AC Delco deep cycle batteries.

"My mate wants them as he says he gets upto 10 years out of them in a vehicle"
If you believe that you will believe bull manure is gold

Thanks for that gem Volante but can you answer the question , are they any good as a main cranking battery.

Dave L.

Gday Rigor

I have used Delco Voyagers in a Troopy and a 100S and they are fine as a starting battery and excellent as an aux (deep cycle) battery for fridge lights etc.

They were "sold" to me as value because of their long service life. The four I have had all lasted approx 4 years compared to 2-3 years from the cheaper batteries such as the Century/Yasua Overlander for starting and Century Deep Cycle as an aux.

Three of the four died due to hairline cracks (seeping electrolyte) in the outer case. Admittedly I do heaps of kms on rough, corrugated roads which is a battery killing environment.

I will revert to mid price batteries, as above, as soon as my new vehicle's (100S TD) batteries die because 4 years vv 2-3 years for approx 50% more is not "value".

Regards OB

Thanks for that old bushie ,I appreciate constructive criticism thats why I posted this in the first place . I must be getting old and cranky as the first reply burred me up as it was simply a crtiicism with nothing constructive .
The original claim by my mate (farmer) of upto 10 years may or may not be accurate but that is what he told me , he uses the voyager in his LC and tractor and says he gets the long life out of them.
Thanks for the reply

Cheers Dave L.

Dave,
Check out an AC Delco dealer to understand what the initials "MF" also the number "50" actually refers to, and you will have your answers, as I believe the 'MF' refers to ‘M’aintenance ‘F’ree and the 50 could be either the CCA (500CCA) or A/h ratings (50a/h), as I say I don't know, it’s just my thoughts as I looked on the AC Delco web site and it didn’t tell me anything about the MF50 battery.

However if you read any website that has technical merit and knowledge of batteries in general, you will soon realise that a genuine Deep Cycle battery and a Starting battery are two entirely different types of batteries, and made for two very different purposes.
They both look the same externally but that is their only similarity, a major difference is the weight of the two batteries with the DC being far heavier due to it's thicker internal plate construction.
One is a draught horse (continuous and slow all day) and the other is a leopard (a quick sprinter) made specifically for two different reasons, a "Marine" battery is a compromise of the two types of batteries.

I think, a battery that will last for 10 years would be very well known to anyone driving a 4WD and you would have had a definitive answer by now :-)

Thanks for that Mainey , this is what happens when you do a favour for someone , gets out of hand. You are probably right about the 10 years but being on the wrong side of 50 I can remember 6 volt FJs and VWs where the battery did in fact last almost for ever , but the trade off for those thick robust plates with small surface area was low CCA and capacity, not what we expect from a battery today . Purpose built stationary batteries (solar ) also have an extended life but would weigh a tonne with the capacity we require.

Cheers Dave L.

They do well as a deep cycle too- I have them in a solar installation and they get a work through all year in a sea container in the sun- not a problem yet and they were much cheaper than alternatives.