Practical Sailor magazine recommends Mastervolt batteries

The March 2006 issue of Practical Sailor magazine, famed for its rigorous and demanding tests of sailing gear and equipment, tested today’s leading deep-cycle AGM and gel batteries. Included were the Mastervolt AGM and MVG (gel) units which, according to Practical Sailor, “racked up excellent performance numbers.” Both battery types earned the label ‘recommended’.


Lead acid batteries

Practical Sailor explains that the term ‘lead acid battery’ usually conjures up the image of a standard flooded cell battery commonly found in cars and in 80 percent of all production boats. There are three basic types of storage batteries used in the marine industry that are constructed of lead and acid: flooded or wet-cell batteries, AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries, and gel (gelled electrolyte) batteries. Lead acid batteries are further sub-grouped into three application-based categories: starting, deep-cycle, and dual-purpose.

 

For its tests Practical Sailor focused on deep-cycle AGM and gel batteries. The flooded cell battery is still the most widely installed battery on new, entry-level production boats. But boat technology is changing fast. Bow thrusters and DC power inverters have become common. The choice is now between traditional flooded cells or to embrace new technology and opt for a battery bank that is as progressive as the boat design. That is, AGM or gel batteries.

 

“Excellent performance numbers”

The findings of Practical Sailor about Mastervolt AGM batteries & gel batteries are these: “These Mastervolt batteries are installed on some of the world’s finest custom yachts. From our initial experience with two of its entry-level products, we can see why. Mastervolt manufacturers the normal range of battery sizes, but the company also manufactures a line of high amphour, marine-grade, 2V cells. Some of these 2V units have capacity ratings of more than 2000 Ah per cell, which can yield a 12V storage bank with an excess of 12,000 Ah. That’s a serious amount of stored energy.”

 

Their bottom line is that “both the AGM and the gel racked up excellent performance numbers. Both Mastervolt batteries easily exceeded their factory reserve capacity ratings. The Mastervolts are pricey for most applications, but if we were building a high-capacity, multiple battery bank, and wanted a product that had the highest probability of delivering the longest cycle life, Mastervolt would be our choice, hands down.”

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