Batteries

[madhatter1]

Posted on Brian's thread about where to pick up some batteries at a great price. I bought an 8D AGM at Electro Battery for $570. I had to buy one from west marine in Marathon during our Key's trip because we had one go bad. The one if front of it was getting hot so rather than wait I replaced it.

Well, guess what? The Electro battery is the exact same battery west marine sells for $890. At least I got mine for about $700 on sale.

Starboard side is next.

Electro has the standard lead acid 8D's for $190. This is in St. Petersburg FL. If anyone is passing through and wants to change batteries I can assist with my truck to swap out. Just PM well in advance.

[carolinacoast]

8D's are going up since East Penn and others stopped making at least the 195's I was using. It is recommended to change all batteries in a charged bank together. Adding 1 will likely bring it down to whatever the weakest is.
I just changed to 8V golf cart batts, but my setup is like MikeP's was. (I have a separate start batt for my #2 gen). These batteries are not rated for CCA, and hence the controversy over using them for this application.
DC Battery has done their own testing, and has many happy cruisers using them. I'm happy so far, and motors spin better than the 195's produced.

I am using the Trojan wet model T875, which is the only golf cart 8V that DC carries also. About $170 per battery. Still 32V, and now only using 1 battery box per side of the gen room.
I do not use or have the inverter wired up, so my risk of a problem is much lower.

Some will say this is an incorrect choice, but after 13 years of ownership, I am willing to try.

[Boatsb]

I replaced 3 8d agm batteries for q customer with the victron agm of similar size. If memory serves they were mid five hundred delivered anywhere. It's a little shorter or narrower but fits in an 8d box easily.

[oceanjake]

8d flooded cells at $180 or so is a good price. Regarding golf carts, I have 4 8v cart batteries for each bank. Powertron near me sold them for $145 each out the door and they work great. After 2 years I checked just last night and found the electrolyte low. They have quick release caps...took 10 minutes to top all 8 off. Well worth the thousands saved in my opinion and if they fail I will toss them and replace with new without feeling bad about it.

[carolinacoast]

added a flowrite battery water system, which is fabulous, and takes seconds. 2 32 volt configurations was $150 or so.

[Capt Paul]

Are you guys using smart chargers? I found after replacing the original Sentry I hardly ever even have to add water.

[Seapig100]

I have a Charles 3 bank charger and I have to add water once a year.

[Briankinley2004]

Madhatter I am assuming the 8D's are 12 volt. Is that correct? Do you know if Electro carries any 8volt besides golf cart batteries? That is the only 8 volt they had on their website. I plan to call them but am in Orlando all week so won't be able to get there until next week.

Those of you using golf cart 8 volt batteries. Any of you using them for a house bank as well as starting? If so how do they perform. I have though about moving the newer lead acid I purchased for the starboard engine to my house bank then putting cart batteries on the starboard bank. it is only used to crank that one engine. All this talk about different lead thicknesses messing things up has me concerned about not going back with identical batteries on all banks. I am going to pull manual on my charger next week and look

[oceanjake]

Yes to the smart charger. Adding water annually or every 2 years is nominal.

[jim rosenthal]

I would like recommendations on 4D batteries, if anyone has them. My boat uses two 4Ds in Blue Seas cases out under the aft deck, it's about time for new ones. Thinking about 4D AGMs..