Getting out on the boat is a great time during the summer. For the hunters and Fall fishermen, getting out when the air is crisp, and the leaves are brown is equally as exciting.
Keeping your boat in prime condition is always a concern for any serious boat owner. Continually washing it down and checking up on oil levels, as well other routine maintenance measures are always on the minds of men who like to spend their time out on the water.
Something that can be looked over, is not only the maintenance of the marine battery in the boat, but the actual battery itself. When was the last time you went and checked the postings? Were they tight enough? Have you recently topped up the liquid in the battery? In a growing trend, many marine batteries for sale are becoming maintenance free and you will never have to worry about topping up any kind of liquids, nor taking care of any other in-depth maintenance.
If your battery is dying, which is usually the case after 5 to 8 years, you will be finding yourself needing to buy a new one relatively soon. With most boats, no battery juice means you are not going anywhere. Finding the best marine battery for you boat is something to be taken seriously.
While only having to financially commit to a marine battery once every 5 to 8 years, it doesn’t elude the fact that much can change in any industry in that time. The marine battery industry is always going through changes and innovations, meaning that since the last time you bought a battery, you could have fallen behind on the latest news and features that are now included with newer model batteries.
With all that has been said, batteries are not that complicated. Quite simply, they are meant to start up your boat, keep electronics onboard running smoothly and consistency and keep your boating experience pleasurable. The best deep cycle battery is one that you will forget is even there. We at Power Genix Systems are happy to help you figure out what it is you need for your next battery in your boat. We will be going over every single different feature that has recently popped up in the industry; explaining them in-depth is what we will do.
Things to look out for when looking at a marine battery for sale
For those of you who landed here after searching, “what is the best marine battery?”, will be happy to find that we will be going over the crucial things that you will need any order to find the best match for your boat.
You can be rest assured that the steps you must take to make the proper buy are not ridiculously difficult to figure out. Once we have explained them to you, you will find that it is much easier to make the best buy possible for your new marine battery.
On a side note, we’d like to mention that once the best marine battery you can find as arrived at your doorstep, that a marine battery will not discharge through a concrete or paved floor. When guys put their new battery on a piece of wood, they are only insulating from the cold, not preventing it from discharging.
Is there a difference between marine batteries and car batteries?
There is an inherent difference between the two, contrary to what may be popular belief in your local area.
The biggest difference is that a car or other auto battery is meant to supply a lot of current/power in a short period of time to get a vehicle’s engine started. Whereas with marine batteries, they are meant to not only start the boat engine, but supply a long lasting, consistent source of electricity to all the boats features. Think stuff like lights, trolling motors, fish finders, sound systems – that sort of stuff. Boat engines on recreational watercraft or fishing boats, are generally much smaller than say, a car engine or truck engine.
Something that is important to keep in mind, though, is that a marine battery still needs to be able to fire up a boat motor by supplying enough current/power to the engine. However, its most important job is to make sure that all your other boat features are powered on for as long as you need them.
Marine battery plates are much thicker than conventional vehicle batteries. This is what can cause the price of the marine battery to shoot up a bit. If you have been in rough waters – and any experienced boater has – then you will come to appreciate thicker, more shock resistant plates.
Warranty – pay attention, it’s important!
With the tougher life that a marine battery goes through, it is important that you take a good look at the warranty at the marine battery you are looking at.
There are a wide variety of warranties out there, with most of them falling in between 18 months and 5 years. Like always, the longer a warranty is, the more financially safe the purchase will be. This will ensure that when something goes wrong, your behind will be covered financially and you won’t be dishing out a lot more cash to get a new battery.
Of course, there are always terms and conditions to every warranty available for the different marine batteries for sale. This means that if you are over charging your battery (charging it for too long), or under charging your battery (not charging it enough), you may find yourself at odds with the manufacturer’s warranty.
Keep in mind, basic maintenance like tightening the postings and wiping down the outside of the battery from time to time is very important for the overall longevity of the marine battery’s life cycle.
What are marine batteries rated for?
Compared to car batteries, the best marine batteries on the market are rated on different metrics.
The first one is an abbreviation, “MCA”, which stands for “Marine Cranking Amps”. This is a testing procedure that takes place in 32F temperatures to see if the battery in question can start up, hold steady current and supply enough power to different features on the boat.
Something to keep in mind, though, is that when you are reading through the Marine Cranking Amps for a marine battery for sale that you are looking at, is that you can reasonably bump up the number a bit. Not many people are out boating in 32F. However, if you are a Fall time fisherman, then you will want to look at the number of Marine Cranking Amps for what it is.
