Need the solar/power pros to weigh in

[TantoTrailers]

lets see, Duracel.. a company thats been arround since 1920.. or vMax that looks like a big MultiLevel Marketing scheme.. do they throw in some free essential oils with purchase? Proabibly need some crystals too so you can align the shakra of the batteries.

Sage helps everything! That being said, I take your point to heart. Any concerns about the Dual Purpose label + starter battery details for the Duracell like luthj mentioned? I'm trying to go the recommended* route but I keep running into hoops and walls with local supplies and such.

*recommended route while being stubborn about SLA =P

 

[dreadlocks]

it lists AH specs which you never get off a starter battery, and they both weigh about the same.. the vmax has a few lbs on the Duracel indicating its got a bit more lead in it for the same AH.. but not enough to make me buy the vmax.. if the duracel was like 15lbs lighter than the vmax mebe I'd be looking for something other than the duracel.

The fact that you got a warranty on it, and its local.. and the'll dispose of your old dead renology for you.. I'd be buying the duracel.

 

[DaveInDenver]

That Duracell looks to me exactly like a West Marine branded AGM I used to run my ham radio station at home for years. It was made by East Penn, no complaints. The VMAX is pretty surely a gel, max current of 35 A for a 125 A-hr capacity. It might be the better choice on paper if you never want to use it for starting or expect a fast charge. The East Penn AGM is certainly dual purpose, it's actually expected to run trolling motors and start engines. So it's not really ideal for deep discharge but mine went 8 years sitting floating 24/7/365 and running radios at a few amps interrupted periodically by ~20 amps at transmit before it started losing capacity. For my use being dual purpose wasn't all bad, either. I used it to jump start engines a couple of times.

 

[TantoTrailers]

I suppose having dual purpose isnt horrible, could be helpful in a pinch if I need a jump somewhere.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I suppose having dual purpose isnt horrible, could be helpful in a pinch if I need a jump somewhere.

It just means it's not very good at either, mostly being a less good deep cycle. But on the flip side using it in a pinch won't ruin it either. AGM by its nature is very unlikely going to be a true deep cycle and gel by their nature aren't going to be suitable for starting. There's a lot of compromise inherent in any selection. Whether its worth passing over a better battery for deep cycling on a routine basis for a maybe once or twice jump start, I dunno. Since my ham radio battery sits inside under my desk using a flooded type isn't ideal and I don't want to bother with the special care and handling of a gel so I stick with AGM.

 

[TantoTrailers]

Found what seems like the same battery at Sams Club but has a shorter warranty by a year. Models appear the same and its local.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/duracell...nd-rv-battery-group-size-31dtmagm/prod3590232

 

[dreadlocks]

Duracel Ultra Platnium vs Duracel Platnium, I'd take the cheaper one honestly.

 

[luthj]

The fact that they have multiple grades does not provide much promise for extended life. That being said, with proper charging you should be able to get a few hundred cycles to 50% without issue. For most owners that's enough for 2+ years of service.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I think Ultra is the regular East Penn line and the Platinum is probably built specifically for Walmart/Sam's. It's not unusual that the big resellers like Walmart can lean on suppliers to make something for them, usually to meet a price point but sometimes it has unique feature. I'd probably roll the dice in this case, Sam's are everywhere and if a battery goes 18 months it's probably fine and will likely last 24 or 30. East Penn probably isn't going to want to have two significantly different products and processes.

 

[TantoTrailers]

Alright last question (on the battery) is the Sams Duracell better suited for my use than the Renogy 100Ah AGM if i were to buy a new one? And if so, why? Im curious and want to learn. Besides the added 5Ah, local availability, shipping/warranty. Just product and performance speaking.

 

[dreadlocks]

All the above are just cheap grade AGM, none are built for the long haul.. cheapest one wins because over time it'll cost the least to operate.. for your usage, your unlikely to see any performance differences between Sams Duracel, BP Ultra Duracel or Renology AGM, tho that vMax was not a normal AGM and woulda likely been even worse I think given the cloud of marketing BS it was enveloped in.

 

[DaveInDenver]

AGM vs gel vs lithium vs flooded is a separate question but in a generic situation I'd take customer service and recognized brand. The Duracell is actually AGM and Sam's is known so the risk and expected performance are better known variables.

 

[craig333]

I"ll chime in on the Vmax. Mine are three years old now and performing flawlessly. Just ran the snot out of my heater and still never got below 12.8v or 94% S.O.C. overnight. I certainly had my concerns when I purchased them that it was a lot of marketing bs, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them now. Solar charging only and only used in the camper.

 

[luthj]

Some reading (might make your eyes bleed, its pretty in depth) here.

What is a Deep Cycle Battery?

Light Cycle vs. Deeper Cycle NOTE: This article deals with FLOODED marine batteries, not AGM or GEL batteries. The Problem: The problem, as I see it, is one of dishonest marketing where multiple battery types wear the same clothes (sticker) and will perform differently when

marinehowto.com

Some info on that page indicates the sams club duracells may be deka/east penn relabeled.

Not apples to apples, but here his the group 27 duracell pseudo deep cycle.

 

[luthj]

A GC12 may fit in your battery location, and would be a better value with a flooded golf cart specified type. You could get a bit of extra capacity if it fits.

Duracell Golf Car Battery, Group Size GC12 - Sam's Club

Buy Duracell Golf Car Battery, Group Size GC12 : Golf Cart Batteries at SamsClub.com

www.samsclub.com