CHINS LiFePO4 Battery 12V 100AH Lithium Battery - Built-in 100A BMS with Low-Temp Protection, 2000~5000 Cycles, Perfect for Trolling Motors, Solar System, Marine, RV, Boat and Off-Grid etc.

These are great. I replaced two Interstate lead-acid deep cycle batteries (SRM-27's), and can't believe how much better (and longer) the Minnkota Ulterra functions with these LifePO4 batteries! First, as mentioned I use two of these 12v batteries wired in series to power the 24v Ulterra trolling motor that is mounted on a Carolina Skiff 23UE's bow. The batteries are charged with a Noco GENPRO10X4 12V 4-Bank, 40-Amp On-Board Battery Charger, which allows me to individually select the type of battery for each of the four batteries on the boat to Lead/Acid, Gel, AGM, or Lithium. Obviously, the two CHINS 100AH LifePo4's are set to "Lithium." They needed to be charged upon receipt of the batteries, and I let them charger overnight. No problem. The Ulterra is very sensitive to voltage. Regular Lead and sealed (agm) batteries drop voltage as you use them, causing problems where the Ulterra stops functioning, except at very low speeds. After experiencing many error codes on the Ulterra after an hour or less of use ( if running more than speed 5 (of 10)), I called Minnkota who said, "the Ulterra needs the batteries to have voltage of 12.6v per battery under a load for a combined reading 25.2v total," or it will turn off, as I was experiencing. My multimeter showed that the voltage of the two Interstates (only about 3 months old) was dropping well beneath the 25.2 threshold almost all the time at load -- dropping beneath the 25.2 that Minn Kota wants to 24.6v at speed 5 of 10. To better check and understand and track, I installed a Victron BMV-712 ( https://www.amazon.com/Victron-Energy-MONITOR-VTBMV-S-BMV-712-Battery/dp/B075RTSTKS/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2LK4SOA30P2XT&keywords=Victron%2B712&qid=1650131508&sprefix=victron%2B712%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-5&th=1 ). It confirmed my multimeter readings but allowed more much more detailed tracking. The lead batteries were not maintaining sufficient voltage output. When brand new, they worked better. Likely, I ran them below the 50% charge level a few times without knowing it, and might have damaged them. That's another benefit you'll read about LifePO4's over traditional deep cycle batteries. The lead flavors are not supposed to be run beyond 50% of their rated capacity, so you should only use 44AH of an 88AH battery, or it can be damaged. The LifePO4's can go low. I've taken these to 20% without any problems, and have heard of others going to 10%. Getting them to 20% was a long day of running the trolling motor. The voltage on the two LiFePO4's (in Series) stays in the range of 26.9 to 26.0v under load when operating between Ulterra speeds 1 to 7.5 of 10. It drops into the 25's at speed 8 to 10, but never drops below 25.4, which was at speed 10 with about 50% of the AH's consumed already. Excellent!! These batteries are great!! Strongly recommend for the Ulterra 24V and imagine they would also be great for the 36V Ulterra if you buy three of them. Remember to buy, have, or install a proper lithium battery charger for these, too. One word of caution, I try to avoid running the Ulterra at the high speeds 7.5 or higher for long periods of time (30 minutes) with the LiFePO4's because Minn Kota's website mentioned that the motors were designed with Lead Acid durations in mind, not the much longer durations without voltage drops that we can get from the lithium batteries. Also, the Victron has an alarm that notifies me when the only 15% of the battery capacity remains. Lithium batteries hold their voltage very well until the end, then really, really drop. I'm concerned there would not be sufficient voltage to Stow the Ulterra if I ran it to the end of capacity.

Amazing battery, great customer support! This is a really good battery. Compared to traditional lead-acid batteries, it’s amazing how much lighter these are. They require a special charger to maintain longevity and capacity, but overall they are more robust than conventional cells. It’s more expensive, but depending on the application the upgrade really pays off. Batteries in general aren’t risk free and can create quite some damage. Anybody who ever experienced a cheap replacement battery swelling up a phone will know what I am talking about. This seems to be a quality product. Everything checks. The order arrives from a Warehouse in the US directly from the manufacturer. Not Amazon Prime fast, but to be fair it was ordered over the holidays, so delivery is probably faster throughout the rest of the year. It was fast enough though. The battery arrived very well packaged. Even though it’s lighter than lead-acid, it’s still a heavy battery. But the foam does a good job. No damage at all. Included is a sheet with instructions and a wiring diagram in clean English. My battery was almost fully charged. I put it on my charger before hooking it up to the solar controller, but technically it was ready to use out of the box. All specs (really ALL) are printed on the side of the battery. A detail that is really appreciated. Support is very helpful and responds usually within a few hours. I recommend contacting them through the mail-address printed on the label, which is a bit easier than through Amazon’s seller page. They seem to know what they are doing, and provided helpful tips regarding installation and charging. That’s so much nicer than having to deal with some clueless support agent. Assuming these are aimed towards people who have at least a basic understanding of electronics, it’s great to know that they are taking their customers seriously. Five stars for a good product at a fair price, excellent documentation, and very helpful customer support.

The AGM battery in my dump trailer went belly-up. The attributes of a lithium battery, more specifically LiFePo, made perfect sense for the work of a dump trailer. With that in mind, I went shopping for a reputable 100Ah LiFePo battery. CHINS had a great price and solid reviews, so I made the investment and have zero regrets. What I gained from the swap from AGM to the CHINS LiFePo: 1) I get 8-10 dumps (maybe more) from a fully charged battery instead of 4 - extends the work day, if needed, makes me more productive 2) Half the weight (made install much easier) 3) Battery can be run all the way to 0% without worry of harming it (try not to go below 20% though - refer to next point) 4) Up to 5,000 charging cycles if I don’t run the battery down below 20% - an AGM battery *might*, maybe last three years or so realistically; the CHINS LiFePo could last 10 or more years! 5) The CHINS battery has its own battery management system (BMS), so I don’t have to worry about overcharging or damage to the battery if it’s too hot or too cold 6) CHINS included some nice terminal posts which made installation easier With the pricing of AGM versus LiFePo batteries running neck and neck, the only real “con” is the need to swap out the charging system due to the increased voltage required for lithium. A 5amp system (I wouldn’t go any less) will work just fine for a 100Ah battery. I found a good one for under $100 (an NOCO) and have been thoroughly pleased with the results. If you have the option, buy the CHINS battery. It’s a great option for the value.