10-28-2008, 09:51 PM
I hate to burst your bubble, but don't rely on these results. An electric trolling motor run out of water has essentially no load and it doesn't pull any current. My guess is it would run at least 10-20 times as long in the air as it would in water. My Minn Kota manual specifically states not to run the motor out of water because it relies on water for cooling.
Also, running a battery below 1/3 charge is a good way to sulfate the lead plates and ruin even the best battery in a hurry. 12.1V is considered by most as the absolute lowest you ever want a battery to get. Its best to recharge them before they hit 12.2V (about 40%)
While I wouldn't recommend them for an application like an inflatable boat where they're bound to get tipped over, I've had really good luck with the $70 deep cycles from Walmart. I'm just finishing my 4th year with them and can still get 6 hours of trolling at 50% speed on my 65lb thrust 24V motor before they drop to 12.2 volts. I could get 7 hours when they were new. These are far better than the Costco Kirkland batteries that I had to replace after 2 seasons.
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Also, running a battery below 1/3 charge is a good way to sulfate the lead plates and ruin even the best battery in a hurry. 12.1V is considered by most as the absolute lowest you ever want a battery to get. Its best to recharge them before they hit 12.2V (about 40%)
While I wouldn't recommend them for an application like an inflatable boat where they're bound to get tipped over, I've had really good luck with the $70 deep cycles from Walmart. I'm just finishing my 4th year with them and can still get 6 hours of trolling at 50% speed on my 65lb thrust 24V motor before they drop to 12.2 volts. I could get 7 hours when they were new. These are far better than the Costco Kirkland batteries that I had to replace after 2 seasons.
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