LiFe Po Batteries??

[jj22]

Has anyone done research on lithium iron batteries? There are a ridiculous amount of brands and the price range is crazy! I was looking to buy a 12V 100 AH.  But I can’t find anything on which makes one brand better than the next. Thanks. 

[FISHIN' ADDICTION]

best bet is go to YouTube.  there is channels that they deconstruct different batteries and tell you how the connections are and quality of components inside

[finsntins]

more importantly i would do the research on them catching fire.we just had a tractor burn up due to a new lithium battery that was just installed.both ford and gm having problems with them catching fire and i just read an article out of fdny that they have had 22 structure fires and two deaths just in the last two months and over 200 fires and six deaths in 2022 from these batteries.they are now recommending that nobody store ebikes or scooters indoors due to fire potentential.

[Cody191]

You are most likely referring to lithium ion batteries. They are different than lifepo4 batteries which are more stable and becoming very popular for marine applications. There biggest pros are double the run time and much lighter. The only cons in my opinion are the price and if you charge them in freezing temps you can permanently damage them. There are way’s around this though. Way to much info for me to explain. I recommend doing your research. My setup is 3 12v lifepo4 batteries running my 36v ulterra and my powerpole charge protects them from charging in freezing temps. The higher end batteries have internal circuitry to not allow charging at certain temps. The very high end ones even have heaters in them. I fish a lot of inland lakes and hardly use my kicker now. I can troll cranks at 2.5mph for 6-8 hours now. Would get maybe 3-4 hours previously. And I catch more in stealth mode with no kicker running.  
 

For Lake Ontario style fishing I still use the kicker. With riggers and divers it’s just to much drag for trolling motor only. 
 

I also dropped 150 pounds out of my boat. It handles much better.

[jj22]

Thanks. Do you mind telling me why brand you bought??

[Cody191]

19 minutes ago, jj22 said:

Thanks. Do you mind telling me why brand you bought??

I bought ampere time off Amazon. They are on year 4 and have been great. Definitely saved a lot of money going off brand but be advised they do not have a low temp charge protection BMS. I already had the power pole charge so that handles that aspect. It’s just my opinion but I do not believe you will get a battery twice as good if you spend twice as much.  Seems like if you really dig into it there mostly all made in china anyway.

 

Also you did not mention your intended purpose for this battery. Not all of them are rated as crank batteries. So if your planning a dual purpose house/crank battery, that will really limit your options.

[jj22]

Mine would also be strictly trolling motor use. No cranking. Thanks again for all the information. Very helpful 

[Frogger]

Went with Ionic.  Love em.  Need a meter that reads % not volts. Ionic has the app you can read on phone. 

[sherman brown]

5 hours ago, finsntins said:

more importantly i would do the research on them catching fire.we just had a tractor burn up due to a new lithium battery that was just installed.both ford and gm having problems with them catching fire and i just read an article out of fdny that they have had 22 structure fires and two deaths just in the last two months and over 200 fires and six deaths in 2022 from these batteries.they are now recommending that nobody store ebikes or scooters indoors due to fire potentential.

 

 

are you using them as starting batteries? are they being charged by the alternator? are these the batteries that are designed to be used for starting and charging with the alternator or just a standard lithium battery?

[jj22]

No , only for trolling motor. The ones I am interested in buying are LiFe Po 4. Thanks 

[Yankee Troller]

I am carrying Pro Guide lithium batteries at Krezner Marine. I carry the 100ah 12v, 24v, and 36v options. Everyone I've talked with about lithium batteries recommends going with a reputable brand and not cheap China junk from Amazon. Give me a call if you're interested.

[jj22]

Thanks. When I’m ready I will bug you for some details. 

[muskie magnet]

You no longer have to be concerned with fire hazards with today's BMS systems in the LiFeP0 4 batteries. I have a 24V EPOCH battery, this in my opinion is the best made one to date. Has heating for charging in low temps and bluetooth to monitor charging and discharging. When not in use or being charged, you can actually turn this battery off. Anyone looking to get into lithium should look at EPOCH.

