Optima Blue Top not doing all that well

[flyingvranch]

I bought a new Optima Blue Top marine battery to use just for my trolling motor. (Minkota 45lb) I have a good AGM charger and I get the battery full and I only get maybe 1 hr combined runtime with the trolling motor. I was jug fishing this weekend and so it sees intermittent use going between the jugs re-baiting etc. Nothing excessive or abusing, just crappy battery capacity. Any ideas?
Thanks!

 

[fish devil]

:twisted: Optima batteries are now made in Mexico. There quality has really gone downhill. Need I say more? :lol:

 

[JMichael]

I'd try to borrow a different charger and use it one time just to be sure the problem is with the battery and not your charger.

 

[TNtroller]

Could have gotten a bad one, get it tested, test for a bad cell.

 

[Tanzini]

I used to get these through work for insane prices (read: 35-45 dollars) and so I've accumulated somewhere around seven of these things. I've had them for about four years and they handle fine for me. They seem to charge faster and the AGM batteries are supposed to handle vibration better. Generally, the 55 amp-hour batteries would about six hours on windy days and fighting current. The 75 amp-hour would last all day. For the money, their specs aren't that great. Most I've seen are "dual purpose" and tend to have the exact same specs as a standard battery in similar size. What trolling motor are you running? I think most 12v systems typically draw around 45-55 amps at full power, so at that rate a small capacity battery would only last about hour or so.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

I've ran Blue tops for 4 or 5 years and they have held up well to the abuse I give them. I will run them absolute dead 2 or 3 times a week.