Deep cycle batteries vs. starting batteries. A deep cycle battery can provide a surge when needed, but nothing like the surge a car battery can. A starter battery cannot be swapped with a deep-cycle battery and vice versa. They can have a function to crank up an engine or perform as a regular house battery. Dakota Lithium batteries can be drained to 10% of their total capacity before needing to be recharged and are good for 2000 to … Since this is a deep cycle marine battery, it can also be used for many purposes. These batteries are durable and 15 times more vibration resistant than other batteries on the market. Have a high cold cranking amp value the batteries can be used as the primary marine battery to start the boat. Often, deep cycle batteries spend almost their entire energy capacity and then can be recharged so they can start another cycle. Dual-purpose batteries are capable of starting engines and deep cycling, although they usually can’t match the performance of a dedicated deep cycle battery. A tractor battery may be used in a car, but a car battery is not recommended for use in a tractor. Re: Can I use a car battery for my mercruiser? A deep cycle battery has thicker plates and is designed to produce less amperage at any given time but is designed to be drained to 50% many times. A deep-cycle battery is a battery designed to be regularly deeply discharged using most of its capacity. While 12-volt batteries can serve you well in the majority of cases, RV owners that need more power decide to put together or combine 6-volt batteries by wiring them in a series as a means of building 12-volt batteries for their RV. Basic Boat Battery Types. While marine starting batteries can withstand being discharged, the deep cycle battery can be repeatedly discharged down to 80% without any damage being caused to the battery. The Function of Starter Batteries. Re: Using Deep Cycle Battery as Car Starting Battery I get that a new car battery is better than trying to use a deep cycle battery but but i was wondering if a different configuration would work. If you use a deep cycle battery as a starter battery, you could be harming your battery. Choosing the right marine batteries is more than a matter of going with a reliable brand that your customers can trust. While these are the design parameters you still can use a deep cycle battery for starting. How deep cycle batteries work The biggest difference between a deep cycle battery and a typical starter battery is the amount of energy it discharges and the way in which the energy is discharged. But a car battery can only handle a 20% discharge. Any battery used to power onboard DC loads such as lighting, trolling motors, inverters and other systems should be a quality deep-cycle battery, like our West Marine brand. The best deep cycle battery charger should charge the battery slowly. You can use a Deep Cycle battery as a starting battery provided that you take into account the lower CCA of a Deep Cycle battery. Deep Cycle Marine batteries can sustain up to 80% discharge and still be recharged again and again. Learn more about AGM batteries here . As a rule of thumb, it's a good idea to upsize the battery by about 20% to deliver the same amount of cranking amps from a deep cycle battery. It is important to ensure there is sufficient battery capacity (Amp Hours) to power the equipment you intend to use. You can use a deep cycle battery as a starting battery but check it has the right reserve capacity and number of Cold Cranking Amps (the amps produced by the battery at zero degrees Celsius for 30 seconds). For saltwater applications, AGM or gel cell batteries are highly recommended to prevent chorine gas. However, an oversized battery would likely be required due to its low cranking current. Wondering why that is on the E-tech. Marine batteries are specifically designed for use on a boat and are typically more reliable than a car battery. A deep cycle battery is used to store electricity and release a steady current over time. Choosing the right Deep Cycle Battery for your application is important. On the other hand, if we use the engine starting batteries to start the generator, we’d be asking batteries to do something far easier than what they normally do every time you fire up the engine. A marine deep-cycle battery can also be used as a starting battery if it meets the cold cranking amps specification of the outboard motor. Most deep cycle batteries do not have this dual-functionality so it is a great touch for the Optima to have. The difference between a car battery and a tractor (or deep cycle) battery is the rate at which they deliver current, and how they are designed. A deep cycle or dual marine battery will work as a starting battery if it can produce enough current to start the engine, but not as well as a car battery. As an added point, the battery also comes with a handle, so carrying it around is made more comfortable and more convenient. A deep cycle battery is also designed to be deeply discharged over and over again (something that would ruin a car battery very quickly). How To Charge A Deep Cycle Battery Properly There are two methods. Cranking batteries exhibit poor service life in cycling applications. The differences in function are simple, but the differences illustrate why you need to use the right battery for the right purpose. The BlueTop is also a crank starting battery which means it can be used to start your boat engine. Industrial-type batteries can last as long as 20 years with moderate care, and even standard deep cycle batteries, such as the golf car type, should last 3-5 years. You will also enjoy the idea that this battery has a short recovery time, even from a quick discharge. The new AGM Battery technology has made a huge impact on lead-acid batteries, making it one of the best batteries to use in solar electric systems. In many circles, marine batteries are considered to be hybrid batteries. Also, the batteries last longer and can be charged up to three-time more than other deep cycle batteries. With no house systems powered by them, they should be very nearly fully charged when the house batteries are depleted to the point that we