Whats better? Gel Batteries or Old School Lead-Acid?

I hear Gel batteries are good to take a beating, last long and are good for extreme temperatures. Also gel does not let off gasses and does not require a large battery casing.

But, Gel has to be charged with a gel battery specific battery charger. If the charge is not applied properly, "voids" in the gel substance occurs causing permanent damage.

Quoted from wind 7 sun "Some other disadvantages of gel cells is that they must be charged at a lower voltage (2/10th's less) than flooded or AGM batteries. If overcharged, voids can develop in the gel which will never heal, causing a loss in battery capacity. In hot climates, water loss can be enough over 2-4 years to cause premature battery death." http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Bat...%20electrolyte

(not sure how to do a poll on threads)

 

Gel batteries really pose no threat to lead or nmH batteries anytime soon. The cost is exceptionally high and they haven't held up as well as the old style batteries in the real world. I have the factory battery in my 98 Ram and it is still kicking-couldn't happen with gel batteries. Unless they've been greatly improved in the last 2 years, 2-3 years was the absolute longest they could hold a charge.

 

Gel batteries are best for when the battery is mounted in the vehicle such as a trunk mounted battery compared to a standard lead battery.
Dry cell is powerful and very light. http://www.performancedistributors.com/batteries.htm

 

For longevity, I don't personally think gel batteries have issues. I have a friend of mine that bought a red topped optima 7 years ago and it is still cranking hard. People that generally want/ need gel sets are the ones that plan on using a lot of juice with out the motor running to recharge the battery.

It is the one thing I never did to this truck just for the simple fact that I got hooked into the "never start program". In a nut shell, when you have over 3000 watts of stereo equipment racing around on a built alternator and a walmart battery, they tend to last about 90 days before you kill a cell. Every time I get one replaced, I get a new three year free replacement warranty. (This is what happens when the stocker dies on a walmart parking lot)

In the end, if you need a battery that can handle 5+ hours of discharge and not lack cranking power when you're done, then get a gel battery. If you need a standard turn the key and know it will start, then get a typical lead battery with a replacement warranty. Something like Interstate or Die hard.

Had I never got that "Never Start" I would have put in an optima and possibly a dual battery setup just to handle the draws that I see.

 

I don't like the Optima batteries. Then again I don't crank my stereo for hours either. I've always gone DuraLast Gold series from Auto Zone as they come with a free replacement for 3 years then a pro-rated warranty for 5 years after that for a 8 year warranty. Never had issues with them either!

 

Me too.

 

Well, like I said, Optimas are a waste of money if you aren't going to be letting them have draws all the time. they were made for Marine trolling motors and tunage junkies.