lb/A-hr + $/A-hr Battery Comparison

[Blackhawks]

I am thinking to upgrade my batteries to get more power. Don't we all need more power? So I thought of using a pair of Trojan T105s, the so-called King of Batteries. But as a cheap person, I thought I do a comparison first. The results may shock you!

The top five lb/A-hr are:
1. Trojan SCS150 G24 @ 0.50 lb/A-hr
2. Trojan SCS150 G24 @ 0.51 lb/A-hr
3. Trojan SCS200 G27 @ 0.52 lb/A-hr
4. Everstart Maxx G29 @ 0.54 lb/A-hr
5a. Motomaster Nautilus G31 @ 0.55 lb/A-hr
5b. Note that most 6V systems start at 0.55 lb/A-hr too

The top five $/A-hr batteries are:
1. Everstart Maxx G29 @ $0.96/A-hr
2. Motomaster Nautilus G27 @ $1.15/A-hr
3. Motomaster Nautilus G31 @ $1.22/A-hr
4. Motomaster Nautilus G34 @ $1.43/A-hr
5. Motomaster Nautilus 4D @ $1.44/A-hr

The 15 batteries I compared complete with data can be found here:
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...psaeuom2sx.jpg

Everyone will have their opinion on what is the best. Quality was one thing I did not include, as I can not measure, but their warranties were listed as a starting point. Note too that many store brand batteries are made by very reputable companies. I wanted to add Costco's Kirkland 6V and 12V deep-cycles but had no data.

Please share any comments, data or prices with me and I can add them to the spreadsheet.

B.

[camaraderie]

The only problem with all that work is that the companies have different testing procedures...and marketing standards. You cannot compare amp hour ratings across manufacturers but you can compare one mfrs. batteries to each other.
Exide makes the Nautilus line and CT re-labels it Motomaster...so US viewers of your data may look at the Exide line being sure to look at the Deep Cycle v. Dual Purpose.

Another factor that is difficult to find even within most mfr.s specs on deep cycle batteries is how many life cycles to 50% discharge they are designed for. The real measure of battery value (at least in the lab) must be $$ cost per amp hour delivered over its' useful life. So...a hundred amp hour battery discharged to 50% provides 50 amp hours x the number of cycles it is capable of... a 500 cycle battery would provide 25000 amp hours for the price you pay.
In other words... the average company hides the real cost/performance of their batteries and there is no standardized test for the specs you do see!

OH... and as to warranties...they are simply a marketing strategy funded within the price of the batteries and not related at all to quality or performance. (I was a long time ago involved with a company that offered a lifetime warranty on a car battery to the original purchaser....and the battery was priced to reflect anticipated costs of warranty replacement based on car ownership & sale statistics and had nothing to do with the battery itself which was actually quite good but nothing special.)

[rana]

When it comes to batteries.. and you stay clear of those specialty battery shops.. you'll pretty much get what you pay for. Some folks will tell you that the Sam's Club/Costco 6 volt golf cart batteries are just as good as the next... and they are for their intended use, but I would contend that those folks have never owned T105's.

If you are looking for batteries to use a few weeks out of the year and leave them, largely, neglected.. then you really can't go wrong with the Sam's club's. Your cash outlay is minimal and it won't sting so much when they fail in a few years.

If you want something for near daily usage for a good decade or so then you'll be doing yourself a favor by investing in a some Trojan's or the like.

It's kind of like a car... If you want a nice ride then buy a Cadillac, but why pay for a Cadillac when a Toyota or a Chevy will do the trick? ;-)

(For those that missed it... yes... I just did a slam on Chevy.. and yes.. I amuse myself) LOL