Best Battery For Trolling Motor

Best Battery For Trolling Motor

By Renogy marketing team
Renogy marketing team
renogys blog Dec 21st 2022

Best Battery For Trolling Motor

The quest to find the best battery for a trolling motor is a confusing one for most people.

We try to shine a light that will help you make the right decision quicker. We recommend you go through the whole article to avoid making the wrong purchases.

We will look at:

Types of marine batteries for trolling motor

The four major types of deep cycle marine batteries include:

1.Lead-Acid Flooded Batteries

2.Gel Batteries

3.AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) Batteries

4.Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

Flooded Lead-Acid Trolling Motor Batteries

These are the most common types of batteries used by many because they either came with the boat or they are the most affordable type of battery. They usually cost less than $100.

Flooded Lead-Acid batteries, also called Wet-Cell batteries, typically last from 1-3 years, depending on how they are used and cared for.

You will find that while Wet-Cell Lead-Acid batteries are the cheapest on this list, they are also the most demanding when it comes to the need for maintenance and safety:

●You need to regularly top-up Lead-Acid batteries with distilled water so that the battery’s cells are always fully submerged. Failure to maintain a proper maintenance routine will damage your battery and drastically reduce its lifespan.

●You always need to make sure the battery’s caps are tightly secured so that none of the battery's acid will overflow or spill into your boat. If the battery's acid somehow finds its way out of the battery, you might suffer damages due to corrosion of the boat and other property.

AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) Trolling Motor Batteries

AGM batteries, AKA absorbed glass mat batteries, go by many names. You can sometimes find them referred to as Sealed Lead- Acid (SLA) batteries or Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries.

What is an AGM battery? AGM batteries are an improvement on Flooded Lead-Acid batteries. But when compared to Flooded Lead-Acid batteries, AGM batteries have many areas where they are superior and preferable to Flooded or Wet-Cell Lead-Acid batteries.

AGM batteries vs. Flooded Lead-Acid batteries:

●AGM batteries are sealed so you don’t spend any time on maintenance and distilled water top-ups.

●They also have a longer lifespan of up to 4 years. Twice as long as traditional lead-acid batteries.

●They are lighter than their flooded (wet-cell) cousins.

●They do not overflow or give out any gas.

●AGM electrolytes in glass-fiber woven mat instead of liquid, so they are more suitable for marine use.

While AGM batteries are usually more expensive than flooded batteries, in our opinion, the increased cost is a worthwhile investment because AGM batteries offer better performance, double lifespan, increased safety, and more.

Gel Trolling Motor Batteries

A Gel Battery, also known as a Gelled Electrolyte Battery, is a rechargeable battery that uses a gelled electrolyte instead of the usual liquid electrolyte found in Wet-Cell batteries.

Gel batteries are another branch of Sealed Lead-Acid (SLA) or Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries just like AGM batteries. So they share many of the same features and advantages. For example:

●Gel batteries are also sealed to prevent spillage leakage.

●They also use a gel electrolyte that’s suitable for use in unstable and turbulent environments.

●They are 100% maintenance free and don’t need any electrolyte top-ups.

●They don’t give out any gas.

●For more related information, please click Solar Gel Batteries: Everything You Need To Know.

Let’s look at the differences between AGM batteries and Gel batteries.

Gel Battery vs. AGM Battery

●Gel batteries can work in a wider range of temperatures ranging from 5°F to 140°F, more than AGM’s 5°F to 122°F.

●Gel Batteries have a longer lifespan of 750 life cycles compared to AGM’s 500 life cycles.

●Gel batteries are slightly more expensive than AGM batteries.

Gel batteries are less commonly used for marine purposes. But rest assured that our Hybrid Gel batteries are more than equal to the task. Take care not to use our hybrid Gel batteries in the same battery bank as pure Gel batteries.

Lithium Iron Phosphate Trolling Motor Batteries

The latest improvement in deep-cycle battery technology. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, also referred to as LiFePO4 batteries or lithium marine batteries, boast the longest battery lifespan of any marine or deep-cycle battery.

They are the best battery for a trolling motor any boatsman, yachtsman, or angler could want. The only drawback is that they are also the most expensive battery type.

That being said, lithium batteries have many features desirable to people who venture into the deep, including:

●They are the smallest and lightest battery type suitable for use on both big and smaller vessels.

●They are sealed, so they don’t need any maintenance.

