Lucas LX31MF Leisure Battery

[dmr]

Yet another Battery Post!!

 

My (moderately) cheapo leisure batteries are getting near the end of their lives after just 100 cycles. Thats less than 4 months!!!.

I am not keen on sealed batteries for liveaboard use, and the good experts of this forum have suggested trying commercial vehicle batteries.

However the new Lucas LX31MF Sealed Leisure Batteries look very tempting.

They claim that they really do have the specified 113Ah capacity. I reckon anyone who says this probably means it. The cheapo 110Ah leisure batteries barely managed 70. The Lucas also specifies 500 cycles at 70% discharge. If these specs are true then £100 is a bargain.

Does anyone have any experience with these Batteries? Maybe Gibbo has even tested one???

[Gibbo]

Sorry, never even heard of one let alone tested one.

[sharpness]

Yet another Battery Post!!

 

You'll get all sorts of positive & negative posts, it could even be terminal!

 

Steve

[blodger]

I have just looked on Ebay 'LUCAS 115Ah (110Ah) LX31MF ULTRA DEEP CYCLE Battery' and a Lancashire firm is doing these at 79.99 + 11.95 Express P&P.

 

My first thought was that they are good batts if you can get them at trade price.

 

Some people ere not that fussy about price but it is possible to get a similar spec for around 65.00 if you pick them up yourself. So where you are matters.

 

You were really asking for confirmation that somebody had them and rated them but I think that this 'model' is fairly recent/untried but I give way to someone who knows more.

 

Most producers/sellers are reticent regarding cycles and where they do they can be misleading.

 

You pays your money and takes your chance!

[weeble]

Yet another Battery Post!!

 

My (moderately) cheapo leisure batteries are getting near the end of their lives after just 100 cycles. Thats less than 4 months!!!.

I am not keen on sealed batteries for liveaboard use, and the good experts of this forum have suggested trying commercial vehicle batteries.

However the new Lucas LX31MF Sealed Leisure Batteries look very tempting.

They claim that they really do have the specified 113Ah capacity. I reckon anyone who says this probably means it. The cheapo 110Ah leisure batteries barely managed 70. The Lucas also specifies 500 cycles at 70% discharge. If these specs are true then £100 is a bargain.

Does anyone have any experience with these Batteries? Maybe Gibbo has even tested one???

Fitted 3 last April and they appear to work well -- if you can make that assessment after just 11 weeks cruising. Although my power usage is low (and I cruised every day) they seldom dropped much below 75-80% according to SG. The price you quoted does seem a bit on the high side though and worth shopping around.

[Naughty Cal]

Yet another Battery Post!!

 

My (moderately) cheapo leisure batteries are getting near the end of their lives after just 100 cycles. Thats less than 4 months!!!.

I am not keen on sealed batteries for liveaboard use, and the good experts of this forum have suggested trying commercial vehicle batteries.

However the new Lucas LX31MF Sealed Leisure Batteries look very tempting.

They claim that they really do have the specified 113Ah capacity. I reckon anyone who says this probably means it. The cheapo 110Ah leisure batteries barely managed 70. The Lucas also specifies 500 cycles at 70% discharge. If these specs are true then £100 is a bargain.

Does anyone have any experience with these Batteries? Maybe Gibbo has even tested one???

 

Surely your batteries will still be under warranty after only 4 months.

[mrsmelly]

Surely your batteries will still be under warranty after only 4 months.

 

Warrantys only pay out for faulty goods within a specified timescale. The ops batteries are simply as he rightly says nearing the end of their life. As a liveaboard and for years never plugged in with quite a high battery drain I always had to change my batteries within the warranty period, not the fault of the makers I just wears em out...........

[Naughty Cal]

Probably where a good battery supplier comes into their own. I have no worries that if our new batteries start to falter during their 3 year warranty period that they will be exchanged

[Robin2]

Fitted 3 last April and they appear to work well -- if you can make that assessment after just 11 weeks cruising. Although my power usage is low (and I cruised every day) they seldom dropped much below 75-80% according to SG. The price you quoted does seem a bit on the high side though and worth shopping around.

 

I understood these are sealed batteries - how do you measure the specific gravity?

[Nickhlx]

Probably where a good battery supplier comes into their own. I have no worries that if our new batteries start to falter during their 3 year warranty period that they will be exchanged

 

That sounds an almost unbelievably good warranty - is that conditional on anything ?

 

Presumably if they are sulphated through improper use, or even worn out through daily 100% DoD and 100% charging, 1000 odd full depth cycles( 3 x 365) will not be covered by the warranty ?

 

If it is I would like to buy some too

 

Nick

[Naughty Cal]

That sounds an almost unbelievably good warranty - is that conditional on anything ?

 

Presumably if they are sulphated through improper use, or even worn out through daily 100% DoD and 100% charging, 1000 odd full depth cycles( 3 x 365) will not be covered by the warranty ?

 

If it is I would like to buy some too

 

Nick

 

We know the chap who runs the place, having bought all of our batteries from him for many years. The OH working in the motor trade gets trade discount from him plus extra mates rates. You scratch my back i scratch yours agreement

[Nickhlx]

We know the chap who runs the place, having bought all of our batteries from him for many years. The OH working in the motor trade gets trade discount from him plus extra mates rates. You scratch my back i scratch yours agreement

 

OK - so not generally available (to others) then...

