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On 06 Oct 2004 23:40:53 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:
How do they compare cost wise?
Later,
Tom
Probably among the most cost effective batteries you can buy. My batteries came
with a ten-year warranty, and the first seven are not pro-rated. If a cell
takes a dive at six years, eleven months, they will replace it straight across.
I get a lot of stuff at wholesale, sometimes even well below, through my
business connections. I think I remember paying $600-700 for a pair of 8D's
with two very nice new battery boxes. And that was 2 or three years ago, I
think. You would probably need to shop pretty hard to get the same deal if
you're buying retail- but it may be out there. This is a couple of times the
price of a pair of
"ordinary" batteries, but I can expect 2 and
a half to three times the useful life. Remember that when you replace the
cheapie battery you buy today, you will be paying the inflated price for the
second, and maybe even the third battery needed to provide the same service as
a top quality product. You also get the fun of wrestling with those heavy
batteries, or paying somebody else to wrestle them, more often when you go with
the BIC Disposable approach.
There are times when the cheapie battery is appropriate. Need to replace a
battery in a boat you're trying to sell? Few buyers would be willing to pay the
additional difference represented between a new WalMart special and a new
Rolls, for example.
You make some good points and they are well taken.
I'm changing engines on the Contender this winter to new ones and have
been thinking of AGM technology for batteries. According to some I've
talked to, these tend to last longer than wet or gel cell batteries,
but I have a lot of electronics on the Contender and there are times,
while drift fishing for example, that everything is on - finders,
radar, radio, etc. I have been using a small Honda 1.5 Kw generator
for that, but would like to use batteries instead. I have some spare
space where I could mount three deep cycle batteries in parallel which
would be more than adequate and if it's a long drift, the Honda comes
into play.
It's something to think about - price be damned. ;)
Thanks for your advice.
Later,
Tom
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