I came to realization a few yrs back that when it comes to marine batteries, you get what you pay for...I was also just tired of it being a crap shoot with cheep batteries...Have had cheapo batt. last for many yrs without a problem and have had them last as little as one yr. and crap out, ( i guess from constant draw downs and recharges)....
About five yrs ago i bought an optima batt., one of the smaller ones because i wanted a lighter one being that i occasionally put it on my canoe....Anyway, i am super happy with it....The battery lasts a VERY long time on a single charge, has a gr8 handle so its comfortable to carry , has wingnut posts and clamp on posts and its made to deal with vibrations, which can shorten the life of ordinary marine batt..
Its about 5 yrs. old and shows zero signs of wear and tear,battery memory, or any problems of any kind....When i bought it i heard that they can last as long as 15 yrs or more which was a BIG selling point to me....As expensive as they are , they will save you money in the long run by lasting 2-4 times as long....
Recently my boating buddies invested in the cabelas brand AGM batteries...They bought the biggest ones that they carry....We have very rarely had one of those batteries get weak or go dead in a days fishing but if it does get weak or go dead we have an identical backup on the boat at all times....The only down side that i have seen so far on these big AGM's is the weight and i'm not fond of the handles....I highly recomend either brand, but by all means do your research first....
Go for the good batteries and your future headaches will become much less...Its very well worth it, even if you have to save up for a while....
