Just a question, how long do trolling motor batteries generally last?  I got a pair of new ones with my boat last April and I have about 60 hours on them and one of them is already dead.  I recharge them after every use too.  I thought they were supposed to last longer than that.  The dealer says batteries are a crap shoot, some of them don't last one season, some of them last for years.

I've never had one that didn't last at least 4 years. Usually, they have a warranty. 

Batteries are one of those items you get what you pay for. I usually run the group 30 Cabelas AGM batteries. They weigh a ton and the three I am running now are 6 years old. I got 7 years out of my old ones. I use an onboard charger set for agms and recharge them every time out or at least as close to right away as life lets me.  They are expensive also.  Right now a group 30 cost $200 on sale regularly $249.99.  I think they are worth it, I get a very long use per day and they last a good long time before I have to replace them.

Sometimes you just get a dud. they should last a few years. Yours should still have a warranty and always replace them All at the same time. A weak battery will bring down the performance of the new battery to its level and your trolling motor will only run at that efficiency.

Need more info on the batteries you have?

Johnson Controls makes most of the private label marine deep cycle batteries. 

The most expensive are lithium followed by AGM. Wet cell batteries require the most maintenance followed by gel type batteries. 

Your battery charger plays a big roll in battery life along with how you maintain the battery and usage.

Tom

 

I have 3 optimal that are 3 years old and are in great shape. love em. WRB said your batt. charger plays a big roll in batt. life. absolutely right.  keep connections clean check water, if needed add distilled water.

They are Cabela's brand name batteries, and the charger is Cabela's Advanced Angler series.  I spoke to the technician today and he said they are under warranty.  He also said that its possible one of them is so low on power that a standard charger can't revive it and that the slower, manual trickle charger in their shop could bring it back to life.  If it really is dead, it will be replaced under the warranty.  I might have to get myself a manual charger for situations like this.

 

Where do you think the Cabela's battery factory is located?

Tom

try East Penn Deka deep cycle

18 hours ago, WRB said:

Where do you think the Cabela's battery factory is located?

Tom

If I were to guess I would say Mexico somewhere

That's a sales person that apparently doesn't know a dam thing about batteries or is so full of s**t, he has to poke his head up out of it to breath.   Don't waste your money on a manual charger, all you will do is forget it's on, and fry your battery.  Put your money in a good 10-15 amp, logic controlled charger that has a maintenance cycle you can leave the battery connected to 24/7.  Now, when I say a "good" charger, understand, you most likely WILL NOT find a "good" 10-15 charger for under $100 unless someone has one hellava deal going on them.  I'm not talking about one you go to Wal-Mart and buy off their shelf for $50 or so.   

The number one killer of batteries is sulfating, and no charger made is going to revive the battery once it gets heavily sulfated.  Some of the newer chargers have a high frequency, maintenance mode that will remove light sulfate, and helps prevent it from forming, but once it has gotten established. the battery has to be flushed with caustic soda to remove it, and that is not something the average sane person would want to do without the skills and equipment to do it.  That's what companies that sell reconditioned batteries do.

The second most popular way to kill a battery is charging it with a cheap charger, and improperly charging them.

Brand new batteries will sulfate it left sitting on the shelf without keeping maintenance charges on them, and is a very common problem in places that don't have a high rate of turnover on their batteries.  A battery will start to sulfate when it self discharges to below about 80% charge level, and that's pretty quick on most of your cheaper batteries (six to eight weeks) with the lead compounds they use.  A six month old battery on the shelf can be pure junk if it has sat all that time without a maintenance charge, and no slow charging, fast charging or any other kind of charging is going to bring it back to life.

If Cabela's is willing to exchange the dead battery for a new one, do it! While they are at ask if they will give you 2 new batteries so they are the same age becuase you use them in series for 24V.

Tom

Turns out that it was so low that it wouldn't accept a charge from the Cabela's Advanced Angler charger.  They are manually charging it in low transfer mode and they're also doing the other one too.