need to start the generator. There are two basic types of 12-volt batteries: 1) cranking, or starting, batteries, which are designed to start your main engine, and 2) deep-cycle batteries, which are used to power electrical accessories such as trolling motors, fish-finders and radios. RV deep cycle and starting batteries are typically designed to have 12-volt DC (direct current). Unlike a car battery, which only releases a quick burst of energy to spark the ignition, a deep cycle battery is used when you require a sustained energy current—to power … This screen translates the 32F temp to a 0F CCA rating. There are two main distinctions between types of batteries, each appropriately named for the situations when they are most useful: starting batteries and deep cycle batteries. As can be seen above, when we parallel deep-cycle batteries rated at only 675 CCA, we wind up with 2071 CCA for cranking at 0F (these batteries were preforming slightly better than 675 CCA). Marine batteries, otherwise known as boat batteries, function as either starting batteries or deep cycle batteries — and in certain circumstances, a combination of both of these types. The size and type of Deep Cycle Battery that you select is dependent on the application and operating conditions. We also use deep cycle batteries for small vehicles, such as electrical wheelchairs or golf cart. These batteries can tolerate deep discharging operations which are better compared to starting batteries, but they also have lower storage capacity that may prevent them from keeping up with larger electrical loads. They are usually a hybrid of starting and deep cycle batteries, with lead sponge plates that are coarser and heavier than starting battery plates but not as thick as true deep cycle battery plates. The battery is a group 27 Exide Starting battery. While an inventive senior may be tempted to install a starter battery instead of the more expensive deep-cycle on his wheelchair to save money, the starter battery won't last because the thin sponge-like plates would quickly dissolve with repeated deep cycling. Depending on your leisure, you can buy a starting or deep cycle battery, or even buy both of them. That’s not to say that deep cycle batteries cannot be used as starting batteries – they can. You really do not want a rapid charge on a deep cycle battery because during a slow charge the plates are penetrated by the battery acid but when you have a rapid charge there is not a sufficient amount of time for the battery … It can be difficult to tell what you get in a marine battery, and the only way to know for sure is to cut one open. A typical deep cycle battery will discharge 45-75% of its capacity, although this figure can vary depending on the battery’s construction and the manufacturer. Let's breakdown the basics of caring for your marine battery, including choosing the right type of boat battery… A true starting battery has many small plates so that it can put out more amperage over a short period of time. Normally, it is advisable to go for starting batteries or deep cycle batteries, but in some cases, using a dual purpose power cell can be more beneficial. For optimal trolling motor performance over the long term, however, plan to deliver power to your Minn Kota from true deep cycle batteries. Choosing the Right Deep Cycle Battery. Deep cycle batteries can be used in any application and exhibit a long service life, while cranking batteries are limited to starting applications only. This starts, of course, with knowing the differences between the two most common types of marine batteries: cranking batteries and deep cycle marine batteries. They so have some advantages over lead acid batteries including improved resistance to corrosion, no excessive gassing, less water usage, and lower-self discharge. I have a bank of supercapacitors that i've been using as a replacement car battery which has worked well (started successfully with just 8volts in it). The term is traditionally mainly used for lead–acid batteries in the same form factor as automotive batteries; and contrasted with starter or 'cranking' automotive batteries designed to deliver only a small part of their capacity in a short, high-current burst for cranking the engine. You may also encounter hybrid, or dual-purpose marine batteries, which may have the capacity to serve both as a starting battery and as a deep cycle battery. Starting batteries are used for turning on appliances, such as lighting or a … True Deep cycle batteries will perform well as cranking batteries, however, cranking batteries will not survive deep cycle use. Deep-cycle batteries can endure repeated deep discharging and recharging without damage. A car start battery is designed for high current, short burst engine start discharges and quick recharges. To accomplish this, a deep cycle battery … “Poor battery installation, from loose connections at the posts to poor grounds and over-extended battery cables, are the issues I see most-frequently,” says David Greenwood, Suzuki Marine application manager. You could. If properly taken care of, boat batteries can last a long time. I vote for using a Marine Starting Batt, not a deep cycle, thats if you are just concerned about starting and are not going to be sitting for hrs with the engine off and a stern light and assorted other electronics on. Even the best battery is only as good as its application and maintenance. A Marine battery, deep cycle type, is designed for smaller current, long slow discharges and long slow recharges. They can also be mounted in the engine bay and used for starting or deep cycle applications. A deep cycle battery is also designed to be deeply discharged and charged over and over again without shortening the lifespan of the battery. I was looking for a group 27 Dual Purpose, couldn't remember where I'd saw it so just ended up getting a Deep Cycle to hook my electronics up to but found that my gauges would not work unless hooked to the same battery as the engines power cables. This deep cycle battery is designed to produce a steady electric flow. They are appropriate for sailboats, fishing boats and all other boats with larger DC power requirements.