On 8/17/2015 3:45 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 17 Aug 2015 11:47:31 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

AGM Greg. That's why I said "dry" because that's a common term for them. The gel cells will slowly leak when punctured.
But that's rare. I'm sure they're around, but gel's aren't popular in my area.

===

Both gel cells and AGMs are somewhat more finicky about how they are
charged. That said, I've switched over to AGM starting batteries on
the big boat. So far, so good. Almost two years and several major
cruises and they still seem to be going strong. I've made no changes
to the voltage regulators. Previously each engine had a single 8D
starting batt. I replaced them with two Group 31M AGMs in parallel
(Sears Platinum DieHards). The combined AGMs have more cold cranking
power than the single 8D, are much easier to change out, and so far
seem to be more durable. THe only downside that I can see is that
the AGMs will be more difficult to source in the boondocks if that
ever becomes necessary.



When we were in Florida, I had a small boat and electric trolling motor
for use on the little man-made pond behind our house (shared with the
resident alligator). After doing some reading I opted for an AGM
battery for the motor. The AGM recharges faster and is rated to
discharge lower than a wet, lead acid. It was a little more expensive
but wasn't ridiculously priced.