Interstate Battery Sizes

[DrewFlu33]

Those Duracell AGM 31 batteries are listed at $180.00 near me in Sacramento :(. That’s a lot of mula for a battery and I don’t have a sams club membership only a Costco membership. Can someone buy a battery at Sam’s without being a member like on a one day thing? Only having a 18 month warranty is the other thing I have an issue with.

Have any friends with a Sam's membership? You can just go with them and buy it. Else Batteries Plus sells the same Duracell batteries, it's just usually a higher price than Sam's.

where did you read this? Any one know anything about this phenomenon?

Older Mercury motors with stators (instead of alternators) are not supposed to be compatible with AGMs. There are multiple threads in the Mercury section about it, specifically the 2.5L High Performance Mercury board. Apparently using an AGM on one is a good way to burn up the stator, and the charging profile isn't right for an AGM.

Some guys report running AGMs on them without issue and have some pretty compelling arguments for why they made the choice to risk it. I personally have taken the better-safe-than-sorry route and stuck with wet cell batteries. My current cranking battery is this one that's a commercial battery designed for use in semis and the like: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/durace...lp_product_1_1 It's a hell of a battery for $110, and luckily no one told the battery it wasn't a marine battery as it's about to begin its fourth season of reliable service for me cranking my motor, running nav lights, pumps all day long, and other incidentals. It's similar to the NAPA that some guys are running. In fact it's exactly the same battery as one of the commercial batteries NAPA sells, and has a little less "juice" than the one they sell for about $160.

[Delta Bass Fool]

950 CCA 175 RC for $109 not bad. Are the threaded studs stainless steel or will they corrode easy?

I currently have 3 of the Walmart group 29 marine batteries. One that has failed is dated back to 2016 just out of free replacement warranty but I believe it should still have a 2 year pro rated warranty. The new walmart batteries only come with a 1 year free exchange and anything past that and you are SOL :( still only $99.00 for the battery.

[MMyles]

The fact that it is an Interstate is not what caused your failures. Buying a battery that did not meet the specifications that were needed by the demand that you put on your battery caused it.

Case in point lets talk about the battery that the OP asked about. 24M-XHD. Excellent cranking battery but a dismall deep cycle battery. If all you did was crank your motor this battery is an excellent choice. Treat it like a deep cycle or dual purpose and you will kill it and you will be on the water with a dead battery. I know because it happened to me.

You are very wrong in your assumption.

They were the largest deep cycle Interstate batteries available at the time. They were either 29's, 30's, or 31's.....I ALWAYS get the largest capacity battery, I never purchase by price.

Also, my case in point, is that all 4 of my batteries were purchased at the same time, brand new. The starting battery was an Interstate designed for starting & running electronics, just like a starting battery should be made. The other 3 batteries were all Interstate batteries designed for trolling motor use.

For 2 years in a row, all 8 Interstate batteries failed after 1 year of use......on my boat. You may assume all you want, I was merely explaining my personal experience with Interstate Batteries. I will never purchase them again.

M

[DrewFlu33]

950 CCA 175 RC for $109 not bad. Are the threaded studs stainless steel or will they corrode easy?

I currently have 3 of the Walmart group 29 marine batteries. One that has failed is dated back to 2016 just out of free replacement warranty but I believe it should still have a 2 year pro rated warranty. The new walmart batteries only come with a 1 year free exchange and anything past that and you are SOL :( still only $99.00 for the battery.

Yes they're stainless, and no corrosion on mine. If you'd rather have posts and use post clamps they have that option as well. The model number on the sticker on that one is 31A instead of 31C like you see on the threaded studs. Sam's calls them group 31 and group 31P: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/durace...lp_product_1_3

[Delta Bass Fool]

Still weighing all my battery options. So I am thinking I should split the load of my live wells, Humminbird 997 & 957 between the gas engine battery and trolling motor batteries. I have a minnkota 100lbs thrust with sonar built in. Can’t even remember the model but it’s from back when I got the boat and graphs back in about 2006. This should probably be talked about in another thread though. Maybe one where I ask for feedback on my set up and how to make it better.

[DrewFlu33]

Don't put anything but the trolling motor on the trolling motor batteries...that's just asking for trouble for a variety of reasons. The big reason everyone buys the big beefy cranking batteries that far exceed motor requirements is so they can run everything else on them as well as crank the motor. The commercial one I'm running cranks my motor, regularly runs live well pumps for 8 hours straight, runs a Lowrance HDS 7 and 9, nav lights, phone charger, and other incidentals. Never the first hiccup, and my motor doesn't even have an alternator (the stator barely generates enough power to maintain the battery, it's definitely not charging it up when I'm running around)....such is the life of buying a battery that does more than you need.

If you're really, really concerned, some guys will run an extra battery only used for the other stuff while keeping their motor on its own battery. That's unnecessary unless you have some crazy electronics in my opinion (which you don't), but different strokes and all that. My advice is not to introduce more complexity into the system.

[Delta Bass Fool]

Well the trolling motor battery set up on my boat came set up with a 24v red/blue stripe power line and a solid red 12v accessory line for use on one of those batteries. I do mostly night fishing with UV black lights, but am wanting to get into floating lights in the water for crappie fishing etc. The computer on my boat is not suppose to be ran with a low powered battery as it could damage the computer per service manual. so I am always concerned with maintaining engine battery. I don’t want the added weight of a fourth battery. It may be time to get a better battery like that Duracell you mention with the 175 hour Reserve. Do you charge it with a deep cycle marine charger or regular 12v 5/10/15 amp charger?

