Duracell 6 volt batteries

As Robert posted heat and degree of discharge are two big factors of the life of a wet cell battery. I live in Ct, much cooler than Fl, have the same batteries that have never been discharged past 50%SOC, and these same batteries have lasted 12 years so far. They sit all winter with no charge and only self discharge about 20 %. I don't hear much discussion about leaving the batteries on a charger vs off the charger until they self discharge to 80% soc then charge fully and how that affects the battery plate life. I would think the plates would be eaten away quicker with a constant charge routine. I realize most batteries die of sulfation first rather than plate reduction so charging is important, but I would think there is a sweet spot between the two, just have not heard it discussed.

Crabbypatty wrote:
What I find interesting is that on these 6 volt flooded battery threads its not stated how far these batteries are discharged. Yes that's how they are rated by number of full discharge cycles.So im guessing they are drawn down to almost nothing. However what I have found using Trojan T 125s is that if you hold the discharge to no greater than 50% they keep going on and on. Sold my first TT after 10 years with two Trojans T125s, still going. Bought a new to us TT 4 years ago and its a no brainer another two. We just traded up to a fiver and I added two more. So now up to 4 Trojans 125's. I know Ill get 10 plus years out of them. I use the Trimetric 2030rv meter to let me know state of charge and just upgraded to 648 watts of solar. Its a delight not to worry about it.

Heat is a major factor when it comes to battery life. Automotive batteries only last 3-4 years in Florida, despite the brand, cost, or warranty. My garage is currently in the 90s at midnight! Golf cart batteries (4x Trojan T-1275) are the same chemistry, and suffer the same limited life due to heat.

I've been purchasing 6V golf cart batteries for my solar setup since 2006. Gone through several sets. Almost always 4-5 years of use, never longer. I also have a 48V golf cart, and have to replace those batteries every 4-5 years also.







I water my batteries monthly. I have a battery watering system on the motorhome, golf cart, and had added one to the solar battery bank shortly before moving to AGMs. None have every been as low as 50% SOT (State Of Charge). Typically never below 80%!

I'm using a Xantrex LinkPRO to monitor the SOT of the battery bank.



Last year, I finally switched over to AGM batteries for the solar setup. They are much more expensive, but are expected to last 8-10 years in this heat.

A quick update on this one;

These batteries were installed 3 years ago this month. When I installed them I did the mineral oil deal, adding ~ 1.5 oz per cell.

Since then I haven't touched them and they haven't been cleaned in any way, shape, or form. I took this picture last night. The batteries perform as good today as they did when installed.

When I did it some "experts" said the oil would do nothing to stop the gassing. While technically that may be true, it sure has stopped any gassing corrosion, which is what I was looking to do. I'd say it's working. :W

What I find interesting is that on these 6 volt flooded battery threads its not stated how far these batteries are discharged. Yes that's how they are rated by number of full discharge cycles.So im guessing they are drawn down to almost nothing. However what I have found using Trojan T 125s is that if you hold the discharge to no greater than 50% they keep going on and on. Sold my first TT after 10 years with two Trojans T125s, still going. Bought a new to us TT 4 years ago and its a no brainer another two. We just traded up to a fiver and I added two more. So now up to 4 Trojans 125's. I know Ill get 10 plus years out of them. I use the Trimetric 2030rv meter to let me know state of charge and just upgraded to 648 watts of solar. Its a delight not to worry about it.

Well I bought four from Sam's and have them installed. My last interstate lasted seven years but I put mineral oil in them and felt I had a longer life from them because of that. Am debating about adding oil to these.


Thanks to all for your input. Happy travels. Arnold

Bought four in April 2018 (date code 03/18) from Batteries Plus. Ordered on-line, got an additional 10% off, picked up in store and returned old Interstates and received a refund for core charge. They were cheaper than Sam's and by far cheaper than Interstates. I use them with a Xantrex SW-3012 pure sine wave inverter/charger. I am very pleased with them. They have required about the same amount of added water as the Interstates did.

I used a set of these with my home solar setup. Got about 5 years of daily use before needing to replace them. That's above average lifespan for flooded batteries in the Florida heat. For the price, I'd recommend them.







I've since moved over to AGM batteries for the solar setup: http://www.2manytoyz.com/agm-batt-bank.html

First batteries were the Trojan GC 6v batteries, they lasted 4 years. the next set were the Sam's Club which I bought in 2007 and are still in use. They were almost 1/2 the price of Trojan. I dry camp 95% of the time but fully charge them after a week of dry camping, equalize 2-3 times a year and when not in use fully charge when they reach 80% SOC.(I don't keep batteries on a constant charge} I think how they are maintained is more important than the brand. I would buy the Sam's Club batteries again.

hypoxia wrote:
They also sell the larger capacity 6 volt batteries like Sams offers but at a lower price, around $120

Can give the specs on the "large capacity" 6V battery ?

7 years of good service on ours.