Another metric the batteries are tested for are Amp hours (AH) and Reserve Capacity (RC). Amp hours are a measure of current that will drain the battery in 20 hours to a voltage point of 10.5 volts operating at 80F. Reserve Capacity is a measure of time to discharge a battery that is fully charged at 25 amperes. This is done at 80F as well and is done to the voltage of 10.5V.
Recycling of the best marine batteries
When you a buying a new marine battery, it is important for the environment that you take your battery to a local recycling depot that has the infrastructure to handle batteries.
With recent efforts in the last 50 years, here in the United States there is a 98% rate of recovery on all lead acid batteries that are sold in the United States. This represents a massive victory for the environment and helps keep battery costs down as the nearly closed manufacturing cycle of the marine battery market allows battery manufacturers to keep their material sourcing costs down.
For an in-depth look at the recycling processes, the plastic cases, lead platers, sulfuric acid, solder and many of the other metals present and completely recovered for reuse in the building of new batteries.
The only part of any battery that cannot be recovered through recycling processes is the paper separators that the plates are wrapped in. The battery acid breaks down the paper so far that the paper itself is essentially junk when it is pulled out.
Optima Batteries 8016-103 D34M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery
Optimia marine batteries are some of the best available, so it is only right that at the top of our list of batteries that we have the 8016-103 D34M BlueTop. There are plenty of different features available for the best marine battery, and we are happy to discuss them.
First and foremost, for those of you with boats or yachts that have funky positionings for your batteries, then there is no worry with this unit as it can be mounted in essentially any position. With a reserve capacity of 120 minutes, that of which can sustain constantly high performance, it can run any of your onboard gadgets for extended periods of time.
The 12 volt battery come with 750 Cold Cranking Amps. The dimensions and weight are as follows:
- 10 inches long
- 6 7/8 inches wide
- 7 13/16 inches tall
- Weight: 43.5 pounds
Warranty is up to 24 months. The batteries are manufactured at Optima’s very own facilities and they are made in America.
Exide Battery 24MDP Battery
The Exide Battery 24MDP Battery comes with 625 Marine Cranking Amps at 32F alongside 120 minutes of Reserve Capacity at 25 amps. Exide has been in the business for quite some time and their batteries are American made.
These 12 volt units are extremely popular for people with fishing boats or pontoons. They make the perfect replacement for your battery. Remember that if you ship in your old battery that you will also save some money as the battery will help the manufacturer costs on material sourcing. You will be doing your part for the environment as well.
The dimensions and weight are as follows:
- Height: 9-7/16 inch
- Length: 10-1/4 inch
- Width: 6-13/16 inch
- Weight: 44.4 pound
With strong plates, you can be assured when entering volatile waters that your battery will hold up just fine. The postings are stainless steel threaded and allow for easing tightening as well as removal and replacement. Always remember to apply basic maintenance and to properly charge the battery according to the owner manual.
Amstron GC2 6V AGM Marine Battery
Amstron comes in strong with the GC2 6 volt battery because of it’s advanced AGM technology. This battery is the epitome of plug and play. With very little maintenance to be done, such as basic cleaning and post tightening, we strongly recommend this battery for anyone who isn’t proficient with batteries and just wants a hassle-free device. Something else to keep in mind is that due to the construction of this battery, no damage will be done to it should the battery freeze.
Cold Cranking Amps for this battery is 710 with a Reserve Capacity of 475 minutes at 25 amps. Coming in with a 2 year warranty, it is a good buy to make as if something goes wrong you will get a replacement. Normally something goes wrong in the first 2 years of a battery’s life cycle if it was built with faulty construction.
The dimensions and weight of the battery are as follows:
- Weight: 68 pounds
- 2 inches long
- 1 inches wide
- 8 inches tall
For people looking to get ahold of one the best marine batteries out there, we strongly recommend this one.
Renogy Deep Cycle AGM Battery 12 Volt 100Ah
Renogy is a not as popular nor well known brand as some of the other brands here, but they are still highly competitive and are sought after by many boating and yachting enthusiasts.
This 12 volt battery is without a doubt, one of the best marine batteries that come with an array of other uses. If you are only out on the water during the water because winter gets too cold, then you can put this battery in several different applications.
For the people who are looking for the weight and dimensions:
- 13 inches long
- 8 inches wide
- 0 inches tall
- Weight: 66lbs
Like a few of the other batteries listed here, there is a 2-year warranty that is provided by Renogy itself.
