9 hours ago, wdp said:

@casts_by_fly and @MN Fisher think I’m about to take the LiFePO4 battery plunge but still trying to decide on a charger. I’m looking at this Noco Genius 5. But is there any advantage to getting the 10 amp charger instead? Does it charge the Li battery significantly faster? The 5 amp is about half the cost of the 10. Also, it looks like on the Noco charger you just set the mode to 12V Li & let it charge overnight, is that correct? If the 5 amp takes all night to charge, no biggie for me. 

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GENIUS5-Fully-Automatic-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B07W8KJH44/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1HU02J468KCJR&keywords=noco+genius+5&qid=1674537268&sprefix=noco+genius%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-3

@AJ Hauser I’m still undecided on which brand to get. I’m not sure a lot of these brands are nothing more than a small store front/office space on the stateside that is really just a Chinese company. I put in the New Jersey address for Mighty Max in Google maps & looks like it’s a small space in a bunch of warehouse/strip mall type businesses. And no phone number to call. I don’t think many are actually based in the US other than Battleborn & Dakota. And I’m not ready to pay Battleborn prices. ? With all that being said, I’m leaning towards something like this LiTime (I think it was formerly branded AmpereTime). It’s only $300 & weighs only 25.2 lbs. I figure if I get 3-4 yrs out of it, I’ll be doing good. If it craps out after 2 yrs, then I won’t be losing as much as if I bought a $420 - $500 battery. We’ll see how it goes. 
 

https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Battery-Perfect-Applications-Warranty/dp/B084DB36KW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=28SETMTKEUA0V&keywords=lipo4+battery+12v+100ah+deep+cycle&qid=1674534283&sprefix=lipo4+deep++battery+12v+100ah%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExWFpCUVFWVVY1OFY2JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjY3NTU2MlpPTDJLR1dJNFVQSSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTc2NTUyMUNBWUxJNE5FNFE0MiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

 

I run the genius 5 for my 80 AH and 30 AH batteries.  I went with the 5 because it would work for both.  You don't want to charge too hard on small batteries or you'll damage them.  The rule of thumb is 10x.  So a 100 ah battery gets a 10 amp charger.  I'd be fine putting the 10 A charger on my 80 AH, I just didn't feel like spending another $50 for a charger.

 

Yes, you just plug it in and walk away.  The genius chargers are also battery tenders so are safe to leave plugged in 24/7/365 if you want.  They also have mode for li, lead acid, and gel batteries if you run any of those still.

 

Like MN fisher said, check out the guy who tears down batteries.  Some of the cheaper brands actually have decent internal wiring and BMS.  Some do not.  I remember one that had something like 14 ga household wire carrying the main load through the battery. That's a mess waiting to happen.

 

I went Amped for both of my batteries.  I've run them for 2 years and I've pushed the 80 to a 10% charge a few times.  I'm happy with mine and I expect to get a long lifetime out of them if I do my part.

 

 

3 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

 

I run the genius 5 for my 80 AH and 30 AH batteries.  I went with the 5 because it would work for both.  You don't want to charge too hard on small batteries or you'll damage them.  The rule of thumb is 10x.  So a 100 ah battery gets a 10 amp charger.  I'd be fine putting the 10 A charger on my 80 AH, I just didn't feel like spending another $50 for a charger.

 

Like MN fisher said, check out the guy who tears down batteries.  Some of the cheaper brands actually have decent internal wiring and BMS.  Some do not.  I remember one that had something like 14 ga household wire carrying the main load through the battery. That's a mess waiting to happen.

Sounds like I need the 10 amp charger then. And I still need to do a little more research on which battery brand to get. 
 

I gotta pull the trigger on something soon. I’ve got a fishing trip in Georgia scheduled for early March. Thanks for all the info. 

11 minutes ago, wdp said:

Sounds like I need the 10 amp charger then. And I still need to do a little more research on which battery brand to get. 
 

I gotta pull the trigger on something soon. I’ve got a fishing trip in Georgia scheduled for early March. Thanks for all the info. 

 

If its a dedicated motor battery charger for a 100 AH battery, then yeah I'd go with a 10 Amp.  Most wall sockets in houses are only 15 amp so even if you got a 20 you might not be able to use it fully.