Marine Batteries from Pep Boys???

LetsRock

LetsRock

New Member
Dec 16, 2009
405
Long Island
Boat Info
1990 Sea Ray 220DA
Engines
Mercruiser 5.7 liter, 265HP, Garmin 541s
I am in need of two new batteries for next season and I have a $160 gift card to Pep Boys that I would like to uses towards the purchase. Anyone have an opinion or experience either good or bad using Pep Boys marine batteries? The website says they carry ProStart starting batteries and Optima deep cycle batteries.
 
If your batteries are hard to get to to check water levels, and you spend time on the hook, get the Optima's. They take discharging and recharging much better and need no maintenance. MM
 
Why would it be a bad idea? There are not that many companies that manufacture batteries - Pep Boys "brand" is probably the same guts as 10 other "brands." The single battery in my port bank is a Pep Boys Marine Starting Group 24. Been starting my gen and port engine for two full seasons and going strong. Use the gift card.
 
What Ron said. Pep Boys doesn't manufacture anything. They just have someone else make it with their name on it. If you're going with Optimas, Costco is the place to buy them.
 
Don't forget to check your charger to make sure it will charge AGM's mine wasn't switchable and will only charge acid batteries.
 
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I bought Blue Top Optimas from our Costco for years. I'm surprised they don't carry them across the country. You might check with their service counter to see if you can order them.
 
sfergson727 said:
Uh, hate to tell you this, but AGM batteries are charged the same as Lead Acid, in fact, in most cases if not all, they are lead acid batteries. You are probably confusing them with Gel batteries, which have very specific charging requirements.
Click to expand...

My ProMariner 1220i has a different charge profile for lead acid, gel, and AGM. A correction from my post in a recent thread, my charger will charge different types of batteries at the same time. We were able to connect the two Optima house starting batteries to the correct separate charging circuits and the lead acid generator battery its proper circuit all on the 1220i. MM
 
sfergson727 said:
Uh, hate to tell you this, but AGM batteries are charged the same as Lead Acid, in fact, in most cases if not all, they are lead acid batteries. You are probably confusing them with Gel batteries, which have very specific charging requirements.
Click to expand...

I wasn't confusing AGM, GEL, Wet Cell I was going off the chart in the manual that came with my new charger that hasn't been installed yet. If I'm wrong I stand corrected here are the numbers from Xantrex Truecharge maybe I'm reading them wrong.

Absorption voltage​

Hot Warm Cold​
Flooded 14.0 14.4 14.8 VDC
AGM 14.0 14.3 14.6 VDC
Gel 13.8 14.2 14.6 VDC
Float voltage at no load
Hot Warm Cold
Flooded 13.1 13.5 13.9 VDC
AGM 13.1 13.4 13.7 VDC
Gel 13.4 13.8 14.2 VDC​
 
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So a quick update. I went to Pep Boys and the only Marine brand they had in the store was Prostart. After coupons and gift card I paid $3.49 out of pocket. The Prostart are acid batteries so when I got home I checked my charger and it said for Flooded and Gel batteries. Without making fun of me too much, can I assume this will be a problem and I should either find myself flooded or gel batteries or invest in a new charger?
 
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