Is this a good battery?

[crstainbrook]

I have another posting on the site that says I am moving to a small cabin in Alaska and will be using a propane generator, inverter, and battery bank for power.  I have gotten some great ideas and now have run across a battery(s) that I can purchase used for 30$ a piece.  The battery is: (Enersys Hawker Genesis EP Battery part number 0771-2001 70Ah 12v).  Supposedly they have been load tested by running a 3.5 amp load and produced 76.66 amp hours with an ending load of 10.2v.  They are dated to 2001 and were recently removed from ups service.  I really don't know what any of this means, including ups, as I am completely new to alternative energy.  If anyone could give me some direction as to a type of battery I should be using, or if this is a good deal, please let me know.  Thank you in advance.

Chris

[whatsnext]

They are probably perfectly good batteries but VRLA batteries need a good regulator to prevent overcharging which is really really bad for sealed batteries. I wouldn't buy anything until you are absolutely sure of what size you need for a bank because paralleling long strings is a no no. If you live anywhere near Kansas City get a hold of me.

John...

[Slingshot]

Chris,

Hawkers have been said to be a good battery, but still they are five years old, so it's a risk depending on how well you trust the source.

Just remember, you can get 12V 100AH trolling-motor batteries for $45 at Wal-Mart, and they will be brand new.  I believe they will also have a 100% free replacement warranty (no pro-rating) for the first year or two of use.  That could be handy if your usage profile turns out to be destructive

[picmacmillan]

hello...mmm...as a reference, i go to a large battery store to get my batteries ..they are not new, but they are used, similar to what you are trying to do...

  i have paid 15 bucks canadian each for a bunch of batteries(12 of them)..all hold their charge, and i am real happy with them as they are running everything in our remote cabin..refrigerator, lights, and of course stereo ....

  thumbnail(from here), has gone to this same store and bought a whole skid of L-16's for 30 bucks each..i believe he said he bought 18 of them!...real good find for sure...tons of amp hours...

    my main concern isnt just the price, but the fact that you will need them all to be able to keep the same level of charge...meaning it is real important that you dont buy for instance 3 batteries this week, and 4 next week from a different source, and of a different amp hour rating..and they all dont have the same amount of amp hours..the weakest battery in your battery bank will dictate what kind of amp hour rating you will get so more than the price is important here...making sure they are all very close to being the same strength is as important, if not more important than price..

   i guess what i am trying to say is...first before buying batteries, you must be clear on how much energy will you be using, and secondly, you need to buy the batteries all at the same time, regardless if they are new or used...i think you are on the right track by finding some used batteries...15 bucks is a good deal in my opinion...if you are near a city, most larger battery stores sell large back up battery systems to police departments, fire departments, casino's and any other big business...so every couple years these companies trade in their back up systems and in most cases, they are always charged up, they have never been used,.just like the dusty battery on your local store shelf...this kind of a deal is worth the time to check into...5 years old, as another poster has mentioned is a stetch, but it is a good starting point..maybe call another battery store and see what they have..newer the better...usually they take business' used batteries and only give them scrap prices for them...so battery stores cannot understand what we want them for? but this is our little secret in a way, as i believe as soon as these battery stores find there is a market for their used batteries, then scrap prices will no longer be offered, so what they dont know, doesnt hurt them...as a matter of fact., the same store that i buy my used batteries from, and a couple others i have told them about this store,are now starting to have trouble securing used batteries, as their is someone from quebec who will drive down (600 mile trip), to purchase everything this store has ...so, people are starting to know that their is money to be made on used batteries....this guy will come and make 2 trips a week (load right up), so he isnt just buying these batteries for himself, he is reselling them most likely to alternative energy folks like me and you....good luck on your project...pickster

[crstainbrook]

I wouldn't want to take away your battery source, but if felt like revealing that would be great.  Maybe on my way up through Canada in a few weeks to Alaska I could stop and purchase some...stainbrook2003@yahoo.com in case you feel generous.  Thanx for the direction, I appreciate it!

Chris

[nothing to lose]

"If you live anywhere near Kansas City get a hold of me."

He's talking Alaska, are you talking MO. or KS? Not really near, but close enough, have you got a deal on batteries?

[nothing to lose]

Also look for Golf Cart repair and sales shops.

 I can get used T105s for $10 each here. A T105 is a 200amp battery at a 20 hour discharge rate (like 10 amps for 20 hours), maybe 105 amps in a short heavy load use like golf cart that sucks power out fast.

[whatsnext]

Yes, I have a friend in the industrial battery buisness. I've offered sets to the folks on the board before and even emailed back and forth with you about a year ago. The only thing he has now is a nice 24VDC 1400Ah Flooded Lead Calcium set but I'm waiting for 48V and my move out of the city.

John..

[nothing to lose]

Feel free to e-mail me on any good battery deals worth my drive up with a pickup truck and a if need be a trailer too. I am working with all the volts now also.

12V 5k Aims inverter, 24 Ups's various sizes and uses, 48V Matrix 5000 I hope to run the well off of later.

 I remember the e-mails, I had forgot who they were from though.

[whatsnext]

NTL, What would be the point of sending you the emails?  This set would cost about $250 and they are flooded but unused and showing 2.2VDC/cell. The clear cases allow you to see what appears to be no sulfation. This guy does not want to get involved with any sort of tax sheltered non profit so if you, or anyone else, wants them they would need to bring cash. Total weight would be about 2000lb.

John..

[nothing to lose]

"NTL, What would be the point of sending you the emails?"

Information like that when available

 Now I can figure if it would be good for me to drive up and get them or cost me too much total after the trip expenses. Also 2000lbs gives me an idea I would not want to use my truck and would need the trailer.

As for the Non-profit, not really a tax shelter non-profit (could been meant various ways), and I mentioned that in part before as I thought the other ones were at a scrap yard to be scraped if not sold. Often scrap value of items are far less than donation values and for some that makes it worthwhile and for some it's not.

Anyway I'll think on these, I think you said 1,400amphrs or something, I'll have to look back and see if that was correct.