The Truth About Lithium Batteries for your Boat - Myths vs Facts!

Today we separate fact from fiction and go over the truth about lithium batteries for your boat! The fishing and boating world is evolving and lithium iron phosphate or LiFePO4 batteries are taking over the market as lithium battery prices continue to drop, the technology improves and these batteries are tested and depended upon by more and more fishing professionals.
I had a chance to discuss lithium batteries indepth with Dean and his team at Millertech Lithium and basically covered every question I had or have ever seen regarding LiFePO4 technology and gathered a ton of information on the myths and facts floating around the web on these batteries. Not only did I get great information about MTech, but I also collected a ton of great information for anyone shopping for lithium batteries for their boat! A HUGE thank you to Dean for the help.
A TON of pros use Millertech batteries and are considered one of the best in the business with outstanding customer support. I reached to 3 top Lithium battery brands in the fishing industry and MTech were the ONLY ones to respond back, willing to answer any of my questions.
You can check out their site at millertechenergy.com
(¯`·._.· EQUIPMENT FROM THE VIDEO! ·._.·´¯)
✅ Millertech Lithium Batteries: millertechenergy.com/product-...
✅ Millertech Lithium Marine Chargers: millertechenergy.com/product-...
✅ NOCO GenPro 10x4 4 Bank Charger: amzn.to/3v5sThF
✅ NOCO GenPro 10x3 3 Bank Charger: amzn.to/2QDc0vO
✅ NOCO GenPro 10x2 2 Bank Charger: amzn.to/3oypxkN
I really hope you enjoy today's video and of course feel free to ask any questions or share your feedback in the comments below!
Tight lines my friends :)
(¯`·._.· CHAPTERS ·._.·´¯)
0:00 Introduction!
1:41 What is a Lithium Battery?
2:34 Why Lithium is Better than Lead Acid
6:30 What is the BMS?
9:10 Lithium as a Starting Battery!
11:50 Charging a Lithium Battery
12:55 Pricing $$$
14:58 Warning on Warranties
15:10 Should you Upgrade?
17:05 Final Thoughts!
(¯`·._.·(¯`·._.·(¯`·._.· FUN STUFF! ·._.·´¯)·._.·´¯)·._.·´¯)
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[@DanRichardFishing]

Anyone here already made the switch? How do you like your lithium batteries? Don't be shy and drop your feedback or questions below!

[@LitwinFishing]

Made the switch to 3x150Ah for Trolling motor and 1x75Ah for the electronics ... kept the cranking battery for the motor on a separate circuit. Never want to risk loosing power on my starting motor.

[@niceguydmm]

Love mine will never go back! Ionic's with BT!

[@dperk16]

@@niceguydmm how is your starter charged? Direct from alternator?

[@niceguydmm]

@@dperk16 Chargers the rear battery with the engine alternator. Ionics 100amp will crank a 250HP and its stays charged good when I'm running from place to place fishing.

[@alexanderrykhlinski5700]

I purchased FLYPOWER LifePo4 60 Ah battery for my Intex3 boat with Newport 46 lbs motor. After first two 3-hours long trips I have to admit I am very impressed. Varying speeds 3-4-5 this battery exceeded my expectations. At the end of each trip I had some 30% of the charge left. I will try to collect more accurate stats this season.

[@craigmira2452]

Watched your video when it first came out but wasn't ready to take the leap. Trolling batteries gave up the ghost last week and I started doing research, starting with this video again and reading the comments. Priced the major brands and and attempted to contact a few. Settled on MTech. Dean answered my phone call, first time, and then proceeded to discuss the batteries in detail and answered all my questions. Was very impressed with their customer service. Couldn't decide between 2 12's or a single 24. Went over the pros and cons with Dean and decided on a couple 75 A/h 12 Volt. Received the batteries 2 days later. Very impressed. Installing them tomorrow. Thanks for a great video. Keep up the great content. Much appreciated.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Craig, congrats on the huge upgrade! So you experienced the exact same thing I did when I put this video together!! I reached out to several brands and Dean at MTech responded to me right away and answered every question I had. There's a reason why so many pros are using these batteries and they all know Dean. I really hope you enjoy the batteries! I just bought their 20AH battery for my ice fishing sonar setup, which I will be doing a video on very soon :) What bank charger are you going to be using?

