Golf Cart Battery

[FreeSail]

I do know many like Trojan. I have also read that Crown Batteries have the thickest lead plates in the business. Maybe I don't understand just what makes a battery work. I am assuming that thicker lead plates gives the battery more ability to hold a charge. At almost 1/2 the price I thought it be a good deal. I come out of the wine business where how much you pay for something has little to do with how good it is.

[DeepFrz]

I think that one of the reasons Trojan got so popular was that they were a good value for the price. They may now be priced so that they are no longer the best "price performance". It was only about a year ago that people on the forum were buying Trojans for under $100.00.

The price of fuel and other shipping costs have been rising dramatically.. I would think that this has a direct bearing on the price of batteries. Where are they made? Where are the lead mines and smelters?

Plate thickness is an indication of the number of charge/discharge cycles that a battery will provide, but plate composition is probably just as important. Probably most important is how they are treated by you. How good is your charging and monitoring system?

If you decide on something different, please keep the board informed of their value. Good luck.

[Islandmike]

EngNate is correct, I wish I would have spent the few extra dollars and went with the 125s. oh well, I am very happy with the 105s though.

[svPapillon]

If you're looking for wet cell 6v batteries for your boat, I can highly recommend the Trojan T105's or T125's. We live aboard our boat and last year replaced the T125's that had been in the house bank since 1997! It's not that they were dead, but we were headed off for a while and I didn't want to have any problems so we swapped 'em out with T105's. They are working great and I would strongly recommend them to anyone. Let me just add that having a high quality, electronic battery charger will pay huge dividends in battery life if you have access to shore power. They look after your batteries for you - you just have to add distilled water every couple of months to keep 'em in tip top condition. The same goes for high output alternators and electronic voltage regulators. Buy the good stuff. You'll thank me later!

cheers,

Mike Gritten
s/v Papillon

[svPapillon]

I forgot to mention that we paid $99 CDN ea last year for the 105's. I see them on sale locally for $119 CDN, despite a list price of $169 CDN. Haggle with your vendor. It's only going to put money back in your pocket!

cheers,

Mike Gritten
s/v Papillon

[FreeSail]

Locally I have not as of yet been able to get a quote on Trojans. The only battery I was able to even get a quote on was the Interstate U2200. I got a price of $88.00 for the Interstate. I did call 10 different places today, most carry batteries I never even heard of.

[md7a]

Ok, so I appreciate the long-run value of high-quality batteries for those with a boatfull of good gear, but what about those of us who don't have a reliable charging system?

How do Trojans hold up under sub-par charging? Do thick plates add resilience when you can't fully recharge before the next discharge?

I have an old boat in an old marina with no shore power and an old solar panel that charges my old battery. Wish I could afford a whole new system, but no such luck. I can afford to replace either the solar panel, the battery bank or the charging controller, or I can spend that money to test all the components and replace none of them.

Anyone have an opinion on whether a good battery is a good investment if you have a lousy charging system?

[DeepFrz]

md7a, probably cheap and often is the way to go. If you can't keep your batteries well charged then they are going to sulfate, no matter how thick the plates. They will need equalization from time to time to keep them going and if you don't have shore power and a good charger it is pretty difficult to do that. That is unless your solar charger is keeping them well charged and you don't drain them down to far when in use.

[EngNate]

Chronic undercharging will be pretty much equally detrimental to any batteries you get, and it results in a steady decline in available AH, which consequently means a increase in the power demand relative to bank size, and the depth of discharge when the batteries are put to use, multiplying the effects.

In short, I think, also, if you are stuck in this position buy cheap and replace as needed, because your other option is to buy $$$ and also replace. A good battery will be a waste of money. I think your best deal is to spend the least on the battery, and save up more for the system. Get the cheapest maintenance-free auto/RV battery from Wal Mart, or Costco, or K Mart [...or Canadian Tire..].

added: Call Trojan and ask for a distributor in your area, then ask the distributor for a dealer. Trojan is in Calif., and freight costs are just thru the roof these days.

[Trim50]

[quote=FreeSail] The T105 by trojans cost around $165.00. quote]

T105s shouldn't cost you more than $100 each.

Trojan Deep Cycle Battery

[Pblais]

How do Trojans hold up under sub-par charging? Do thick plates add resilience when you can't fully recharge before the next discharge?

No batteries like a poor charging system - period. No matter how little you pay you'll be throwing money down a rat hole. The 4 Trojans I have cost more than the charger and almost as much as the charger and regualtor together. They used to sell for $65 but lead prices are sky high and they cost more now. All batteries do - get used to it. You can be foolish not taking care of your charging sytem and buying cheap batteries that really are not as good. A well tended set of Trojans can last 10 years. If you are not getting at least 6 - 7 years then your charging system is poor or you discharge too deep or both. Fix the problem first, then buy good batteries to save maney over the long haul.

Personally I like AGM's better but the charging stystem for flood batteries won't deal with AGM's without adjustment. Lots of thread discussing this issue here. For that reason my current boat is using Trojans and my last boat used to be Trojans and now is AGM's. You really need to look at the overall picture more and the brand of batteries less. It's nice to think the discount batteries are better untill you find out it's not true then to find out you have a poor charging system and nothing is worth much.

If you are plugged into shore power all the time you already have a problem.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Trim50

T105s shouldn't cost you more than $100 each.

Trojan Deep Cycle Battery

They won't ship to NJ, or at least not CT - but I think the distance was the problem and not the state. We recently searched for good deals on Trojans to be delivered to CT. Shipping can be a killer if they will deliver at all. I searched the country for the best prices and found a low of $83 in NC to a high of $165 in CT. Ended up getting them for $105 from a one-man golf cart company who delivered them to me from 2 hours away for free . They were fresh from the factory and shrink wrapped on a pallet. This was the best deal I could find within a reasonable drive from CT (and I didn't even have to drive).

Mark