Lithiums or Lead Acid?

[Pgiem13]

Is it worth running lithium batteries instead of lead-acid ones in my 721? I've heard that lithium batteries are lighter, last longer, and charge faster, but wanted to see what people thought before I spend the money. Obviously, lead-acid batteries are cheaper and have been reliable for years, but wondered if the cons outweigh the pros. Since weight affects speed and efficiency on the water, I've been thinking lithiums might be the better option in the long run. However, is the higher price justified by the performance benefits, or would lead-acid still be a reliable and cost-effective choice?

[Glenn]

Skip the lithiums and go with solid state.  While a little more expensive than lithiums, they're 1/2 the weight of lithiums and take less than an hour to fully charge.  

 

One thing to consider is the age of your outboard.  If it's an older outboard, you can't have a lithium cranking battery because the voltage from the alternator oscillates so much that it can damage the lithium battery.  Lead acid batteries are more tolerant.  Newer engines have more stable alternators, so you shouldn't have that issue if you have a newer outboard.  You can still go with lithiums for your trolling motor though.

 

I don't know if it's the same situation with solid state batteries.  But I'm sure there's more than a few folks here that are smarter than me on that subject.  Let's see what they say.

 

[Junk Fisherman]

To me it depends how much you want to spend and if the advantages of the lithiums are worth the money.  My last wet cell batteries from Sam's Club lasted 7 years.  For under $250 for 2 batteries, that is pretty good IMO.  Granted, I'm not worried about speed.  

[Jig Man]

I’m only running 1 lithium.  It is less than half the weight of my agm batteries.  It is for my Solix units only.  It holds a charge much better than my agm batteries, however, it takes a lot longer to charge than they do after a day on the water.  It is on a single bank 10 amp charger.

[Tennessee Boy]

Is it cost effective depends on how long you plan to keep the boat.   Do the math.  Lithium batteries advertise 3000-5000 cycles.  Fish twice a week that's 28 years for 3000 cycles.  Who knows if anyone will ever use one that long but half that long would more than justify the cost.  

[Alex from GA]

How would anyone not go with lithiums.  The cheaper ones are less $ than lead acids or AGMs and weigh 1/4 as much.  Plus they last much longer and the boat will go faster on the trolling motor.

[casts_by_fly]

14 minutes ago, Alex from GA said:

How would anyone not go with lithiums.  The cheaper ones are less $ than lead acids or AGMs and weigh 1/4 as much.  Plus they last much longer and the boat will go faster on the trolling motor.

This. 

[WRB]

Solid State Marine batteries are new to me!

Look at the site and very interesting if what is advertised is true. Reminds me of lithium when 1st hit the market.

If I was getting a new boat would try it in a heart beat.

Tom

[Tennessee Boy]

What is the appeal of a solid state battery?

[Bird]

My onboard charger has stamped on the back " for lead acid batteries".

I ordered another charger for lithium but don't fully understand the charge demands between the 2 batteries.

 

Every piece of equipment that I own that uses lithium batteries have been nothing but impressive.

Yes, I'm going all lithium in my boat.

Prices have come down and minus 100lbs on the rear of the boat , nice.

[TnRiver46]

Not sure what a 721 is (phoenix?) but I saw mark daniels Jr do a video about the lighter batteries in the back actually slowing down his ranger boat. Weight distribution is more important than just running lighter, he had a marine mechanic point out the issue and they fixed it somehow, can’t recall exactly how. Maybe a jack plate adjustment . The lighter weight lithiums caused the boat to sit on the pad differently 

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

What is the appeal of a solid state battery?

lighter yet (half lithium), faster charging. The price will come down in ten years, but until then it is early adopters and super special applications.

 

 

1 hour ago, Bird said:

My onboard charger has stamped on the back " for lead acid batteries".

I ordered another charger for lithium but don't fully understand the charge demands between the 2 batteries.

 

Every piece of equipment that I own that uses lithium batteries have been nothing but impressive.

Yes, I'm going all lithium in my boat.