[@craigmira2452]

@@DanRichardFishing I went with the NOCO 5x3. Added a third bank because eventually I'd like to get a smaller lithium just for my electronics.

[@AmazonWebService98]

@@craigmira2452 why 12v vs 24v ?

[@craigmira2452]

@@AmazonWebService98 They told me if something went wrong with one of the 12's I could swap it out with a lead battery and still be fishing. Lose the single 24 and I'm done till I get a replacement or 2 12 lead batteries.

[@AmazonWebService98]

@@craigmira2452 yes true I send them a email and they said for ky application a single 24 would be great . So I'm going to have them wire in my skiff order battery and trolling motor and install it

[@mikestout9349]

Just upgraded my outboard on my little fishing boat. I’m interested in Lithium batteries. This video cleared up a lot of questions I had. Thank you.

[@DanRichardFishing]

That's awesome, I'm glad it was so helpful :)

[@kidcochiese]

Dan this was an awesome video. Cleared up a lot of questions. Thanks Man

[@kidcochiese]

no 36 volt yet?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thanks so much for the kind comment, appreciate you!

[@DanRichardFishing]

Not yet, I think the highest MTech has is 24 atm.

[@damiandebenedetto6068]

Nice vid. At the beginning of the season, I got a couple of M-techs for the trolling motor . . . man, they are flippin' fantastic!!! Like a lot of people, I was a bit timid about using a Lit for the Merc and the forums didn't help. After researching, Mercury warns against lithium ion, not LifeP04s. When my starting battery kicks it (and i sense it will be soon), I'm all in. Cheers!

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thanks so much for your feedback, and you're exactly right about Merc and Lithium Ion! There is so much misinformation on the forums it's kind of crazy what people are spreading around. Really glad you love your MTech batteries. A few people have commented that I sound like a commercial or was paid but I wasn't given a thing, these are genuinely awesome batteries and there's a reason why MTech is so popular. So I'm glad to hear you love yours so much! I actually JUST bought the 20AH one for my ice fishing rig, going to show it off in tomorrow's video ;) Thanks again for the comment!

[@johnropeleski6006]

Great video Dan, well explained👍🐟

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thanks John!

[@danham3344]

This was a very informative video. One thing I would have discussed, or at least mentioned, is the discussion about weather or not engine manufacturers warranties are affected by using Lithium batts. It’s all well and good that you can use them for cranking these days but engine manufacturers may not be on board yet. Folks should always check this issue out before switching. Again, really enjoyed the video. Very well done.

[@jackbaskin371]

You might take a look at the Magnuson-Moss warranty act. It says the use of aftermarket items which are used with something such as a vehicle, for example, etc does not void the warranty as long as it does not change the original item in the way it works. Simple terms as I am a simple man. Just as the Harley dealer said if I installed a trailer hitch on my new Trike it would void the warranty. Laid the Magnuson-Moss act on him and after he looked at it he said I could install the hitch without voiding the warranty. A Lithium battery does absolutely nothing to a motor except supply power to start it, just as an AGM, Gel or Lead/acid battery does, which none of them voids the warranty.

[@danham3344]

@@jackbaskin371 - Thanks, great info. 👍🏼

[@madmelton]

Millertech has great customer support. I bought batteries from Dean 2 years ago, had a problem with my charger unrelated to the batteries. He called me back at 8 pm, helped me out and sent me a free charger to get me going again. Will be purchasing all my batteries from Miler tech, you dont find service like that very often these days! And besides that the batteries everything they say they are, im not a pro but i can fish all day and these things stay almost full charge.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Glad your experience has been amazing with Dean and MTech. I keep trying to tell people their customer service is what makes all the difference but people still want to say I got paid to talk nicely about them lol! There's a reason why so many people love this company...

[@allans7281]

Awesome video Best review yet!! thanks for all the important insight. I was on the fence between AGM and lithium for my trolling motor powering my canoe and you just pushed me right over- Lithium it will be!! Now I understand why lithium is more expensive but definitely worth it( There’s many good lithium battery manuf. Are you sponsored by Mtech?) thx mate!

