Batteries

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Macker29

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Anyone having great luck with any particular type or brand of battery out there? I had an Duralast (autozone) this past year with varying degrees of success and failures.

Just curious what you are all using out there.
 
I've had okay luck with cheapo walmart batteries. They'd last me at least a year, usually 2. I have had good luck finding good batteries on CL. Recently bought an AGM Autocraft that's still in my yamaha fxho. Still starts it no issue. Most recently, I bought a 400cca lithium ion name brand (forgot the name, but it was recommended on another forum) battery from the internet (walmart.com) for $86. It's got the wrong poles for my xp, but I made it work. It's light as a feather.
 
I have two Interstate group 24M-XHD, 800CCA, 1000 cranking amps in my Utopia. They were at least 3 years old when I got the boat early this year and are still going strong.
Are you using Marine batteries? They supposedly withstand the vibration and pounding better than auto batteries. I don't know whether AGMs are rated Marine or not.
IDoSeaDoo, I wouldn't be happy with batteries that last only a year or two.
 
For the price, a couple seasons in a ski is okay for me. I've never heard of a pwc battery lasting more than 3 years. I usually don't own most of my pwc that long. We'll see how this lithium one lasts.
 
I have two Interstate group 24M-XHD, 800CCA, 1000 cranking amps in my Utopia. They were at least 3 years old when I got the boat early this year and are still going strong.
Are you using Marine batteries? They supposedly withstand the vibration and pounding better than auto batteries. I don't know whether AGMs are rated Marine or not.
IDoSeaDoo, I wouldn't be happy with batteries that last only a year or two.
Yes, the Duralast is a marine battery. But it died on me after a day of tubing and swimming with the kids. A lot of starting and stopping and listening to music. I probably need to put a 2nd battery in.

Where did you buy the Interstate batteries?
 
I've had okay luck with cheapo walmart batteries. They'd last me at least a year, usually 2. I have had good luck finding good batteries on CL. Recently bought an AGM Autocraft that's still in my yamaha fxho. Still starts it no issue. Most recently, I bought a 400cca lithium ion name brand (forgot the name, but it was recommended on another forum) battery from the internet (walmart.com) for $86. It's got the wrong poles for my xp, but I made it work. It's light as a feather.
Curious how the AGM Autocraft is working for you. I believe that is an Advanced Auto Parts battery.
 
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Macker29, I didn't buy the Interstates, they were in the boat when I got it. There is, however, an "Interstate All Battery Center" near me and I see there are a couple near Columbus, OH. I expect anyplace that sells Interstate should be able to get them.
 
I have been using an Odyssey, sealed battery, (it's heavy, which I like), 3 years now, had to slightly change the post connections to make it top mount, having a simple top mount OEM connection really helps.
 
Bought my boat with the Walmart Everstart Maxx battery. Think it was new to the boat when they sold it to me. So that one is going 3 years without any issues.
I added a used Optima AGM battery I bought used off Craigslist which only had 1 year of use (trolling motor battery). So I've had that battery connected for 2 years without issue as well.

No problems with either. Definitely stick with Marine sealed or AGM batteries (IMHO). I had read that AGM batteries handle high vibration and bouncing better than regular batteries. Also that lead acid batteries plates get destroyed by high vibrations. Although I have no proof that is true.

I do keep both batteries connected to a low power solar charger during regular nice weather months. And then connected to a plug in trickle charger during winter months since solar is useless when it's covered in snow and ice.


IMG_1836.jpg
 
A great investment is to buy a load tester, if you don't have one. I have encountered many batteries that showed a good 12.7 V, yet fell on their faces when under load.
 
I had 2 Optima Blue Tops that were original to my boat from 2006 and just replaced them this summer, that is correct, 13 years old and they would still start the boat and they were on a BatteryTender whenever they were not being used. I was going to replace them with new Blue Tops but even the Optima dealer said I will never get that life again because Optima was bought out and his exact words were, "they are not the same as yours and will not last even close to that". I wen't to Costco and bought 2 interstates for $80 each and will just replace them every few years now.

For my skis I use the Yuasa sealed for $70 on Amazon and get 5 years out of them with a BatteryTender.
 
First I've heard of the Yuasa's. They seem to get high reviews. Anything special about them? They are manufactured by Exide it appears.
 
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First I've heard of the Yuasa's. They seem to get high reviews. Anything special about them? They are manufactured by Exide it appears.
Yuasa is an extremely high quality Japanese battery manufacturer. All of the OEM use them due to their quality. In 1991 Yuasa bought the Exide industrial battery division.

I have never seen a Yuasa battery have a short life even when treated poorly unlike the junk chinese batteries.
 
I also vote Yuasa. I work with batteries in my job. We can't use Yuasa in production because they are too expensive. But I think they are the best sealed lead acid battery available. I use Yuasa in both my 92 XPs.
 
Yuasa is pretty much the only battery any powersports vehicle comes with from the factory. In PWC, they are way more durable due to stronger plate construction to resist the hard pounding that they take. A motorcycle has shock absorbers that prevents that. Yuasa is the only one I will install for my customers.

Chester
 
Which Yuasa would you recommend for a 2010 Sea-doo Challenger 180 SE (255hp). We do a lot of tubing, skiing and swimming at the sandbar. Radio is on quite often.
 
What ever battery you get is going to last a year or maybe two tops unless you put it in the basement/garage, keep it from freezing and toss a Battery Tender on it for the winter. Dont get a knock off - get the real Battery Tender.
 
I bought a 400cca lithium ion name brand (forgot the name, but it was recommended on another forum) battery from the internet (walmart.com) for $86.
I’ve read people’s warnings about using Lithium jump start devices suggesting they can release too much current in vehicles that weren’t designed for Lithium. Can anyone here confirm or deny this?
 
I’ve read people’s warnings about using Lithium jump start devices suggesting they can release too much current in vehicles that weren’t designed for Lithium. Can anyone here confirm or deny this?

Not likely.

The starter will draw what the starter wants to draw, and it's up to
the jump start pack, whether it can provide the amps. It's not going
to magically force more amps than the starter draws, and somehow
cause damage.

Just be careful to connect positive to positive, and negative to
negative. Read a lot here on people who had problems with
jump starting causing damage. Polarity is simple, pay attention
and don't eff it up.
 
The thing to watch out for is over-voltage. The reason you don't want to jump off a running car or especially a battery charge is because there is a voltage regulator in play. As soon as the starter engages, the regulator unleashes more power. As soon as the starter stops, the regulator doesn't decrease the juice fast enough causing a voltage spike. So your mpem is hooked up to whatever voltage the regulator ends up giving when all that current draw stops. It's a bad situation. Li ion batteries are set to a voltage. Once you stop drawing from one, that voltage will not spike. At least I don't think they will. That's not how I understand batteries to work.
 
As long as it can react faster than the diode on your MPEM.......
It's not worth risking a +$500 MPEM just to try a boost pack. Just use another 12V battery from a non-running vehicle if you need to jump start your ski.
 
Anyone having great luck with any particular type or brand of battery out there? I had an Duralast (autozone) this past year with varying degrees of success and failures.

Just curious what you are all using out there.
Im not sure where you're at but there is an outfit here in south Florida that sells what ive found to be excellent batteries, for 40bucks a piece., fresh new
 
Im not sure where you're at but there is an outfit here in south Florida that sells what ive found to be excellent batteries, for 40bucks a piece., fresh new
I'm in Davie and VERY curious!! This would be a great resource for me.
 
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