Best place or site to buy marine batteries?
- Thread starter SFKjeld
- Start date
Do you have group 24 on board now. IF so, suggest staying with those but depends on the type of sailing you are doing. As for price, you will have to shop around. Check automotive stores as well but keep in mind deep cycle batteries only.
I have not had to replace mine for my boat yet, but I always use Wal-Mart for my Vehicles. They stand behind their warrantee, and with the heat here in S FL the 3 year automotive batteries always fail in the 3rd year, and never have outlasted the warrantee. I drive most of my Vehicles to well over 200,000 miles. That means I buy a battery once, and never have to buy another for the life of the vehicle.
House or start
Are you replacing the house bank than change to 2-6 volt Trojan's T-105's
They are more $$$$$ but I have 4 since 2010 and still going strong.
Nick
Are you replacing the house bank than change to 2-6 volt Trojan's T-105's
They are more $$$$$ but I have 4 since 2010 and still going strong.
Nick
There are several plants which I do not know how many to be exact that make all the batteries in the United States. They make all brands to the surprise of many. However, use deep cycle batteries and the best size for the 23.5 is group 24.
Everyone is always of course concerned about the price but one thing should always be considered is the service. I do not mind spending a little more but for the service and knowledge, that too is a consideration. I have been to many stores and the quote technician does not always know that much if not less than you. The decision to buy where you want is left up to youl
Everyone is always of course concerned about the price but one thing should always be considered is the service. I do not mind spending a little more but for the service and knowledge, that too is a consideration. I have been to many stores and the quote technician does not always know that much if not less than you. The decision to buy where you want is left up to youl
I didn't realize a 23.5 used a group 24. The boat has 27 for house, 24 for motor. There is no downside to using 27's though, right? I like the idea of identical batteries.
From what I've heard, as you said, there are few battery makers left in the Country. The ones that are left, are regulated so closely that there are not a lot of differences anymore in materials or manufacturing methodologies. At least this is what I've gleaned on car sites. But the example of the Deka batteries being sold at twice the price with a West Marine sticker vs the Durcell at Sams, is just another reminder of the boating product mark ups we all know too well.
From what I've heard, as you said, there are few battery makers left in the Country. The ones that are left, are regulated so closely that there are not a lot of differences anymore in materials or manufacturing methodologies. At least this is what I've gleaned on car sites. But the example of the Deka batteries being sold at twice the price with a West Marine sticker vs the Durcell at Sams, is just another reminder of the boating product mark ups we all know too well.
I agree and you are correct about the manufacturers. EPA put the last lead smelter out of business and now another issue relying outside the country for products.
Did you know that before WWII, we were self reliant as an isolationist country with wars going on in the Pacific and Europe. It was Admiral Yamamoto that realized if he were not able to secure a treaty with The U.S. early on, Japan would loose due to our industrial and manufacturing strength. I tell everyone Congress sold us out with NAFTA and you will never get me to change my mind. Like I said, term limits and balanced budget are in order in Washington but those clowns just seem not to get it. I am afraid what will happen to our children as they have to deal with this oversight.
Did you know that before WWII, we were self reliant as an isolationist country with wars going on in the Pacific and Europe. It was Admiral Yamamoto that realized if he were not able to secure a treaty with The U.S. early on, Japan would loose due to our industrial and manufacturing strength. I tell everyone Congress sold us out with NAFTA and you will never get me to change my mind. Like I said, term limits and balanced budget are in order in Washington but those clowns just seem not to get it. I am afraid what will happen to our children as they have to deal with this oversight.
Just concentrate on your needs. I usually recommend Group 27s but in this case I will side with Crazy Dave as Group 24s are smaller, lighter and cheaper but still pack better than 80% of the storage capacity of its larger counterpart. I do not recon that your boat has refrigeration or other high draw fixtures or appliances nor probably spends more than two consecutive days away from shore power so the smaller group 24s may be better suited as far as getting healthier discharge cycles and you will not be paying for excess unrequired capacity. Now we are talking about wet cell batteries which are the least expensive type and can be found almost everywhere. Unfortunately the relationship between price and quality is a very flimsy one. A century has gone by and manufacturers have not yet identified how come some batteries can last 5 years while others die around 2. This unknown has lead to the development of battery warranties. They vary in coverage and term but their cost is always passed on to you in the form of a premium or included in the price. I was just checking the Walmart batteries and their warranty for marine batteries is 12 Months full replacement for the EverStart and 24 months full replacement for the EverStart Maxx. I would say the difference in price for the Maxx is to cover the longer warranty period. I would think the value of the warranty is only to give you protection against the purchase of a bad product that fails shortly. It is likely that if a battery lasts one year that it will likely work past two so I do not see paying extra for the Maxx batteries. Batteries that sit too long on the shelf start getting sulfated so you may be better off purchasing from a retailer that moves its inventory often and in that regard Walmart does move its inventory. Check the batteries date and I would not purchase one that has been sitting on a warehouse or the shelf longer than 45 days. Batteries need to be fully charged and then exercised to make sure they have the ability to come up to full storage capacity. When new put them through a couple of deep charge discharge cycles and then charge them up and let them rest for 2-3 hours and take a voltage reading; it should be around 12.65 Volts. Any lesser like less than 12.6V shows reduced capacity. So do your homework and check prices and warranties and look for a fresh battery and you will have found the best battery.