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thank you so much and yes I think it's a very good decision... just the weight savings alone for the same AH is totally worth it, let alone the other benefits. There are quite a few top brands that the pros use and are sponsored by and MTech is definitely one of them. I am most definitely NOT sponsored (I wish lol!) and I simply chose MTech for the video for 2 main reasons: 1. I contacted several top brands, MTech was the only one that got back to me and Dean was easy to work with and answered any and all of my questions. For me, customer service is paramount and right off the bat, MTech was the best 2. There are a few pro anglers that I speak to and value their input greatly. They all use MTech. I do own an MTech battery, which is in my ice fishing video and I paid full price and ordered off their website like anyone else. I am currently working with another battery company called Ray-Tech that is developing Lithium batteries under the name LiLead. I did a review last fall of their gen 2 dual purpose battery and will likely be running those on my boat this year so I can test their performance all year long. It's pricey because it's also a starting battery, which you don't need on your Kayak, but they will have a deep cycle only coming out soon that may be an interesting option. I'll post about it when it's ready, but if you're looking for right now, it's not available in the US/CA yet. Shop around, look closely at warranties and warranty policies and read reviews online. Contact each company with questions and see who gets back to you and who doesn't etc. Hope that helps!

[@user-or1gu9hw8g]

I'd like to know if I need to install a Lithium battery isolator or an external voltage regulator when installing a LifePo4 battery as a starting battery for my 60hp Mercury outboard.

[@bertdinkle3540]

Great video - I learned a lot. (I just subscribed and liked, etc.). A question: I know that when LFP and AGM (at least) batteries give off dangerous gas when they are being charged (and also when being discharged? That I don't know - do you?) Do you know if this is the case for LiFePO4 batteries? How much ventilation do they need?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Bert, there are no gasses escaping from a LiFePO4 battery so no need to keep them ventilated, they are completely sealed.

[@jamesbrandt5840]

Thank you for the video, I am just starting to do my homework on Lithium batteries and as soon as my current Walmart Batteries go out which are almost 10 years old now and still going strong, I am going to go with Lithium. In my research, I have not been able to find if I can use a jump pack to start my motor if I lose power to get me home. I have run out of power a few times on long tournament days with everything running and saved myself with my noco jump pack

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi James, this is a great question and I honestly had no idea so I gave MTech a call and reached out to LiLead (The battery I have) and both said you can use a Noco booster no problem. If you're looking at purchasing another brand, I suggest you give them a call or send them an email to ask and get the OK.

[@Ibanezflyingfingers]

I switched recently. Bought one, loved it-4 months later I have 4!

[@DanRichardFishing]

Niiiiice!!! I will be definitely going to Li when my trolling motor batteries need to be replaced.

[@timd7782]

Great info, thanks Dan. I am planning on making the switch from lead acid in my new 2018 whaler montauk, but I have a question: Is it OK to put a MillerTech 65Ah 12V (12.8V) 750CCA MARINE starting lithium and a MillerTech 100Ah 12V (12.8V) PREMIUM Lithium on the same battery switch? (which has a "1+2 "switch that places them in parallel). I assume it is. But If the starting battery went dead for any reason, would choosing the A+B option create any hazard? I know lithium is very efficient and the full charge deep cycle lithium would want to give a large and rapid charge to the dead one. Could the 100 Ah battery start a 90 HP mercury on its own? from what I have read, it cannot, or at least it's not recommended. But I am thinking at switch 1+2, the 100Ah deep cycle would charge the 65 Ah and maybe after a few minutes, be able to give it enough boost to do so. I know you are not an electrical expert, but can you let me know? I think it would be a great setup to set the 100Ah as battery 2 and run my 12V trolling motor off of it. And then switch back to battery 1 - the 65 Ah dual purpose to start motor and run electronics. And when I'm sitting in the river dock fishing, I could use either battery to run the stereo and lights all night no problem. Also my motor is a 90 Hp mercury connected to the battery switch whose alternator puts out 35 amps at 14+ volts so I assume I could charge either or both batteries at same time with it while driving depending on the battery switch setting. Thanks!

[@principleoutdoors8932]

Great info Dan!

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thank you sir!

[@brunofernandez2863]

Very good informative video.

