What's the best marine battery???

[TerryMSU]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

You are correct there......Johnson Controls owns several battery "brands" and is certainly one of, if not the largest producer, and they do have factories in the USA as well. The Optima line is manufactured in Colorado and there is a "wal-mart" brand facility about 50 miles from my house.

Being an employee of the company (although not in the battery division) I can get Red Top Optima Batteries for 60 and the Blue tops for 75 I think. Needless to say that is what I use.

I am also an employee, but not in the battery group. Last year I got a Blue31M (the biggest one) blue top for about $90 delivered using my employee discount. Awesome battery, but a really big and heavy one also. I highly recomend them.

TerryMSU

 

[cstudep]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

I am also an employee, but not in the battery group. Last year I got a Blue31M (the biggest one) blue top for about $90 delivered using my employee discount. Awesome battery, but a really big and heavy one also. I highly recomend them.

TerryMSU

90 sounds about right with the shipping. The 2 a year limit kind of stinks but you sure can't beat the employee discount price. Im not in the battery group either came in with the York aquisition several years ago.

 

[Tom g]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

I'v been using Delco seconds series 27 deep cycle.. for $45 a piece and they serve me well. At that price I can't worry about a warrenty.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

Just a word of advice(comes from experience) if you are going to replace a battery in a duel battery setup. Replace both battery's at the same time as the older battery can cause the new battery that fail early.

 

[drpeeb]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

My 2 cents: Forget about the brand, since nobody's got any positive, lasting info on which is best anyway. You hear about $150 batteries that last 6 months, and $50 batteries that last 4 years. Instead, buy based on location & price. i.e. It doesn't make sense to drive 30 miles to save $5 when gas is $2.50/ gal.

In fact, I'm taking it a step further. Rather than buying the exact right battery, I'm buying a nice, low-priced battery with just enough capacity, with the plan that I will use it for one season. If it lasts longer than that, fine. If it doesn't, OK, I'm off to get another new cheap one, no thinking, no grumbling, just go get it. My boat does have two batteries, though, so this plan might not work as well for single battery setups.

 

[basspirate]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

i wanna do some comparisons for those with two batteries. lets see if there's any correlation. did you replace both at the same time, were they the same brand and type, and if you didnt what was the time span between replacement of the no1 and no2 batteries, and how long do your batteries last?

 

[scipper77]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

What's by far more important than what battery you buy is how you care for the battery. I put my battery on a charger every two weeks and top off the charge whether I've been using it or not. I have never had a battery fail prematurely because I take the time to take care of the batteries. The further you discharge a battery at a time, the shorter the battery life will be. If you fully discharge a new battery and then fully charge it 3 times there is a good chance that it will be ruined (starting battery that is, deep cycles handle many more cycles).

 

[Old & In the way]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

To do your research, take a look at West Marine Advisor. Then decide if you need/want a starting battery and a house battery. Note the difference between flooded, Gel, and AGM


I have use Optima AGM marine (blue) Group 34 (fits in a space like a group 24), Costco has them and they can be bought online with free shipping.

If you go that route please check out the BatteryMinder charger, specifically for AGM (optima) batteries.

Two of the most common reasons to be dead in the water are gas and no crank.

just my $ .02

Ed

 

[TimBobCom]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

I just spent too much on an Interstate today at the only marina open on the lake I was trying to boat on. I say trying because a whole new problem started right after the battery died. Sometimes boating can be frustrating, and expensive.

 

[FlyinGuy1017]

Re: What's the best marine battery???

I gotta give it to Optima. I've been using them for years and they always leave with the vehicle when I sell it. They'll sit in a beater truck all summer and still crank as long as needed to fire it in the middle of winter. I just tossed a new red-top in the boat for starting, will throw a blue-top in for the acc's next season.