Deep Cycle batteries?

So I am rethinking my winch setup on my tractor hauler. If I use a true deep cycle battery, for either a golf cart or forklift, will it hurt if it is charged whenever I am hooked to the trailer? I am thinking that I will only use the winch a couple times a year at most, but I thought I would only use the trailer a couple times a year, and it seems like we are always hooked up to it.

i have a dump trailer that uses a deep cycle battery. it will charge off the truck, but i disconnect the trailer plug when dumping in case the amp draw is too much for the trailer wiring. i do have a float charger on the trailer, and leave it plugged in to 110v when not using the trailer. deep cycle batteries like a slow charge rate, not a high boost rate. just my opinion.

I don't know what they cost, but a deep cycle used for trolling motors in size 27 is relatively cheap at wally world.

As far as what they can do, the regular original type deep cycle, not the combination, the last JD 4010D (about 70 hp) had just one as the cranking battery. The battery was pretty well worn when I bought the tractor, telling me it had been in use for quite awhile and I used it for another year or so before buying a normal cranking battery for that sized engine.

No it won't hurt a thing to let the truck charge the battery while it's hooked up.

Trucks with factory wiring for the charge plug use 12ga wire at best, which limits the charge rate. It'll keep a battery topped off but it won't do a whole lot to charge unless it's on for some hours.

If you mean, will it hurt if it is regularly charged but not regularly discharged then I can tell you with my experience with Optima yellow top deep cycle batteries, then the answer is no it wont hurt.
I have two starting batteries and two deep cycle Optima's in my daily drive. I use the deep cycles to run a fridge etc when camping so they only get used a few times a year but they are charged every time I drive. I do have an automatic isolator which has a switch so that I could stop them from charging every time I drive, but I never use it. The Optima's are 5 years old and still hold a full charge as well as day one. I can't vouch how other brands/types of deep cycle's will perform or how new Optima's would perform as the quality/factory may have changed in the meantime.
Optima's can leak hydrogen if overcharged which could theoretically explode in an enclosed space, so there are two ports provided so you can vent them to outside with small hoses.
I think deep cycles are [i:e1ef5a875c]meant[/i:e1ef5a875c] to be removed from a vehicle when not in use and put on a trickle charge but I have never done this.

Mornin Lazy, you ask "....will it hurt if it is charged whenever I am hooked to the trailer?"

NOPE I've used true deep cycle batteries for yearssssssssssss in my RV's and when I'm driving the engines alternator and battery is connected so it charges them and NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. NOTE a proper and protected charge circuit back is critical!!

A true deep cycle has thicker plates and is designed for long slower deep discharging (like in RV use or boat trolling motors or golf carts) before recharging. An auto starting battery is designed to deliver a short term high current burst to start the vehicle then get recharged.

THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT BATTERIES INTENDED FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES although, YES Billy Bob and Bubba they can still "work" in either situation just NOT what they were built for regardless if you used them the wrong way for 40 years and never had a problem.

Wally world RV/Marine batteries are at best semi deep cycle, they can start a huge boat engine then still run the trolling motor. They are fine for their designed purpose and work okay but they are NOT true full deep cycle batteries.

John T Long retired Electrical Engineer

One thing I would say is essential to ensuring AGM deep cycle batteries last, is to never go below 12v and to try to recharge when down to about 12.3v. I have a voltmeter installed so monitoring is easy
When these die, I might go for lithium because with the AGM you need about double the amp hours capacity than you think you need because you cant go below about 40% charge. This isnt the case with lithium apparently. So the biggest ah yellow top optima is currently 75ah meaning you need to buy two of them to get up to what most people seem to go for ie 150ah.

John T,
I always thought deep cycle batteries were designed for a slow discharge over a long period of time, like 10 or less when trolleying, golf carts may use around 20 amps.

I estimate my dump trailer uses 80-100 amps or more depending on how heavy the load, for less than a minute. I have my dump trailer wired to tractor and during dumping I have to slow the engine to an idle. The alternator will peg the ammeter, 30+ amps, when I'm dumping heavy loads. I also have the battery wired to truck. I have to turn the truck off when dumping because it will blow the 30 amp fuse if I don't. When I'm moving dirt around in the gravel pit making flower beds, I leave my tractor running all the time when I' loading it and ammeter on tractor shows a 20 amp charge while tractor is idling.

Bubba and myself just don't get it. Why do people think they need a deep cycle battery on dump trailers and wenches when the amp draw is closer to cranking amps and it not for hours, which deep cycles are designed for, it's only for seconds of use? So why not use a battery with a very large CCA?
Geo

Seems like the wrong application for deep cycle. They're designed for long, low amp use, while automotive batteries are better at short, high amperage applications, like using a winch on a trailer. Guess I'm wondering why deep cycle would be advantageous in that application.

By the deep cycle it will keep running long after the car type will have run out and you are only half way up on the trailer, been there done that

Dear Bubba, sure either will still work IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR USE AND LOAD AND DUTY CYCLE AND HOW LONG AND HARD YOU USE THE WINCH.


HERES THE DEAL I will explain the advantages and disadvantages and design of each battery, then depending on how you use say a winch (long or short term, how often and how hard prior to recharging), you can see which battery is best for your particular application, although YES Billy Bob, either sill still "work"


1) For a very short term high current burst (like for starting an engine) but NOT a heavy deep discharge prior to recharging, AN AUTO STARTING BATTERY IS BEST !!!!!!!!!!!!

2) For a long term lower amp but much deeper discharge like golf carts or trolling motors or RV's or long term winch operation before recharging, A TRUE DEEP CYCLE BATTERY WITH THICKER PLATES IS BEST !!!!!!!!!!!!


SOOOOOOOOOO if you use the winch only once (say load one tractor and you're done) for a short time period AN AUTO START BATTERY IS FINE............HOWEVER if you're out there doing a lot of loading for a long time before you get a chance to fully recharge the battery THEN A TRUE DEEP CYCLE IS BEST

Hope this helps, now depending on the application and time before recharging and how long and often and how hard you use a battery YOU CAN MAKE THE CORRECT CHOICE.

NO ONE BATTERY IS RIGHT OR WRONG, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU USE IT

Best wishes

John T Longggggggggg retired Electrical Engineer

I agree with you that a deep cycle is for low draw--I have a group 4D in my dozer and it can spin the diesel over for quite a long time--so much that I sometimes stop to let the starter cool off.

Deep cycle batteries can be used for starting applications. They have a CCA spec for high amp draw as well as an ampere-hour spec for capacity.

I had a true deep cycle battery in my boat. I used it for my trolling motor and lights. No electric start or charging system on that motor. I would run that battery until it would have just enough charge left to light up the running lights. Trolling motor would not pull good any more. When I got home it went on a 6 amp charger immediately and left on until voltage was up to 14.5 minimum. It might take 24 hours or more. That battery lasted me ten years and I used it a lot.

It is hard to find and very expensive to find a true deep cycle now days. Most are combination RV batteries that have pretty good cranking power and pretty good slow , low discharge capabilities, but not great at either.

Most older "Motor home" RV's had aa starting battery for the "truck" portion and a deep cycle for the home electrics. They were both charged in parallel by the truck alternator and only separated from each other by battery isolator diodes. This set up did not seem to shorten the deep cycle battery life, so I think it should be OK.

John T,
Sounds like you said what Bubba said, just used more words.

Forgot to add the thicker plates are to handle more vibrations and prevent warping.

Bubba sends his regards.
George