[@davidcooper7062]

Great video, answered my question about the onboard charger unit upgrade. As soon as my piggy bank gets up to $2k I will upgrade the 24V system and charger.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Glad you found it useful David, thanks for the comment :)

[@erichildreth7562]

Hey thanks for sharing this video and yea these lithium batteries do make sense in the long run! Kudos to the Star Wars props, gotta love these movies!! :)

[@DanRichardFishing]

Haha thanks! I have a bunch of collectibles around the house, I work in the collectibles industry :) Had a TON when I was younger but not so much anymore.

[@brownnoise357]

PS. There's still a heck of a lot to be said for having large Cold Crank Amps AGM, batteries for Starter, Bow thruster, and electric Windlass Batteries, but prioritise them for topping back up to full Charge ASAP withnthe engine running while using Bow Thruster and Anchor Windlass, then you should get great service like out of AGM as well. as an aside, I got 15 years out of Lead Acid House Bank Batteries by never letting their voltage drop below 12.2v, and only topping up with distilled water. I think using a conditioning charger that desulphated the batteries helped. Plus having a Volt meter, of course. Bob. 👍

[@DanRichardFishing]

Unfortunately in the world of fishing, that kind of lifetime use is impossible no matter how much you baby your batteries. In 25 years of fishing, I've never seen a set last longer than 5 years.

[@davemcs2623]

Thanks Very good info

[@jacobjj3466]

thank you, great info

[@DanRichardFishing]

You're very welcome!

[@ernestjordan7056]

Very informative video, I really enjoyed it. Would you suggest a battery for my kayak? I'm running a Motorguide 12v 46lb thrust at a maximum of 10 hours run time. I guess I'm asking what Ah battery would you suggest?

[@DanRichardFishing]

I would get the highest one you can buy and fit in the Kayak and lithium would be an amazing choice. 10 hours of actual runtime of a trolling motor is a LOT of power. TBH I don't think you could get a battery that would run a trolling motor for 10 hours straight non-stop. You could get a 10 hour day of on and off use from it of course.

[@gerardhaubert8210]

This is one of the better videos that provides info on lithium

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thank you so much :)

[@robertboggs1567]

Excellent Video Dan

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thanks Rob!

[@hugopoirier7746]

Un gros merci Dan, un super bon vidéo encore une fois. Je suis justement dans le même processus d'acquisition d'information. Pas facile de faire un choix et de trouver des prix en CAD. je suis près de Montréal et le choix semble limité. bien hâte de voir la suite de tes test.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Merci beaucoup d'avoir regardé Hugo et pour ton commentaire! Oui, il y a pas mal de marques qui sortent, donc il peut être difficile de choisir, mais je sais que Millertech, Lithium Pros et Dakota sont des marques populaires. Si vous recherchez un distributeur local pour les batteries au lithium, consultez Gary a www.fishntech.com/ il est situé à Lachute et connaît VRAIMENT ses affaires. Je crois qu'il garde en stock maintenant du lithium. J'espère que cela aide et bonne pêche!

[@brucemillard8950]

i switched up. got a couple of ionics. yeah its pricey but long lasting and having a smaller boat weight is a big factor. 2 batteries for under 30 lbs. this was the biggest reason for me

[@DanRichardFishing]

I agree, the weight savings is MASSIVE!!

[@hntrains2]

Quadrupled the number of subscribers in two years; well done! Which lithium batteries are the best to power a trolling motor?

[@joebidendidthat5121]

Well switched on my Harley years ago. Weight reduction was amazing. Stock battery lasted 2 years. Lithium still strong after 7 years. Switching my trolling motor battery this spring.

[@redwood1957]

Interesting did you get a combo lithium or just a regular thanks

[@DanRichardFishing]

I actually just got a lithium on my Harley as well, so far it's been awesome!

[@obfn1]

Hi Dan..another good one! just finished watching 3 videos..all awesome..I didnt realize that lithium batteries were available in 24v so u would only need the one on a 24v system..i guess my next question is redundant as why you would use 2 x12v if you can get one, but with two would u still use the circuit breaker as you would with two lead acids? thanks! appreciate the videos!!