[hawgswinger]

I am also going through this with batteries. I had the interstate 24m-xd and it was just over 4 years old and I upgraded to bigger graphs and noticed while fishing the other day that I would get a low voltage alarm when cranking big motor so I went and bought a Duracell 24mso as I do not have any room to upgrade to a 27. I hooked it up and turned both graphs on and bilge and turned over motor and no alarm so hopefully that will take care of the problem. The duracell seems to have more RC than the interstate. I havent had a chance to test it fishing but I will update back on the thread after I do.

[Delta Bass Fool]

Have any friends with a Sam's membership? You can just go with them and buy it. Else Batteries Plus sells the same Duracell batteries, it's just usually a higher price than Sam's.




Older Mercury motors with stators (instead of alternators) are not supposed to be compatible with AGMs. There are multiple threads in the Mercury section about it, specifically the 2.5L High Performance Mercury board. Apparently using an AGM on one is a good way to burn up the stator, and the charging profile isn't right for an AGM.

So I was looking at the G31 Duracell battery you linked from Sams club and a couple of reviews claim it's not listed properly saying the CCA and CA are lower than listed. Do you know the battery model number at Batteries + Plus. I'm not able to find a match at batteries plus. I have several local to me. I may have to end up getting the Napa Battery.

[catdude28]

O'Reilly's also carries the same rebadged Deka commercial battery, but, again, a few more dollars than at Sam's, but a few less than at NAPA. 950 ccas, 175 RC


https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b.../5769222?pos=2

[Delta Bass Fool]

Thank you catdude. Do you know if they have the same battery with studded/threaded posts? I did not see any when I searched for it.

[Nightmare]

31-5T

[Delta Bass Fool]

I just found this one on my computer. It's not always easy to find things on my phone or ipad.

Looks like it is over 950 CA and 195 Reserve Cranking amps. Not sure if it would be good for use in a boat though. Any thoughts on this one? Looks like a decent price at $109.00

https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli31sa

Thank you Nightmare I'll google that one right after this post.

[DrewFlu33]

I just found this one on my computer. It's not always easy to find things on my phone or ipad.

Looks like it is over 950 CA and 195 Reserve Cranking amps. Not sure if it would be good for use in a boat though. Any thoughts on this one? Looks like a decent price at $109.00

https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli31sa

Thank you Nightmare I'll google that one right after this post.

Yes, that would be a fine cranking battery. It's basically the same Duracell Commercial that Sam's has. As long as the battery doesn't hear you wondering about whether it will work in a boat, it won't know that it's not made for use in a boat!

On a serious note, lots and lots of people - myself included - have been running commercial batteries as cranking batteries in our boats for years. I've yet to hear of one single issue.

[Delta Bass Fool]

Ok the battery that batteries plus sells comes with a 18 month free replacement warranty :) Think I'll go get one today :) Thank you.

[Delta Bass Fool]

ok got the Duracell battery at batteries plus less than $112 otd with their $10 coupon code at checkout. Then two 3/8 x 16 SS wing nuts at Lowes for a little over $3 Now I need some new ring terminals to fit over the 3/8" posts.

I should be good for the season if and when I ever get the overheating alarm figured out.

[Nightmare]

Then two 3/8 x 16 SS wing nuts at Lowes for a little over $3

I know you AREN'T going to put wing nuts on that thing....

[Delta Bass Fool]

Yes, that would be a fine cranking battery. It's basically the same Duracell Commercial that Sam's has. As long as the battery doesn't hear you wondering about whether it will work in a boat, it won't know that it's not made for use in a boat!

On a serious note, lots and lots of people - myself included - have been running commercial batteries as cranking batteries in our boats for years. I've yet to hear of one single issue.

So this battery I got is maintenance free. It looks like it has a vent on the side at the top and then there are 6 circles under the stickers that look like caps to each cell. Hopefully the caps are removable but I won't know until after the 18mo warranty is up. I'm not about to go removing stickers and voiding the warranty.

I know I aksed about using a deep cycle marine charger to charge this battery but what about amperage's. Should I go with a 5 amp charger to keep the batteries cool while charging. I am looking at the Minnkota MK330D 3 bank charger in either 5 amp or 10 amp.

[terry5357]

I replaced my 27 with a 31 for the reserve capacity.

[Nightmare]

So this battery I got is maintenance free. It looks like it has a vent on the side at the top and then there are 6 circles under the stickers that look like caps to each cell. Hopefully the caps are removable but I won't know until after the 18mo warranty is up. I'm not about to go removing stickers and voiding the warranty.

Any battery is "maintenance free" if you don't do anything to maintain it. And then it dies when it dies.

Don't see anything that says "don't remove" the sticker covering the (yes) cell caps so I can check levels. My goal is to keep from having to replace the batteries - not see if they can go bad soon enough to be traded in under warranty. First thing I do is strip off the sticker before installing to make sure somebody actually filled them. No place I ever bought from said don't do that.

A wet cell can be charged at the rate of 10% of reserve capacity and the rates that our automatic on-boards are well below that. If the charger isn't performing correctly or if you hooked up a manual charger (are those even out there anymore?) and let'er fly unmonitored, then you heat one right up to it's detriment. A little warmth isn't a bad sign - it's a byproduct of the chemical interaction of charging.

I ran a 10a/bank 3-bank unit for 17 years - 0 issues. Now have a 15a/bank. No issues thus far - knock on wood. MK345PC.

Pick your poison/philosophy. Btw; Don't think you're going to find the 5a option in the MK you're quoting....MK numbers usually indicate number of banks and total amps - in this case 3 banks @ 30a (10a per bank).