12v marine/deep cycle batteries

[AZDesertRat]

I know they are not true deep cycle and I have no intention of going to 6 volt batteries.
Which would be your choice between the Interstate SRM-29 and the WalMart Everstart Maxx 29DC? I can get the Interstates for $119 and the Everstarts for $99. They both weigh 61 lbs. I found the specs on the Interstate and its 1 year warranty but can't find anything on the Everstarts?
I am buying two to go along with my two 100w solar panels and Phocos controller for short boondocking trips in AZ with plenty of sunshine.

[enblethen]

I asked the moderator to close this thread as it is getting out of hand!


Closed!

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I have a battery I like and I want more capacity. So I will buy a 2nd battery JUST LIKE IT and connect the cables. This is not criticism, it is a real situation, and my answer is honest.

It helps to QUALIFY WHY you are asking for opinions. It eliminates a lot of meandering ideas. I have a Lifeline. I want more capacity. So I will buy a SECOND Lifeline. And yes I am going to buy the second Lifeline. This is not a mere scenario for anyone's entertainment. I am satisfied with the original product so I figure I would be stupid to consider something different.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I can go to Tijuana and buy a Rolex Oyster for thirty bucks.

90% of those 208 amp membership warehouse batteries sold west of the mighty Mississississississippi are made by LTH battery in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Besides making almost every spiral cell AGM on the planet LTH has become a battery manufacturing titan for car and truck applications. I do not know if they make scrubber or L16 batteries.

I had a cell connector snap on a WallyFart yellow Maxx battery and a pimple-faced kid gave me a hard time about a would-not-start-a-go cart dead cell battery. The funniest part is an eyewitness beginning to end experience at the computer electronics counter in a Wal-Mart in Rohnert Park CA.

Guy buys a laptop computer right in front of me. Insists on an in-store trial. Unit does a blue screen. (Compaq).

Dept techie pronounces the unit DOA. The customer asks for an exchange
Can not do
The customer asks for a refund
Can not do
Customer asks what CAN he do?
"You can send the computer into the Compaq service center for repair"

Thank you, but I will buy DIRECT from China via eBay OR, pay twice the price and get five times the value, for a quality brand somewhere ELSE than WallyFart.

I'll buy spray paint, insect repellent, and tires (rags) from Wallyfart as once I cross the border nothing has ANY warranty. A hundred thirty five dollars for the only group 34 in a 200 mile radius is a little reamer. That was in Oct 2014. It's now out of warranty.

To each his own I haven't time to screw with garbage.

[AZDesertRat]

I think everyone also missed my statement that the two group 24 batteries I currently have are going on 6 years old and still going strong. I merely want a little more capacity while staying with 12v batteries. I knew this would get completely blown out of proportion so I ask the mods to close the thread, it turned into something different than intended.

[time2roll]

enblethen wrote:
Costco has GC-2 batteries for $78

208 amp/hrs not the Trojan T-105 or US Battery US2200 with 232.

[dclark1946]

AZDesertRat wrote:
Like I said earlier, the marine batteries have performed well for me in the past once I had a decent charging system so I have no problem going that route again. I was just asking between the two I listed is one any better than another or is there something else in a 12v battery that isn't twice the price that you would recommend. I'm not debating 6v vs 12v or 2 batteries versus 4 etc. I see threads blasting Interstate quality and others on Everstarts, you also see those who have had good experiences with both. There is a guy here in Phoenix who sells Trojans and advertises like crazy so I will give him a call too.

If you don't mind paying a higher price the Trojan SCS series offers more quality and typically more capacity than a generic 12V deep cycle. We do nicely with a single SCS 200 Gr 27 115 AH 60 pound battery for our dry camping style.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

There is ZERO DIFFERENCE between thse two, so go for it.

Sears used to spec their Die Hards but now with AGM who knows?

Hmmm should I buy that tool set from Harbor Freight or Northern Tool?

M
O
O
T

Point

[Huntindog]

Back to the OP.... A important question. Do you have room for a pair of 29s in boxes? Most don't.

Seeing as how most don't, then 24s are what the choice is.... There are not any that are good at a reasonable price.. Hence the popularity of 6 volts... I really don't care which ones you spend your money on. But now you are informed.

[Huntindog]

DownTheAvenue wrote:

RoyB wrote:
The real beauty is with two each 6VDC golf cart deep cycle batteries in series weighing 61 lbs each will give you 12VDC at around 220AHs for around $160... A single Trojan T1275 12V deep cycle battery weighing around 82 lbs each will give you 12VDC at around 150AHs and will cost around $250 dollars. Two mounted in Parallel will give you around 300AHs for around $500...

If you are on a budget then the cheaper golf cart batteries are the way to go...

