Change to Lithium-ion?

[Gonzo42]

In the Hot Rod world, there is a movement to the Lithium-ion battery as an alternative to the old lead-acid type.

Looks like performance is superior, but so is the price.

Has anyone changed either their house batteries or their chassis battery to Lithium-ion?

Optima is one of the brands.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Were not rechargeables

[2oldman]

All my tools are lithium, trimmer, mower, chain saw..

[Itinerant1]

I don't know mex my 2 flashlights take 3 AA each, my clock 1 AA, 2 handheld Motorola radios 3 AA each all lithium rechargeable batteries. Periodically I'll throw them on a charger, 10 minutes later full and ready to go.

I just went out and bought a 56v 2.5ah lithium string trimmer for knocking down the weeds where we boondock, 45 minute to charge and 25 minutes full bore cutting.

All of this off of the 1,280w solar/ 500ah lfp batteries on the 5th wheel.

Haven't bought batteries in 4 years. 😉

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I read everything and I learn. I learned that lithium small batteries only have a longer life for my stuff if limited to clocks and other tiny loads. A waste of money for longevity increase over alkaline for even a flashlight.

[2oldman]

Let's hope the op found it informative too.

[TurnThePage]

One of the more informative threads I've read here in a while. I enjoy those posts that keep it grounded in common sense too. Thanks! 🙂

[pianotuna]

I'll probably never switch to LI. Too much chance of not being able to keep them from needing to be charged when there are freezing temperatures. Limited budget may keep me with used telecom jars.

There is one formulation of LI that would work--but I've not been able to find a source for large capacity jars.

Again financial considerations, previous (poor?) decisions will keep me with a 12 volt bank.

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have gone to a 48 volt format from the get go.

[ppine]

Lithium batteries are clearly the wave of the future and prices should be coming down over time.
For full timing especially with some boondocking I would buy lithium batteries.
For occasional fooling around wet lead acid batteries are cheap and okay.
The AGMs are a nice upgrade and a good compromise. They can take 50% charge day after day much better than reg lead acid.

[RCMAN46]

OOP's Made a mistake.

Here is a screen shot that I got my curves from. The article was comparing Lithium Ion to LiFe04. I should have noticed the voltages and would have know this curve was for a Lithium Ion battery.



Here is the curve I should have posted.



Note both battery chemistry have similar discharge curves except the LiFe04 is about 1/2 volt lower per cell which makes the LiFe04 a better selection for replacing a 12 volt wet cell battery plus a more stable and safer chemistry.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Not sarcasm

Anti-rationalization skewing reality.

A lot of times an individual will sell THEMSELVES into buying an idea meaning a product. Their self salesmanship is so effective it skews reality to the point where they try and sell others on their decision based on the teeter-totter of rational thought having a few extra chunks of biasing lead tossed onto the contraption.

For instance, a very limited income forces me to see both sides in a purchase. I will argue back and forth the pluses and minuses of a particularly pricey purchase. When a product lives up to its extra expense then it becomes justified. I think the older one becomes especially if financially challenged, the more relevant the issue. Of course, this challenges that the extremely wealthy will kill over a nickel.

I get very defensive and suspicious when someone tries to sell me on an idea and provides ludicrous information in an attempt to reinforce their salesmanship.

This discussion is about Lithium batteries,

A positive: They can withstand constant partial charging

A negative: Already incredibly overweight rigs will benefit from a hundred-pound savings

4,000 cycles

4,000 cycles = If cycled overy other day it adds up to 22 years of year-round camping. Should = 118 years if you're a weekend camper, right?

One single solitary overcharge and your goose is cooked. Do you feel lucky? No one is going to go public with a thousand dollar screwup...

I am several light-years from approaching "perfect". I continue to be suckered into buying less expensive reading glasses. A fifteen dollar pair will outlast ten three dollar glasses and the frames continue to break and the lenses continue to pop out.

Some stuff from China continues to be a ripoff even if they were free.

I will argue the point that playing devil's advocate before jumping at a thousand dollar expense will always pay dividends.

Unless of course, "Money Is No Object" and you have a ten-yard dumpster.

Remember the "JC Penny Battery?" Try and figure out what it really cost. The answer involves the hauling around of a second well maintained battery in the trunk.

[time2roll]

2oldman wrote:
The most Chinese looking battery I've ever seen.

https://www.amazon.com/3-2V100Ah-Lithium-Power-car-Radio-3-2V100AH/dp/B07LBFQGKX/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?cr...

Wrapped like a firework

[Itinerant1]

RCMAN46 wrote:
Here is a typical discharge curve for different loads on a LiFeP04 battery.

I would consider the curves to be very flat from 20 percent to 80 percent capacity.

Don't know many folks charging LifePo4 (lfp) to 4.2 vpc (16.8v) are you using old info or getting your chemistry confused.

[2oldman]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
or is it a target for an excess of practical criticism?

Right now it appears to be the target of sarcasm.

[BillyBob_Jim]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:

Whether colonial or danish modern, the furniture will fit your butt the same.

I have to disagree with that Mex. I have found that Colonial or Danish Modern will not fit my Polish/Italian butt the same as Polska Neapolitan.