Optima Batteries 8006-006 34M BlueTop Marine Starting Battery
This 12 volt battery from Optima is the second battery unit from this company that we have listed here. These made in America batteries are among the best in the industry and we are happy to promote them to people who are looking to get the most out of their boat, pontoon or yacht.
Coming in with 800 Cold Cranking Amps and a Reserve Capacity of 100 minutes of constant performance. Not only will this unit give out steady power constantly, but it’s heightened starting power means you will be able to start a bigger, more demanding boat engine than other traditional marine batteries for sale.
The dimensions and weight are as follows:
- 10 inches long
- 6 7/8 inches wide
- 7 13/16 inches tall
- Weight: 38.4 pounds
These batteries are up to 15 times more resistant than other leading batteries when it comes to vibration and being thrown around in rough waters. Easily making it the best marine starting battery. You can also drop this battery into your RV if you have one.
The different marine battery brands
There are a handful of high quality, American made battery companies available in the US market. This is great as the high competition keeps the costs low and competitive for the consumer. If you are looking at a boat battery for sale in any US store – chances are it is made in America.
The innovation developed in this highly competitive industry means that you will also be getting extremely high-quality products that are built to last.
The following brands are personally recommended by us.
Interstate Marine Battery
At one point, the Interstate Marine Battery you are looking at could have been developed for use by the US Military for tanks and submarines. This applies to the dual-purpose batteries.
There are also starting / cranking batteries, and marine deep cycle batteries for sale from Interstate. We strongly recommend any of them if they are what you need.
Optima Marine Battery
Optima is well known not in the marine battery space, but for their incredible car batteries as well. They have been in the industry for quite some time and are strongly recommended by Power Genix.
Any Optima marine battery has an incredible resistance to vibration and shock. For guys who like to venture into rougher waters, these are the ones for you.
Everstart Marine Battery
These batteries are developed and manufactured in the USA. Everstart is known to be the lower priced marine batteries available on the market. They do have some higher end products as well for the people who are looking for maximum performance available. These are known to be a best rated marine battery.
Not only that, but any Everstart Marine battery is easily recyclable and is generally free of charge. If you are someone who respects the environment, then these are for you.
Exide Marine Battery
Yet another solid marine battery manufacturing company that resides in the USA. We do not list any companies from other countries as American made is what is best. And we want to support the USA.
Exide is known for their luxury, bright blue batteries that are frequently used in small yachts or pontoons. Branding is everything in this world, and the look and design of these batteries knock it out of the park.
What does the structure of a deep cycle / marine battery look like?
Before we get into the nitty gritty of the best boat battery out there, we need to first acknowledge that there are two, structurally different marine batteries for sale. The first one is known as Flooded (FLA). Flooded deep cycle batteries can be divided into two subcategories. These two groups are known as Tubular plated Opzs and flat plated. Opzs stands for:
- O = Ortsfest (Stationary)
- Pz = PanZerplatte (tubular plate)
- S = Flussig (flooded)
Opzs batteries are known to be vented and are normally used in more stationary purposes. Such as backup energy storage like your generator out back.
The second subcategory for deep cycle batteries for sale is the valve-regulated lead-acid, which is abbreviated to VRLA. This category can be divided into two subcategories as well, Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) and Gel.
AGM batteries are better for discharging in temperatures that are much wider ranging than other conventional batteries. The electrolyte in these batteries is held in glass mats, as opposed to letting it flow freely by flooding the plates.
Gel batteries have been around since the 1930s. They are known for not having to be kept upright unlike other batteries. In the 21st century, Gel batteries are VLRA batteries that contain a gelified electrolyte. Which has sulfuric acid mixed with fumed silica, which makes the inner battery gel-like and immobile.
Something to note is that both AGM and Gel batteries are the more modern batteries. They are known for their care free designs. These are the most attractive to any new boats out there who aren’t looking to do any kind of finicky battery work.
Final thoughts
When you are looking best deep cycle marine battery for your boat, pontoon or yacht, we strongly recommend that you go with the best. You probably spent a pretty penny on your watercraft to begin with and ensuring that runs smoothly and at full capacity is quite literally how you get your money’s worth.
As with all our other guides, we strongly recommend that you do your battery installation with proper lighting. And if you can, in a controlled environment. This is obviously not always possible if you are installing a battery while you are at the local marina, but still try to minimize any potential danger factors.
If you are not fully capable at battery installation, or have never done it before, we strongly recommend that you confide in a professional or a family member/friend who has been through the process before.
Last, but certainly not least, remember to enjoy the waters and to do your best to keep it clean. Surely by now you have the best marine battery out there and we look forward to you being able to put it to good use!