What kind of battery?

[OutdoorWilly]

What kind of battery would a 50 year old Shakespeare Sigma 15 pound five speed trolling motor need?

[Cray]

It's probably a 6 volt. You could probably use a 12 but speed would be faster and wiring might not be up to it.

[Corker]

I don't remember TMs that ran on 6v, so any 12v battery should work fine. Heavy duty TMs in the 70s could use either 12v or 24v, so if there's any indication this motor had that capability, you could use 2 12v batteries in series. The best batteries for all TMs, regardless of age, are deep cycle.

Cray- I'll defer to your experience or recollection of the TM products available during those years.

[Barnacle Bill]

I know they made one that had a switch for 6 or 12 volts.

[SeaRay]

One thing I remember about the old TMs is they are extremely inefficient and will drain a battery in no time.
SeaRay

[Barnacle Bill]

I don't think it was so much the TMs as it was the batteries. Like the ole saying "they don't make them like they use to". In this case thats good as the old batteries didn't have much reserve power.

[Cane Pole]

I know they made one that had a switch for 6 or 12 volts.

Pflueger made one.

[OutdoorWilly]

Thanks guys. I filled up a trash can of water and hooked it up to my car battery and it started right up. My dad says he hasn't tried starting it in forty years. It was just sittin in the basement.

[OutdoorWilly]

Gonna try to take it out on the boat saturday morning to try her out. I guess I can get one of these 6 or 12 volt batteries at walmart?

[rnvinc]

One thing I remember about the old TMs is they are extremely inefficient and will drain a battery in no time.
SeaRay

And then came Maximizer....with it's own set of problems...RF interference...

Rickie