…Aside from shorter usage time, is there any reason not to use a small battery with a trolling motor? I’m thinking of the ones used on wheelchairs/lawn mowers/golf carts, etc. A fullsize battery is too much weight for a solo, I think, and too darned heavy to lug to the water.
Batteries
There are smaller batteries out there, but be sure and get the lowest drawing electric motor you can find. The wheelchair and golf cart batteries are actually much heavier than a trolling battery, many are 6 volt and use two for much longer charges. See Cabelas, or West Marine’s catalog, or homepages. The Minkota 35 is a good motor for under $100 at Wal-Mart.
I Have a Small Deep Cycle…
…battery I bought at Wally World several years ago. Then it was
Don’t Know What’s Going On
I’m losing most of my post. I’ll try one more time. I have a small deep cycle battery I bought at Walmart several years ago. It fits in an old 6-pack cooler and will work about 1.5+ hrs at full thrust, although; you don’t really need full thrust very often in a canoe. WW
Paddle’s
Light weight, easy to carry and fun to recharge.
Amp Hours
One think often overlooked is that the AmpHours available from a battery aren’t based on whats availabe at full voltage. If you have a low AH, you hit the low end pretty fast.
Of the batteries you mentioned, I think the Cart is the only one that has a deep cycle batttery, and its a heavy 6V.
The best thing is to look for the lightest deep cycle you can find.