BATTERIES 101 - Everything you need to know about lead acid, AGM, and LFP lithium batteries

[genesisoffroad]

Genesis Offroad has a new video explaining the differences between AGM, lithium, and traditional lead acid batteries. I also explain all the specs on the label to help you understand how to compare batteries from different brands to pick the one that is best for you. Check it out and let me know if I missed any details that you'd like to know about!
-Shane

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[crenca]

Good video, I learned a few things and good practical examples/use cases

 

[cr117]

I’ll just add, depending on your use case, you can find LiFePO4 batteries for the same cost, if not cheaper, than AGM batteries. Dakota is pretty overpriced IMO.

 

[CalvinT]

Nice to see a vendor video that gives straight facts without dumbing down.

 

[iamcris]

How I remember to remove & install battery cables. Steps 1-4.


1.Take your black boots off (negative)
2.Then take off Red socks off (positive)

3. Put your Red socks on (positive)
4. Put your Black boots on (negative).

 

[genesisoffroad]

I’ll just add, depending on your use case, you can find LiFePO4 batteries for the same cost, if not cheaper, than AGM batteries. Dakota is pretty overpriced IMO.

Like I said in the video, just make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Lithium batteries can be built with various features, and of course various quality levels. If one is built with low cost as the selling point, be sure to look at the specs to see if the operating temperature, max continuous current output, cycle count, and amp hours meets your needs.

 

[Brian_B]

How I remember to remove & install battery cables. Steps 1-4.


1.Take your black boots off (negative)
2.Then take off Red socks off (positive)

3. Put your Red socks on (positive)
4. Put your Black boots on (negative).

This is how I was always told to do a jumper cable as well. Which is odd, because when I was in the service, we were always told to ground first, and remove the ground last. And ever since then, that's how I've done it - ground in first, ground last out.

Now, maybe that's because it was the Navy, and they loved sending the Marines/Army in first, and letting them sit there until the end?

Not attempting to discredit, just interesting how different places teach it differently. I'm sure there's good reasons for both, but I'm not an electrical engineer so I couldn't say.

 

[crzyhawk]

^^ this checks out.

My dad was a navy electrician then retired from a naval shipyard (Puget Sound) as an electrician, and he taught me the same way you said: positive should only connected when ground is already connected.

 

[Kevin Scarbel]

Genesis Offroad has a new video explaining the differences between AGM, lithium, and traditional lead acid batteries. I also explain all the specs on the label to help you understand how to compare batteries from different brands to pick the one that is best for you. Check it out and let me know if I missed any details that you'd like to know about!
-Shane

Excellent presentation sir.

 

[Rivers90]

Good video, I would like to see how sodium ion batteries compare.
https://www.amazon.com/12V-Battery-Sodium-Ion-Waterproof-Lead-Acid/dp/B0FDB5L1SQ
or
https://www.amazon.com/12V-100Ah-Sodium-Ion-Battery-Eco-Friendly/dp/B0F9TKYK3Y

 

[Kevin Scarbel]

Good video, I would like to see how sodium ion batteries compare.
https://www.amazon.com/12V-Battery-Sodium-Ion-Waterproof-Lead-Acid/dp/B0FDB5L1SQ
or
https://www.amazon.com/12V-100Ah-Sodium-Ion-Battery-Eco-Friendly/dp/B0F9TKYK3Y

Sodium ion batteries are a lower cost solution chosen by the Chinese government for its domestic market. They work satisfactorily. It all boils down to your performance expectations.

 

[evofxdwg]

Properly charging a LiFePO4 battery is an issue he didnt mention. Our Bronco charge algorithm is not likely to fully charge one due to voltage being too low most of the time.

Dakota lithium now says (buried in thier description) that there LTO and dual purpose batteries can start automotive engines. They skirt around the issue of a standard automotive charging system adequately charging them.

Another company selling cranking batteries rated for bigger engines is Ionic. I have their diesel starting battery in my motorhome. They have the same charging issue since LiFePO4 needs slightly higher voltages to fully charge. Im currently looking at tweaks to the alternator sense signal to make sure it fully charges while running. And I will have a small 120VAC charger when on shore or generator power.

 

[Ape Factory]

Charging voltage on lithiums is dependent on the internal battery management system but generally they don't like anything over 14.6V and if protected, will disconnect internally if that's breeched. So they like less voltage, not more, than a typical AGM and about the same as a normal lead acid. How fully charged they are has more to do with how the car's battery management handles charging logistics based on the coding and what it thinks it's charging.

AGM on the other hand, is designed to take over 15V so they can charge faster than a typical lead acid. Lithiums charge faster yet. I'm a dealer for Antigravity lithium batteries and we use them in a lot of high end exotics with sensitive electronics. They offer pretty substantial weight savings along with more cranking amps than standard or AGM-type lead acid. A 40Ah unit will spin over a V12 engine like a high speed dentist's drill. They don't usually come in as high in the amp hour department but their internal resistance is also much lower so not as much "capacity" is wasted on internal friction.

On the fire hazard thing, having internal management goes a long ways and realize a standard lead acid battery can and have exploded. It can be pretty violent and can start a fire as well. I mean anything can happen but it's pretty much a non-issue these days unless there's a catastrophic event at which point, the battery might be the least worrisome.

 

[totaljustice]

This is how I was always told to do a jumper cable as well. Which is odd, because when I was in the service, we were always told to ground first, and remove the ground last. And ever since then, that's how I've done it - ground in first, ground last out.

Now, maybe that's because it was the Navy, and they loved sending the Marines/Army in first, and letting them sit there until the end?

Not attempting to discredit, just interesting how different places teach it differently. I'm sure there's good reasons for both, but I'm not an electrical engineer so I couldn't say.

In the Army the way we were taught to remember for boosting.

Red from the dead to red on the good.
Black from the good to under the hood.

BAHAHAHA!!!! That's pulling it out of the vault!!

 

[Jossman]

^^ this checks out.

My dad was a navy electrician then retired from a naval shipyard (Puget Sound) as an electrician, and he taught me the same way you said: positive should only connected when ground is already connected.

I was an Jry Electric Lineman for 43 years + ground always first connected + last removed.In AC circuits ground [neutral is the return also in an Electrical Circuit-a few fatalities when neutral was opened up 1st in a circuit!]

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