PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
If people are going to make price comparisons, please try and compare apples to apples.
Lithium battery prices
- Thread starter Lightwave395
- Start date
Lightwave395
Well-Known Member
I know it makes sense, but it's just been steadily creeping upwards from a few weeks ago and £300's worth of cheapo battery...!
Based on your advice and my modest power needs I'm thinking I'd be better getting a 'proper' 230aH non-Eco Drift instead of a 314aH Eco for more or less the same price
Bobc
Well-Known Member
Can't guarantee it, but I seem to remember watching a video of their factory and production lines, and one of the lines was producing cells.
Bobc
Well-Known Member
I stand corrected. Just found it. They use REPT Grade A cells. The 280Ah, 3.2v cells.
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
Producing the actual cells is a huge undertaking, only a few factories around the world are doing that.
Packaging up cells into a box with a BMS is much easier. Even I can do that!
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
I would agree with that.
CJ13
Well-Known Member
We have Mastervolt AGM batteries & I’m considering upgrading to Lithium.
In the discussion regarding which manufacturers to use no-one has mentioned Victron or Mastervolt. Is there a good reason for this?
In the discussion regarding which manufacturers to use no-one has mentioned Victron or Mastervolt. Is there a good reason for this?
wonkywinch
Well-Known Member
Lightwave395
Well-Known Member
I suspect price might be an issue...
toothless
Well-Known Member
I have used a couple of ecoworthy 100Ah batteries. They were totally fine, and gave rated capacity. I had no complaints and they are still working to this day having been used daily for about three years now. I got interested in what was inside them and took the lid off one - basic BMS but the cells were nicely held in a compression frame. Looked good to me.
I have also built a huuuuuuuge bank (48v, 628Ah) from fogstar cells and a couple of JK BMSs. This runs the electric propulsion on my cat. Also, pain free once all wired up. It was a LOT cheaper than buying torqeedo's own 48v battery systems.
I would say the ecoworthy is fine if you want a prebuilt. Two, if you want redundancy. If you want the best cells but don't want to pay the big premium, get bare cells from fogstar and put your own together as it isn't hard.
I have also built a huuuuuuuge bank (48v, 628Ah) from fogstar cells and a couple of JK BMSs. This runs the electric propulsion on my cat. Also, pain free once all wired up. It was a LOT cheaper than buying torqeedo's own 48v battery systems.
I would say the ecoworthy is fine if you want a prebuilt. Two, if you want redundancy. If you want the best cells but don't want to pay the big premium, get bare cells from fogstar and put your own together as it isn't hard.
Bobc
Well-Known Member
I guess my last penny's-worth on this, would be to say just think about how you'll be using them.
A lot of the people who talk about using the very best make and type of cells and BMS, are usually live-aboards who use the batteries 365 days/yr.
For me, I use my boat for about 90 days/yr. Even if I cycled the battery every day (which I don't), that's 90 cycles/yr. A battery that is rated for 10,000 cycles will last 100 years at my rate of use. Even if the battery lasts 20% of the time it's supposed to, it'll see me out.
Just trying to add a bit of common sense to the argument of "pay the extra and buy the best".
A lot of the people who talk about using the very best make and type of cells and BMS, are usually live-aboards who use the batteries 365 days/yr.
For me, I use my boat for about 90 days/yr. Even if I cycled the battery every day (which I don't), that's 90 cycles/yr. A battery that is rated for 10,000 cycles will last 100 years at my rate of use. Even if the battery lasts 20% of the time it's supposed to, it'll see me out.
Just trying to add a bit of common sense to the argument of "pay the extra and buy the best".
thinwater
Well-Known Member
Look at WattCycle. Good BMS, inexpensive, and I have not heard complaints. Mine is 2-years old, including some severe cold (-5 C).
sealutions
New Member
Fogstar are generally our preference and offer a good balance of quality and price. Roamer and Titan are also good alternatives to consider.
For our installations we would fit Fogstar Drift, they are good batteries and the new Gen 2 even have Victron integration which was previously only available in the Drift PRO.
Having said that, I have installed a Drift ECO leisure battery in my own van and it's just fine, although it doesn't get anywhere near the usage and abuse that a cruising yacht or full off-grid setup would give it. I would still always recommend the standard Drift for a customer for piece of mind.
For our installations we would fit Fogstar Drift, they are good batteries and the new Gen 2 even have Victron integration which was previously only available in the Drift PRO.
Having said that, I have installed a Drift ECO leisure battery in my own van and it's just fine, although it doesn't get anywhere near the usage and abuse that a cruising yacht or full off-grid setup would give it. I would still always recommend the standard Drift for a customer for piece of mind.
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
It's certainly not worth the hassle of switching on a boat that isn't heavily used.
But it's not just about cycle life. Life is so much easier after you've switched. You basically stop worrying about your batteries. No need to spend hours getting them back to float, no voltage sag. Charging is faster and more efficient. Space and weight is greatly reduced.
The price difference between lead and lithium is very small now, so really the only reasons not to switch would be the other one off costs involved in the upgrade, and any insurance implications.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
A very good reason, they don't make cells, they are just assemblers and their prices are ridiculous.
Bobc
Well-Known Member
I get all that, and it is still worth it even if the boat isn't heavily used. I fitted Lithium last year. I replaced 3 x 110Ah Victron gel batteries with 1 x 280Ah lithium. Saved money, space and weight, and made everything just better electric winches work better, I can use the calorifier, induction hob, toaster, kettle etc., using the inverter, etc.
Just making the comment that the OP is not a full-time cruiser, so the value proposition may not be quite the same. You pay your money and make your choice.
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PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
That's incorrect Bob.
The Eco batteries are not EVE cells and have a JBD BMS
The Gen1 Drift are EVE cells and also have a JBD BMS.
The Gen2 Drift are EVE cells and a JBD BMS + some Victron communication.
Fogster do not use JK BMS in any of their batteries.
Bobc
Well-Known Member
Just goes to show you how useless Google's AI tool is.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
It does indeed
Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
If you really want to know ask it to list five types of berry and then ask how many Rs are in each! I stopped using AI LLMs a year ago after readying so much nonsense spouted with such confidence.