6vdc Batteries

[opuabernd]

MY 2 old Trojans (12 years old) have died. However the Trojans have gotten quite expensive over the years. I can replacethem with Crown 6 Volts for a lot less. Should I buy the Trojans again? Has anyone experience with the Crown 6 volt Batteries - are they as good as the Trojans? Thank you

[btrayfors]

As far as I know, there is NO objective data available comparing the quality of 6V golf-cart batteries.

Anecdotal reports such as "I got seven years out of my XXXX batteries" mean very little, because the end-of-life point is not defined.

Batteries begin to sulfate and lose capacity from the time they leave the factory. That capacity decreases over their lifetime. Some users may find that a battery having only 30-40% of its original capacity -- or even less -- is still "good". Others may find that a 60% battery capacity is "not acceptable". Some, apparently like you, define end-of-life as "died".

This slow erosion of capacity and variable tolerance among users for reduced capacity makes it extremely difficult to determine how good an individual battery or battery brand may be, especially in the absence of an intervening factor like a shorted cell, and in the total absence of objective comparative data.

If you got "twelve years of use" out of T-105s -- which is way, way beyond the usual 3-7 years -- then you're likely to get useful (for you) life out of just about any golf-cart battery.

Bottom line: you pays your money and takes your chances.

Bill

[GordMay]

When buying deep cycle flooded lead-acid batteries, I compare brands “by the pound” ($/Lb); where heavier is better.

[btrayfors]

Here's an interesting comparison of battery specs for golf cart batteries:

Golf Cart Battery Comparison

Bill

[zeehag]

when mine died at 7 yrs of age, i bought costco ones. so far, so good. have a warrantee for many yrs....like 10.

[btrayfors]

The OP asked about Crown batteries.

Crown's have about the thickest plates in the industry and can therefore be expected to outlast those with thinner plates, all other things being equal.

Some premium brands, like Rolls/Surette, have plates which are nearly seven times as thick as, e.g., automotive batteries. Thus, they hold up longer as material corrodes and drops off the positive plates.

Bill

[S/V Antares]

Thanks for the chart link Bill, Very good info.

I changed out my 2 -4D for 4 T-105 and only wish I had done it sooner.

[S/V Antares]

I just did a search on Cosco.com for car or golfcart or 6v batteries and came up with nothing. Have they stopped selling them? Anyone know?

[zeehag]

i bought my costco 6v golf cart batteries 3 months ago or whenever april was--they still had em then. and more than i needed--i only bought 4 of em, and there were still some left in stock....ps--dont know about crown. arent as easily found as are costco??

[opuabernd]

Thanks Bill for that Information.
I didn't really look at the issue from this angle - that dead or unusable means different things to different people... Mine were as you pointed out really, really dead.
Thanks again, much appreciated
Bernd

[S/V Antares]

Thanks Zeehag, I looked at Costco and Wally mart. Wally mart appears to sell them only some stores. Mostly Florida