batterys and Charging System

[ridgeroadrunner]

When I bought by Bus , it had 8 220 amp power 6 volt Batteries for the House Power, with a 12.5 KW diesel Generator with a Sea ray electronic pulse modulator switching charger. The Batterie's are getting weak due to age.  What is the best  per dollar to go with now. Or do I need change the 6 volt batteries for 12 volt . The batteries are golf cart batteries . What are most people using now

[ridgeroadrunner]

I will be thankful for any advice

[richard5933]

If you have room, maybe Trojan L16. They aren't the cheapest but they pack a bunch of capacity per battery.

We've got four of the L16G, which gives us a total of 780Ah @ 12v.

[chessie4905]

Many use golf cart batteries due to the most bang for the buck. I use 4- 4d deep cycle in mine, because the box was made for that type.

[Branderson]

2 12 volt AGM deep charge. From O’reillys. They are 350 each but fire and forget

[windtrader]

Many use golf cart batteries due to the most bang for the buck. I use 4- 4d deep cycle in mine, because the box was made for that type.

Golf batteries are designed for deep cycle use which is best suited in house battery banks. They also do offer great value but no matter what battery you chose for a house bank make sure it is a deep cycle type.

[richard5933]

Agree that deep cycle is mandatory to get proper system performance.

Shopping for 'golf cart batteries' is likely to keep the search stuck on one or two sizes of batteries when there are many options. Check out a few of the places that sell deep cycle batteries to see what's out there. Get away from the box stores, at least to compare and contrast, as you'll find more selection and reasonable prices at some of the more industrial supplier type of places.

I found a place in the Milwaukee area called SBS (Storage Battery Systems) and was able to get some great advice and suggestions on the right battery for my need. I found that their prices were comparable to other retailers but their selection was much broader. Perhaps you've got such a place in your area - try looking for forklift battery suppliers or use the Trojan site to search for dealers in your area.

My goal was to maximize the amount of capacity I could cram into as small a foot print as possible. The bays are taller than any battery I could choose, but the floor space in the bays is rather limited. I decided on the L16 size to maximize use of the space this time. On our 4106 height was an issue, so I went with T145 6v batteries since they packed the most Ah/sq ft that I could fit.

Regarding the question about 6v vs 12v, there is an eternal debate on this. However, when I did the math of capacity vs dollars and capacity vs size, the 6 volt came up the winner each time.

[TomC]

I have 2-8D Lifeline AGM deep cycle. I dislike 8D's because they are so blasted heavy (165lbs). But with that said, where my batteries are mounted, checking the fluid levels was a pain. So I switched to Lifeline AGM's. My first set lasted 7 years (they have a 5 year warranty) and during that 7 years literally did nothing to maintain them. AGM's don't need periodic servicing since (under normal use) don't out gas, hence the terminals don't get dirty. Now on my second set of Lifeline AGM. (510 amp/hrs total @ 12v).
On my truck, I'm switching to 6V since I have better height. I'm using 4-6PL-6CT which are 13.02" tall and are 300amp/hrs each @ 90lbs. The regular golf cart battery is 10.28" tall and 220amp/hrs. The biggest is the L16 at 15.73" tall and 400amp/hrs @ 119lbs.
AGM batteries are about twice as expensive as regular wet batteries. But for me, the lack of maintenance, twice as fast charging, and if need be can be mounted in any position (except upside down) is worth it. Good Luck, TomC

[Geoff]

Even though the price has gone up on golf cart batteries, they are still the best deal for power.  Mine last 5-7 years.  Sure hate the bill when replacement time comes.

[eagle19952]

Even though the price has gone up on golf cart batteries, they are still the best deal for power.  Mine last 5-7 years.  Sure hate the bill when replacement time comes.

i get the same life out of BD wet acids, infact AGM's are only a year or two better.

I firmly believe the myth that an 8D or 4D anything is a deep cycle battery.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

I use eight Trojans T-105 that I paid $120 each for.  I heard from many Bus Nuts they are very popular for bus house batteries.  I had six 4D batteries for House batteries when I bought the bus but they didn't seem to hold up well and are very heavy to handle so I bought eight of the golf cart batteries for my all-electric bus and they are doing very well.   I also bought a battery watering system which makes keeping them topped off very easy for lazy people like me.

[windtrader]

Another factor is serviceability. Buying golf batteries from the big box guys means you can be in nearly any town and do a swap if a battery goes dead under warranty. Other brands may work fine but finding a dealer for a warranty claim is surely going to be more challenging.

[neoneddy]

I get mine from batteries plus, they sell a 230ah Duracell that is a rebranded Dekka.

At my local store they will honor the 10% off online code and more in store. Turns out they keep more if if it's a store sale vs online.

All said and done it's a $100 each + core


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[Dave5Cs]

We use 4 with an Magnum 4024 hybrid inverter. 24 volt system
U.S. Batteries
Voltage: 6 V
AH: 232 AH
RC25AMPS: 447 AH
Cover Case: RED/WHT
Application: 6Volt Golf Car & Multi Puropse
Weight: 59 Lbs
Length: 10.25
Width: 7.13
Height: 11.25
Cross reference,T-105-,GC-2,T-605,
$118.00 each and after core charge with turn in of any kind of battery it is about 95-100.00 each