New cranking battery

honkerslayer

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I need a new cranking battery for the boat. Motor is a 300 Merc and run a 9” and 12” electronics. Need a 31 series, but wondering what suggestions for battery type and brand you have. Don’t want to be cheap, I want a good buttery.
Thanks in advance!!

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Battery not buttery!!
 


sweeney

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Have had great luck with crown batteries for starting and running 3 graphs and live wells etc.
 

riverview

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i started buying wal mart deep cycle a few years ago so far no problems
 


Allen

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Personally, I am not sure there is such a thing as a bad brand of batteries nowadays. I used to think so, so I would spend big bucks getting Interstate, or whatever other battery had really good ratings. Then I found out I had something like 14 frigging batteries between all of my "stuff". So I was replacing about 2-4 batteries a year. Yeah, sure...there are those really high end $300 batteries that last 7 years, but my WalMart/Menards/Napa batteries that last 5 years cost less than half of them. So do the math, you are better off buying mid-low price range batteries in the long-term.

I can't remember the last battery I had to replace at 4 yrs or less.

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p.s. Is it just me, or are the longest lasting batteries those that came as original equipment. I often get 6-7 yrs out of them. The damn battery in my JD tractor is now 7 yrs old and doing just fine. On a shitty note, with my tractor, the ONLY damn battery that fits in there is the expensive JD battery.
 

ndfinfan

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I'm gonna upgrade my trolling motor batteries this spring. Currently have 2 27 series Interstate deep cycles...gonna go with the 31 series Duracell AGMs. If anyone wants the Interstates just shoot me a PM...they only have 2 seasons on them.
 

johnr

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Our local CAT dealer has a battery sale every fall, nice high end batteries for like 25% off. But that sale really does nothing for you now.
 

mikef

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Not an answer, but on the cranking side I carry an extra jut in case. Idk if there’s room, but the peace of mind is worth it
 

honkerslayer

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I have a switch that will let me crank off the trolling batteries if needed, so don’t really need an extra.

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Thanks for the feedback all!
 


5575

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I'm gonna upgrade my trolling motor batteries this spring. Currently have 2 27 series Interstate deep cycles...gonna go with the 31 series Duracell AGMs. If anyone wants the Interstates just shoot me a PM...they only have 2 seasons on them.

I've had great luck with those Duracall AGMs from Sams club. On sale in the spring for $170. But I just use them for starting the big motor and electronics. The Duracall type 31 leads were on sale for $79 so I use three of those to troll, work great as well.
 

Up Y'oars

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Nice set of long jumper cables is a good safety option. LB

I learned once, and that's all it took. I now have cables in the boat storage and can hook the front battery (trolling) to the cranking battery (in the back) and start up at anytime. No more trying to get nuts and cable cords off and doing the switch-out when the inevitable happens. A whole $10 investment for a used set of 20' cables; seems easier than the other option.

When the battery does finally go I'll replace rather than replacing it prematurely like I used to.
 

ndfinfan

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I've had great luck with those Duracall AGMs from Sams club. On sale in the spring for $170. But I just use them for starting the big motor and electronics. The Duracall type 31 leads were on sale for $79 so I use three of those to troll, work great as well.

If I go with the AGMs for my trolling motor, do I need a different on board charger or an adapter for the AGMs or no difference to charge the AGMs?
 

5575

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On my charger I can select different style batteries for every bank. Mine is a NOCO Genius charger, pretty reasonable.
 
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ndfinfan

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Did some reading on my charger - Guest ChargePro...works fine with lead acid AGMs.
 

ranger150

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If I go with the AGMs for my trolling motor, do I need a different on board charger or an adapter for the AGMs or no difference to charge the AGMs?

So dumb question here. AGM'S will be better for trolling motor than the leads? Longer running time.
 

LBrandt

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Still have my orginal interstate cranking battery from 2008. Still going strong. I put a trickle charger on it and one on my trolling bats every winter. this post might be my "kiss of death" but I am so far ahead it dont matter. LB
 

ndfinfan

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So dumb question here. AGM'S will be better for trolling motor than the leads? Longer running time.

Have read the AGMs charge faster...no maintenance...guess ya just gotta decide if the additional cost for the AGM is worth no mx?
 

ndfinfan

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Think I may replace my crank battery as well this spring. Currently have a 24 series Interstate crank. Looking at a 27 series Dual Purpose for the crank batt...which also runs my main live well and console graph. Any issue with a Dual Purpose batt being able to fully charge off the big motor?
 


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