6vdc vs 12vdc - Round 6?

[fastco]

Okay, sorry to bludgeon the battery dead horse here, but I still have some unanswered questions. I am coverting my O'Day 40' for cruising and was just trying to figure out how to fit 6 Trojan 6v batteries under the aft berth where the old bank of 2 group 27's were, when I made a surprising discovery. The yacht I work on just bought a new golf cart for transporting the boss around the marina, and I went to check the water levels today and discovered that the "golf cart" batteries weren't the normal 6v batteries at all, but instead are 12v Trojan T-1275's!
So, here is my question(s) If the 1275s are roughly the same size as the T-105's (width and height the same, but 2 inches longer) and produce 150 amp hrs of 12v power vs the 225 amp hours of 6v power of the T-105s, this would mean that the two of them would produce 300 amp hours while two 105's would still be 225 amp hours. So, bang for the buck in a tight space, isn't the 12v T1275 a better option? Other than the less cumbersome weight, what is the advantage of using 6v if you are going to put them in series anyway??

[senormechanico]

Go for it.

[Stillraining]

Yep....IMO you will have a better system going with what you have ( the 1275's)...However there is a Science that IIRC proves a larger sink source will deplete slower then a smaller one rated the same amperage ....but I would go with what you have if it were my boat.

[dergon]

OK ---I'm in the new battery market too.

I just saw a "cyber monday" offering a "deal" on Trojan T-1275s @ $219/ea with free shipping.

Anyone used batteriesinaflash.com before? Is this a decent price? I figure shipping would be a huge expense on these suckers, so a free shipping deal would be good.

[dergon]

drat ---darned fine print ......all the big batteries are excluded from the free shipping special! grr

[Not Sure]

The 12v Trojan T-1275's are usually about twice the cost of the 6v T-105's, which can readily be found for around $100 or so each. $200 or so for 2 T-105's vs $400 or so for 2 T-1275's is a good enough incentive for me to stick with the 6v T-105's. If you find that the price is similar for each battery type in your area then of course it's prudent to go with the T-1275's. The beauty of the T-105's is that they are commonly incredibly inexpensive.

[fastco]

Actually I found the 1275's locally from our golf cart dealer for $145 each, vs. $105 for the T-105's. But when you consider that I am installing 6 of them for a total price of $870, and it would take 8 T-105's to provide the same amp hours at $105 each, it works out to just $30 difference.

[barnakiel]

Why not use 12 V and keep it simple.

b.

[David M]

If you are going to be cruising to far away destinations then go with batteries that are easy to find replacements for.

[unbusted67]

I can't believe that $145 price. That seems too good to be true.

[fastco]

Yeah, I was surprised at the price also. I figured it was because we just bought a couple of golf carts from him, but I have since found similar prices at a dealer in North Florida and another in N. Carolina. Actually, the guy in North Florida will even install them for that price.

[Not Sure]

Batteries that are not available locally might as well be on Mars. It does little to no good other than as anecdotal information if the best price on a battery is not somewhere that you can easily put your hands on it.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Not Sure

Batteries that are not available locally might as well be on Mars. It does little to no good other than as anecdotal information if the best price on a battery is not somewhere that you can easily put your hands on it.

You are exactly right. I sometimes wonder when I read of people buying these relatively exotic, very expensive, high performance batteries who are then going to take off to relatively primitive destinations. Batteries do fail. Its definitely a consideration.

[Sandero]

Don't forget the cost of the cables and terminals, 6v means more, 2v's mean even more.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by fastco

Yeah, I was surprised at the price also. I figured it was because we just bought a couple of golf carts from him, but I have since found similar prices at a dealer in North Florida and another in N. Carolina. Actually, the guy in North Florida will even install them for that price.

I just got a quote from a local guy in Pittsburgh who says he can get them for $150 each. That is substantially less that the $230 as advertised on line. Would you characterize these batteries as exotic?