Roy Ken

Everything posted here is correct except one thing. Finding 6 volt true golf cart batteries for $80 each will be next to impossible.

Using 12 volt batteries will give much greater capacity than using 6 volt batteries.

2- 6 volt batteries in series= double the volts but the amp hours remain the same

2- 12 volt batteries in parallel= double the amp hours but the volts remain the same

If you are comparing group 29-31s then you may have an AH advantage... But they take up more realestate. Most TTs don't have room for a pair of them on the tongue... And if you are realistic about how far you can draw down a pair of 12 volts vs a pair of 6 volts, the AH advantage goes back to the 6 volts.

[BCRacing24]

AZDesertRat wrote:
I know they are not true deep cycle and I have no intention of going to 6 volt batteries.
Which would be your choice between the Interstate SRM-29 and the WalMart Everstart Maxx 29DC? I can get the Interstates for $119 and the Everstarts for $99. They both weigh 61 lbs. I found the specs on the Interstate and its 1 year warranty but can't find anything on the Everstarts?
I am buying two to go along with my two 100w solar panels and Phocos controller for short boondocking trips in AZ with plenty of sunshine.

Just going to repost the op's original question before another dozen post about 6v's flood in...............

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Please note this. It is fact not fiction...

12-volt CAR STARTING BATTERIES of the sixties and seventies

WERE EXACTLY

The same as "DEEP CYCLE" batteries of today.

Plate thickness, antimony content, separators WEIGHT ampere hours, reserve capacity, was the same (heavy duty models) as today's gizmos with handles.

Only envelope separators of the new batteries define the difference.

Golf car batteries the good brands are the same now as they were 40 years ago except for envelope separators.

PROPERLY MAINTAINED a good-brand of golf car battery will cycle twice or three times the number of cycles as the "best" 6-cell "Deep Cycle" battery (except perhaps for Rolls).

We are talking flooded batteries, not AGM

Talk about blind men and the elephant: Statements are being made about their battery life, when absolutely no data is included about number of cycles, depth of discharge, length of time spent discharged, manner of recharging, zero compare with. Hell I have a SHIRT from the 1960's in PERFECT condition. Oooooo it must be a superior brand. Oooooo I never wear it except to church and funerals. It gets dry cleaned.

Two of the four tires on my car last ten - fifteen years. Good tires, right? Rear tires on a featherweight front wheel drive K car.

Good for how many cycles? Discharge 50% and fully recharge 365 times a so-called Deep Cycle 6-cell battery. Will it reach all 365 cycles worth? I for one, would be amazed. But a golf car battery will do it, and not break a sweat.

The intelligent buyer will LEARN the difference between a 3-cell golf car battery and a 6-cell "Deep Cycle" battery, then decide which one would be more suitable for their own use. A Power Pedestal Princess can flourish with the cheapest battery, an engine starting battery.

But using an engine starting battery, right out of 1970, has it's limitations. If it suits your fancy, all well and good. But please don't bytch if it fails in year three. It's not the brand, it's the battery type. And receiving service that pleases you cannot be gainsaid by anyone.

[NinerBikes]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. He'll be happy with his WM 12 volters until he needs to wait in line again for warranty coverage back at WM.

It took me 3 or 4 boondocking trips to never repeat that mistake again, dispose of the NeverStart, and get a real deep cycle GC battery. And I'd like to thank all here that got me on the right track so quickly.

[Boon_Docker]

DownTheAvenue wrote:


Everything posted here is correct except one thing. Finding 6 volt true golf cart batteries for $80 each will be next to impossible.

Using 12 volt batteries will give much greater capacity than using 6 volt batteries.

2- 6 volt batteries in series= double the volts but the amp hours remain the same

2- 12 volt batteries in parallel= double the amp hours but the volts remain the same

Except one other thing. "Using 12 volt batteries will give much greater capacity than using 6 volt batteries."

Two 6's will give you the same capacity with a smaller foot print that two 12's will.
Two (6v) GC-2 (240ah)
Two (12v) BCI-30 240ah)

[full_mosey]

AZDesertRat wrote:
I know they are not true deep cycle and I have no intention of going to 6 volt batteries.
Which would be your choice between the Interstate SRM-29 and the WalMart Everstart Maxx 29DC? I can get the Interstates for $119 and the Everstarts for $99. They both weigh 61 lbs. I found the specs on the Interstate and its 1 year warranty but can't find anything on the Everstarts?
I am buying two to go along with my two 100w solar panels and Phocos controller for short boondocking trips in AZ with plenty of sunshine.

Considering the nature of your post, I say get the cheaper Wal-Mart.

You can STFW and immediately get Phoenix Wal-Mart numbers.

HTH;
John