Edited March 7, 2023 by muskie magnet

[muskie magnet]

12v 100AH

 

 

[muskie magnet]

This is the one I bought $1,057.48 shipped. The big name companies like ABYSS, Dakota, Battle born or Iconic are way more expensive than this for less features and a lesser build. This is a Roy Pow product. I like the fact that it is 1 battery, 24V100AH. I have done a lot of research. Could I have gone cheaper, yes, but I don't plan on replacing this for a very long time, if ever. Haven't had a chance to get it in the boat yet. Waiting for spring!

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by muskie magnet

[Cody191]

1 hour ago, Yankee Troller said:

I am carrying Pro Guide lithium batteries at Krezner Marine. I carry the 100ah 12v, 24v, and 36v options. Everyone I've talked with about lithium batteries recommends going with a reputable brand and not cheap China junk from Amazon. Give me a call if you're interested.

So what specifically are the problems with the “china junk”? Curious so I can keep my eye out for these issues. Also, where are the cells and bms for pro guide lithium batteries produced? There website doesn’t have much info on their actual construction. I’m also interested in what makes them 2.5 times better than a cheap china lithium as $900 a piece compared to $350. I mean $2700 to run a trolling motor is pretty steep.

[muskie magnet]

They are ALL made in China. All cells are made in China, if you find something that isn't, their most likely lying and charging you a fortune for nothing better. There are a ton of start-up companies and knock -offs out there. Do your research if you want to feel more confident in your choice of battery. I did, I feel good about my choice but only time will tell. Good luck to you. You tube is great for tear down reviews. Will Prowse is well respected on there.

 

[Yankee Troller]

16 hours ago, Cody191 said:

So what specifically are the problems with the “china junk”? Curious so I can keep my eye out for these issues. Also, where are the cells and bms for pro guide lithium batteries produced? There website doesn’t have much info on their actual construction. I’m also interested in what makes them 2.5 times better than a cheap china lithium as $900 a piece compared to $350. I mean $2700 to run a trolling motor is pretty steep.

 

Everything I've listened to on podcast or on YouTube is where I learned to stay away from the cheaper Amazon China Lithiums and stick with a reputable company like Pro Guide, Lithium Pros, IONIC, and so on. Yes, I believe most, if not all, Lithium's are made in China, but build specs and BMS specs for the higher end brands I would imagine should be better. There's actually a guy who makes power boxes on YouTube that will go into each battery brand and break it down on its construction and tests their specs they claim. He really likes the Amped Outdoor batteries, which can be found at FishUSA. These more reputable companies, like Pro Guide, have guys that fish for a living relying on their batteries. If they fail that professional fisherman you'd know. Especially if it cost them $100,000 tournament. Pro Guide has some of the countries biggest names relying on their batteries. We've sold a dozen of them over about the last two years and have not had one come back.

[Frogger]

Just to add with my limited knowledge on these, take the time to ask or find out about the battery / needs etc you need for your application. Meaning if your looking for a trolling motor batteries  only, the charger requirements are different than AGM or Acid etc.  if your looking to use lithium for a starter battery make sure it has the CCA needed or bad things can happen. Also need to make sure the lithium system is isolated from the lead acid or AGM system if you have both kinds on the boat. I switched over to all lithium for not only the performance but the weight savings as well. One other thing that I don’t think anyone has mentioned. Charging from your motors. I had to remove my charging coil from my merc 8hp. If my main is fully charged and I start to troll my BMS on the lithium kicks the battery of line due to being fully charged. I decided to do this rather than not fully charge the battery. Not sure if anyone else had this.  No concern though with the battery not charging from fishing as it will last days of fishing if I’m using everything on the boat. 

[rglabach]

On 2/28/2023 at 11:33 AM, Cody191 said:

You are most likely referring to lithium ion batteries...
 

I also dropped 150 pounds out of my boat. It handles much better.

Who was the person dropped out of the boat?  