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Richard, this is a great question and I was actually presented with this same challenge for my own boating purposes so I can answer this one from my perspective. I personally would prefer 2 12v batteries rather than a single 24v because then you need to find a 24v specific charger and if you run 3 batteries in the boat like I do, then you need to have a 24v charger for the trolling motor battery and then a 12v charger for the main battery. It's just a pain. Second reason is if the 24v battery goes and it's out of warranty but should still have lots of life yet, you have to buy a whole new one, which is almost double the cost of the 2 12s. At least with 12s, if one goes, you can keep the other and just replace 1. as for the circuit breaker, yes you would use the exact same one as you would for lead acid :) Hope that helps and thank you for watching my videos! I have a fun Lithium video coming very soon!!

[@magic2066]

omg, u r so good. thx for the priceless info.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Wow thank you so much!! 😳

[@juannaranjo4541]

Great Video. Can you run 2 batteries in parallel keeping the voltage at 12v?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thank you! Yes these can be in series or in parallel but if you don't go with this particular brand do be sure that the battery you are going for can be wired the way you want. I've noticed almost all of them can be wired in parallel and a few cannot be wired in series so just keep an eye out for that. Thanks again for your comment and question!

[@juannaranjo4541]

Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply.

[@ranjifertarandus6808]

So...Lot's of good info here but I have been searching for information on durability. I'm wondering how these batteries stand up to rough water and the pounding that equipment takes up front in a boat. I'm trying to decide whether I can mount them in the bow (handier and better weight distribution) or in the stern (smoother ride). I see this posting is a year old now so I'm hoping we have more field testing to rely on....

[@DanRichardFishing]

No one beats up their boats more than competitive anglers in the elites, and lithium is all they run. Granted most of these guys their batteries are all in the back but I have had no problems this year with my two lithiums that are in the front of the boat. They took a beating all year and are perfect!

[@BlackWarriorLures]

Solid information.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thank you!

[@fishingdoge8798]

So one thing you didn't address regarding the charging system issue. If you disconnect a battery while your motor is running, you risk blowing the diodes in the rectifier. Wouldn't this occur if the BMS shuts down the battery? Will this also happen if the battery is fully charged? I want to switch to a Lifepo4 cranking battery, but I have this reservation. I'm thinking that possibly adding in an in-line ultra capacitor (in series) to make sure the rectifier is always connected to something. Can you address this?

[@drewtrykowski1881]

Great Video !

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thanks Drew :)

[@kimmer6]

Warning: If you try to charge a LiFeP04 lithium battery even one time when its below freezing, you will kill it forever. Some now come with a low temperature disconnect inside. People using them in areas where it gets very cold should be aware of it. Some motorhomers who changed to lithium now have battery heaters to avoid freezing weather problems.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Absolutely right, all lithium batteries have ratings for temperature highs and lows for discharging and charging. If you check out my latest lithium battery review video I actually specifically go through each temperature range although I generally discuss batteries for marine use, and nobody's really charging their boats outside in sub-zero degree temperatures. Thanks for the comment and warning!

[@STF68]

If you fish in early spring and late fall you can absolutely need to charge your batteries overnight in a motel parking lot when night time temperatures can be below freezing! I am a lithium battery user but it is something you have to be aware of!!!

[@chrismerritt861]

@@DanRichardFishing I live near Charlotte NC. We get temps that dip below freezing a good bit in fall winter and spring. After reading on most lithium manufacturers pages, most say below 25 degrees is dangerous or will damage the battery. Im curious to see what kind of heaters are available. Im thinking something similar to what you would use on well to the get the pipes from freezing. I also striper fish in really cold weather. This is concern I have. I did just purchase the livescope system. So I have a 126, 106 and the black box to run. I think Ill upgrade to a 50 amp hour lithium and test it out to see how it does. Ill wait until tech catches up with cold weather to replace the trolling motor batteries. As always, great video!

[@aussie2uGA]

@@chrismerritt861 There is no damage to storing or using the battery below freezing. The damage occurs when charging below 40degrees. Always make sure the battery is above 40 before charging.

[@thh383]

@@aussie2uGA new batterys have heaters built in!!

