Marine battery

[fish face]

I have a smoker craft with a 25hp Honda outboard engine and I believe my battery is going bad. it's a 2009 and bought it 2010 new. I had to charge the battery for the first time ever. What is the lifespan of a typical (if there a such a thing) marine battery?

Thanks....

 

[Troutski]

Full drain...

Full drain...

Is it a deep cycle/sealed unit? You could try draining the battery completely and then give it a slow (2amp) to fill it up.. I can recommend the full line of marine battery's from Cabelas.. Mine have lasted more than 5 years and are still going strong. Best of luck...

Chuck

 

[rogerdodger]

definitely depends some on exact battery type and how it has been cared for, also have you checked the charging system on the 25hp to make sure it has not developed a fault?

I am also a big fan of the Cabela's SLA batteries, especially when they go on sale, full price they are a bit overpriced...cheers, roger

 

[twout]

Marine battery

If its a deep cycle battery and it has only been charged once in 4 years it has not been taken care of. If you want to know how much life it has take to Les Schwab and ask them to check it for you.
I have 25hp merc with a 8 year old battery and it is fine, I also keep a full charge.

 

[FishFinger]

A battery tender is money well spent.

 

[DrTheopolis]

Is it a deep cycle/sealed unit? You could try draining the battery completely and then give it a slow (2amp) to fill it up..

Bad advice. A complete discharge is NEVER good for a lead acid battery of any type.

A battery's worst enemy is sitting unused at less than full charge. If not using a tender (float charger), charging it every few weeks/months will keep it in much better condition.

And BTW -- the whole "don't store them on concrete" thing is a myth from the Olden Days. The reason it started had nothing to do with the battery, it was because leaking acid messed up the concrete, which brings me to my point -- the reason the battery went dead sitting there wasn't because it was on concrete, it's because it was dirty. The dirt/grime across the top forms a very slight connection, and very slowly discharges the battery.

I guess I'll repeat my advice when I used to sell lead-acid batteries for all those years -- keep them charged and clean. Makes a huge difference.

 

[rogerdodger]

Bad advice. A complete discharge is NEVER good for a lead acid battery of any type.

A battery's worst enemy is sitting unused at less than full charge. If not using a tender (float charger), charging it every few weeks/months will keep it in much better condition.

And BTW -- the whole "don't store them on concrete" thing is a myth from the Olden Days. The reason it started had nothing to do with the battery, it was because leaking acid messed up the concrete, which brings me to my point -- the reason the battery went dead sitting there wasn't because it was on concrete, it's because it was dirty. The dirt/grime across the top forms a very slight connection, and very slowly discharges the battery.

I guess I'll repeat my advice when I used to sell lead-acid batteries for all those years -- keep them charged and clean. Makes a huge difference.

Dr.T is correct all around, batteries last longest and degrade very slowly if correctly recharged to full charge ASAP after any use.

Not all chargers are the same and over/incorrectly charging an SealedLeadAcid can kill it quickly.

 

[rogerdodger]

If its a deep cycle battery and it has only been charged once in 4 years it has not been taken care of. If you want to know how much life it has take to Les Schwab and ask them to check it for you.
I have 25hp merc with a 8 year old battery and it is fine, I also keep a full charge.

I assumed his 25hp Honda was recharging it when running but only because my 30hp Merc has an alternator. If that Honda doesn't have an alternator then I would have been connecting a Battery Tender after every outing to keep the battery topped up...cheers, roger

 

[bass]

I bought a deep cycle at Costco last year. No long term data, but I am not worried since Costco warranty service is as easy and good as it gets. Also, they are less than half of the price of one of the Cabela's batteries.