Concensus on a battery manufacturer
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Nigel Noble
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Feb 8th, '05, 18:31
- Location: 1976 CD25 #419 s/v Jane, East Hampton, NY
Concensus on a battery manufacturer
Is there a particular marine battery manufacturer that the wide range of opinions on this wonderfully entertaining and valuably informative board might agree on?
Nigel Noble
1976 CD 25 #419 s/v JANE
1976 CD 25 #419 s/v JANE
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Ron Turner
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 13:31
- Location: "LUVIT"CD30K #15
Oriental, NC
Who makes batteries
I would guess that there are a lot less folks making batteries than there are selling them. It would be hard to know for example if a West Marine and a Napa battery are different except for the label, the price and the service.
Ron Turner
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Oswego John
- Posts: 3535
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 20:42
- Location: '66 Typhoon "Grace", Hull # 42, Schooner "Ontario", CD 85D Hull #1
Batteries and Other Things
Hi Ron,
You sure got that right.Some of these battery outlets don't make their own battery any more than Sears or WalMart do. Most of these retailers draw up their own particular specs and send them out for bid. Then their own private label and logo will be pasted on the product. Any good moonshiner will do the same if you want.
I heard something this week that left a bad taste in my mouth. I was working at the boat show and bumped into an old friend that I hadn't seen in many years. After the handshakes and hellos were over, I asked him if he had a booth at the show. He frowned and told me that he wasn't in the business any more.
This person was a sailmaker, and a very savvy one at that. After twenty something years at the trade, he's doing something else for a living. It was hard for me to believe and I asked him how come?
He told me that sails were getting like bicycles. He told me that the biggest bicycle factory in the world is in China. Any retailer can give them their specs, high quality or otherwise, and they will produce any thing you order. My friend said the trend in sails is going in that direction, also.
Not all, but many sail outfits find that it is more profitable to outsource the manufacture of their product than produce it here at home. They are ordering cookie cutter size sails for most one design classes.
At first, the overseas sailmakers were having trouble with the cotton fabric and thread being used. Now, we are shipping our fabric to them, they produce the sails and ship them back to the USA and other countries.
He said that it seems that people use bottom line price as the major decision when buying sails . That's why WalMart and Home Depot conglomerates are doing well today and so many local hardware stores, lumber yards and mom and pop stores have gone down the tubes. With a wry smile, he said that maybe soon we'll be buying sails with a Martha Srewart label on them.
There's more to the story, personal wise. This sailmaster is being squeezed out of his profession. He's now driving a delivery truck It seems that this is the direction that corporate America is directing us. There is more profit when you outsource. Just ask AOL. Let the little guy go scratch.
O J
You sure got that right.Some of these battery outlets don't make their own battery any more than Sears or WalMart do. Most of these retailers draw up their own particular specs and send them out for bid. Then their own private label and logo will be pasted on the product. Any good moonshiner will do the same if you want.
I heard something this week that left a bad taste in my mouth. I was working at the boat show and bumped into an old friend that I hadn't seen in many years. After the handshakes and hellos were over, I asked him if he had a booth at the show. He frowned and told me that he wasn't in the business any more.
This person was a sailmaker, and a very savvy one at that. After twenty something years at the trade, he's doing something else for a living. It was hard for me to believe and I asked him how come?
He told me that sails were getting like bicycles. He told me that the biggest bicycle factory in the world is in China. Any retailer can give them their specs, high quality or otherwise, and they will produce any thing you order. My friend said the trend in sails is going in that direction, also.
Not all, but many sail outfits find that it is more profitable to outsource the manufacture of their product than produce it here at home. They are ordering cookie cutter size sails for most one design classes.
At first, the overseas sailmakers were having trouble with the cotton fabric and thread being used. Now, we are shipping our fabric to them, they produce the sails and ship them back to the USA and other countries.
He said that it seems that people use bottom line price as the major decision when buying sails . That's why WalMart and Home Depot conglomerates are doing well today and so many local hardware stores, lumber yards and mom and pop stores have gone down the tubes. With a wry smile, he said that maybe soon we'll be buying sails with a Martha Srewart label on them.
There's more to the story, personal wise. This sailmaster is being squeezed out of his profession. He's now driving a delivery truck It seems that this is the direction that corporate America is directing us. There is more profit when you outsource. Just ask AOL. Let the little guy go scratch.
O J
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Oswego John
- Posts: 3535
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 20:42
- Location: '66 Typhoon "Grace", Hull # 42, Schooner "Ontario", CD 85D Hull #1
Batteries and Other Things
Hi Ron,
You sure got that right.Some of these battery outlets don't make their own battery any more than Sears or WalMart do. Most of these retailers draw up their own particular specs and send them out for bid. Then their own private label and logo will be pasted on the product. Any good moonshiner will do the same if you want.
I heard something this week that left a bad taste in my mouth. I was working at the boat show and bumped into an old friend that I hadn't seen in many years. After the handshakes and hellos were over, I asked him if he had a booth at the show. He frowned and told me that he wasn't in the business any more.
This person was a sailmaker, and a very savvy one at that. After twenty something years at the trade, he's doing something else for a living. It was hard for me to believe and I asked him how come?
