Walmart Maxx Marine Battery

[johnar]

I know there was a thread on here about them but could not find it for some reason.

I know a number of people use them and I have them myself. The reason they would buy them was the free 3 year replacement ,125 amp hour for $80.

Well I just want to give a update on them, Walmart will nolonger sell Marine Batter's with any type of free replacement/prorate.

I went to buy one for a friend as a gift and found out they nolong do this so I was happy to learn this because it made me do more reasearch on Battery's. What I have learn was for a little more money you can buy much better brands of Battery now days and the bottom line is if you are out at sea what good would any worrenty do you anyways.

I read on here that a number of people have been useing the Interstate Deep Cell with very good luck so I have been looking into them for myself. One post I read they got 8+ years out of a set.

On my boat I have group 31 and room for up to 5 battery's, I am now looking at 4D as replacement but unsure of the room I have yet. I am thinking of a range from 600amph to 1000amph for house then a starting battery. I would also like to keep my cost below $1,000 but not sure I will be able to.

I wanted a 70' turn key Cat. when I was shopping for a boat for under $10,000 lol so I do know that you dont always get what you want.


Dutch

[Pblais]

I am thinking of a range from 600amph to 1000amph for house then a starting battery

You can save a lot of money by sizing the battery bank as small as possible. The requirements to recharge a 1000 ah bank is perhaps more than you can handle. Banks that are too large are a waste of money up front and a waste of engine hours to fully recharge. Getting a solid idea of how much you really need means having a capacity of double your daily usage and the ability to recharge the bank back in the same day. Failure to fully recharge shortens the lifespan and discharging more then 50% capacity shortens life expectancy.

[cdennyb]

I think the more important factor isn't whether you recharge fully but that you operate on the "Top 10%" of the batteries capacity. (Or battery banks capacity)
Have the extra amps available doesn't mean you loose them, granted, over time (like months or weeks of non-use) they deplete slightly but if you have a daily charging system, like solar panels or other method and they provide the amount you took out last night (say for instance) then you are operating over the upper portion and the lifetime factor is greatly extended. If you choose to undersize your battery bank it has been my experience that they don't like being discharged to a 50% level and then recharged to full again daily, but rather double the size of the bank and then you're operating in the upper % area that promotes longer life.
If you have the space, I personally would go big and keep them maintained properly.

If you look at land based wet cell systems using solar to replenish the power used, they can have many dozens of batteries (Where you are speaking of only 3-4 D size) in a battery bank and they power a whole solar house! This is why systems cost so darn much, the number of batteries and their corresponding amp storage size allow operation of all your appliances and power suckers without shortening their lifespans prematurely by not drawing them down so far.

[johnar]

good Morning Paul,


Thanks I am on my first cup of coffee and you got my mind on over load now. lol
Figuring out my ah is not a east thing for me to do.

A few things come into play, First I am in the middle of refit and trying to plan ahead. This will change my amp loads alot, and at this point I do not know thet loads on some of the toys I have not got yet autopilot, Radar ect.

Another problem I have is my power use will be alot different when we get done with the refit and finially untie for this dock and go. I can see a big drop but do not know how much. I will not be on the computer watching TV due to having better things to do like sail. the wife will not be in the V birth watching one TV while I watch another TV in here.

Ok I'll be honest I am lost right now on this.

would you be willing to help me some on this?

I can list my plans and give watts/Amps on everything that I know of.

I really had hope to have all this figured out and refit done within the next 8 weeks so we could head south.

If willing and have the time please pm me.

Thank you for your help,

Dutch