why is everyone afraid of marine/deep cycle batteries?

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why is everyone afraid of marine/deep cycle batteries?

Postby Socal Tom » Fri Jun 10, 2016 9:47 am

I've been running a walmart marine/deep cycle battery since april 2012 ( per the sticker). Its not June 2016, its been completely drained twice ( something got left on and it wasn't on the charger). Other than that I try and keep the voltage about 12.2V ( 50%). Its labeled at 93 amp hours. As a marine battery, if I was ever in a pinch I could use it to start my TV without worrying about damaging the battery. Its worked really well for me, and has now exceeded its warrantied life span. It was about as inexpensive as I could find, has lots of amperage ( it can power my TD including the 12V fridge for about 3 days without a recharge. Why is everyone so against using them?
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Re: why is everyone afraid of marine/deep cycle batteries?

Postby lrrowe » Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:14 am

Tom, that is a good guestion in that for me, other then true golf cart batteries, they are about all I can find around here. Not to be a wise guy, what is your typical drain like? I wrestled with this issue the other day as I tried to buy a true deep cycle battery for my boat's bait tank. Because of cost, I finally bit the bullet and just bought one of the marine/rv batteries sort of out of desperation.
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Re: why is everyone afraid of marine/deep cycle batteries?

Postby Socal Tom » Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:06 am

lrrowe wrote:Tom, that is a good question in that for me, other then true golf cart batteries, they are about all I can find around here. Not to be a wise guy, what is your typical drain like? I wrestled with this issue the other day as I tried to buy a true deep cycle battery for my boat's bait tank. Because of cost, I finally bit the bullet and just bought one of the marine/rv batteries sort of out of desperation.


I have a waeco CF 35 that is the main battery drain. Other than that I have LEDs over the galley and a single incandescent bulb in the cabin, occasionally we will power up a 200W invertor to power a TV and watch a movie before bed. ( and of course phone charging). Probably 1/2 my trips are to places with electricity, and I stay plugged in except for the drive to and from ( I do have a TV charging set up through a 7 pin connector). As I understand it the big difference between deep cycle and starting batteries are that deep cycles can handle "deep cycling" better than a starting battery. ( Deep cycling being drawing the battery down to low voltage )( I've had red top optima batteries that failed after one deep cycling). Even deep cycles have a limit on how often that can happen before they die.

I can see if you are a true off the grid camper ( solar recharging, and away from power for a week or more routinely) then the extra effort and cost for a deep cycle battery might be worth it, but for many of us ( plugged into power at home and not away from electricity for more than a couple of days) then it seems like the costs/benefit isn't really there. I will admit, when I went shopping for this battery if there had been a deep cycle next to it, I would have probably gotten it. However the marine battery has performed perfectly for over 4 years now, and It was completely drained of power on at least two occasions, and after a week on the progressive convertor it acts just like nothing happened.
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Re: why is everyone afraid of marine/deep cycle batteries?

Postby Shadow Catcher » Fri Jun 10, 2016 8:56 pm

From battery FAQ
"Marine batteries are usually a "hybrid", and fall between the starting and deep-cycle batteries, though a few (Rolls-Surrette and Concorde, for example) are true deep cycle. In the hybrid, the plates may be composed of Lead sponge, but it is coarser and heavier than that used in starting batteries. It is often hard to tell what you are getting in a "marine" battery, but most are a hybrid. Starting batteries are usually rated at "CCA", or cold cranking amps, or "MCA", Marine cranking amps - the same as "CA". Any battery with the capacity shown in CA or MCA may or may not be a true deep-cycle battery. It is sometimes hard to tell, as the term deep cycle is often overused - we have even seen the term "deep cycle" used in automotive starting battery advertising. CA and MCA ratings are at 32 degrees F, while CCA is at zero degree F. Unfortunately, the only positive way to tell with some batteries is to buy one and cut it open - not much of an option."
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Re: why is everyone afraid of marine/deep cycle batteries?

Postby tony.latham » Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:28 pm

I'm afraid of dropping one on my foot.

I like 'em and get about four years out of them. Since I've got a permanent 20W PV keeping this three-year old one maintained, I'll be extra curious as to how long this one lasts.

For me, they're fine.

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Re: why is everyone afraid of marine/deep cycle batteries?

Postby skyl4rk » Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:52 am

I had a pair of WalMart marine batteries in my sailboat, which lasted about 8 years. They were kept charged up by a small solar panel with a charge controller. Maintenance was atrocious. I have 3 Menards marine batteries in my camper van, which are less than a year old. They work and are about $80 for 105 amp hours. I would prefer to have Trojan T105RE 's but they are in the $130+ range. I will wait and see how long these marine batteries last, and then maybe rewire for a 6V battery system.
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