●They have extremely long lifespans of up to 10 years. 5 times longer than flooded batteries and 3 times longer than AGM batteries.  

And these are only part of the advantages they offer. LiFePO4 batteries offer several performance advantages such as a longer staying power without voltage drop, 100% depth of discharge, and faster charging times.

On the other hand, the biggest disadvantage of Lithium batteries is that they are expensive. The good news is that the cost continues to drop as more and more manufacturers and people adopt the technology.

What is the Right Trolling Motor Battery

The right trolling motor battery should be:  

●Able to provide sufficient to run your trolling motor for the length of time you are going to use it. So its Ah rating should be more than the trolling motor’s maximum current draw.

●Able to stand the test, turbulence, and challenges of being out on the water.

●Be safe and easy to use in confined spaces. This means no spills, refills, or gas releases.

●Light enough for the target vessel.

Taking these factors into account, the right trolling motor battery should have at least a 100Ah rating, and a Group 27 rating to get the best results.

What is the longest lasting battery for a trolling motor?

The longest lasting battery for a trolling motor is Renogy’s REGO 12V 400Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery.

 

This battery comes with a one-of-a-kind 400Ah battery capacity that will keep your trolling motor running for days at a time. And because it’s a LiFePO4 battery you are guaranteed up to 10 years of daily usage.

We also provide 200Ah AGM, 200Ah hybrid Gel, and 200Ah lithium iron phosphate batteries that can sustain your trolling motor for at least two days, if managed properly.

What size battery do I need for a 55 lb thrust trolling motor?

A Newport Vessels (NV) 55 lb thrust trolling motor draws a current of 52A at full speed. On paper, this means that you can run that motor at full speed for almost 2 hours (1 hr 55 mins) if you use a 100Ah battery. On the other hand, a 50Ah battery can sustain the same motor at full speed for nearly an hour.

In reality, you likely won’t use your trolling motor continuously at such speeds. So if it’s managed properly, a 100Ah battery is more than enough to sustain a 55 lb thrust trolling motor for the whole day.  

Some tournament anglers even report that they used a 50Ah battery to power their trolling motor for the whole day.

At the end of the day, the choice is up to you. Just know that for your peace of mind we recommend you get a battery with an Ah rating that's larger than your motor's maximum current draw like Renogy's 100Ah deep-cycle batteries ( lithium, AGM, Gel).

How long will a 100Ah lithium battery last on trolling motor?

To find out how long any battery will last on your trolling motor, you need to know the current draw of the motor at the speeds you travel at.

For example, if your trolling motor draws a current of 54A at full speed. A 100Ah lithium battery will last for 1.85 hours or 1 hour 51 minutes on that trolling motor at full speed.

Here's the formula and calculation we used to find the answer: 

●Formula: Running Time = Battery Ah Capacity / Trolling Motor Current Draw

●Calculations: Running Time = 100Ah / 54A = 1.85 hours or 1 hr 51 mins

You can use the above formula to calculate how long any battery will run. All you have to do is substitute in your battery’s Ah rating and your trolling motor’s current draw. For example, if the same motor draws 10A at half speed, here’s how to find out long the 100Ah will last:

●Formula: Running Time = Battery Ah Capacity / Trolling Motor Current Draw

●Calculations: Running Time = 100Ah / 10A = 10 hours or 1 hr 55 mins

Best battery for trolling motor

Despite their higher cost, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are the best batteries any boatsman could ask for; not only do they have a longer battery lifespan (up to 10 years), but they also have the following advantages:

●They are super light.

●They are smaller.

●They don’t need electrolyte top-ups or maintenance.

●They have great staying power and continue to output high levels of power until the last drop of energy.

So it should come as no surprise we highly recommend investing in a lithium iron phosphate battery for your trolling motor.

For the best result, the best battery for your trolling motor would be the a href="https://www.renogy.com/12v-100ah-lithium-iron-phosphate-battery-w-bluetooth/" target="_blank"> 12V 100Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery w/ Bluetooth<. According to many anglers, the battery’s 100Ah rating will sustain your motor for at least a day under tournament conditions

You can also check out our line of high-quality Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. If LiFePO4 batteries are out of your budget at the moment, we also have reliable AGM and Gel batteries with a lifespan of up to 4 years.

If you want to know something about other products such as solar panels, pure sine wave inverters, etc, feel free to contact us or visit our online store.

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