[@adamportner8102]

Liked the info about the starting battery myiths.. Rhe problem I have with the lithium market is that all the U.S. companies are really just a middleman upping the price to cover their overhead and make a profit. I understand this but with ebay and Amazon you can buy directly from the manufacturers for less. Ofcourse the problem there is getting good info about bms quality. Wish people like you would do research for us on these companies. I've been looking at pionergy battles for much less but unsure about using their battery a starting battery. Yes the 100ah only has a 100amp bms but you can get a 200ah battery with a 200amp bms for $689 . What's your thoughts?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Adam, did you check out my review of the Lilead battery? This is a top quality battery from Amazon that I tested and even opened it up to show you inside! It's made to be a starting battery as well as deep cycle. If you want to see a REALLY good channel dedicated to reviewing and taking apart lithium batteries, check out kzbin.info he has a TON of reviews and has an amazing testing setup. I watch a lot of his content and I recommend it to anyone looking for in-depth information on lithium.

[@adamportner8102]

@@DanRichardFishing I couldn't find that brand. I'm really looking pionergy looking at using their 200ah battery as a starting battery.

[@carolvanek59]

what powerd lithium battery would you recomend for my boat trolling moter and locator.only fishing 4 hours every 2 weeks light Alumacraft boat

[@danielgentz1135]

So what would be the best ice fishing lithium battery that you could buy . For Live scope . I’m trying to amped Outdoor battery this year. Just wondering what you think.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Honestly I feel like most of the main brand ones are on equal ground, just make sure you get enough AH for a day of ice fishing. I would also make sure you check the dimensions of the battery to see how it will fit in your ice fishing rig. My MTech lithium I bought for my Garmin Large Bag doesn't fit in the space meant for the battery so I have to rig it with tie wraps to stay in place, which is a bit of a pain. When buying, be sure to keep an eye on the warranties vs price, I feel like that's where the biggest differences are! Good luck!

[@sidm3859]

ty for making this

[@ThePorpoisepower]

Hey Dan, are there any issues with using LiFePO4/BMS with a PWM for throttle control (for trolling / pure electric motor)?

[@alainspecteur1]

no, that set up would be just like some types of electric bikes

[@katherinedai5911]

drive.google.com/file/d/17RajKG5byJpp9jeMLSyu1qrEqkJcxMox/view

[@Hj61S827]

I recently got an older RV with lead acid batteries. I have a new AGM battery and intended on swapping it out. Easier said than done. My alternator wouldn’t be able to charge it to 100%. Neither would the on board DC converter. So keep that in mind. Lead acid, AGM, and lithium all charge at different voltages and 100% is also a different voltage. So I needed to replace my alternator and the DC converter or buy a cheap lead acid.

[@jamestarpey3384]

All of this is great information, however this is my question or dilemma, if we agree that many of us in the boating community are excited about all the benefits of Lithium, and are very interested in spending several $100's or even $1000's in some cases. How come marine engine manufactures are not publicly posted specification, data and their official statements regarding the use of Lithium batteries with their engines. Considering the ongoing growing interests of the boating community engine manufactures that are able to support the use of Lithium would aggressively marketing this to the public as a strong selling point. Besides a hard copy, or secondhand Service Bulletin from engine manufactures there seems to be zero information out there.

[@bobraborn1115]

Dan, can the Mtech cranking battery work with electronics also. I have 2 Solex’s and Garmin Livescope with all bells and whistles to cranking battery. Dead on the water this week. Need something to give me a days fishing with no worries. Looking forward to your response. Thanks

[@DanRichardFishing]

Absolutely! The cranking series battery will run all your electronics but it's also built to generate cranking amps needed to start large outboards. Will definitely give you way more overall run time on your gear :)

[@Millertechenergy]

You will need 100Ah Starting battery at minimum!!

[@Midwest283]

​@DanRichardFishing so you can use one mtech cranking battery for your outboard (in my case a mid 90s 25hp 2 stroke with stator style charing system) and have your electronics and graphs hooked to it as well with no risk of frying the electronics ?

