There is a lot of reason to be concerned about off brands. Pretty much all cycling batteries of the same size will be about the same AH rating. There is no magic in lead batteries, the AH per pound is pretty consistent. What matters *hugely* is the number of cycles that they can endure before being trashed. The various cheap Chinese imports are highly variable to say the least, their reviews are all over the place. Lifeline is usually considered the best AGM maker.
FYI โ Deka makes all the West Marine AGMs, you might call around your local battery shop and see what they charge. They are worse than Lifelines, but if they crap out after a week at least you can return them to the store ๐ Joe Della Barba Coquina C&C 35 MK I Kent Island MD USA From: David Knecht via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2022 11:25 AM To: CnC CnC discussion list <CnC-List@cnc-list.com> Cc: David Knecht <davidakne...@gmail.com> Subject: Stus-List Batteries again I have been following the battery discussion and have a question. I need to replace my two 9 year old AGM batteries this season. I have separate start and house batteries which can be combined if needed. I donโt have large power needs (electronics, autopilot and fridge when cruising). I have been reading and researching this and I am unsure of what to purchase. From what I have read, AH is the important number to focus on. Last time, I got Lifeline AGM group 27 from Defender. Defender has 3 different group 27 batteries Powertech rated at 92AH which cost about $330 Lifeline rated at 100AH for 432 Northstar rated at 92AH for 457 >From Amazon, I can get a VMAX group 27 with 100AH for $289 or a Universal with >110 AH for $239. Is there any reason to be concerned about less known (to me) >brands from Amazon or does it make sense to just focus on the numbers? >Thanks- Dave S/V Aries 1990 C&C 34+ New London, CT