Thanks Maine! and thank you for a very informative board! I've been doing this boating thing for a long time now, but I still learn from your forums and your instructional projects such as the one on thru hulls and seacocks.
Battery Buyers = Good News
- Thread starter Maine Sail
- Start date
Just looked up the current WM pricing vs. my local Sam's Club on the group 31 wet cell.. Holy CRAP!!!!
Remember these are the SAME EXACT BATTERIES, MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER AND ROLLING OFF THE SAME ASSEMBLY LINE. The ONLY difference is the STICKER...
Sams Club = Group 29/31 (Deka DC31) 105Ah Battery $84.97
West Marine = Group 31 (Deka DC31) 105Ah Battery $247.99
Difference = $165.02 per battery !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The price premium paid to have a West Marine sticker on the battery box vs. Duracell... $165.02.
...... Oh and identical warranty......... Priceless!
You can't make this stuff up.. BTW the price on the WM/Sea Volt/Deka DC31 batteries easily exceeds the offensive pricing of the top quality Trojan SCS-225 by over $50.00 per battery..
Remember these are the SAME EXACT BATTERIES, MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER AND ROLLING OFF THE SAME ASSEMBLY LINE. The ONLY difference is the STICKER...
Sams Club = Group 29/31 (Deka DC31) 105Ah Battery $84.97
West Marine = Group 31 (Deka DC31) 105Ah Battery $247.99
Difference = $165.02 per battery !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The price premium paid to have a West Marine sticker on the battery box vs. Duracell... $165.02.
...... Oh and identical warranty......... Priceless! You can't make this stuff up.. BTW the price on the WM/Sea Volt/Deka DC31 batteries easily exceeds the offensive pricing of the top quality Trojan SCS-225 by over $50.00 per battery..
US Battery has 130 AH group 31's. Are they actually 130 AH's? I know you liked their batteries. They're 123.63 locally.
http://www.usbattery.com/usb_us31dcxc_marine.html
http://www.usbattery.com/usb_us31dcxc_marine.html
yes they are actually 130Ah's at the 20 hour rate. The only other group 31 I know of that does that is the Trojan SCS-225 but it is a lot more expensive. The $123.00 is a decent price for the US DCXC 31..
MaineSail,
Thank you... I just picked up 3 new batteries to replace my dead West Marine batteries --- all for less than $300 including the cost of renewing my membership...
Wow I love this forum....!!!!
Garner
Thank you... I just picked up 3 new batteries to replace my dead West Marine batteries --- all for less than $300 including the cost of renewing my membership...
Wow I love this forum....!!!!
Garner
Maine Sail,
When You called them did you happen to ask them about the optimal charging rate for them?
I know most chargers are set at kind of flat rates say 14.4 for flooded batts. but have read that Trojan and other say that the optimal charging for there flooded are 14.8 at battery. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Jaime
Duracell battery problems?
I purchased the EGC2 Duracells in April 2012 at Sam's Club. They had a manufacturing date code of Feb 2012, so were very fresh. I installed them in May and first used them away from the dock this past week. They were very disappointing. They had been stored at dockside on a charger at 13.2 v float. On my cruise after only a couple of hours where the only load was a 12v reefer system drawing max 5 amp. The voltage I read was 12.1 and later on 11.8. This after only a few hours of draw.
I plan to exchange these for two others, but I wondered if anyone else had any issues with these batteries?? Hopefully this was just a rare case.
Rodd
I purchased the EGC2 Duracells in April 2012 at Sam's Club. They had a manufacturing date code of Feb 2012, so were very fresh. I installed them in May and first used them away from the dock this past week. They were very disappointing. They had been stored at dockside on a charger at 13.2 v float. On my cruise after only a couple of hours where the only load was a 12v reefer system drawing max 5 amp. The voltage I read was 12.1 and later on 11.8. This after only a few hours of draw.
I plan to exchange these for two others, but I wondered if anyone else had any issues with these batteries?? Hopefully this was just a rare case.
