"Frank" wrote in message
. ..
I have a real small aluminum boat and I use an equally small motorguide
trolling motor. The battery I used was brand new but only lasted a couple
of years. The battery was a Marine Battery.

Am I better off just buying a regular car battery or should I stick to the
Marine battery? Frankly, I don't know the difference. When I used a
regular car battery, I think it's life lasted longer than the Marine
battery.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. (The car battery was from a small
Toyota Tercel).

A car starting battery was designed to be used at high demand in short
bursts, such as you do when starting a car. A marine DEEP CYCLE battery is
designed to be used with a steady demand over an extended period of time.
So the lead plates in the battery are thicker and heavier to stand up to
such use.

Getting a couple years out of a battery is fairly common. Things you can do
to extend the life of the battery are to insure that the liquid level is
topped off and that the battery is charged fully after EACH use.

There is a difference between a marine starting battery and a marine deep
cycle battery. Use only the deep cycles for trolling motors.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com