Lithium Batteries

As some may have noticed I posed a question on Lithium batteries…The reason for the posting on this and other Forums is because the Manufacturer of my recent and very expensive purchase LITEPOWER refused / has failed to respond to my two simple questions. Ergo, anyone thinking of buying from LITEPOWER or any Lithium Battery should think long and hard in my opinion.

This is my experience. I bought a battery through my Pro shop having seen it on the Web the provider as I said…LITEPOWER. The battery includes a 5 year limited warranty. After reading their user instructions I had a couple of questions. A: Could I charge the battery using a time controlled socket. B: Once charged do you actually have to disconnect the battery from the charger even though the power is OFF!

A couple of simple enough questions I think you will agree. I and my questions have been completely ignored by the supplier. You have to ask yourself what is it they are hiding if they will not put answers to these simple questions in writing. In the end I had to resort to getting my Pro involved to get the answers. ( Pro’s don’t seem to know much about these batteries either. ) The answers that came back. Question A:No Question B:Yes…. it was that simple.. or is it?

I got this from the internet.

They start degrading as soon as they leave the factory. They will only last two or three years from the date of manufacture whether you use them or not. They are extremely sensitive to high temperatures. Heat causes lithium-ion battery packs to degrade much faster than they normally would. If you completely discharge a lithium-ion battery, it is ruined. There is a small chance that, if a lithium-ion battery pack fails, it will burst into flame.

Now I paid £200 for the battery. I could have bought 4 Standard batteries for the same money. There are even cheaper lead Acid batteries out there that will power your trolley. You can do the maths.

Some of the rules---- I have to keep my battery within certain temperature ranges that prevent me from charging it in the garage during cold spells. Even if you could charge in an out house. You would also be running in and out several times to check if it was time to disconnect the thing. It’s going to clutter up the kitchen.

You can’t charge it on a soft surface ie carpet. ( one has to assume risk of fire ) While if charging it outside the house is a nuisance as I said.

I have to remember to go and switch it off and unplug the thing once charged. That can take between 2 & 4.5 hours how often do you go and check it?.. No more stick it in the garage on charge and forget till next time.

They talk about a charging fan being fully functional and being uncovered. ( there is no fan ) the whole battery is encased in a thick carry bag.

And the rules go on and on. Oh how I wish I had just bought a lead acid.

As I said think long and hard.

Hi, i read what you thought about lithium batteries and thought you may be just a little uninformed. lithium batteries (maybe not light power) have an excellent D.O.D (depth of discharge) this means they can play further on less Ah they also are alot better than lead acid batteries for being left flat the battery will not die and certainly will not burst into flames. all reputable lithium batteries have a BMS (battery management system) this controls the battery like a brain, a "smart battery" if you will, this BMS stops the battery at its minimal volatge which is normally 10v and also cuts off the battery when the voltage is too hig .ie during charging this makes the battery imposible to over charge or over discharge. a lead acid battery is prone to all number of problems on a golf course 1) they are ran until the wheels dont move and then maybe not charged this will cause sulfation on the plates which will limit the batteries capacity this can also block gas vents which can cause the battery to swell. there is no sulfation with lithium batteries. there are many diffent types of lithium batteries the safest and most stable and most widely used is LIFEPO4 (lithium iron phosphate) which is what i presume your litepower battery to be.

in response to "have a long hard think". Dont, lithium is the latest and greatest in battery technology in the not to distant future all batteries will be lithium they are more eco friendly, lighter, charge faster, live longer, more powerfull, come with a longer warranties and not only that but they soon be cheaper due to the rising cost of lead.