best battery manufacturers

[FridgeFreezer]

Also: A thousand euros for a battery???

[Sigi_H]

You didn't read a word of the article, right? 😃😃

There are answers.

 

[Snagger]

2 hours ago, TSD said:

I just resurrected a Varta StopStart AGM battery that had been left for at least a month with a 2A load across it's terminals. Since the battery is about 6 years old, and this most certainly qualifies as abuse, I was already resigned to buying another battery.

It took some effort to get it to accept a charge - I strapped it to a 1kW bench supply and force fed it until it stopped resisting  (Remember kids, don't try this at home!) Then I trickle charged it at a couple of amps for several days.

I didn't have time to measure its available capacity, but it's back in the car and cranks the TGV effortlessly, even after being left standing for a couple of weeks.

With an old fashioned dumb alternator, it probably doesn't even get properly charged in normal use. I continue to be impressed with how resilient these things are.

 

That’s impressive.  I have read several similar stories.  The same seems to apply to power tool batteries, at least some of the NiCad types.  Risky, though, so you have to be very careful.  I wouldn’t even think of it with any kind of lithium battery, even though I know LiFePo is safer than other Li types.

[Snagger]

3 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

So if you're charging it's using up to 10 amps to warm the battery up - what about when you're not charging and need the battery to work in the cold? Does it turn the heater on to keep the battery warm?

10A is not an insignificant load on a battery.

My concern is short trips in winter, where the battery is used to start a cold engine, run ECUs and alarm units and so on, and doesn’t get a chance to recharge on short journeys because the power from the alternator is still being used to heat the battery rather than fill it.  It wouldn’t take many starts of a reluctant cold engine to leave such a battery depleted, especially if the vehicle is left standing without trickle charging for extended periods.

[FridgeFreezer]

1 hour ago, Sigi_H said:

You didn't read a word of the article, right? 😃😃

There are answers.

 

I read it, I do not see much that convinces me it's practically any better than a dirt simple lead-acid setup, especially for overlanding.

[Sigi_H]

Snagger is absolutely right. Short trips and a cold winter are a problem. But even with lead batteries. Solar modules became so cheap. Why not put a 30W Module behind the windscreen, when the car has a longer break?

But I don´t want to convince anybody. Everyone is expert in his own things and can decide, whats best for him. Lead batteries can be be a good solution as well.

For me the LiFePO4 is especially for overlanding with a fridge a lot better.

[Snagger]

1 hour ago, Sigi_H said:

Snagger is absolutely right. Short trips and a cold winter are a problem. But even with lead batteries. Solar modules became so cheap. Why not put a 30W Module behind the windscreen, when the car has a longer break?

But I don´t want to convince anybody. Everyone is expert in his own things and can decide, whats best for him. Lead batteries can be be a good solution as well.

For me the LiFePO4 is especially for overlanding with a fridge a lot better.

Absolutely - everyone has to choose what is best for them based on their circumstances - use, environment, budget and more.  Attempting to charge lithium batteries below about +5oC causes irreparable damage, and I imagine all the reputable brands have internal regulators and heaters that prevent charging until a safe minimum temperature is attained.  Fine in warm climes and for regular long trips.  I can’t see a solar panel being powerful enough to preheat and then charge a battery in a Northern European winter, especially if the panel or window are covered in rain drops, frost or snow,  but they’ll be a good option for some.

[Sigi_H]

Drops? Frost? Snow? I hate these restrictions 😁

I don´t want to try to find the hair in the soup, but expect that nothing is perfect. Thats why I driva a Land Rover.

I take the existing advantages of LiFePO4 and I don´t run more into problems, than with lead. For me this is good enough.

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Scrounged this monster off a mate who had it he never fitted it and left it in the workshop,

My thoughts on batteries is fit whatever you can get as and as big and as cheap as you can with maybe a local warranty, and run on something like an Optima conditioner when parked up

Cost wise spent more money on making the battery hold down bracket, which needed to be 'quite robust'...... as its just a tad on the 'veins sticky out on neck' when lifted

 

 

[Mo Murphy]

I have an 80w solar panel on the roof which now keeps both batteries topped up all the time and runs the fridge between finishing the days drive and sunset.

Mo