Any advice on trolling motor batteries for my 1750 Fishhawk? 24volt system. And where is the best place to get them? I noticed last year Gander had Interstate deep cycles. Thanks for the help.
February 17, 2011 at 1:45 am
#1270851
Boat Batteries
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February 17, 2011 at 1:51 am #938241
I would go with Interstate Batteries. You can get them at GM but you might want to check out the actual interstate stores for deals.
February 17, 2011 at 1:52 am #938242I have owned several different brands of batteries and I have to say that Interstate have been the best for me so far. I will be buying Interstate the next time too. Also just put a new Interstate starting battery in the boat tonight.
I would also make sure to get two at the same time, you don’t want to mix an old and a new battery on the 24-volt system.
Good luck
February 17, 2011 at 2:23 am #938247I vote Interstate too
Everts always has fresh ones in stock 
February 17, 2011 at 2:44 am #938251My vote is for optima.but i will ask dean tomorrow why he thinks interstate is the best.
February 17, 2011 at 3:41 am #938258I run optimas but interstates are good. Some people swear by Walmart, to each and their own. If you spend 12 hours per day on the water and sometimes fish back to back days spend the money on one of these two. Nothing is more frustrating than poor battery performance.
February 17, 2011 at 4:02 am #938260You’re gonna get a different answer here than Interstate although that is what I recommend as a starting battery. I’ve been using the Group 30-31 AGM deep cycle batteries from Cabelas for my 24V system and have absolute 100% positive things to say about them. If there is a negative, it’s the price (About $225 reg price). They run them on sale every once in a while for about $179 and if you use one of the coupons Cabelas is famous for, you can get these batteries for around $145-150. They are stronger than Interstate lead acid batteries, have more CCA, more MCA, weigh 84# each and do not freeze. They literally do not discharge during periods of inactivity. The total price for 2 batteries will cost you more than the Interstate but I sure like mine.
February 17, 2011 at 8:29 am #938270Quote:
You’re gonna get a different answer here than Interstate although that is what I recommend as a starting battery. I’ve been using the Group 30-31 AGM deep cycle batteries from Cabelas for my 24V system and have absolute 100% positive things to say about them. If there is a negative, it’s the price (About $225 reg price). They run them on sale every once in a while for about $179 and if you use one of the coupons Cabelas is famous for, you can get these batteries for around $145-150. They are stronger than Interstate lead acid batteries, have more CCA, more MCA, weigh 84# each and do not freeze. They literally do not discharge during periods of inactivity. The total price for 2 batteries will cost you more than the Interstate but I sure like mine.
X2 well said
I love mine too, never have had them out of the boat since I got them in the summer of 2005
Hold 100% charge all winter and are ready to go when U r
No leaking or freezing been a very good battery 4 me
Hope I can say this again in two more years on a post here.
I have had Walmarts and Interstates and they would always have to b charged come spring if not before
Love my AGM”s so far
February 17, 2011 at 10:50 am #938272If your heading to Everts give Dean a call, I know he carries some Interstate batteries
February 17, 2011 at 11:52 am #938287Quote:
Any advice on trolling motor batteries for my 1750 Fishhawk? 24volt system. And where is the best place to get them? I noticed last year Gander had Interstate deep cycles. Thanks for the help.
My 1750 FishHawk love em!
I have all my batteries on the onboard chargers 24/7 and they are still 100% going on 7 years… My boat is under a foot of snow and out there in 20 below all winter…under a cover plugged in.February 17, 2011 at 12:15 pm #938301Quote:
My vote is for optima.but i will ask dean tomorrow why he thinks interstate is the best.
In case you didn’t notice…. I am not Dean
Just said he carries them…. I am sure he carries lot’s of different lures… not just the best one 
February 17, 2011 at 1:07 pm #938320I also have used Interstate batteries and have had good luck with them. I need to upgrade mine this spring too and was reading in Consumer Report that Interstate’s arn’t that great of a buy. But with a limited budget i don’t think that i can go with Cabela’s AGM or Optima’s.
Does AC Delco Make a marine battery? I really have good luck with them in my vehicles.
February 17, 2011 at 1:10 pm #938322Quote:
I also have used Interstate batteries and have had good luck with them. I need to upgrade mine this spring too and was reading in Consumer Report that Interstate’s arn’t that great of a buy. But with a limited budget i don’t think that i can go with Cabela’s AGM or Optima’s.
Does AC Delco Make a marine battery? I really have good luck with them in my vehicles.