He told me that sails were getting like bicycles. He told me that the biggest bicycle factory in the world is in China. Any retailer can give them their specs, high quality or otherwise, and they will produce any thing you order. My friend said the trend in sails is going in that direction, also.
Not all, but many sail outfits find that it is more profitable to outsource the manufacture of their product than produce it here at home. They are ordering cookie cutter size sails for most one design classes.
At first, the overseas sailmakers were having trouble with the cotton fabric and thread being used. Now, we are shipping our fabric to them, they produce the sails and ship them back to the USA and other countries.
He said that it seems that people use bottom line price as the major decision when buying sails . That's why WalMart and Home Depot conglomerates are doing well today and so many local hardware stores, lumber yards and mom and pop stores have gone down the tubes. With a wry smile, he said that maybe soon we'll be buying sails with a Martha Srewart label on them.
There's more to the story, personal wise. This sailmaster is being squeezed out of his profession. He's now driving a delivery truck It seems that this is the direction that corporate America is directing us. There is more profit when you outsource. Just ask AOL. Let the little guy go scratch.
O J
You sure got that right.Some of these battery outlets don't make their own battery any more than Sears or WalMart do. Most of these retailers draw up their own particular specs and send them out for bid. Then their own private label and logo will be pasted on the product. Any good moonshiner will do the same if you want.
I heard something this week that left a bad taste in my mouth. I was working at the boat show and bumped into an old friend that I hadn't seen in many years. After the handshakes and hellos were over, I asked him if he had a booth at the show. He frowned and told me that he wasn't in the business any more.
This person was a sailmaker, and a very savvy one at that. After twenty something years at the trade, he's doing something else for a living. It was hard for me to believe and I asked him how come?
He told me that sails were getting like bicycles. He told me that the biggest bicycle factory in the world is in China. Any retailer can give them their specs, high quality or otherwise, and they will produce any thing you order. My friend said the trend in sails is going in that direction, also.
Not all, but many sail outfits find that it is more profitable to outsource the manufacture of their product than produce it here at home. They are ordering cookie cutter size sails for most one design classes.
At first, the overseas sailmakers were having trouble with the cotton fabric and thread being used. Now, we are shipping our fabric to them, they produce the sails and ship them back to the USA and other countries.
He said that it seems that people use bottom line price as the major decision when buying sails . That's why WalMart and Home Depot conglomerates are doing well today and so many local hardware stores, lumber yards and mom and pop stores have gone down the tubes. With a wry smile, he said that maybe soon we'll be buying sails with a Martha Srewart label on them.
There's more to the story, personal wise. This sailmaster is being squeezed out of his profession. He's now driving a delivery truck It seems that this is the direction that corporate America is directing us. There is more profit when you outsource. Just ask AOL. Let the little guy go scratch.
O J
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Maine Sail
- Posts: 839
- Joined: Feb 8th, '06, 18:30
- Location: Canadian Sailcraft 36T
Trojan Actually Makes Their Own Batteries
I have been using Trojan batteries for years and they really last. I run four 6 volt Trojan T105's and have never had a bad battery. Most of the other batteries you find out there are made by either Exide or Johnson Controls. There are other makers like ACDelco, Crown, Yuasa etc. but the best batteries come from small independent manufacturers like Rolls & Trojan.
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barfwinkle
- Posts: 2169
- Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 10:34
- Location: S/V Rhapsody CD25D
Batteries
Well I just replaced my Gp 27 and Gp 24 yesterday.
The GP27 was six years old January 2006. The GP 24 was 5 1/2. They were both Walmart batteries and that is where I got the replacements. Considering how I neglected them, I think I got pretty darn good wear out of them.
Fair winds (watching the snow & ice melt)
The GP27 was six years old January 2006. The GP 24 was 5 1/2. They were both Walmart batteries and that is where I got the replacements. Considering how I neglected them, I think I got pretty darn good wear out of them.
Fair winds (watching the snow & ice melt)
Bill Member #250.
Batteries
To weigh in here, I have had four seasons with Trojan T-105's and for the money (about $60) I think they are great. They have thick plates, are bombproof and just need to be checked and topped off. I have only done this once so far.
Paul
Paul
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Emil Maurer
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Feb 9th, '05, 01:30
- Location: CD 25D
Batteries
Practical Sailor in an article on batteries liked Deka/East Penn.
I replaced my two CD25D batteries last year with Deka.
you can find them at http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/
I replaced my two CD25D batteries last year with Deka.
you can find them at http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/
Emil Maurer
biggest and heaviest
Brands notwithstanding, get the biggest heaviest battery that will fit and you can carry to the boat. There's no substitute for plate area and it's made of lead in MOST batteries and the more the merrier.
Good luck..
And stay away from Diehards. My experience is they die easily.
Good luck..
And stay away from Diehards. My experience is they die easily.
Randy 25D Seraph #161
Stowaway
I have had good luck with these....can get at Wally World or Sams.
I think the amp hours have gone up on them for the same size....
Draw back is they are hard to down in the battery hole on my boat
not to mention very heavy......but they do fit and can be tied down
I think the amp hours have gone up on them for the same size....
Draw back is they are hard to down in the battery hole on my boat
not to mention very heavy......but they do fit and can be tied down
Jim Lewis