Looking for input as to whether using a Golf Cart deep cell vs standard boat deep cell; which better. Have heard the Golf Cart deep cell will last much longer (little heavier).Boat stores, for the best part, have no knowledge of golf cart batteries; therefore not rendering an opinion as to which is better.Any thoughts from the group? Any expierence from the group, good or bad? These are for working batteries, only. Tks, Terry Quinn
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Golf Cart Batteries
Terry, These are commonly known as GC2 batteries. West lists them in their catalog. They are 6 volt however, so you need to connect two in series. I am thinking of replacing my two 4Ds with four GC2s, mainly because each one weighs about half of a 4D. It looks as though two GC2s are almost the same size as a 4D, but a little taller. The ratings are very similar (about 225 amp.hr compared to 210 amp.hr for the 4D). I believe I read somewhere that Walmart was selling them a lot cheaper than West. Derek
Terry, These are commonly known as GC2 batteries. West lists them in their catalog. They are 6 volt however, so you need to connect two in series. I am thinking of replacing my two 4Ds with four GC2s, mainly because each one weighs about half of a 4D. It looks as though two GC2s are almost the same size as a 4D, but a little taller. The ratings are very similar (about 225 amp.hr compared to 210 amp.hr for the 4D). I believe I read somewhere that Walmart was selling them a lot cheaper than West. Derek
Different Golf Carts Available
Although I personally have Dyno batteries now (a Seattle company), Trojan is a good national brand to compare with and they have an informative web site at: http://www.trojanbattery.com/ T-105 is the basic Trojan golf cart model at 225 AH but they make a couple more including the T-145 which they rate at 244 AH. We had the T-105 for 9 years and the voltage was still above 12.7 volts! but opted to change them out anyway - they had to be getting tired. We went with the heavy Dynos which are comparable to the T-145.
Although I personally have Dyno batteries now (a Seattle company), Trojan is a good national brand to compare with and they have an informative web site at: http://www.trojanbattery.com/ T-105 is the basic Trojan golf cart model at 225 AH but they make a couple more including the T-145 which they rate at 244 AH. We had the T-105 for 9 years and the voltage was still above 12.7 volts! but opted to change them out anyway - they had to be getting tired. We went with the heavy Dynos which are comparable to the T-145.
Golf Cart
I have 4-225 AH golf cart batteries that are 6 years old and while getting a little tired are still providing for my house load. They tend to be taller than a lot of other batteries so watch for clearance. I think that the golf cart batteries represent the biggest bang for the buck. They are about $45 each at Sam's
I have 4-225 AH golf cart batteries that are 6 years old and while getting a little tired are still providing for my house load. They tend to be taller than a lot of other batteries so watch for clearance. I think that the golf cart batteries represent the biggest bang for the buck. They are about $45 each at Sam's
Pleased with golf carts
Our house bank is 4 golf cart batteries. We will be going into our fifth season with them and no noticable change in performance. We switched from D's and have been happy with the change.
Our house bank is 4 golf cart batteries. We will be going into our fifth season with them and no noticable change in performance. We switched from D's and have been happy with the change.
Benefits but also cavaets...
Terry, the other comments are very representative of most folks' golf cart batteries. They are more space efficient, offer a better weight vs. stored capacity ratio, are more easily handled than 12V batteries barely 60% of their capacity, and if you shop about some, they are economical. Trojan T-105's, as I recall, offer 700 cycles at a 50% pull-down cycle (meaning if you used the 225 AH battery bank of 2 6-V batteries as your house bank, drew them down by 110 AH and then fully recharged them properly, they would provide 700 such cycles before losing 50% of their capacity. This also assumes regular equalization events, which most of us don't do. I believe they are also rated at 1200 cycles if pulled down to 75%. However, all is not butter and cream. If a typical house bank (2 sets of 6V pairs, making up a quite suitable house bank of 440 AH or thereabouts) suffers one shorted cell, you find yourself facing the prospect of replacing all 4 batteries or mismatching the one replacement battery with the other three somewhat depleted ones. This always ends up being a problem in obtaining max efficiency. We used our most recent T-105 house bank (2 pairs of 6V pairs) for two years with good service in harsh conditions - full time cruising and almost never plugged in; rarely were we able to fully charge the batteries, but rather living within the typical 'healthy' span of 50%-80% of full capacity. Then we picked up one shorted cell and, because we're departing for another long period, decided to swap out the full set. We found them at a local auto electric shop, so don't hesitate to shop around for a good price. They were $48 each two weeks ago in Tampa, FL. I'm quite umimpressed with the notion that one can find the same service from a generic brand such as you find at Walmart, local electric shops, etc. There are many ways to make a battery cheaper and, given how central the 12V electrical system is on a boat, I'd research the actual manufacturer and ask for their performance specs before settling for a brand not already well know. And besides...can anyone really complain about $96 for a 220 AH house bank in a small, light package with a solid, long-term rep? Jack
Terry, the other comments are very representative of most folks' golf cart batteries. They are more space efficient, offer a better weight vs. stored capacity ratio, are more easily handled than 12V batteries barely 60% of their capacity, and if you shop about some, they are economical. Trojan T-105's, as I recall, offer 700 cycles at a 50% pull-down cycle (meaning if you used the 225 AH battery bank of 2 6-V batteries as your house bank, drew them down by 110 AH and then fully recharged them properly, they would provide 700 such cycles before losing 50% of their capacity. This also assumes regular equalization events, which most of us don't do. I believe they are also rated at 1200 cycles if pulled down to 75%. However, all is not butter and cream. If a typical house bank (2 sets of 6V pairs, making up a quite suitable house bank of 440 AH or thereabouts) suffers one shorted cell, you find yourself facing the prospect of replacing all 4 batteries or mismatching the one replacement battery with the other three somewhat depleted ones. This always ends up being a problem in obtaining max efficiency. We used our most recent T-105 house bank (2 pairs of 6V pairs) for two years with good service in harsh conditions - full time cruising and almost never plugged in; rarely were we able to fully charge the batteries, but rather living within the typical 'healthy' span of 50%-80% of full capacity. Then we picked up one shorted cell and, because we're departing for another long period, decided to swap out the full set. We found them at a local auto electric shop, so don't hesitate to shop around for a good price. They were $48 each two weeks ago in Tampa, FL. I'm quite umimpressed with the notion that one can find the same service from a generic brand such as you find at Walmart, local electric shops, etc. There are many ways to make a battery cheaper and, given how central the 12V electrical system is on a boat, I'd research the actual manufacturer and ask for their performance specs before settling for a brand not already well know. And besides...can anyone really complain about $96 for a 220 AH house bank in a small, light package with a solid, long-term rep? Jack
T-105s Rule
T105s offer the most bang for the boat buck BY FAR !! $200 for 440ah that will last 5 - 9 years is the great value. For the best quality stick with the name brand TROJAN.
T105s offer the most bang for the boat buck BY FAR !! $200 for 440ah that will last 5 - 9 years is the great value. For the best quality stick with the name brand TROJAN.
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