Jump to content

Trolling motor battery

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

Been searching thru old posts to try to get my answer and got more confused. I need a battery for a 40lb.thrust trolling motor and I need it to push my Jon boat all day and night around lakes as big as 800 sq. acres. Forget about the cost, after all, it's for fishin'. I was told Gel cell, and now I read about AGM or AG something. What battery will let me run the longest without having to dock and switch batteries? (can't carry too much weight in a Jon). All this yellow top, blue top, light or dark gray casings, gel has charging issues..... huh?? Just a real good deep cycle trolling ONLY battery. Thanks all

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm no battery expert but here are a few things that might help you.

 

1. All trolling motors are NOT created equal. Variable speed trollers will be much kinder on the battery than a 5 speed troller. Minn Kota claims the battery will last 5 times as long with a variable speed.

 

2. I use lead acid batteries only and have never had a problem. I also take care of them. To get the most out of a battery they should always be charged after each usage ASAP. The longer you wait, the more sulfates build up on the plates and that's the kiss of death for batteries. They should never go more than 24 hours before charging.

 

3. Just because the battery is "new" and the salesman says it's "fully charged" does not mean squats if it was sitting on the shelves for months. All batteries have the date of manufacture on them somewhere and they shouldn't be purchased if over 2 months old.

 

Hope this helps.

fishinambition  Posted June 30 ·After a decade and a half of trolling and disrupting the website, frank's finally fed up with Tim's bull****

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

View PostBeen searching thru old posts to try to get my answer and got more confused. I need a battery for a 40lb.thrust trolling motor and I need it to push my Jon boat all day and night around lakes as big as 800 sq. acres. Forget about the cost, after all, it's for fishin'. I was told Gel cell, and now I read about AGM or AG something. What battery will let me run the longest without having to dock and switch batteries? (can't carry too much weight in a Jon). All this yellow top, blue top, light or dark gray casings, gel has charging issues..... huh?? Just a real good deep cycle trolling ONLY battery. Thanks all

 

This is what I run in my boat and I fish all day (13 hours) on the Trolling motor on 60, on the dial and it is a 74lb thrust.

 

I use TF1800 Troll Furry Optima Battery

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a good way is to figure out how many amps your motor pulls, then you know the AH you need to get out of it.

 

IMO, you would have a tough time finding ANY single battery that will push you around ALLLLL day. I could easily see 6 hours or so, but ALL day, that i'd find hard to believe.

 

What voltage is the motor? 12 or 24? anything above 50 lbs is almost exclusively 24 volt, anything under 40 is almost exclusively 12. In between there are options. If 12 volts, you would need a minimum of 2 deep cycle batteries to run very long(6+ hours). If 24, you could do 2 deep cycle batteries at 12 volt each, hooked in series, OR one very expensive 24 volt deep cycle battery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jersey Devil - I use a Motor Guide Vari-max 40lb. troller on my 16' canoe powered by a 12v Bass Pro Shop, Power Series, Deep-Cycle 175 battery (weighs 52lbs., ~ $90). WORKS GREAT! One of these batteries will push me 5-6 miles, at least 6+ hours, before starting to fade. I carry a spare just in case and have rarely used it. Virtually no hassle to change batteries, takes me all of 1 minute to switch over, and thats in a canoe out in open water. Switching over ought to be a breeze in a jon boat.

 

Also, what Bass Ackwards said, take very good care of it. No matter how dead tied I am when I get home, the first thing I do is lightly wash off the battery and put it on charge. Only THEN will I go crash in the house.

The first casualty of War, Politics, and now Covid is the truth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally use (2) 31 series Trojan Batteries (~170 apeice) and have been thrilled at how long I can stay on the water. Allbeit they are pushing a 22 foot sea Ark Predator (~2,500 Lbs.) I usually get on the water at 5:00 a.m. and my batteries will run strong until 8ish p.m. running about 40 Lbs thrust all day.

 

If I was going to do it again, I may go for the cabellas 31 series AGMs because they do not require maintenance. The AGMs are expensive ~$270 apeice. If neither of these options work for you look at the Crown or Rolls battereis, they are a little more specialized, and you can get amp hours that are much larger than the standard 31 series allow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

View Post..." I need it to push my Jon boat all day and night around lakes as big as 800 sq. acres. Forget about the cost, after all, it's for fishin'."

 

I'm not sure a single battery exists that will push you all day AND night on 1 charge.. but I have a 40# MinnKota that i use on my 14' that runs a full fishing day on a Optima blue top.. If $$ is not a concern as you say, I would get 2 Gel batteries.. the lighter weight and size of 2 gels will be comparable to that of a single deep cycle wet cell.. And though they are more expensive, my Optima has been going strong now into it's 6th season..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some common battery size codes used are: (ratings are approximate)


Group 24 70-85 Amp hours 12 volts
Group 27 85-105 Amp hours 12 volts
Group 31 95-125 Amp hours 12 volts
4-D 180-215 Amp hours 12 volts
8-D 225-255 Amp hours 12 volts


This chart is from a website about batteries. I hope it posts correctly.

