Thread: Which Battery is best?

Originally Posted by jig rig

Optima battery rate 150 down to 100 minutes discharge rate at 25amps.

We make multiple battery sizes, none of them matching that description. One of our most common battery sizes for marine applications is our Group D31M, which has a rated reserve capacity of 155 minutes. This capacity is determined according to BCI standards, by measuring the amount of time it takes a 25-amp discharge rate to discharge a battery down to 10.5 volts at 80 degrees farenheit.

Originally Posted by jig rig

There seems to be issues with the mexican made Optimas. You can get Trogans up to 440min. at 25amps.
Trogan make a great battery.IMO

While individual experiences can vary, the quality of our batteries has never been better (and it has always been very good). Many of the "bad" batteries returned to us under warranty are just deeply-discharged and work fine, when properly-recharged. We now sponsor the Chumpcar World Series and have installed batteries in entire fields that someone else thought were no good. If any battery fails from a manufacturing defect, it is likely to do so well within the first year of use, if not the first month. Beyond that, battery performance and lifespan is largely related to the application in which the battery is used and how the battery is maintained.

The battery you are describing is significantly larger than a Group 31 battery in every regard, weighs more than twice as much, may be significantly more expensive and may have a warranty that is significantly shorter and/or may have pro-rated coverage with more restrictions and exclusions. Our sponsored tournament anglers can pretty much pick any combination of batteries they'd like for their boats, but the freshwater anglers are very aware of how battery weight impacts their draft and subsequently, their ability to access shallower fishing locations. They don't need enough reserve capacity to cross Lake Michigan with their trolling motor, so they choose combinations that provide all the reserve capacity they do need, without putting too much weight into their boat.

Originally Posted by jig rig

Generally, gel and AGM batteries have about 20% less capacity, cost about two times more, and have a shorter cycle life than comparable flooded lead acid batteries. However, Gel and AGM batteries do not need watering, are safer (no acid spilling out), can be placed in a variety of positions, have a slower self-discharge characteristic, and are more efficient in charging and discharging than flooded batteries.

Gel and AGM technology is different enough, that I wouldn't lump them together in a conversation comparing technologies, especially as it relates to charging characteristics. I don't know how any battery manufacturer or brand could convince someone to pay more for an AGM battery if it didn't perform better or last longer than a flooded alternative. While I have watched an employee of another battery company bash his own AGM products in favor of his flooded products, I really don't understand why he would do that unless a profit motive was involved.

Start-stop technology is coming to the US automotive market and with it, will be a significant increase in the use of AGM batteries. Automakers are using AGM batteries instead of flooded batteries, because they are more capable of handling the increased electrical demands of these applications.

Originally Posted by jig rig

Gel batteries are more suitable for deep cycling applications whereas AGM batteries are more for light cycling and engine-starting applications.

HTH

Again, I'm not even sure why gel batteries are being mentioned in this thread. Someone would have to go out of their way to find a gel battery and the vast majority of the marine market uses flooded or AGM products. Lithium-based technology may be relevant at some point, but gel likely never will.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
OPTIMA® Batteries (optimabatteries) on Pinterest

I apologize for my slow response to this thread. I've been buried under e-mails since a trade show in early-November and I'm just getting caught back up now with a backlog of conversations.

TigerFanatic1, the rated reserve capacity of our various BlueTop group sizes ranges from 100 minutes for our 34M to 155 minutes for our D31M. The 34M is a starting battery, not designed for deep-cycle use, so I wouldn't recommend it in a trolling motor application.

It is a good idea as Rees Guide suggested, to keep your battery receipt. All warranties are handled by the original retailer and while many of our national retailers will have an electronic record of your purchase in their system nationwide, having the receipt often helps expedite warranty service.


Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries
OPTIMA® Batteries (optimabatteries) on Pinterest