Battery Recommendations

[Madman]

So I’m almost ready to pull the trigger on a new ‘25 252SD. My current boat came with two group 24 starting batteries, which lasted 13 years and worked just fine for the way we used the boat. Because the new boat will have digital displays and more electronics, is there a need to upgrade to a larger battery and should I go with a deep cycle for the house? I’ll have to check with the dealer, but I’m assuming there’s enough room…

 

[Babin Farms]

I would go with whatever you had for a setup if it lasted 13 years!!!! in your last boat.

 

[Madman]

I would go with whatever you had for a setup if it lasted 13 years!!!! in your last boat.

Thanks for the feedback. I’m an old timer and just wasn’t sure if my old setup was adequate for newer boats. I’m also cheap and don’t want to buy another set of batteries in 10 years! . But then again, I should probably be happy if I’m around long enough to when I need new batteries!

 

[David Martin]

I get the reference....... I don't even buy green bananas anymore!!!! you never know! LOL.

 

[WiskyDan]

Before I replaced my old house battery with a Lithium at the start of the season I looked at Duracell AGM deep cycle batteries from the local brick and mortar Batteries Plus store. They are made by East Penn/Deka, are reasonable priced, and sorting out any warranty issues is easier when you have someplace physical to take it. Sam’s Club sells Duracell AGM deep cycle batteries as well (at an even better price from what I’ve heard) so if you have a membership there that could save you a few bucks.

I love my Lithium but they can get quite pricey so it all depends on what you want to spend.

 

[David Martin]

Any duel battery set up should be fine on a 252 if it is charged properly. An on board battery charger/maintainer will help. You are correct about all the electronics on board are hard on battery's and the Yamaha stator system...... that's notoriously a little on the weak side for keeping batts charged unless you have very long runs to keep batts charged, and a deep cycle house if used a lot for say....... stereo and lots of electronic at anchor....... will add to a charge problem for the weak/charge system for sure.

Any good quality battery's will be just fine if you have a good on board charger/maintainer to help get the charge back up to full and maintainer her till next trip. It sounds like you treat you know how to treat batts well to get that much life from them.

Good luck and SWEET BOAT YOU ARE MOVING into.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I’m curious about how you got the two start batteries in your 2010 Limited to last 13 years.

You are correct about the newer boats and the electronics, the 252SD has the drive X system as well. If you’ve been around here and done some research you will have found that a few folks with the electric steering and electronic throttle and shift had some issues with those systems due to low battery voltage. Having said that, having good batteries and an onboard charger is essential to enjoying your boat as trouble free as possible. As @David Martin said the charging system on our boats is limited, roughly 14 A total output per engine.

I suggest a dedicated start battery and a dedicated house battery.

I don’t know about your current boat but the new boat will come with BEP marine battery switch set up with a DVSR that in operation isolates the start battery when the engines are off and charges the start battery first before automatically paralleling the start and house batteries together to put a charge on the house battery. As @WiskyDan suggested the Duracell AGM and flooded batteries are made by Deka and are made here, and can be found at very reasonable prices at Sams club. AGM batteries are nice as they are sealed, but so are a lot of the flooded batteries, I just replaced the two start batteries in my truck and they are sealed. If I were you I’d probably go with an AGM start and house battery as their resting voltage is a bit higher than flooded batteries. I currently run an Interstate AGM start battery and a Battle Born LFP / LiFePO4 house battery.

Do a search for DVSR help and or DVSR modifications here on this site as that is something you may want to consider doing once you get comfortable in your new boat. This is not some esoteric modification, there are three modes of operation that the BEP marine battery switch can be configured to operate by design from BEP marine. If you need help finding that information or want it explained let me know, right now I need to get going and get on the water for the morning bite!

Nice boat by the way!

 

[Madman]

I’ve been away a few days and want to thank everyone for their thoughts. I like to believe my batteries lasted 13 yrs because of my healthy lifestyle and dashing good looks… I’ll admit that I maybe more than a little bit delusional! Our current boat only has about 150 hrs, is setup like @FSH 210 Sport described and the batteries were kept on maintainers during the winter months. The batteries were a generic brand and my setup is nothing fancy or complicated. We also don’t experience the extreme heat that many here have to contend with.

As @Dave Martin suggested, I think I’ll stick with the basics and just go with a deep cycle for my house battery. As I mentioned before, I’m cheap and since I trailer my boat, I’ll can use a maintainer to top of my batteries every few trips.

I put money down on the new boat and looking forward to next season!