Rodd
I have these batteries as well. How did you read the date code? Did you use the round sticker with a single letter and digit (mine said F2 for June 2012) as the manufacturing date or something else?
I was told that for most batteries (not necessarily these), a round removable sticker on the battery tells you when the battery was last recharged while it was sitting in storage before shipment (typically every 3 months) and that the manufacturing code should be stamped into the case, but I couldn't decode the melted in /stamped code. There wasn't any letter/digit in that code. Is there some trick to deciphering the manufacturing date code?
I don't know when mine were made, unless the round sticker is the manufacturing date.
Rodd,
This is pretty common behavior until the batteries get "broken in" which can take as many as 10 - 20 cycles down to 50% and back... Don't return them just yet and cycle them for a few weeks. I'd be surprised if the behavior did not change quite a bit.
I called Johnson Controls who make the Sam's Club Duracell
Model: Group Size EGC2
Item #: 347631
They said 14.4 volts is right for charging
The Sam's Club Duracell batteries are made by Deka/East Penn. The Energizer brand they used to sell were made by Johnson Controls.
Interesting, Maine.. I think that the Deka's are only available in a small market.. My local club handles the Energizer labeled battery and the ad is accompanied by this:
ONLY AVAILABLE IN AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, ID, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, and WY..
Looks like you guys aren't in the list for the Energizers.. Still has pretty good specifications;
SPECIFICATIONS
6 volt
Minutes at 75 AMPS: 122
20 AMP Hour Capacity: 232
Reliable Cycling Ability
Deep Cycle
Gang Vent Design
Polypropylene Ribbed Case
Post Type: UTL
Core Fee May Apply
Back to top
ONLY AVAILABLE IN AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, ID, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, and WY..
Looks like you guys aren't in the list for the Energizers.. Still has pretty good specifications;
SPECIFICATIONS
6 volt
Minutes at 75 AMPS: 122
20 AMP Hour Capacity: 232
Reliable Cycling Ability
Deep Cycle
Gang Vent Design
Polypropylene Ribbed Case
Post Type: UTL
Core Fee May Apply
Back to top
We used to have the Energizer/JCI batteries but I am darn happy we now have the Deka/East Penn batteries.... Not all clubs have the Duracell/Deka/East Penn product and some apparently still have the Energizer/JCI product.. Could be regional?
If it is an EGC2, is gray in color, and looks like this:
It is made by Deka/East Penn, not Johnson Controls Inc..
I will have to take a road trip for these. here is what my sams in Dallas says.
Features:
Whether you need a battery for a personnel carrier, aerial lift, electric vehicle, golf car, boat, RV, floor scrubber, road sign, or any other application that requires deep-cycle power, this is the battery of choice. The biggest innovations lie inside the battery, where we use heavier grids, plates with higher density oxide and improved glass mat envelope separators. The result? Longer life cycles and superior cycle life performance. The exterior features represent powerful thinking as well. Engineers have designed a battery that is as durable and user-friendly as possible. The heavy gauge polypropylene cases have been specially engineered to take a pounding without damaging the cells. Twist-and-release vent caps make removing caps a snap, and we’ve maximized convenience by designing a new lifting system.
ONLY AVAILABLE IN AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, AND WV
Features:
Whether you need a battery for a personnel carrier, aerial lift, electric vehicle, golf car, boat, RV, floor scrubber, road sign, or any other application that requires deep-cycle power, this is the battery of choice. The biggest innovations lie inside the battery, where we use heavier grids, plates with higher density oxide and improved glass mat envelope separators. The result? Longer life cycles and superior cycle life performance. The exterior features represent powerful thinking as well. Engineers have designed a battery that is as durable and user-friendly as possible. The heavy gauge polypropylene cases have been specially engineered to take a pounding without damaging the cells. Twist-and-release vent caps make removing caps a snap, and we’ve maximized convenience by designing a new lifting system.
ONLY AVAILABLE IN AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, AND WV