Trolling motor batteries -- ?????

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

OK, so I got my 40lb thrust Minn Kota trolling motor and in the manual it says nothing more than a 100AH battery is suggested. But I looked into that, and they suggest that for ALL of their 12v trolling motors. I've been looking around and some batteries list AH, some don't. Some are $300 and some are like $80. Some only list "reserve capacity". When you search these things online you get answers all over the place. So what I'm looking for -- a battery that I can take out and run for 2-3 hours. I know I need a deep cycle 12v battery but what all the numbers mean in relation to the longevity of hte run time is beyond me. Anyone have any experience and generalizations of what to look for? Any recommendations on where you buy your battery?

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

For the record, this is the one I'm looking at :

SLI27MDC - Duracell Ultra BCI Group 27M Deep Cycle Marine & RV Battery at Batteries Plus Bulbs

It's $98 after $10 instant savings for buying online and then another $10 mail in rebate. Has 90 A/H

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

You know ... I've never looked at AH. I've always simply bought deep cycle marine batteries that are around 100 - 125 bucks. Never had a problem with any of them. I'll have to research this and see if my money can be better spent.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

You know ... I've never looked at AH. I've always simply bought deep cycle marine batteries that are around 100 - 125 bucks. Never had a problem with any of them. I'll have to research this and see if my money can be better spent.

This is the best thing I've found so far:

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

So a battery will run longer if you keep it on a higher speed? Hmmm, did not know that. Mine has 5 speeds and I almost always run it in either 3 or 5 (fastest).

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

So a battery will run longer if you keep it on a higher speed? Hmmm, did not know that. Mine has 5 speeds and I almost always run it in either 3 or 5 (fastest).


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This is where I got it:
Battery Run Time: How Long Does A Trolling Motor Battery Last

"If your battery is rated at 200 amperage hours and the draw of the motor is 25 amps, you may have 8 hours of consistent use.You simply divide the total amperage hours by the draw of the motor. It's a good idea to use the maximum draw (used for higher speeds)."