[prairieschooner]

back to batteries again, and I'm sure we will be discussing this for years to come.
Flooded Lead Acid - Forgiving if you keep up with the Level because they do gas. You need to check them often and carry distilled water to keep them topped off. 6 Volt Golf Cart the best for the House application.
AGM (Absoberbed Glass Mat) - Best if you will not be checking the level without question. For optimum Charging, they do require a different Charge Rate and will require at least a yearly conditioning. Lifeline told me to use (I believe) the Equalizing Phase of the Battery Charger on a yearly basis.
Gell - Not as good as the AGM but less in price, some may disagree with me because they will last along time if all of the parameters are followed. They do require a different Charge Rate than the other type of batteries.
Personally I chose the Golf Cart type 6 Volt Batteries for the House and 8D Batteries for the Starting. I carry distilled water and check them often but haven't had to top off the batteries very much. I chose to cycle the batteries and not keep a charger on all of the time. I also use Solar Panels with a Blue Sky Regulator and do not allow it to Charge Continuously either. I feel that over charging batteries will lead to early failure.
just my 2 cents worth and I'm sticking to it!!