[@ronscott2343]

Great presentation in this video. I was told that one lithium battery could replace my 3 AGM batteries for my Ulterra trolling motor. Have you ever heard of such?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Ron, I am assuming you are using 3AGM batteries in series for your 36V Ulterra correct? In that case you could replace it with one lithium, but you need to buy a 36v lithium battery such as this Dakota Lithium model: dakotalithium.com/product/dakota-lithium-36v-100ah-deep-cycle-marine-trolling-motor-battery/ Just bear in mind this means you need to get a 36v battery charger to go with it as well, you wont be able to use a standard 12v charger. Also keep in mind that these batteries are very expensive and if it dies prematurely, you have to replace the entire thing with a new one. If you get 3 12v lithium batteries (3 separate batteries will cost you around the same as a single 36v battery) and one dies, at least you only have to replace 1 of the 3, not the full 36v setup. Hope that helps! :)

[@larsvegas1505]

@@DanRichardFishing Just go on alibaba, order 12 lithium lifepo4 cells.. u can find like 80 AH cells for about 150bucks per 4.. so thats about 500 bucks for 12.. then u need a bms and some small stuff.. like 600-700 bucks and u could make a 36v 80ah battery urself.. I made myself a 150ah 12v battery.. for about 400 bucks.. works great... i can go full trottle for hours..

[@ronscott2343]

Thanks for the reply info and link. Time to start saving up!

[@brianwalter1064]

@@DanRichardFishing Your logic of being able to replace just one of the three batteries in a series bank certainly sounds like an advantage. But I have always heard that when replacing a bad battery in a group of batteries that you should always replace them all not just one of them. Do you know for certain that this is acceptable, I would hate to replace one bad battery only to find that in doing so I ruined the other two or possibly that it would cause the new one to carry most of the load and cause it to fail. I'm not saying that you are wrong, I just like to know for certain before doing so, as it could be an expensive mistake.

[@whipporwill2303]

@@DanRichardFishing hey Dan i would like to touch on something real quick, if you have multiple batteries and one go dead, say 3 years later, and you only replace that one battery, it will cause the others to fail prematurely. If they aren't too old i wouldn't worry about it. But typically when you replace batteries, they should all be replaced. Weather ran in series or parallel to get the most life out of them.

[@e7tegt503]

My boat is a 1994. It’s old. Will the alternator in the motor charge a lithium? Thanks for the great video. This seems like great new tech.

[@DanRichardFishing]

It should be fine. Check the voltage on your battery when the engine is running and as long as it's not higher than 14.5 amps you're good. You can't use these if the alternator output is over 14.6 volts.

[@johnhale5271]

I have used the Everstart H7 Maxx with terrible results. 3 batteries in 5 years. Don’t buy these batteries. They are crap. Walmart has a bad return policy. They don’t stand behind the warrantee. Each time I have to go back they give me some BS about Walmart policy. Now they saying they have to do a 2 hour test before they can determine if the battery is bad. I will never shop at Walmart again for anything. Costco is the best in my experience. I took a 3 year old battery back to Costco and not only got a new battery for no charge but they gave me $9 back because the price of the battery had gone down. No retailer will beat that.

[@craigpenney1206]

Would you run a lithium cranking battery on a 115 Mercury command thrust 4 stroke engine? It currently isn't one of the recommended outboards from Merc Thanks

[@Mitchigan21]

Currently have the same issue

[@tottis8451]

Superhelpfull! Thanks from Sweden 👌🏻

[@GTJC]

I ordered a few Chinese 100ah Lithium for my trolling motor and I am more than happy with them. Looking to upgrade my cranking battery next.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Definitely some lower priced alternatives out there that are getting better. I just posted a review on a Chinese dual purpose battery and it was a fantastic battery. There are deep cycle LifePO4 batteries coming out for $400 that work really well, it's crazy how the prices continue to drop.

[@kimmer6]

Cranking batteries should stay lead acid chemistry. The reason...they put out massive cranking amps for short periods of time and they recharge at a slower rate and won't overload your alternator/charging system. A lithium battery has an internal BMS that will cut the battery output off like turning a key off if you exceed the BMS limits...like cranking. A car battery will put out 600 amps while cranking. Even a big 200 amp hour lithium battery might only have a 200 amp BMS unable to crank a V-8.

[@GTJC]

@@kimmer6 That statement isn't true at all. If you research the makeup of the battery to make sure the bms can handle the required output of the motor then its fine. But just as important as the Bms is making sure the cells can support the required peak amps.

