Deep cylce batteries

[Jeepin]

I was wondering if anyone uses a deep cycle batt. in they're jeep...I am thinking aobut getting one...but is it really worth the money?  is it gunna benifit a guy that much??  I was also told that they arent meant to be constantly charged..they're meant to be drained and then trickle charged back to life, and by putting one in my jeep it would prolly mess it up.....  anyone care to set it straight? lol

[fony3]

From what I know about deep cycle batteries, they are meant to provide a steady amount of current over a long amount of time. They are also able to be completely drained and charged many times. Normal car batteries are made to give a large current over a short period of time. Obviously they cannot be completely drained many times.  

Common deep cycle uses are boats, motorhomes and aftermarket stereo vehicles. An example of why to buy one…my buddy wanted to get one to run his car stereo for a long time while camping.

That’s all I know,
Brad

[BlackYJ]

Also deep cycles are great for running winches which can be a HUGE current draw.  However, if you don't use your winch very often, you are probably using it more like a starting battery, so you are not getting the benefits.  If you are an occasional offroader I would recommend a 800-1000 CCA battery and you will be fine

[Organized_Chaos]

take it from a guy who works at Canadian tire auto parts.... the majority of people that come in for them are for rv's and boats. i had one guy come in for one as a back up in case if a power outage.

and another thing, warranties on them are like 1yr free replacement 2.5 total warranty. so in comparrison to the 2-3 year free rep and the 6-9 year total rep on the average car batteries, the deep cycle last almost nothing in comparison as to what the regular car batteries are supposed to work for.
but i just sell parts for a job ya know, what could i know.(note its canadian tire, we sell almost nothing in the way of off roading equipment, but i get a good deal on stock replacement parts   )

[Jeepin]

hmmm thanx for the input guys...so I take it no use unless your gunna be running anything with alot of draw...well untill the time I am running alot of draw..I'm good for now

[cablesmurf]

I use a Red top in my work van to power my 1500 watt power invertor. I run my microwave just about every day and charge my meters and drills. I killed the last battery (not a deep cycle) in less than a month. This one has been solid. Also can be mounted inside the vehilce without a battery box and can be mounted any way (even upside down if you like, which is a huge benifit for offroading as it will not spill). Marine deep cycles are great too because they can take more bouncing around.

[redbull]

Just to throw out some information:

From the reading I have done, and I'm no battery expert, you are better off with a starting type battery for winching. Starting batteries can deliver more current than deep cycles, apparently. This is good for winching. Deep cycle batteries are meant for sustained drain lower current applications, like for running stereos, lights and electronics over a longer period of time. Deep cycle batteries are supposed to be better able to recover from a full drain, but there is some controversy on whether an automobile charging system can fully charge a deep cycle battery. Also, I don't plan on running my battery dead while winching (um...when I get a winch) anyway.

The best of both worlds I suppose is the combination deep cycle/starting battery. I would definitely choose the combination battery if I didn't already have a Red Top with a 10 year warranty. Here's a page from Optima describing their deep cycle batteries: LINK

Remember:
A dark gray case means starting technology, a light gray case means dual purpose (engine start and deep cycle) technology.

Here's a graph from Optima's site showing 10 second power delivery amounts for Red Top (starting) Yellow (deep cycle) and regular lead-acid  battery types.

Here is a great link about deep-cycle batteries, section 4.2 recaps a bit of what I explained above: http://www.marine-electronics.net/techarticle/battery_faq/b_faq.htm

[JohnB]

Just to throw out some information:

From the reading I have done, and I'm no battery expert, you are better off with a starting type battery for winching. Starting batteries can deliver more current than deep cycles, apparently. This is good for winching. Deep cycle batteries are meant for sustained drain lower current applications....

Yes, for "normal" traditional plate style deep cycle batterys.  AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) deep cycles such as the Deep Cycle Exide Orbitals or the Deep Cycle Optimas can safely deliver high amperage and deep cycle is the same battery.  These are the "best" style for winching.  A sustained winching operation will rapidly discharge a battery.

[BlackYJ]

That graph is nice, but what about after a 5-10 minute winchfest.