Has anyone used Wal-Mart Maxx deep cycle group 29 batterys

l-skynyrd

 I need to replace the house batteries. I am retired and money is always an issue. Would like to know if anyone has any thing to say about these batteries. Current batteries in boat are 6 years old (Interstate) but shore power has gone out a few time in the past while I was not at the boat,   which have drained the batteries completely dead. Hence I need to replace.

212rowboat

Johnson controls, the largest battery maker in the world, makes those.   Wanna know why die-hard batteries are so terrible in the last ten or so years?  Because they're made by excide... They usurped JC in the early part of this century for the Sears label... JC are as good a battery as any, and the wally world label is fine.  

Dream_Inn

Yep.  I've been using them for over 10 years of boating.  I am an avid boater that anchors out a ton.  I've talked many that use expensive batteries turn to max and never look back.  The key to any deep cycle is to not let them go below 50%, which is about 12.2V.  I'll anchor out for 4 or 5 days using two of these batteries, running genny 6 hours or so total each day.  Key is to turn fridge down when on battery and all the way up on genny.

Michael T

IMO the price of a battery is less important that its chemistry and the nature and duration of its use, because what looks like a smart buy can become more expensive depending on your needs. I use 3 series 31 AGMs for house batteries - more expensive than flooded cell deep cycles, yes - but I don't have to run my generator for more than 40 minutes a day to charge them. My generator, a 2014 Kohler 5EKD uses a LOT of gas per hour.  In a single boating season the AGMs have paid for themselves....and I do not turn the fridges down. The AGMs are far superior to flooded cell in every category. The new thin plate leaded cell AGMs are in another whole class as they are super fast charging -  a series 27 TP AGM charges at 320% of its amp hours - as compared to a top of the line series 27 flooded cell that would charge at 25% 0f its amp hours. That's a monumental difference - stone age versus modern state of the art.  Where I buy batteries there is about a $110 difference per battery between the two. I suggest you calculate your needs and do  the math and see what makes sense for you, for your application.

Dream_Inn

I agree that each has to access their needs.  If I'm at anchor for even a long day, I know I'll be running the generator for a couple hours anyhow for either some cooking on the range (the admiral always has some goodies going - & yes, I do the grill thing as well), or running the blender, water heater or sometimes AC.  So it wouldn't save me much switching batteries. 

Athough, I am impressed if you only need 40 minutes/day to charge up 3 31AGMs.  That is really good.  I think for just charging only I'd still need 2-3 hrs each day.  This is my 4th year on these batteries, so I should have one more good year out of them.  I'll have to then take a peek at what you are using, since I know my charger will handle them (bought a new Sterling ProCharge last year).

Michael T

DI the batteries you chose seem to be running real well for you, particularly after 4 years, that's impressive!!!!! My next batteries will probably be Series 31 Thin Plate Pure Lead AGMs as they even have monster starting cranking amps. Are you ready for this - 1150 CCA  and 1370 MCAs. That's crazy good!!

Michael T

BTW. Speaking of buying batteries -  I am trying to check where any major items I try to buy have been made. I am astounded by the manufacturing we have ceded to China and the others. IMO most of what they send us back is cr*p. They're stealing our jobs and selling us cr*p back. So I buy Penn Deka AGMs made in the USA. I ALWAYS try to buy USA and Canadian products. Not Mexican, Chinese Tiawanese, the Phillipeans etc. I know some of the big box stores import this cr*p, cause its cheap - but this is killing our ecomonies. We need to buy North American. It's time IMO to fight for out fellow workers. Buy North American. To h*ll with the rest of them. Let them sell their cr*ppy products (boat parts are a prime example) to some other poor suckers.

Cableguy Greg

Michael T said:

BTW. Speaking of buying batteries -  I am trying to check where any major items I try to buy have been made. I am astounded by the manufacturing we have ceded to China and the others. IMO most of what they send us back is cr*p. They're stealing our jobs and selling us cr*p back. So I buy Penn Deka AGMs made in the USA. I ALWAYS try to buy USA and Canadian products. Not Mexican, Chinese Tiawanese, the Phillipeans etc. I know some of the big box stores import this cr*p, cause its cheap - but this is killing our ecomonies. We need to buy North American. It's time IMO to fight for out fellow workers. Buy North American. To h*ll with the rest of them. Let them sell their cr*ppy products (boat parts are a prime example) to some other poor suckers.

The Duracell AGM's that you can get at Sam's Club are made in the USA by Deka. That is what I have on my boat. So far, they are working great.

212rowboat

Michael T said:

BTW. Speaking of buying batteries -  I am trying to check where any major items I try to buy have been made. I am astounded by the manufacturing we have ceded to China and the others. IMO most of what they send us back is cr*p. They're stealing our jobs and selling us cr*p back. So I buy Penn Deka AGMs made in the USA. I ALWAYS try to buy USA and Canadian products. Not Mexican, Chinese Tiawanese, the Phillipeans etc. I know some of the big box stores import this cr*p, cause its cheap - but this is killing our ecomonies. We need to buy North American. It's time IMO to fight for out fellow workers. Buy North American. To h*ll with the rest of them. Let them sell their cr*ppy products (boat parts are a prime example) to some other poor suckers.

if we didn't have SO many other bad things going on in the country and world, my biggest issue would be 'planned' obsolescence' or 'engineering to fail' mentality... it's mind numbing... take a washing machine, for instance... ones you purchase today, and spend upwards of $2500 on will last you five years before needing replacement... The cheaper ones are cheaper to replace than repair in many cases... My grandmother had a washing machine built/purchased in the sixties that she still used up until her death in the nineties... did they forget how to make a washing machine or did they figure out how to get a quicker return customer?  

re:China-  I've a friend who is an importer/exporter, and who dabbles in business ventures across the globe... one thing he did some years back was custom cup printing- where a cup was produced and could be printed.  He used a manufacturer in china, and the product was precisely what he asked for.... for the first run.. the subsequent runs, the cup fell from 16oz to 15.5oz, to 15, and so on... he dropped them and they couldn't understand why... he sent them an example of each lot, and said 'self explanatory'... they offered to 'do better'... nope... the point here is the maker shaved tenths of a penny of production costs per day, which added up to maybe $1k a month, which to us isn't worth risking a contract- but $1k to them is a huge bonus for the management, and one well worth taking the shot....

this crap drives me crazy.