Golf Cart Batteries?

[NateHanson]

Can you get 6V golf cart batteries locally, like at automotive stores or something like that? I want to replace my battery bank cheaply, and wonder if I can avoid the 6V "marine" golf cart batteries that WM sells. Any ideas of where to look?

Nate

 

[Guy Stevens]

Any battery shop

Any battery shop should have them. Costco and Sams club used to stock them also, but I haven't checked there in quite a while.

Make sure that you get new ones, and not ones that are "Refurburshed" refurbs have the acid drained, new acid added, and generally only last about a month at best.

Guy

 

[u079721]

Call Trojan

One of the better brands is Trojan, who makes some of the WM batteries that are relabeled under their name. You might just contact them directly and ask for the name of the nearest distributor. I did that about 5 years ago and saved quite a bit over buying them from a marine store.

 

[Richard Elliott]

Batteries

I have a golf cart with Trojan batteries that have held up very well for more than three years. However, I chose Optima AGM for our E34. Tired of acid in the bottom of the battery boxes and the need to top up with water.

 

[Geoff Johnson]

As someone pointed out here or on the mail list, WM has been known to relax the specifications for products sold under its label.

 

[stbdtack]

Golf cart batteries

Just bought 4 of them back east at Sam's Club. They were $48 each and I keep them for about 4 years. Hard for me to justify the high expense of Gels(fragile) or AGMs.

 

[Loren Beach]

Golfing on boats...

If you check the specs for GC batteries on the Trojan web site, the "standard" T-105 weighs 62# and is rated at 225 AH. If you get the T-145, it weighs 72# and they rate it at 260 AH.
http://www.trojan-battery.com/index.aspx

I went with the T-145's, a house bank of two, four years ago. Still working just fine. That bank can run the whole boat and the fridge for two days and then start the diesel without a whimper.
Note that more lead in this model gives more power with the same footprint. Some say that the discount brands are equally fine, and I have no proof either way. But do look at the amount of lead you are getting for the given dollar...

Best,

Loren in PDX

 

[evm]

I've got 4 T-125 in my E39 plus a starting battery. I've been running them for about 10 years now. I do not tend to draw them down very often so this lifespan reflects weekend cruising with 25 day trips every other year or so.

My alternator is a nothing special stock hitachi 55 amp that replaced the 35 amp one a few years ago. The engine is a 3HMF yanmar.

If I were going cruising I would look hard at a set of 4 or 6 L16 and a 125 amp alternator. If I had a genset I would think about Guy's setup.

Regards, Ethan

 

[evm]

Also, do you have a friend who belongs to a golf club? See if you can get in on a bulk buy. The cost per unit is nice when you buy 100 at a time....

 

[The Blue Heeler]

If I remember my Electrical Engineering classes right, I would need to wire two 6v golf cart batteries in series to create a 12v output. if I wanted to go with 4 6v batteries, then I'd still wire each two in series, then the two series in parallel.

I have an E29 with only 2 batteries and a plug in charger. No inverter, no hardwired charger. I'd like to wire in an inverter/charger combo, but it's starting to look pretty expensive. Any ideas. We'll probably only spend 3 to 4 days away from the dock at a time and I don't mind running the little a4 a little every couple of days to top off the batteries. We will probably run a small microwave some, radio and coffee pot and lights in the cabin at night. I don't expect to be able to run a small refrigerator on board off the inverter....or can I?

 

[Loren Beach]

12 v. to 110 v. AC to cold beer

Running that small fridge off an inverter might be kind of power intensive.
Last summer I used a little inverter to power the iBook while navigating all day, and it was taking about 4 amps. That's slightly more than my built-in refridgeration (FrigoBoat) uses. Admittedly that was before the most recent installation of the Link meter readout -- next spring I will be able to read this stuff in precise digital form. :nerd:

OTOH, no way would we ever want to go back to searching for block ice while on vacation...


Loren in PDX

 

[chaco]

It's a good idea to not use resistance heaters (coffee pots / hair dryers etc)and large power consuming (microwaves etc) appliances when off the Shore Power
All of that gear is for Power Boats with Automatic Generators
Our House Battery systems are designed for Cruising use of low power
consumers like Lights / Electronics and intermittant use of Fresh Water Pumps / Bilge Pumps. The largest electrical consumer will be the Fridge at
2-3AH average, which gives you about (2) days running before recharge
on a (2) 125 AH-6V House System. Running an Invertor for a Coffee Pot
doesn't really fit in to these small boat systems design limiations :nerd:
You would need to start the engine every time you wanted to use an
Appliance ! Also...get a Fridge with 12V Compressor to avoid invertor loss

Good Luck

 

[jkm]

Nate

Call down to the grounds manager at the Portland Country Club. 207-781-5881 is the direct number to the maintenance office.

He works a funny schedule during the winter, but is still there usually early morning. I think they used to get them up in Grey-I can't remember the place, too many years and too many cold beers have dulled my memory.


I can picture the place on the Grey Road outside of Portand.

Good luck

John

 

[jkm]

Nate

Made a couple of calls.

Try Maine Golf Carts 207.749.6655

Jolly Johns, the Car Dealer, is the local GEMS dealer, he might be a lead for you.

Save your bucks


John

 

[NateHanson]

Nate

Call down to the grounds manager at the Portland Country Club. 207-781-5881 is the direct number to the maintenance office.

He works a funny schedule during the winter, but is still there usually early morning. I think they used to get them up in Grey-I can't remember the place, too many years and too many cold beers have dulled my memory.


I can picture the place on the Grey Road outside of Portand.

Good luck

John

Thanks John. I actually got them a year ago (this is an old thread. )

I found a place just outside portland (but not as far as Grey) that carries the Trojan 6V batteries. I think it was called Ed's Batteries.