What brand batteries are the longest lasting.

[RichLo]

^yep

You would be surprised how easy it is to cause a thermal runaway in LiIon batteries. If temps get hot enough to cook an egg, its hot enough to be in the danger zone of spontaneously-inducing a thermal runaway.

Here is a generic video showing what happens when that happens. By the time you know something is wrong, there's nothing you can do but watch it burn.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

I bet those anti-gravity batteries dont have anything inside to mitigate a thermal runaway event. But then again its not as important if its under the hood vs 4" away from the passengers' butts I guess.

Either way, if something in a 30-year old truck shorts out, I'd rather have a lead acid just die and have to buy a new one vs burning the whole rig down.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Be that as it may....on flashlights and other things that use AA/AAA/C and D batteries, I've always had better service from Duracell than I ever got from the rabbit batteries. And I know when Sam's Club had Energizer branded car batteries, we had to warranty both of them within six months of purchase. Apparently they had a lot of this, because they had changed to Duracell brand...those lasted for 3 years or more(which is about the best service I get from a car or truck battery in Houston, Texas area).

~30 years ago, I did a science experiment once when I was in grade school comparing AA and D batteries from like 5 different companies. I hooked them up to a load and timed how long the would carry a specific load before dropping below a specific voltage. Duracell had 20% better life but factoring in cost Energizer came out on top. At the time Duracells were about 50% more $. Rayovac, Eveready, Maxwell and a couple others that I forget the name of and may not even be made now were not even in the same ball game as Duracell or Energizer. For the money the Energizers were best at that time.

 

[someotherguy]

Y'all brave jacking around with those old batteries trying to revive them. I've witnessed a battery explode on a shop helper, right in his face. Shop owner's wife and I were sitting in the office about 3 bays away and helper is disconnecting a charger from an apparently bad battery - regular lead/acid style. It must have emitted some gas and we're guessing he failed to turn the charger off before disconnecting it, and the spark at the terminals made it go BOOM, I mean it sounded like a shotgun going off. Pieces of the battery case landed by the office door. We ran over and grabbed him, walked him to the shower to rinse his eyes, face, arms, etc. and watched his t-shirt fall apart from the acid. He was OK but it was a very close call.

Richard

 

[someotherguy]

^yep

You would be surprised how easy it is to cause a thermal runaway in LiIon batteries. If temps get hot enough to cook an egg, its hot enough to be in the danger zone of spontaneously-inducing a thermal runaway.

Here is a generic video showing what happens when that happens. By the time you know something is wrong, there's nothing you can do but watch it burn.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

I bet those anti-gravity batteries dont have anything inside to mitigate a thermal runaway event. But then again its not as important if its under the hood vs 4" away from the passengers' butts I guess.

Either way, if something in a 30-year old truck shorts out, I'd rather have a lead acid just die and have to buy a new one vs burning the whole rig down.

Who remembers these early adventures in lithium battery disasters?

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

Richard

 

[pgutier1]

I run 2-12 in subs on 5k ordinarily. I use a stock alternator which is less than ideal, but compensation come from my batteries. I will live and die for optima batteries following my experience with them. Battery abuse has become a pastime for me it seems, I ran through 4 batteries in a year and a half before I bit the $600 bullet but it was worth every single penny. It has been over 2 years of near constant abuse and they are still just as hot as the day I got them

As an Optima fan as well, I agree. First one lasted 7yrs in my suburban and now I'm running a dual setup.

 

[Mindtriped]

I actually have a somewhat inexpensive charger that will rehabilitate some batteries.

I have been in the market for a decent battery charger. I just bought the Deltran Battery Tender 4amp charger/maintainer and am not a fan and going to return it. What charger do you use? I need one I can trust.

 

[Caman96]

I have been in the market for a decent battery charger. I just bought the Deltran Battery Tender 4amp charger/maintainer and am not a fan and going to return it. What charger do you use? I need one I can trust.

What was wrong with it?

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I have been in the market for a decent battery charger. I just bought the Deltran Battery Tender 4amp charger/maintainer and am not a fan and going to return it. What charger do you use? I need one I can trust.

I have a Schumaker SC1304. Used it too many times to count now and it works well.

 

[Mindtriped]

What was wrong with it?

I should’ve bought a charger with at least a volt meter so I have an idea of what’s going on. I’m not a fan of the smart functions. Didn’t know it won’t charge anything under 3 volts.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I should’ve bought a charger with at least a volt meter so I have an idea of what’s going on. I’m not a fan of the smart functions. Didn’t know it won’t charge anything under 3 volts.

I have a couple of older chargers that I have kept to use in those situations.