Costco GC Batteries now in stock

Macboy

.
Aug 8, 2014
254
Macgregor 26S Sherwood Park, Alberta
I just returned from Costco with two 6V, 200+Ah batteries for a whopping $140 each. Ten dollars for the core but I have two to take back to them so I'll get that back. Not bad at all - especially if they do what I hope they do for our little Mac.

And then I saw this USB power pack gizmo touted as an Emergency Car Starter/Jumper Pack for $70. I grabbed it brought it home so I could get some help with the math from you all. It says the capacity is "Up to 8000mA (3.7V)". It has two USB output charge ports, one 2.4A & one 2.1A and a 12V Jump Start circuit with a start current of 200-350A. Would this serve as emergency peace of mind for me deciding to forego a dedicated starter battery? Well, not peace of mind....but it'd save me the removal of the four screws covering the emergency pull start on the engine.

Or should I take it back?

https://www.costco.com/Lithium-Jump...ith-Brush-Metal-Finish.product.100383979.html
 
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Likes: Tom J
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I don't really know about the value of those batteries but I hope they are as good as it sounds.
Regarding the power pack, I have one I keep in my car. Actually I bought it for my last car which had battery issues. I drove that car until just before the wheels fell off. The battery pack has started that 6 cylinder engine with ease. I try to take it on the boat because my batteries are suspect which I will address when my charging system is upgraded. I'm not ready to declare that the battery pack can replace a dedicated starting battery but I am starting to think it can. It's a lot easier to maintain.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Pricey batteries. I would prefer two group 27 12V 105 amps ea. which can be used independently or combined and a replacement could be easily procured almost anywhere. The battery pack is a good idea and a portable source of power. We carry one on trips.
 

Macboy

.
Aug 8, 2014
254
Macgregor 26S Sherwood Park, Alberta
Pricey batteries. I would prefer two group 27 12V 105 amps ea. which can be used independently or combined and a replacement could be easily procured almost anywhere. The battery pack is a good idea and a portable source of power. We carry one on trips.
Ha! Not pricey really.....that was $140 Canadian. For you guys it'd be about $60! ;)
 
  • Like
Likes: Allan12210
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
Best bang from the buck is 2 GC FLA batteries. They're far better with deep discharges than the more typical 'marine' dual-purpose battery. The much larger plate area causes them to last longer. And generally more AH capacity - a pair of GC2's is 220-240 depending on the battery. The last set I bought at costco was 220. You can get a replacement anywhere in the world that there are golf courses.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
.. You can get a replacement anywhere in the world that there are golf courses.
I've found that true in Florida. I bought Trojan T-105's a couple years ago for about $92 each and this year got 4 at $105 each at a Batteries To Go in Englewood, FL,

Sumner
=============================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...

MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
Ha! Not pricey really.....that was $140 Canadian. For you guys it'd be about $60! ;)
The old exchange rate trick I see. I thought they saw you coming. Reminds me of the time in college where we almost bought a refrigerator from the neighbor that cooled to 32 Degrees for $100. Then we found out it was Celsius.
 
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Likes: Macboy

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
I just returned from Costco with two 6V, 200+Ah batteries for a whopping $140 each. Ten dollars for the core but I have two to take back to them so I'll get that back. Not bad at all - especially if they do what I hope they do for our little Mac.

And then I saw this USB power pack gizmo touted as an Emergency Car Starter/Jumper Pack for $70. I grabbed it brought it home so I could get some help with the math from you all. It says the capacity is "Up to 8000mA (3.7V)". It has two USB output charge ports, one 2.4A & one 2.1A and a 12V Jump Start circuit with a start current of 200-350A. Would this serve as emergency peace of mind for me deciding to forego a dedicated starter battery? Well, not peace of mind....but it'd save me the removal of the four screws covering the emergency pull start on the engine.

Or should I take it back?

https://www.costco.com/Lithium-Jump...ith-Brush-Metal-Finish.product.100383979.html
I was very happy to see the golf cart batteries at Costco. I bought four of them to build a backup battery bank for our little house in Hawaii. Surprisingly, they were somewhat cheaper than yours, maybe because you are in Canada?
 
Sep 23, 2009
1,475
O'Day 34-At Last Rock Hall, Md
Those battery packs are worth their weight in gold. I have slightly larger Gooloo 10 amp gp37 model that is advertised for v 8s and small diesels. At our marina a mechanic used one on a big engines v 8 that started instantly. I'v used mine to start a 6 cyl several times without recharging the pack. The car battery was under 11 volts. I believe that it could start my diesel engine. Also can charge multiple phones multiple times.
Be cautious about storing one in cold or hot conditions. They have been known to ignite. I think a lithium battery recently caught fire in the hold of a delta air flight.
 
Last edited:
Jun 3, 2004
1,863
Macgregor 25 So. Cal.
Battery pack good, especially if your tow vehicle has a dead battery when you get back. Way better than trying to get two 6 volt golf cart batteries out of the boat to jump the truck.:)
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Ha! Not pricey really.....that was $140 Canadian. For you guys it'd be about $60! ;)
I too was thinking what a great deal I got at batteriesplus.com when I bought my GC2s, 230Ah, for $115 until you posted this.