 

Nick

[Naughty Cal]

OK - so not generally available (to others) then...

 

Nick

 

Not on a mass scale no, we cant really take the micky out of him.

[Nickhlx]

Not on a mass scale no, we cant really take the micky out of him.

 

Understand - of course - no probs

 

I guess we all get "perks" of one sort or another from friends / colleagues

 

 

Nick

[Naughty Cal]

Perks or no perks though you would still expect a set if new leisure batteries to last longer than 100 cycles and 4 months. I would be taking them back and trying for an exchange.

[Speedwheel]

The Lucas sealed 113 amp batteries are rebadged Numax ones.

Edited January 14, 2011 by Speedwheel

[weeble]

I understood these are sealed batteries - how do you measure the specific gravity?

Ah yes, sorry about the confusion, SG=SmartGauge

[Nickhlx]

Perks or no perks though you would still expect a set if new leisure batteries to last longer than 100 cycles and 4 months. I would be taking them back and trying for an exchange.

 

I certainly would expect them to....

 

For the extra that e.g. Trojan and USB batteries (semi tractions) cost, with their claimed 1200 cycles to 70% DoD, I was very happy to use those ( and look after them)

 

So far, very good - long may they last

 

Nick

[Speedwheel]

I certainly would expect them to....

 

For the extra that e.g. Trojan and USB batteries (semi tractions) cost, with their claimed 1200 cycles to 70% DoD, I was very happy to use those ( and look after them)

 

So far, very good - long may they last

 

Nick

 

You can get the USbat batteries rebadges as Lucas too.

[Naughty Cal]

Dmr, if you have managed to kill a brand new set of batteries in 4 months or 100 cycles you may need to look at your set up as something sounds amiss.

 

Are you allowing them them to become totally or very deeply discharged before recharging them?

[bottle]

My (moderately) cheapo leisure batteries are getting near the end of their lives after just 100 cycles. Thats less than 4 months!!!.

 

I take it you are taking the 100 cycles as 100 days, now I do not know all the technicalities but that does seem a very short time. I suppose it is how you use them

 

I will ask a question and with your answer the experts may be able to help you.

 

How far do you discharge them and how are you re-charging them and to what level.?

 

The Lucas sealed 113 amp batteries are rebadged Numax ones.

 

If this is true and I have no doubt it may well be, I have the Numax ones and so far they have lasted 18 months, on an all electric boat, no signs yet of getting tired.

 

Regularly discharged to 50% soc (couple of times even lower).

[Nickhlx]

I take it you are taking the 100 cycles as 100 days, now I do not know all the technicalities but that does seem a very short time. I suppose it is how you use them

 

I will ask a question and with your answer the experts may be able to help you.

 

How far do you discharge them and how are you re-charging them and to what level.?

 

 

 

If this is true and I have no doubt it may well be, I have the Numax ones and so far they have lasted 18 months, on an all electric boat, no signs yet of getting tired.

 

Regularly discharged to 50% soc (couple of times even lower).

 

My concern with manufacturers selling to others to re-badge is that perhaps they are sometimes selling the products that are not quite meeting the original spec - otherwise OK, just not the same spec, although usable but sold to shift them... With a different badge on them, the initial specs claimed don't have to be backed up.

 

Nick

[Speedwheel]

My concern with manufacturers selling to others to re-badge is that perhaps they are sometimes selling the products that are not quite meeting the original spec - otherwise OK, just not the same spec, although usable but sold to shift them... With a different badge on them, the initial specs claimed don't have to be backed up.

 

Nick

 

Lucas as a company don't actually exist anymore. The name is owned by someone who 'rents it out' to those wishing to use it.

 

Edit - or so I believe!

Edited January 14, 2011 by Speedwheel

[steelaway]

My concern with manufacturers selling to others to re-badge is that perhaps they are sometimes selling the products that are not quite meeting the original spec - otherwise OK, just not the same spec, although usable but sold to shift them... With a different badge on them, the initial specs claimed don't have to be backed up.

 

Nick

 

 

I was also very suspiciousof the Lucas name.

There seems to be a derth of re-stickered batterys (and many othyer products) out there.

I did hear of a company that paid 0.20p per item sold to a multinational 'Name' to have the 'Name' on all their products.

'Cat' being one of them. Obvious really, why would they be making clothes and shoes.

 

Alex

[dmr]

Dmr, if you have managed to kill a brand new set of batteries in 4 months or 100 cycles you may need to look at your set up as something sounds amiss.

 

Are you allowing them them to become totally or very deeply discharged before recharging them?

 

Hi

Thanks

I did an initial capacity test when I first got these batteries are they were not very good, but I had hoped to get 9 months to a year out of them. I have looked after them correctly, though batteries do have a hard time on a liveaboard as it is not viable to fully charge them every day.

 

I will do a proper discharge test in the next couple of days to find out just how bad they really are.

I will then try a guarantee claim but am not optimistic. Battery guarantees really are about defective parts and workmanship rather than the battery getting worn out. A five year guarantee would imply 1825 cycles on a liveaboard, a £100 battery will never do that!!

Interestingly by batteries have a two year guarantee but the small print says only 1 year if used on a boat!

My previous set of batteries (Numax) were useless from new and even then the guarantee claim was very hard work.

The warehouse tested them, declared them useless and said that I must have left them in a discharged state!