Walmart deep cycle battery

Blazing Zippers wrote:
Have any on here used Walmart EverStart marine and rv batteries? I looked at the 27DC model. It has the words 750 MCA written on the side.

The issue with EverStart batteries is they are a retailer brand name, not a manufacture brand. So, who makes it can vary based on who is contracted to make the battery. The quality of one manufacture may be poor where the quality of another is good. You could even buy two of the same batteries at the same time and they are made by two different manufactures depending on the manufacturing date. As a result, reviews need to be examined to see if the grouping of negatives or positives are based around the actual manufacture; often corresponding to purchase year.

With that said, WalMart's EverStart are sold as dual starting/deep cycle although one group is actually a truer deep cycle versus the other. As mentioned the ones listed with the alpha code DC are actual deep cycle where the the dual purpose is listed as MS for Marine - Starting. The DC should also specifically state can be used for trolling where the MS probably omits that statement. One item that has been consistently reported is if possible, get the EverStart MAXX DC AGM's. These most likely have to be ordered for pickup at the store, but for the few dollars more, they have a much higher rating for deep cycle use and quality.

theoldwizard1 wrote:

jkwilson wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:
If it says MARINE it is not DEEP CYCLE.. if it says GC it is (GC-2)

Trolling batteries may also be DEEP CYCLE. But I've never seen them in the store.

They are deep-cycle batteries by definition. There is nothing magical about a golf car battery and nothing distinguishes them from a marine deep-cycle in construction or chemistry.

Not true !

Yes, the chemistry is the same, but there are differences in construction. True deep cycle batteries have thicker plates (one reason they weight more per cubic inch than dual purpose batteries) and the have more room at the bottom of the case.

Read this link The difference between starting and deep discharge batteriesx

Since I spent 11 years testing and evaluating primary and secondary batteries as an engineer, I don't think your link tells me much.

No, there are no differences in construction between the Everstart and Trojan that distinguishes either as a deep-cycle. The JCI 29 is a deep-cycle in every way it is possible to define the term. In general, a deep-cycle has fewer, thicker plates to handle the abuse that deep discharges inflict on the battery, while a cranking battery has many, thin plates to maximize contact between the plates and electrolyte to facilitate the chemical reaction during the short cranking period.

There are alloy changes and specific gravity changes that can improve battery performance and cycle life, but the presence or absences of these differences doesn't change the fact that a battery is or isn't a deep-cycle.

The most notable difference you see in chemistry is higher specific gravity. This is because the capacity of a battery is largely determined by the quantity of sulfuric acid ions in the case, so increasing the volume of the case or increasing the concentration of ions are two ways of increasing the storage capacity of a battery. Trojan is a common example with their 1.277 specific gravity and 12.72V OCV at full charge.

Any battery that can handle 50% DoD for years at a time as the JCI 29 can is a deep-cycle.

The only thing the term "marine" means on a battery is the terminal size and type.

theoldwizard1 wrote:

mobeewan wrote:
Per my conversation with one of the technical people at Johnson controls who make the EverStart batteries for Walmart ...

I don't know how recent your conversation was, but I found this on the Internet.

Jason Johnson wrote:
Jason Johnson, Automotive Service Advisor (2016-present)
Answered Sep 6, 2018
Most EverStart batteries are made by Exide with a few made by Delphi.

Johnson Control does not make batteries for Wal-Mart nor do they any longer make Interstate (now made by Exide.)

Common JCI battery brands are Optima and Duralast. New Duralast batteries come off of the same line as the old Interstate batteries with the same guts and warranty.

Since Delphi sold their battery business to JCI 12-1/2 years ago, I doubt that is true. You can easily identify JCI batteries by looking at the vent caps. JCI caps have beveled corners. And JCI does currently supply most batteries to Walmart and Interstate.

My 1 year old everstart battery clearly says made by Johnson controls.

mobeewan wrote:
Per my conversation with one of the technical people at Johnson controls who make the EverStart batteries for Walmart ...

I don't know how recent your conversation was, but I found this on the Internet.

Jason Johnson wrote:
Jason Johnson, Automotive Service Advisor (2016-present)
Answered Sep 6, 2018
Most EverStart batteries are made by Exide with a few made by Delphi.

Johnson Control does not make batteries for Wal-Mart nor do they any longer make Interstate (now made by Exide.)

Common JCI battery brands are Optima and Duralast. New Duralast batteries come off of the same line as the old Interstate batteries with the same guts and warranty.

jkwilson wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:
If it says MARINE it is not DEEP CYCLE.. if it says GC it is (GC-2)

Trolling batteries may also be DEEP CYCLE. But I've never seen them in the store.

They are deep-cycle batteries by definition. There is nothing magical about a golf car battery and nothing distinguishes them from a marine deep-cycle in construction or chemistry.

Not true !

Yes, the chemistry is the same, but there are differences in construction. True deep cycle batteries have thicker plates (one reason they weight more per cubic inch than dual purpose batteries) and the have more room at the bottom of the case.

Read this link The difference between starting and deep discharge batteriesx

Mine lasted just over a year. Will buy a different brand before spring

zigzagrv wrote:
I used the 27DC for many years, but had to replace them every 2-3 years. During the second or third year, they would not last the night running my furnace. Have switched to two 6v GC-2s from Sam's Club and am very pleased with them. On my fourth year and still going strong.

Apples to oranges comparison - a pair of 6v GC-2s in series offer more capacity than a pair of Group 27 12v batts. A fairer comparison would be to a pair of Group 31s.

wa8yxm wrote:
If it says MARINE it is not DEEP CYCLE.. if it says GC it is (GC-2).

Concur !

GC (Golf Cart) batteries are designed for one purpose, providing power over a long period of time, to a greater DOD, and survive multiple discharge/charge cycles.

While not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, the EverStart 27DC weighs about 50 lbs. A Trojan T-1275 (size GC-12) is a smidgen bigger but it weights 85 lbs. That extra weight is extra lead, which is GOOD !

IMHO, any battery that advertises a CCA or MCA is NOT a true deep discharge battery.

I happened to have had an email conversation with Trojan about this topic (The T-1275 is a true deep discharge 12V "golf cart" battery; The SCS225 is more of a "dual purpose" battery, one of the the few that Trojan actually lists "Cold Cranking Amps" for.)

James M. Cobb Technical Support Engineer Trojan Battery Company wrote:
The T-1275 is a higher capacity battery, rated at 150 Ah where the SCS225 is rated at 130 Ah. The T-1275 is a heavy duty 12V golf cart battery with thicker plates, which means it has a longer cycle life at 50% DOD, 1200 cycles versus 600 cycles for the SCS225.

Keeping weight down, is direct opposite to adding capacity
The more lead in the battery the more weight the more capacity
You are going to add two batteries, adding two batteries that weight 70# each, makes more sense than two batteries that Weight 55# each
Get the two heaviest deep cycle that will fit, in your space available
The AGMs in my previous RV
Weighed 102# each, 135 ampHrs each
The 4D battery I installed in this RV weighs 145# 198 ampHrs

A 55# battery rated at 90 ampHrs is less durable than a 70# battery rated at 100 ampHrs

The amount of lead per rated ampHr means a lot

Example most GC weigh in around 62# and 212 ampHrs at 6v, thick plates
That's 124# for 212 ampHrs at 12v