# # of years out of deep cycle batteries



## SJB (Mar 22, 2017)

How many years is everyone getting out of their deep cycle batteries? I just started my 4th year (1 trip in 2020) and very disappointed that it looks like I will need to replace my batteries. I run a 36 volt system and my batteries did not last 5 hours on a setting of 3 or 4 out of 10 on my Minn Kota. I know when new, I am able to get 7 hours trolling without even firing my kicker. I did a load test on the batteries and 2 out of the 3 test okay, but one is shot. From everything I have read, I need to run a full new set. FWIW, these are Interstate batteries, and think they had a 24 month warrantee.


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

I buy cheap ones at WM and generally get 4-6 years out of my 12v trolling battery. But I did hear they recently switched suppliers. I did buy a WM battery for my zero turn last spring and had to replace after 1 year


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## bountyhunter (Apr 28, 2004)

mine are wal mart 4yrs still test good. but if your a heavy user? look into agm batteries . before you buy duracell agm batteries do a google on reviews


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## SJB (Mar 22, 2017)

bountyhunter said:


> mine are wal mart 4yrs still test good. but if your a heavy user? look into agm batteries . before you buy duracell agm batteries do a google on reviews


Wonder what is considered a heavy user? Last year I fished 43 times. Plus used the batteries a few times in winter. My fishing trips are a 4 hours on a minimum, and often 7-9 hours. I start fishing right at ice out, often with weather right around freezing. Then go heavy until about July, then back off. Always on a charger, and check water levels a few times per year.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I'd say normally I get 3 years out of a set of trolling motor batteries. Mostly I've used WalMart batteries but I've also used Delco or Duralast (Auto Zone) and I normally could count on getting those 3 years. I could tell on my 1st trip in that 4 years they were on their way out so I just replaced them.
I don't know why but my last set lasted for 5 years. For the life of me I can't figure out why and nothing changed on my end except maybe I fish even more now than I did before.
If ya get 3 good years...just replace them.

Oh and before I retired I fished 50-60 days per year.
Now I fish 150 days per year.


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

Be sure to check date on batteries at store. I went to Walmart Fairlawn the other day and their group 27 battery that I needed was dated 1/2018. Not impressed obviously.

I got almost 5 years out of my interstate starting battery and it died toward end if last season, so I'm planning to refresh my 2 starting batteries on my brand new starweld every 3. If I recall right, I got 4+ years on my 2 wmart trolling batteries but only used for steering on Erie at 3 or 4 setting, usually remained 50 to 75% charged so no deep draw down. I plugged my triple bank charger in every day after use.


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

From what I gather they have a usage number, where they ..at optimum usage and charging only will last so many discharges before poopin the bed. I'm running the 31 AGM Durracell's now Installed them fall of "17", ran them hard "18" and "19", and just started using them last month. So I'll see how long they go. I want to say if you get 5 years of solid use you've done well.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

I got 8 years out of my first set of X 2’s AGM from Batteries Plus. Expensive but 8 years of service, 4 year non prorated replacement warranty. I just replaced them late last year, 2 still working well, one not holding charge as it should. I used my boat 50- 60 times last year, 6-12 hrs per trip, plug in on board charger after every use

just what has worked for me , no concerns about batteries and saved me money over the long term


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## dwmikemx (Mar 22, 2008)

First thing I would do is make sure all the banks on your charger are working/charging correctly. If your charger has dropped a bank and not charged one of your batteries, the load tester will show weak or bad. Battery needs to be fully charged to get an accurate load test.


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## SJB (Mar 22, 2017)

dwmikemx said:


> First thing I would do is make sure all the banks on your charger are working/charging correctly. If your charger has dropped a bank and not charged one of your batteries, the load tester will show weak or bad. Battery needs to be fully charged to get an accurate load test.


You are right Mike - need to always check the charger as well. Which I did. Switched the banks around as first step. Then took the battery and put it on my booster charger. Same result - shows it won't take a load. Frustrating.

Replaced the batteries late last week. To me, isn't worth the headache. I choose to go the route of the store-brand, cheaper batteries vs interstates or something else. I did enough research on the interstates to see they often fail like mine did (for a plate battery). My expectations for the store brand will be to get 3 years out of them. If I get anymore, I will be happy. With the additional premium for interstates, I was hoping to get 5. Just didn't happen.


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## dwmikemx (Mar 22, 2008)

SBJ, Good job on checking the charger first. I seen a lot of guys yank trolling motor batteries thinking they were bad when it was their charger. I almost did it once myself. LOL

I've had good luck with these batteries from Sam's. 

https://www.samsclub.com/p/duracell...size-31dtmagm/prod3590232?xid=plp_product_1_1


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## jcrevard (Feb 14, 2018)

I'm on year 6 with my interstate 29s, I would guess 40-50 trips a year. No noticeable weakness yet

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


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## SJB (Mar 22, 2017)

jcrevard said:


> I'm on year 6 with my interstate 29s, I would guess 40-50 trips a year. No noticeable weakness yet
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


That is what I was hoping for. I would have been tickled pink if that was my case.


