Battery Selection Help Please

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PawleysDude

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Since when does buying a battery require an electrical engineering degree? I'm thoroughly confused and would appreciate suggestions. Here's the situation...

I've got an old 16' Tracker aluminum bass boat docked on a small lake. It's powered by an equally old 12V trolling motor rated for 40# thrust. It came with two Group 24 marine starting batteries, wired in parallel. Essentially, the only other power usage is a small depth finder and an automatic bilge pump that runs briefly when we get rain. A typical trip is 3-5 hours long. The volt meter on the boat usually reads 12.7V at full charge, and about 12.3-12.4V after fishing several hours, if that gives any indication of typical battery consumption. I almost always charge them immediately after fishing with an onboard 5amp 1-bank charger.

The problem is these wet-cell batteries are located in a very difficult location to access. To even check the liquid level in the batteries requires disconnecting all the wiring and removing them from the boat, a tough process for a tired old man with a bad back. I am resigned to the fact they need to be replaced with sealed batteries, but I am at a loss for what to buy. I plan to stay with 2 batteries in parallel. I also hope to replace the trolling motor within the next year, but will stay with a 12V 45-55# range. My priorities are:
1) Sealed and maintenance-free
2) Cost - a big priority
3) Ideally a Group 24 size battery for cost reasons but also because this size trays are already installed and a PIA to replace.

I’m leaning toward this battery - https://tinyurl.com/yc8e49tu - but I know nothing about AGM batteries. It’s called a starting battery, but claims to also function well as both starting and deep-cycle. I would appreciate any feedback about this type of battery pro & cons, or other suggestions. Thanks for your help.
 
I have used WEIZE Deep Cycle AGM 12 Volt 100Ah batteries and was very impressed using them for a 24-volt Guide trolling motor. Right now they are about $150 each. I thought they were a bargain when I paid about $250 3 years ago.
Lithium-ion batteries are even better, and the cost has really come down, but good ones are around $400-$500. And chances are you would need to buy new chargers.
For a starting battery, I think an AGM deep-cycle starting is ok.
I like to use 3 sets of batteries- set 1: 2 AGM's for trolling. Set 2: 1 AGM for starting, trim-tilt, and bilge pumps. Set 3: 1 AGM for everything else.
 
I have used WEIZE Deep Cycle AGM 12 Volt 100Ah batteries and was very impressed using them for a 24-volt Guide trolling motor. Right now they are about $150 each. I thought they were a bargain when I paid about $250 3 years ago.
Lithium-ion batteries are even better, and the cost has really come down, but good ones are around $400-$500. And chances are you would need to buy new chargers.
For a starting battery, I think an AGM deep-cycle starting is ok.
I like to use 3 sets of batteries- set 1: 2 AGM's for trolling. Set 2: 1 AGM for starting, trim-tilt, and bilge pumps. Set 3: 1 AGM for everything else.
Thanks for getting back to me. After a lot of research, I ended up going lithium. It was $$$, but since my trolling motor is my only propulsion, I had been running two batteries in parallel, and it was about a wash between one lithium and two AGM's. I had recently upgraded my charger to an onboard NOCO and fortunately it had a lithium mode, so that worked out well. Thanks again!
 
You won't be sorry. Love my Ionic Lithium's. Best decision I made about my boat.
 
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