just knew other people used them.
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I dunno. I still like the idea of the Gel Cell, only because I saw what I did to the regular battery (In 2 months) with my inexperienced ass pounding the hell out of the boat (And hence, the battery). Also saw what happened to my cruiser, beleived to be started by a battery explosion.
Moo's been perfectly fine with her Optima (Installed a few days after the Big River trip last year), and I put another in the Pickle. Going to have to add another battery to Moo for this 5 jigawatt or whatever it is stereo Boost set me up with tho, O0
Those at the TPM know how often I had to hit the starter too! No problems with the Optima as yet.
Ray