Marine Starting Battery
A marine starting battery is judged in about two seconds: the cold outboard either fires on the first turn or it does not. We carry lithium cranking packs rated from 1,000 to 1,600 cranking amps, and because most boats run one or two batteries for everything, every marine cranking battery on the shelf today is a dual purpose pack: the amps to start the engine, plus deep cycle capacity to run electronics, pumps and the livewell for the rest of the day.
Marine Cranking Battery
Dual PurposeGroup 24Dakota Lithium 12V Trolling Motor Battery 135Ah DL+ (1000CCA Dual Purpose)
Dual PurposeGroup 31Ionic Lithium 12V 150Ah Dual Purpose Marine Battery (1600CA)
Dual PurposeDakota Lithium 36V Trolling Motor Battery Set 60Ah DL+ (3 x 12V Dual Purpose)
Dual PurposeDakota Lithium 36V Trolling Motor Battery Set 135Ah DL+ (3 x 12V, 1000CCA Dual Purpose)
Dual PurposeDakota Lithium 24V Trolling Motor Battery Set 60Ah DL+ (2 x 12V Dual Purpose)
Dual PurposeDakota Lithium 24V Trolling Motor Battery Set 135Ah DL+ (2 x 12V, 1000CCA Dual Purpose)
What a Marine Cranking Battery Has to Do
Starting an outboard is a short, violent job: several hundred amps for a second or two, then nothing until the next start while the alternator tops the battery back up. Lead-acid gets there with thin plates that hate being drained, which is why a lead starting battery that ran the stereo at the sandbar all afternoon often will not turn the engine over at dusk. A lithium marine starting battery delivers its full cranking output at nearly any state of charge, weighs about a third as much, and loses only a few percent a month sitting on the trailer, so the first start of the season is not a coin flip.
Starter or Dual Purpose?
If the boat already has a separate house bank for the trolling motor and electronics, a dedicated starter is all the engine needs. Most of the boats we serve run one or two batteries for everything, and for those a dual purpose lithium is the better buy: it carries a real cranking rating for the outboard and 135 to 150Ah of deep cycle capacity for the day, in the same Group 24 or Group 31 case the old lead battery came out of. Read the cranking spec in your outboard manual, then pick the pack that meets it; call us at 888-274-7544 with the engine model and we will check it for you.
In the Store Today
The Dakota Lithium DL+ 12V 135Ah is rated at 1,000 CCA, sits in a Group 24 footprint at about 27 pounds, and carries Dakota’s 11-year warranty. The Ionic 12V 150Ah Dual Purpose is rated at 1,600 marine cranking amps in a Group 31 case with Bluetooth monitoring. Both are built to charge from the outboard’s alternator, and both ship free from our US warehouses.
Marine Starting Battery FAQ
Can a lithium battery start an outboard?+-
Yes, when it carries a real cranking rating. Look for CCA or marine cranking amps (MCA) that meet the spec in your outboard manual. The dual purpose LiFePO4 packs we carry are rated at 1,000 CCA and 1,600 MCA, which covers nearly every outboard on a transom. Call us at 888-274-7544 with the engine model and we will check it.
What is the difference between CCA and marine cranking amps?+-
CCA, cold cranking amps, is measured at 0 F. MCA or CA, marine cranking amps, is measured at 32 F, so the MCA number for the same battery runs roughly a quarter higher. Compare like with like: if your outboard manual lists MCA, match it to the MCA rating on the battery.
Will a lithium starting battery charge from my outboard’s alternator?+-
The dual purpose packs we carry are built for it. Lithium accepts charge faster than lead-acid, so on long runs at high alternator output a DC-DC charger protects the alternator, which is true of any lithium battery on any engine. For a trailer boat that runs an hour to the spot and back, the alternator alone does the job.
Do I still need a separate house battery?+-
Not on most boats. A dual purpose lithium with 135 to 150Ah runs a fish finder, pumps and a stereo for a full day and still starts the engine, because lithium holds its voltage as it drains instead of sagging. Boats with a bow-mount trolling motor should give the motor its own deep cycle bank so a long afternoon of trolling never touches the starting battery.