I used to be a huge Interstate fan. The last one I put in my truck was a pile of junk. I was pretty disappointed considering what they want for those things. Not sure if I would recommend them anymore.
February 17, 2011 at 1:15 pm #938325I have recently in installed Odyssey Trolling Thunder batteries in my Skeeter. They offer a 4 year full replacement non pro rated warranty with a longer service life of 3-10 years. 70% longer cycle life compared to conventional batteries- up to 400 cycles at 80% depth of discharge. They do not need to be removed from your boat and stored for winter and have a 2 year shelf life. The highest recharge efficiency of any sealed battery on the market, 100% in 4-6hrs. AGM Dry cell % totally maintenance free. Batteries Plus retails them or Skeeter Boat Center.
February 17, 2011 at 5:14 pm #938447Quote:
My vote is for optima.but i will ask dean tomorrow why he thinks interstate is the best.
X2 – four years running for my current Optima trolling motor batteries. That’s about twice as long as any I’ve previously owned. My bow mount trolling motor does get used rather heavily.
Almost forgot to add, I have owned Interstate batteries before. Optima’s are definitely better in my opinion.
February 17, 2011 at 5:38 pm #938462Quote:
Quote:
My vote is for optima.but i will ask dean tomorrow why he thinks interstate is the best.
X2 – four years running for my current Optima trolling motor batteries. That’s about twice as long as any I’ve previously owned. My bow mount trolling motor does get used rather heavily.
Almost forgot to add, I have owned Interstate batteries before. Optima’s are definitely better in my opinion.
Regardless of brand. What does one look for when shopping for Trolling Motor Batteries? It is all about group size? I can’t image CCAs matter at all for trolling motor batteries.
Does it make a difference if you are running a 36v system vs a 24v system? Obviously we are looking for the longest run time.
February 17, 2011 at 6:23 pm #938483I have been doing a lot of research as I am needing two new trolling motor batteries for my system. What I have found regarding wet cells (can’t afford the others):
Optima: I can get them cheaper than Interstates (wife works at JCI), but their biggest battery has only 155 RC. To small for what I want/need. Also, talking with multiple people I really believe their quality is hit or miss….with some of the higher rates of failure now. 24 month replacement warranty.
Batteries plus: Good wet cell batteries but not an equal amount of power as interstates. Batteries plus series 31 is rated at a 225 RC. What needs to be noted is that this is at 23 amps to make it look equal or better to other batteries. The RC value at 25 amps is 185, which is much lower that the RC value of say the Interstate series 31 battery which is RC 210. From what I can tell these are the same exact batteries as the Super Start deep cycles at Checker/Oreiley Auto parts, Napa deep cycles, and Deka Marine Max. Same ratings…same exterior case …everything. All are made by East Penn. 12 month replacement + 12 month prorated.
Interstates: Seem to be the best wet cell for money based on cost and RC rating (RC 210 for their SRM-29). I may have found a good deal on them as well ($99), I will post more when I actually find out. 12 month full replacement warranty + 18 month prorated I believe.
Walmart: I have not looked into these to find out who manufactures them or the details specs on them. Can’t find anything online.
Norther Battery: in St. Paul has a series 31 that they said has RC 210 at 25a for $100. 18 month replacement warratny + 18 month pro rated if I remember correctly.
February 17, 2011 at 7:41 pm #938509Quote:
My vote is for optima.but i will ask dean tomorrow why he thinks interstate is the best.
Interstates have been solid for me,but I would not say they are the best available at any price.I always make sure that I leave them plugged in & maintain charge,especially during the cold months.I suspect many battery failures are closely related to cold weather storage.We stock a few interstate batteries here as a service to those who want to get back in the water ASAP. The new battery Greg mentioned earlier really has my interest, just try to lift one,that in itself is pretty darn impressive.
February 17, 2011 at 8:09 pm #938513My Wallmart starter battery dumped on me last summer. I had 4 years out of it…it owes me nothing.
I went with an Interstate from Deano…I’ll report back in 4 years and let everyone know how it’s doing.
With the on board charger/maintainers does anyone take their batteries out over winter any longer?
February 17, 2011 at 8:13 pm #938515
Quote:
About $225 reg price
Holy CRAP!!
BK… who uses his 24 volt trolling motor set up more for keeping his bullheads alive than running a trolling motor.
February 17, 2011 at 8:13 pm #938516Quote:
Interstates have been solid for me,but I would not say they are the best available at any price.
The new battery Greg mentioned earlier really has my interest, just try to lift one,that in itself is pretty darn impressive.