If you don't care about cost, and have a big enough jonboat (say 14' or better) an 8D battery could be the answer. They are huge compared to most deep cycle batteries, probably 75-80 lbs each and are ~21" x 12" x 10". I don't have a jonboat anymore, but when I did, I used the old batteries from my crane truck. I had a 14' jon and used one battery which lasted for however long a club tourney ran. My crane truck uses a pair of 8D's hooked up to give 24 volts and, when the batteries are new, can operate an 80 foot boom for 7-8 hours of hard use. No, not starting/stopping the generator - powering the crane. Pushing a jonboat around a lake should be a piece of cake for a pair of them. The last pair I bought cost me ~$375 but that was three and a half years ago.

They are subject to problems from freezing so you'd have to keep them in the house in the winter. The ones I use aren't 'sealed' so keep that in mind as well. You'll have to go to a battery store and not someplace like Sears to get them.

I used to fish with a guy who ran two trolling motors on a 12' jon with three group 27 batteries (one motor was 24V) so depending on the size, your boat should be able to handle the weight.

Google 8D battery for more info. I hope this helps.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

back to my opinion, the best thing I think you could do is use 4 6-volt golf-cart batteries, 1-2 in series, 3-4 in series, 1/2-3/4 hooked in parallel. That will push you around about as much as you could probably get, but will be heavy. The 8d, would probably get you close to the same as the 4 6v batteries, but will way more. A quality 8D weighs 150lbs+, the rolls(best lead acid made, BY FAR) weighs 220 lbs.

 

DO NOT USE GEL, unless you decide to spend the money on a VERY specific charger. DO NOT USE AGM. AGM batteries largest advantage is their vibration proofing, and their number of discharge cycles. Their # of discharge cycles are on PAR for any REAL deep cycle batter(standard lead acid) and on any boat that will be using a trolling motor all day, vibration will be a NON-issue, so you are overpaying for the same qualities of a much cheaper battery. AGM have their place, but your boat/situation is not one. IMO, gel batteries should all be destroyed and the technological files on how to build them burnt. Unless they are charged maticulously, they offer nothing more than a standard lead acid starting battery, with many draw-backs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

View Post A quality 8D weighs 150lbs+, the rolls(best lead acid made, BY FAR) weighs 220 lbs.

 

 

Really? Mine don't weigh nearly that much. Hmm, perhaps I was sold cheap batteries? This last pair didn't las as long as I would have liked but i attributed it to extra cold winters of late and keeping the truck outside. headscratch.gif I guess it's time to check a different supplier since I need a pair.

 

Are the batteries you mentioned larger than on that chart I posted? The size listed for 8D matches mine pretty closely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't bang yourself up over this decision...Pick a quality deep cycle 27 or 29 battery like interstate and go fish...I am guessing you are using a Minn Kota Endura 40lb or something similar. You'll run for a looong time with a fully charged 29..If you really want to run WO for more than 10 hours pick up a second battery (27) and keep it in the boat for a backup... Have fun and catch some fish!

 

Pick up a trickle charger with auto shut off that will charge at 2 and 6amps..Use 2 when you have time for recovery..Use 6 when you want to get back on the water faster. Charging at a lower amp will give the battery longer life and a better charge. Charging at higher will just get it charged quicker.

"It isn't that Liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so much that isn't so." Ronald Reagan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rolls have 2 styles of 8D. They have a contained, which is like every other 8d on the market, and should fit your specs perfectly. They also have a modular 8d, where it is 6 seperate containers, each equaling 1/6th of a 8d. This allows the ability to change a single cell out if it has a problem, rather than changing out all 6 cells(new battery) when one cell fails. This is larger than the standard 8d, and heavier, but carries a larger warranty and price.

 

I believe their regular 8d carries a 6 year warranty, and the modular a 7 yr warranty. I believe all their warranties are FULLL replacement, NOT pro-rated like all other batteries on the market. Best out there by far, but you do pay for it. $ per Amp is almost identical to a agm, so for an 8d, you could be looking at $800 for a regular 8d, and I think 1100 for the modular ones. If they last you 7 yrs+, well worth it IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

View PostDon't bang yourself up over this decision...Pick a quality deep cycle 27 or 29 battery like interstate and go fish...I am guessing you are using a Minn Kota Endura 40lb or something similar. You'll run for a looong time with a fully charged 29..If you really want to run WO for more than 10 hours pick up a second battery (27) and keep it in the boat for a backup... Have fun and catch some fish!

 

Pick up a trickle charger with auto shut off that will charge at 2 and 6amps..Use 2 when you have time for recovery..Use 6 when you want to get back on the water faster. Charging at a lower amp will give the battery longer life and a better charge. Charging at higher will just get it charged quicker.

 

This guy always knows what he is talking about. I have two Deep Cycle 29 batteries that i rotate. I always trickle charge when I get home. I bring two when I go to trolling motor only lakes but rarely have to go to the second battery. It is nice insurance though.

 

No wind today, I am thinking about going up to Merrill Creek to do some fly fishing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the help. I really never had an issue with a regular deepcycle battery as long as running time. I think my problem is maintanence. I slack off on recharging them as soon as I get home so they only last a season or two. Gonna stick with what I know will work and maybe be a little more responsible. Thanks all, tight lines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to register here in order to participate.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...