Prices have come down and minus 100lbs on the rear of the boat , nice.

lifepo lithiums have a nominal 13.6 float voltage while lead acid is 12.6. Chargers for lithium need to charge at 14.6 or even higher.

 

 

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Not sure what a 721 is (phoenix?) but I saw mark daniels Jr do a video about the lighter batteries in the back actually slowing down his ranger boat. Weight distribution is more important than just running lighter, he had a marine mechanic point out the issue and they fixed it somehow, can’t recall exactly how. Maybe a jack plate adjustment . The lighter weight lithiums caused the boat to sit on the pad differently 

a wedge between the boat and jack plate. 

[Junk Fisherman]

7 hours ago, Alex from GA said:

How would anyone not go with lithiums.  The cheaper ones are less $ than lead acids or AGMs and weigh 1/4 as much.  Plus they last much longer and the boat will go faster on the trolling motor.

Which lithiums?

[Tennessee Boy]

59 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

lighter yet (half lithium), faster charging. The price will come down in ten years, but until then it is early adopters and super special applications.

$750 more saves you around 7 lbs.  No one I know is using a charger that is capable of charging a LifePo4 battery as fast as they can be charged.  Not many people need to charge their trolling motor batteries in 2 hours.

[gim]

1 hour ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Which lithiums?

The Chinese ones on Amazon.

 

Remember, not every charger is lithium compatible. Some have cold temperature issues. And not every outboard can be used with a lithium either.

 

I’d personally go with a Tracker Lithium. They might cost a little more but Bass Pro is 20 mins from me and they are not going out of business in a few years if I need a warranty replacement.

[casts_by_fly]

30 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

$750 more saves you around 7 lbs.  No one I know is using a charger that is capable of charging a LifePo4 battery as fast as they can be charged.  Not many people need to charge their trolling motor batteries in 2 hours.

completely agree. 

1 hour ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Which lithiums?

I went LiTime. They have been around for at least five years continuously and guys have gotten good results from them.  I had amped in the kayak for four years and they were good.  LiTime is 1/3 the price and I can have a new one in three days in the worst case. 

[Glenn]

4 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

What is the appeal of a solid state battery?

Solid-state batteries offer several advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries, including enhanced safety, higher energy density, faster charging, and potential for longer lifespan, all due to the use of a solid electrolyte instead of a flammable liquid one. 

 

I view lithium batteries like CD's.  CD's were the first widely accepted digital format after analog, but essentially a bridge to MP3 and streaming services, which made them extinct.  In the same manner, solid state batteries are the successors to lithium batteries.  Solid state batteries for bass boats have already hit the market.

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

Yeah, but at $1k for a 90 Ah 12V that's a pretty hard sell when many people are still stuck on lead acid.  For a few special applications I can see it appealing if someone had the money to burn.  Reservoir boats that are electric only but big.  You need the energy density to push a 16-18' boat all day but need to keep it light. 

 

if someone were to go with a 'big' electric outboard like the 150HP sized merc that launched last year (maybe year before) then the space savings for a solid state would be necessary.

 

if you were doing a bigwater kayak and trolling all day with a newport or similar rear motor then solid state would be nice to get you 300 Ah in the space of a group 31.

 

All of those are going to be really expensive though.  $800-1000 per 100 ah/12V.  Similar equivalent on the 48V systems.  

[MN Fisher]

12 hours ago, gim said:

I’d personally go with a Tracker Lithium. They might cost a little more but Bass Pro is 20 mins from me and they are not going out of business in a few years if I need a warranty replacement.

I'm still sticking with Mighty Max - Home Depot and now Menards carry them, so getting warranty support isn't an issue either.

[gim]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

I'm still sticking with Mighty Max - Home Depot and now Menards carry them, so getting warranty support isn't an issue either.

 

Those are companies I would also expect to still be around in a few years too.  The concept is the same.

 

One size does not fit all here.  What works well in a Florida climate is not going to work very well in a Minnesota climate.  I'm skeptical of knock offs too.  There are a lot of sketchy companies out there pretending to make a quality battery.  Buyer beware.