Boat battery
 

I just had a battery go bad this weekend, of course 13 months old on a 12 month warranty! Second time that happened in3 years. My question is what is everyone running. Brand size etc. my boat is a 20.5 lund center console with 140 evinrude, have a dual battery set up with battery switch. What size and brand do you think ?

Thx bc

Re: Boat battery
 

I use a plain jane West Marine dual purpose battery. About $120

History of them. Three years of reliable use for the last ten years. I replace year 4

Re: Boat battery
 

I'm running interstates one deep cycle one combo. Too new to know how long they will last

Re: Boat battery
 

Have good luck with Interstate batteries,both deep cycle & starting. Just replaced all 3 of mine this spring,as the old ones were 4 yrs. old.

Re: Boat battery
 

I use odyssey batteries. They are expensive but worth it. My house battery is going on 6 years.

Re: Boat battery
 

I actually picked up 2 new deep cycle combo (24 series) battery at autozone! Boat started right up and everything is working much better! Also got a 20% off coupon
So ended up being 170 total for both! Putting my deep,cycle I had in a storage on the boat for my backpup to my backup! It is fully charged and will throw on a charger 1 time per month or so! Thanks for the input!

Re: Boat battery
 

I use die hard the biggest deep cycle size (do not remember off hand but could check). I fish a lot of electric only lakes and have 2 of them one for
each electric motor (front and back) and use cranking for gas motor. I have
had them for 6 years and not an issue , still plent of juice at the end of the
day even with the wind on reservoirs.

Re: Boat battery
 

This is kinda off topic so I apologize for hijacking but guys running dual batteries.. Do you run off one and switch back and forth? Or do you always set to both? I've heard mixed responses to both. Thanks.

Re: Boat battery
 

I have a switch, run both batteries while motoring out and in. Set to one battery
While drifting or trolling etc. Should never us both while out on water, you could drain both and then you are screwed!

Re: Boat battery
 

Very true.

In fact, if you are running both batteries all the time the battery switch was a useless waste of your money.

Also check the wiring. Many shade tree mechanics bypass the switch and go right to the battery studs. In that case the battery switch is a fool's security blanket since its bypass by direct connect defeated the switches.

Re: Boat battery
 

Capt-


Am I doing it wrong?? My thought process is when running is to charge and maintain both batteries and when I stop or troll turn switch to #1 or #2 just not the both setting so I isolate 1 of the batteries so if there is a electrical drain I still have 1 battery to start main motor?? . I run all my electrical components through the fuse box and that is hooked through the main switch. Nothing is direct wired to the batteries. SO am I good??


I also carry a 3d battery that is not hooked up to anyhting!! I duck hunt and in december and January there is not a soul around for help!!!!

Re: Boat battery
 

I actually had success with the Walmart deep cycle batteries. I have some going on 4 years with no problems.

Re: Boat battery
 

Trace out what wire goes to where.

The engines charge battery. How is that connected? Through switch or direct? The batteries should be charging. If you have one engine and two batteries use an isolator. That was the batteries re only tied together when charging from running engine. It's got a diode that only allows power in, and not out to the other battery. The Guest Selector switch or which ever you have can parallel them.

Bilge pumps should typically NOT be switched and are best hard wired to a battery.

The ideal set up is one battery is dedicated to cranking engine(s) only. That's it. The other battery(s) does house power for everything. In theory the cranking battery should be fine unless the ignition is left on all day long and it drains.

The switch should swing load to the house battery. The cranking battery. Or both batteries. Normally this load is always left on house battery or off position.

A 3rd back up battery is typically a simple on / off switch disconnected from all. Thats the one that needs to be switched in to charge up.

Re: Boat battery
 

I use Kirkland's. One of them is 6 years old and still working fine. Got a new one last year to replace a 5 year old battery.

Re: Boat battery
 

Perhaps it's not a battery problem, but a charger problem or something draining the battery. Cold weather will make the problem worse, so every winter you need a new battery; works fine rest of the year?

Re: Boat battery
 

Deka Marine Master batteries.

Re: Boat battery
 

i dont even take my batteries out for the winter always hooked up to a battery tender multibank self diagnostic/ yes it cost 300 bucks but well worth not hauling out each year and re installing.

Re: Boat battery
 

I just saw this post. It's a topic about which I really do know something so I weigh in. It' always surprising to me when I read about battery failure after such short periods of time. As far as the wiring goes i defer to Capt Frank but as to the batteries themselves why do people insist on using wet cell batteries on boats? At the very least the trolling motor should be hooked up separately to a deep cycle AGM sized to fit. I don' t care how much more they cost. Wouldn't you rather make an investment than commit to. A series of payments? You just can't kill these things. Forget about battery tenders. I have a 55 AH that has sat in my unheated garage for two years and still shows a full charge. I picked up two 17AH's from a friend that were both reading slightly over 6 volts. I wired them in parallel and put them on a 2 amp charge. It took 36 hours but I used them without incident for months until I sold them along with a boat.
Optima's aren't the only choice. Try Batterymart.com.

Re: Boat battery
 

I have had good luck w the walmart deepcycles as well, and last year I tried battery plus brand cause i needed group 31s for trolling batteries, and a AGM dual purpose for starting battery, both excellent batteries in AH capacity and CCAs, most are rebranded deka batteries on the inside anyways

Re: Boat battery
 

Only problem with re-branded store brand batteries is you might have good luck with them. Then 5 years later you go to replace them they might be a different battery from a different vendor... Charlie