Golf cart batteries from Costco.

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,609 admin
    #32
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    Actually, I am doing it for you guys--I don't think descending into flame wars will be good for any of us. :cry:

    -Bill "do'n the best I can" B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • bryanl
    bryanl Solar Expert Posts: 175 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #33
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    re: "So it would seem that plate thickness might be a factor. "

    The issue at hand is the idea that deep cycle plates have thicker plates as a primary reason to explain their enhanced ruggedness (ability to handle more deep discharge cycles) than SLI type batteries. For effective battery decisions, people need to know better,. More important are such facts that

    (a) batteries are not made with monolithic solid plates such as suggested by the myth;

    (b) batteries are a mature technology and variances between them are relatively minor in nominal use regimes;

    (c) the the basic trade-offs include cost, capacity and ruggedness;

    (d) that there are many different kinds of things manufactures do to focus a particular model on a particular need;

    (e) that it is the use and maintenance of the battery that is most telling in its performance.

    Don't get sold a bill of goods by swallowing marketing hype.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,609 admin
    #34
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    Let's cut back on the debating please... Obviously there is a lot of passion about what is a deep cycle battery. But I do not think that this form of discussion is going to get us anywhere.

    There are lots of engineering properties where scale (as in slightly thicker) is actually a big deal... A linear dimension change can actually make a square or cubed difference in properties (surface area, mass, etc.).

    I am not with a battery company--so I am not going to offer any more of my opinions as a response. I do not want to make moderating "Personal".

    -Bill "Moderator" B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • John Bark
    John Bark Registered Users Posts: 1
    #35
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    I have a simple question, so please excuse my ignorance. One of my Excide batteries in my cart has a broken terminal, which I discovered when furloing it for the summer. If the remaining batteries are a few years old, and working fine, do I need to replace all batteries, or can I replace only the one with an identical brand and model?
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #36
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.
    John Bark wrote: »
    I have a simple question, so please excuse my ignorance. One of my Excide batteries in my cart has a broken terminal, which I discovered when furloing it for the summer. If the remaining batteries are a few years old, and working fine, do I need to replace all batteries, or can I replace only the one with an identical brand and model?
    It's all about economics, if it's 6 batteries ( $560 vs $90 ) then I'd probably roll the dice. If you figure the old ones are at Half Life , maybe not so good. The new battery will soon be pulled down to the level of the others. It won't charge or discharge the same as the older ones, but it will still work.

    You can check around the cart shops and Golf Courses and see if they have a older one they are going to turn as a core and make a swap or buy it from them. Problem Solved.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #37
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    I like Blackcherry04's idea, most places will either be fine with it or be completely negative, don't let the first negative response throw you! Might look around and see if there is a golf cart store around. might find people there more understanding.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #38
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.
    John Bark wrote: »
    .... One of my Excide batteries in my cart has a broken terminal, which I discovered when furloing it for the summer. I....

    Get your phone book out, and start calling battery shops. They can often cast a new terminal onto the battery. My friend had an EV, and often melted terminals off batteries going up hills. The local shop was always able to cast a new terminal on the batteries.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

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  • ZoNiE
    ZoNiE Solar Expert Posts: 100 ✭✭
    #39
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    My costco GC2's are Interstate 216AH. although they only have a one-year warranty, they replaced one due to a terminal problem at 13 months, and three/four years later, they still work fairly well, but they are getting ready for replacement. I have one cell in the older 2010 unit that consumes more water than the others.

    worth every penny.
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  • machineman
    machineman Solar Expert Posts: 129 ✭✭✭
    #40
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    Just to update my experience with Costco batterys. I have a post on page one of this thread. After 5 years my batterys are dead although my upkeep was sub par. I let the water run below the top of the plates a bunch of times for unkown periods. They were the white case with red tops, probably mfg'd by US battery. I'm now limping along on the best 4 of the original 8. Went back to Costco recently and they now have a different brand of 6V GC's, there all black and the guy said there made by interstate. Of course Costco has no real specs but with internet searching they are likely 208ah or 220ah variety. Anyone have these black case, black top Costco batteries?

    Off Grid Cabin, 24V 440ah 6V GC battery bank, Xantrex MPPT60-150 CC, Magnum MS4024 inverter-charger, >1200w Solar bank

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  • westyd1982
    westyd1982 Solar Expert Posts: 85 ✭✭
    #41
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    I have six Costco golf cart GC2 batteries - three strings of two. They are over 5 years old and are the Johnson Controls ones rated at 220 AH. A year ago, one battery in one of the strings died, so I disconnected that string. The other four continue to work well. I'm planning on replacing them all next year.
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #42
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.
    Lefty Wright wrote: »
    The Costco store near me has golfcart batteries for $75. This is $25 cheaper than at any other place I can drive to.

    But the batts have no amphour rating listed. Just a cold cranking rating of 100 minutes.

    The guy selling them didn't know what an amp hour is.

    I'm wondering if these are even deep cycle batteries. Could these be some kind of automotive starting battery in a golf cart battery case?

    I'm looking for about 400 AH @ 12V. Four of these would do if they are really deep cycle batts.

    Anyone seen these?
    Going back for a moment to the beginning of this long discussion:

    There is no such thing as a cold cranking rating of 100 minutes. Cold cranking ratings are always given in amps.
    What is rated in minutes is the "reserve capacity". RC is related to AH, but not at all directly.
    Reserve Capacity (in minutes) is the number of minutes for which the battery can supply 25A (a typical night time car load between ignition, lights and accessories with the alternator not working) before the voltage drops to 10.5 V.
    That means that 100 minutes RC is exactly equal to 100x25/60 (=42) Amp hours at what is in this case the 1.7 hour rate. Ugly.
    You can guess that at the 20 hour rate the capacity would be more like 80+ AH, but the exact conversion would depend on the value of the Peukert exponent for this exact battery construction.
    So, generously four of those might give you 400AH at 12V.

    However, most decent golf cart batteries are 4, 6 or 8 volts (with the majority being 6V), not 12 volts, so I have a problem even with calling them golf cart batteries.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • machineman
    machineman Solar Expert Posts: 129 ✭✭✭
    #43
    Re: Golf cart batteries from Costco.

    The Costco Iterstate GC battery's only labelled spec is RC=107. Based on these 6 Volt varietys from Interstate website that lines up with a 208ah (20hr).

    http://www.interstatebatteries.com/content/product_info/golf_f.asp

    Off Grid Cabin, 24V 440ah 6V GC battery bank, Xantrex MPPT60-150 CC, Magnum MS4024 inverter-charger, >1200w Solar bank

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