Marine Battery Question

[antgogz]

So I have had a die hard marine battery for about 8 years. It has worked EXCELLENT. I have a die hard automatic charger and usually charge it after I use it. Then it would sit in my parents garage for the whole winter and I would charge it every once in a while during the winter. I always charge it on slow. However, stupid me left the battery in an outdoor closet in my condo. I was done with it in the fall and left it there all winter and forgot it was there with how busy I have been. I noticed a little bit of dried up acid towards one of the metal screws on the top. Is it safe to try to recharge it? Or do you guys think it's finished???

[Charlie B]

I don't think there is much danger trying to recharge it. But if you used it for 8 years I think you got your moneys worth out of it already and time for a new one...Charlie

[Ken Lyons]

Amen!

[Rickhem]

If you got 8 years out of a deep cycle battery, you're doing something right. I've had cheapo no-name batteries, Interstate batteries, even an Optima and they all seem to be done after 3 or 4 years. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

My current battery is a Walmart brand that was the cheapest one I ever bought. I figured if it lasts 2 years, I'm still ahead of the game financially, and this will be it's third year. I'm not in the boat every weekend, but I do fish mostly electric only lakes, so trolling motor use is my primary application, your results may vary.

[Delawareriver]

8 years! Yeah no harm trying to charge just make sure the water levels are good. But you definitely got your money out of it, mine usually only make it 1 to 1 and half seasons before I start seeing significant lose in capacity. Of course bowfishing is untypically hard on batteries and I'm on the water 3 or 4 nights a week when it's good.

[antgogz]

Thanks guys.....yea I only use it probably 3 or 4 times a month with a trolling motor on a small pelican boat. I always charged it on slow. Diehard batteries are definitely good quality. I'll try charging it and see what happens. If anything I'll go get a new one.

[Gerry Zagorski]

You can try recharging it but after 8 years, as mentioned above, you are long overdue for a replacement.

Lead Acid batteries if they are discharged can freeze over the winter and after they are done. Always a good idea to charge every so often when laid up over the winter.

[jimmythegreek]

with batteries its a luck of the draw really....the majority of deep cycles are made in the same place and rebranded w the retailers cover....usually a safe bet to get a deka battery of whatever branding. Ive had good luck w the walmarts in past but have switched to batteries plus deep cycles cause they have a very long run time compared to whats out there, plus they have 31 series which is hard to find

[Walleyed]

Sam's club has a Duracell (rebranded Deka) wet cell group 31 and a AGM group 31, pretty decent prices.

[Ken Lyons]

AGMs don't need to be topped up over the Winter and they will not freeze.

[yumasdad]

I agree with Jimmy. I have seen a lot of different run lives on the same batteries with equal usage. Some 4 year batteries lasted 2-3 years other shave gone 5-6 years. All batteries are re-charged after usage, topped over the winters where the sit a grounded mat in the garage. I never let them run all the way down but try to run down as far as I can before recharging. Sometimes you just get a bad actor battery with a crappy cell. I must say I have had good luck with the WALLYMART batteries. One is still going strong after 5 years & it was 1 year old when I got....it will probably kick the bucket as soon as I click send on this writing!

I also mostly fish all electric & am pretty hard on the batteries. You can never have too many batteries on a boat-paddling sucks!