Odyssey makes a good battery based on everything I have read, but they are an AGM simliar in price to the Cableas AGM. I believe they are very similar or the same as the Diehard PM batteries at Sears. Odyssey makes the Diehard Platinum PM1 and PM2 batteries.
As far as wet cells, I think the interstates may be hard to beat. Anyone have any other suggestions as far as wet cells?
February 17, 2011 at 10:36 pm #938564I picked up a 800CCA for my truck this afternoon from Wal-Mart. I was shocked that they are an $88 battery. Makes you feel not so bad about the AGM battery prices.
It’s getting pretty insane to spend around $1,000 for batteries (4 batteries) for your boat.
February 18, 2011 at 4:09 pm #938847Quote:
I picked up a 800CCA for my truck this afternoon from Wal-Mart. I was shocked that they are an $88 battery. Makes you feel not so bad about the AGM battery prices.
It’s getting pretty insane to spend around $1,000 for batteries (4 batteries) for your boat.
makes a gas kicker look pretty cheap
February 21, 2011 at 9:43 pm #940110Picked up a couple Interstate SRM-29’s at Capra’s for $99. They were just delivered that day.
February 21, 2011 at 10:21 pm #940144Reserve Cranking Amps are the critical deep cycle criteria. The larger the number the better performance. Additionally, most of the issues that shorten battery life revolves around improper recharging techniques. Car chargers and 12 volts are not the best for long life.
February 22, 2011 at 4:44 am #940241Aren’t 12V chargers for 12V batteries?
Even if they charge at 14.4 volts or something.
February 22, 2011 at 11:46 am #940255Quote:
Aren’t 12V chargers for 12V batteries?
Even if they charge at 14.4 volts or something.
If anyone knows that answer, I think we would all appreciate it. Especially considering there are $250 batteries on the line. I’d sure hate to have to replace it prematurely.
February 22, 2011 at 12:33 pm #940269Chrysler is starting to put some AGM batteries in some vehicles (JEEPS) and we got a new battery charger…. it was about $800 for the charger (its also a charging station) but it will not allow the charger to exceed 14.6V on an AGM which will ruin them, apparently the other chargers can have spikes/times that exceed 14.6. I have had a little training on it and from what I got from it mostly DO NOT USE A REGULAR CHARGER ON A AGM !!!
February 22, 2011 at 1:32 pm #940289Quote:
Aren’t 12V chargers for 12V batteries?
Even if they charge at 14.4 volts or something.
East Penn/Deka has a manual that has some good info on GEL and AGM batteries, and specific details regarding charging. You can find the manual here:
Deka Technical Manual – Gelled Electrolyte (gel) and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) BatteriesFrom the manual:
Quote:
How critical is recharge voltage?
Why are all VRLA batteries so charge
sensitive?All lead-acid batteries give off hydrogen from the negative plate and oxygen from the positive plate during charging.
VRLA batteries have pressure-sensitive valves. Without the ability to retain pressure within the cells, hydrogen and oxygen would be lost to the atmosphere, eventually drying out the electrolyte and separators.Voltage is electrical pressure. Charge (ampere-hours) is a quantity of electricity. Current (amperes) is electrical flow (charging speed). A battery can only store a certain quantity of electricity. The closer it gets to being fully charged, the slower it must be charged. Temperature also affects charging.
If the right pressure (voltage) is used for the temperature, a battery will accept charge at its ideal rate. If too much pressure is used, charge will be forced through the battery faster than it can be stored. Reactions other than the charging reaction occur to transport this current through the battery—mainly gassing. Hydrogen and oxygen are given off faster than the recombination
reaction. This raises the pressure until the pressure relief valve opens. The gas lost cannot be replaced. Any VRLA battery will dry out and fail prematurely if it experiences excessive overcharge. Note: It is the pressure (voltage) that initiates this problem— a battery can be “over-charged” (damaged by too much voltage) even though it is not fully “charged.”This is why charging voltage must be carefully regulated and
temperature compensated to the values on page 11.
Quote:
IMPORTANT: Always use an automatic temperaturesensing, voltage-regulated charger! Set charger at 13.8 to 14.1 volts at 68°F for gel, or 14.4 to 14.6 volts at 68°F for AGM. Do not exceed 14.1 volts for gel or 14.6 volts for AGM.
February 22, 2011 at 8:06 pm #940480I now have Interstates in my boat and love them. I don’t know anything about the Optima’s though. I had Walmart batteries in before I got the Interstates and they were junk. I barely got 2 years out of them. Never will buy Walmart batteries again.
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