Deep Cell or cranking battery?

[MuskyRookie]

Can anyone tell me the differnces between these. Can they both be used for trolling? What about dual purpose batteries?

[Eric Wettschreck]

Best easy explination I can give ya is that deep cycle batteries like to be drained, then re-charged, drained, charged, etc.

Cranking batteries, like the battery in your car don't appreciate being drained. They like to be kept charged. Sure, you can use them for trolling but a deep cycle battery should last longer for that particular purpose.

I'm not a fan of multi-purpose batteries.

[New Yankee]

Boiler's right - another analogy would be a sprinter vs a mile runner. Starting batteries are designed for a burst of cranking amps (and rated as such) while deep cycle are designed for lower peak amp capacity but longer draw power.

[huntingislife]

We have a dual purpose that works great for the situation in our boat. Our 35hp Johnson doesn't have an alternater so our battery doesnt get recharged. We run the running lights, interior lights and the bilge off of it as well as starting the motor and have a seperate battery for the trolling motor.

[lipp_ripper]

Maybe if you work at work, you could afford two batteries in your boat.

[fox8moose]

The starting battery produces a short burst of high amp power to crank the engine. It has a lot of thin lead plate area and a low density active material. Deep cycle batteries provide a high electrical charge over a long period of time and are used for trolling motors, lights and other electronic accessories. They have thick lead plates and active material that is made from paste that is more dense.

Starting batteries thin plates wont stand up to the repeated deep discharge and will fail early. The deep cycle battery wont produce the high amp output the engine needs to start that may be needed several times in an outing. In a pinch you could interchange the batteries and be successful. However, the long run tells us to use the batteries the way they are designed for utmost success.