It seems to me that this is a minefield. Batteries with the same detailed spec can be bought for a very wide range of prices. Does anyone know of a good reliable make/type at a sensible price? I need two 12V
12Ah batteries.Bill
The only way really is to read the forums for user experiences and search o n prices. And of course steer clear of the non vibration proofed non deep c ycle alarm batteries. Golf batteries are also suitable as long as you dont intend to fly with the thing. Thankfully the market for 12Ah is relatively small, so won't take forever. The premiums for 13&15Ah aren't usually worth it.
NT
Does the manufacturer of the mobility scooter not suggest an expensive or unobtainable make that they would prefer you to use-)?
Worth checking for a local mobility hire shop/garage and see what they can offer. They are likely to use a cost effective product themselves and their price premium may be acceptable.
they use all sorts of brands
that I doubt
NT
In the UPS I've had best life from Yuasa but this float not cyclic use... Cambden(?) was similar.
Take a look at:
-cyclic-batteries.html
No connection with VPS other than a satisfied customer both for product/delivery and price.
My experience is that suppliers dealing in disability aids consistently charge 50% or more than alternative suppliers for batteries but often supply ones of dubious provenance. This is particularly so if the (standard) batteries are within a scooter specific pull out pack.
and no vibration, so very different. IIRC Yuasa don't have the best rep for golf/mobility batts.
You can get some mobility/golf 12Ahs at about half that.
NT
We usually use Yuasa all the time:)...
So who does if not Yuasa?
I'm sure Mr Wright would like to know where from and if they are from this unknown best for golf/mobility brand.
Yes, well, what happened was this. After 500 cycles the two batteries that came with the machine started to perform poorly. I ordered two Lucas deep discharge batteries from a major on line supplier at £35 each. Nothing arrived. After a fortnight I rung up. "Ah well we tried to contact you but we couldn't get though." This despite the fact that the order included four valid phone numbers and an email address. The batteries were out of stock. By this time Madam was getting pissed of with the greatly reduced range of her little indoor conveyance "Baby Bug"), so I said "Please send the nearest thing you have." What came were two batteries at £16 each. I fitted them and it was obvious that there was a problem. The conveyance had a range of 23 feet rather than the normal 4 miles. After careful testing of the charger and the batteries they were returned and two more £16 batteries arrived. Initially the range was two miles but this soon dropped to about 300 feet. One battery turned out to be faulty. I'm just pissed off now, so bollocks to that firm. I'll go elsewhere.
Meanwhile, on the bright side, we've just had a brilliant holiday, making use of the new Big Bug, which is so much better than the old Big Bug. Her on the bug and me on the bike! Such freedom!
Bill
If there's a best mfr its news to me. AIUI there are simply some ok, some t hat don't last as well. Yuasa not being one of the longer lasting golf/mob batts.
If I'd found it I'd have posted it. All I can remember is it was the one af ter I looked at Ritar - fwiw!
NT
500 cycles in this sort of use is very good. I'm curious now to know what b rand they were. I gather you can expect 100-200 from Yuasas.
I'll try again later to find out what the brand I mentioned was.
NT
Wondering the same thing here. No experience of scooter batteries but there are plenty of manufacturers with no reputation and with no potential to even establish a reputation. Yuasa have been around a very long time and I know they are not the absolute best worldwide, but they are very close, and among the very best you can get now. In the UK/Europe I'd still buy them above *anything* else.
Most but not all problems I've seen with sealed lead acids have been with an incorrect charging regime* incorrect battery construction, or operating conditions that are just too severe.
There are sealed lead acids in service now that are now over 30 years old, and the last I heard are still operating well in excess of the manufacturers originally stated capacity. In the past I've seen cells less than 6 months old skipped with cracked bulging cases and zero capacity.
Are you joking? They seem to mark up everything they sell by far more than any other retailer. Suppose they guess many would think only a thief with no conscience would do that to the disabled.
Lucas these days seems to be rather like Silverline, supplying all sorts of things of varying quality. But depending on the brand name to sell. And of course they're nothing to do with the Lucas firm of old.
I've seen 'new' Lucas distributors for classic cars which were just rubbish. But cheap rubbish, it has to be said.
Can you say on what do you base that opinion on, and if that is the case can you name the better ones please?..
An APS trademark!.
I reckon thats their business plan sell the UPS cheap and make the moolah on Battery replacements. However some I've replaced with Yuasa batts seem to last better...
ISTM there's a perception that "the council will pay", or "the social will pay", or "the NHS will pay" which immediately signals a >100% price gouge.
Trawling the internet for user experiences. And IMLE they haven't been grea t for small vehicle use - but that's too small a sample to be of much value . Yuasa seem to have a great rep based on alarm batteries etc, but not real ly golf/mobility, which have different requirements.
No, I've relooked and can't find the file. You'd need to trawl forums to se e for yourself what people have had good/bad experiences with.
I'm likely to go where they are some time this week, will have a look if I remember. It wasnt a brand I know much about, only that they didnt score mu ch in the complaints department and were cheap.
NT
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