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## catchmeafeesh (Apr 22, 2014)

dwmikemx said:


> SBJ, Good job on checking the charger first. I seen a lot of guys yank trolling motor batteries thinking they were bad when it was their charger. I almost did it once myself. LOL
> 
> I've had good luck with these batteries from Sam's.
> 
> https://www.samsclub.com/p/duracell...size-31dtmagm/prod3590232?xid=plp_product_1_1


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## catchmeafeesh (Apr 22, 2014)

How do you check your 4 bank charger to see if the banks are all charging?. As my dad would say about me …"I am one of them there college graduates who are highly educated but can't do or fix anything (actually the word he used was "sh--") Although he is dead now and missed he was kind or correct. I would be one of those guys who would just cuss the battery and buy a new one and not even stop to think to check the battery charger. Anybody give me a clue on how to check the 4 banks on a charger. Last time I messed with the 36 volt battery system and worked on it myself (all the boat places were 2 months behind forcing me to result in working on my electrical system myself) . I actually slipped with a wrench and made contact with the pos terminal of battery #1 to the negative terminal of battery #3 creating a bridge for the 36 volt system thereby making a 3 foot fireball that resulted in the box wrench blowing open and turning blue and welding the battery terminal to it which actually came off the battery and ruining it. So I am a little nervous about working on this system after that experience I assume you use a voltmeter?. Thanks for any info on how to check the 4 bank charger. Any hints on how not to die while doing this also would be appreciated for the "dangerous" college graduate.


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

i have had similar issues with motorcycle batteries. put on one charger and it shows bad battery and will not charge. put on my old sears battery charger - charges and works fine. back on that other charger and says bad battery. then found if i unplug and plugin the charger - it will test fine and charge on that charger. some logic in there causing a fault. only does this trick with the yamaha battery...

i did have a boat 2-bank charger go bad one year. it cooked 2x batteries that were just out of full replace warranty - like 1year and few weeks... in retrospect glad it didn't cook the building and all equipment in there as it boiled them both dry! i no longer leave my chargers unchecked for more than a day.


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## Fishinaddict (Sep 23, 2014)

As a side note regarding deep cycle batteries and 12v trolling motors. For many years I was running off one battery. I'd always run out of power after about 3-4 hours of slow trolling. Then I saw a Youtube video on how to connect the two batteries together so I double the capacity of the batteries. You link the two identical(bought at the same time) batteries together. Now there is less strain on the batteries and the charge lasts a LOT longer. Should in theory be better for my batteries since you are pulling off both of them instead of straining one.


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Ive got a group 27 deep cycle wal mart brand I bought new in 2005 that still takes and holds a full charge.


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## SJB (Mar 22, 2017)

catchmeafeesh said:


> How do you check your 4 bank charger to see if the banks are all charging?. As my dad would say about me …"I am one of them there college graduates who are highly educated but can't do or fix anything (actually the word he used was "sh--") Although he is dead now and missed he was kind or correct. I would be one of those guys who would just cuss the battery and buy a new one and not even stop to think to check the battery charger. Anybody give me a clue on how to check the 4 banks on a charger. Last time I messed with the 36 volt battery system and worked on it myself (all the boat places were 2 months behind forcing me to result in working on my electrical system myself) . I actually slipped with a wrench and made contact with the pos terminal of battery #1 to the negative terminal of battery #3 creating a bridge for the 36 volt system thereby making a 3 foot fireball that resulted in the box wrench blowing open and turning blue and welding the battery terminal to it which actually came off the battery and ruining it. So I am a little nervous about working on this system after that experience I assume you use a voltmeter?. Thanks for any info on how to check the 4 bank charger. Any hints on how not to die while doing this also would be appreciated for the "dangerous" college graduate.


Two different ways you can check it. 

1. Use your multimeter and check the amps coming to the leads. Your amps will depend on the number of amps per bank. Mine is a 40 amp, 10x4 bank. So I should see at a minimum 10 amps. 
2. Use your multimeter and check the voltage once the batteries are plugged in. Should see 13.5-14.5 volts.


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## catchmeafeesh (Apr 22, 2014)

SJB said:


> Two different ways you can check it.
> 
> 1. Use your multimeter and check the amps coming to the leads. Your amps will depend on the number of amps per bank. Mine is a 40 amp, 10x4 bank. So I should see at a minimum 10 amps.
> 2. Use your multimeter and check the voltage once the batteries are plugged in. Should see 13.5-14.5 volts.


Thank you very much.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

catchmeafeesh said:


> Any hints on how not to die while doing this also would be appreciated for the "dangerous" college graduate.


When I'm working on or near my batteries if I'm concerned at all I will usually take one (or several if needed) of my old shop rags and cover any exposed posts that I'm not working on to keep from making accidental contact with them.


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

crappiedude said:


> When I'm working on or near my batteries if I'm concerned at all I will usually take one (or several if needed) of my old shop rags and cover any exposed posts that I'm not working on to keep from making accidental contact with them.


ha ha... i do a similar thing when i move them to storage in the house. i could just see someone dropping a metal mop handle or "something" across the terminals... i may be paranoid but i do sleep well at night!


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## Nauti cat (Nov 30, 2009)

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or better to be safe than sorry. I had a car catch fire because of a good charger and a bad battery left charger unattended charger was ok not so much the car.


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## fishhogg (Apr 16, 2009)

SBJ, just curious, what size boat? What Troll Motor? What size batteries? AGM's? What is your Maintence habits(how often do your recharge)? What battery charger? How often do you take your troll batteries all the way down?


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

Interstate starting battery on my Lowe FM175 with the amp demanding 90 Optimax lasted 5.5 years until it died (after I launched boat and tilted motor down) unfortunately. Always plugged in charger after every use. I'm scheduling a 5 yer replacement for my new boat to avoid an aggravation or worse.


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