[CassidyCummings]

Choosing the right lithium iron battery can indeed be a daunting task, given the multitude of brands and varying price ranges available in the market. In your case, looking for a 12V 100 AH battery adds an additional layer of complexity to the decision.While I don't have specific information on LiFePo batteries, I can suggest a general approach to help you make an informed choice. Firstly, consider your specific needs and usage patterns. Think about factors such as the intended application, required capacity, and expected lifespan of the battery.Also, I'd recommend checking out rechargeable CR123A battery. This information might be helpful in making an informed decision for your specific needs.

Edited January 5 by CassidyCummings

[Long time fisherman]

On 3/8/2023 at 9:19 AM, Frogger said:

Just to add with my limited knowledge on these, take the time to ask or find out about the battery / needs etc you need for your application. Meaning if your looking for a trolling motor batteries  only, the charger requirements are different than AGM or Acid etc.  if your looking to use lithium for a starter battery make sure it has the CCA needed or bad things can happen. Also need to make sure the lithium system is isolated from the lead acid or AGM system if you have both kinds on the boat. I switched over to all lithium for not only the performance but the weight savings as well. One other thing that I don’t think anyone has mentioned. Charging from your motors. I had to remove my charging coil from my merc 8hp. If my main is fully charged and I start to troll my BMS on the lithium kicks the battery of line due to being fully charged. I decided to do this rather than not fully charge the battery. Not sure if anyone else had this.  No concern though with the battery not charging from fishing as it will last days of fishing if I’m using everything on the boat. 

Is Frogger saying that you cannot charge lithium battery's from the altinator on whatever powers your boat? I have a 60 hp Mercury on my pontoon boat that I troll with, it puts out 18 amps.

I'm considering going with lithium battery's but have no easy way to charge battery's where I dock my boat.  I've not had any problems with the altinator on the Mercury charging my starting and deep cycle lead core battery's. I want to upgrade my trolling motor to a Minn Kota Ulterra Quest 24-36 volts. Would I be better off sticking with lead cell Battery's???

[Frogger]

So to your question. I would go with Lithiums for your electric trolling motor if you can afford it.  Too many positive’s over lead acid in my book.  My particular setup has 2 lithiums (50 amphr) for my electric trolling motor and a separate lithium (125amphr) for my starter main motor 115 hp  / 8hp merc and everything  else on the boat (electronics / downriggers etc).  This battery also has my main motor charging it.  It’s not connected to the electric motor battery system. Completely separate.  I was just saying that when my gas kicker was trolling, also charging the main battery, it would kick out if it was fully charged. This was due to a safety system on the lithium battery’s.  I since took of the coil on the 8hp merc so it wasn’t charging while trolling.  Hasn’t been an issue.  You’ll never have any issues with your electric minnkota because it would be separate if that makes sense.

[Long time fisherman]

7 hours ago, Frogger said:

So to your question. I would go with Lithiums for your electric trolling motor if you can afford it.  Too many positive’s over lead acid in my book.  My particular setup has 2 lithiums (50 amphr) for my electric trolling motor and a separate lithium (125amphr) for my starter main motor 115 hp  / 8hp merc and everything  else on the boat (electronics / downriggers etc).  This battery also has my main motor charging it.  It’s not connected to the electric motor battery system. Completely separate.  I was just saying that when my gas kicker was trolling, also charging the main battery, it would kick out if it was fully charged. This was due to a safety system on the lithium battery’s.  I since took of the coil on the 8hp merc so it wasn’t charging while trolling.  Hasn’t been an issue.  You’ll never have any issues with your electric minnkota because it would be separate if that makes sense.

Frogger,  thanks for the detailed response I definitely appreciate it! I still have no easy way to charge the trolling moter battery's... Any suggestions?

[Frogger]

I had to swap out my existing on board chargers as it wasn’t set up for lithium. I went with a three bank Noco 10amp charger that can do all three types lead acid AGM and lithium. Has worked great.  I do suggest an on board though.