[@kimmer6]

@@GTJC Here's another problem...if you run the lithium battery down to a lower state of charge and start the engine, it will overheat your charging system and might burn up your alternator. Lithium batteries have much lower internal resistance and will peg the alternator's output for long periods of time. Lead acid batteries charge much slower and the alternator might output full amps for a minute, then back way off during normal operation. The motorhome/van community is now very aware of this so they install Renogy or Victron DC to DC chargers between lithium house batteries and the engine alternator. These limit the charge to the lithium batteries to 30-40 amps so the engine alternator won't burn up while the vehicle is driving. Lead acid chemistry batteries are still the best fit for cranking batteries.

[@edwardfizette9854]

I have been seriously considering changing to lithium. My Minn Kota 315D chargers states that it will charge either acid or lithium. I dont know if I trust that. I have been told I should get a charger specificaly for lithium. What do you think.

[@jbpharm99]

I want to use a LiFePO4 battery for my 55lb thrust Minn Kota trolling motor. I plan to store it inside my summer cottage over the winter. WE typically spend July August and September so the battery will be stored in our unheated cottage for approx. 9 months. The weather can often reach -30 deg Celcius in Jan and Feb. Should we leave the battery on a charger or just fully charge it at end of September and leave it sitting for those 9 months. Please advise me if this or another method will work. Thanks for your help.

[@DanRichardFishing]

I honestly would not recommend this option. It's too cold for charging (min charge temp is typically 0c for these batteries) and you shouldn't leave it sitting for 9 months. I would highly recommend you try to find a solution where the battery is stored above freezing temps and kept on a tender. Do you fly in and out of your cottage and that's why you can't bring it back with you?

[@jbpharm99]

@@DanRichardFishing Yes, we fly to our cottage. We could leave the heat on in the one room where we store it and set the thermostat to 5-6 deg Celcius and/or sit the battery on a battery warmer like some people in cold climate do with their cars parked outside. One question though. I though the discharge rate for a Li battery was 70% charged and I thought these batteries could be discharged down to near zero % charged without any damage. So what am i missing?

[@randalljones6364]

Im curious how people are getting their battery percentage status. I made the switch to lifepo4 2 years ago but from my research, the only accurate way to monitor the battery status is to connect them to a system that monitors both charge input and usage output. Just checking voltage won’t do it because they maintain nearly constant voltage until dead.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Randall, thanks for the comment and query, it's totally valid to wonder about this. There are 3 ways to get the remaining capacity, but they definitely vary in terms of accuracy. First way, which is the most accurate is exactly what you stated in your comment, you need a specific status monitor and the preferred method if monitoring the cells rather than the battery posts. That would be the best and there's a phenomenal KZbinr that specialized in Lithium named @lithiumsolar that shows all of this. Second method is with a battery that has a built in monitor connected directly to the BMS. Not all units have this and some have Bluetooth connectivity with an app for monitoring. The MTech batteries have the built in monitor. And last, which is the least accurate (I think saying this is an estimate would be closer) is via the voltage, and while you're right that lithium doesn't vary that much, it is enough to generate a capacity estimate. I have a tester specifically for lithium and it's voltage based.. I can't give percentages like oh it 85.5% capacity but you can certainly use it to see if you're 25%, 50%, 75% etc. Tight lines!

[@chadschafer1723]

Ionic battery's are bluetooth compatible, theres an app that will show you every piece of info you could ever need

[@camhester4251]

i'm interested in a mtech lith batt but all i fish out of is a 10' one man creek boat and they sell a 12v 45Ah batt but will it really bennefit me with my small boat and 30 lb thrust motor ? i really do like the weight difference

[@DanRichardFishing]

Absolutely it will! So when you use your 30lbs thrust motor, you'll notice that when your battery is around 25% depleted, the motor will actually start slowing down and the more you use your motor and discharge the battery, the slower it will get. On the lithium battery, not only will your trolling motor actually a little FASTER because of the higher voltage output (I tested this, it's true) but you will maintain almost all of the performance until the battery is drained. Also remember you can only drain your lead acid based battery to around 40% before you start risking damage to the battery. The lithium battery you can drain it right to 5% and you're not damaging anything. And this applies to any lithium battery you choose, not just MTech :) Hope that helps!

[@camhester4251]

@@DanRichardFishing i just wander if the 45ah will last because i run my motor usually half a day 5 or hrs in current , thanks for the reply

[@joebidendidthat5121]

Very good video

[@DanRichardFishing]

Thank you so much :)

[@mansbfishing]

Mantap bossku 👍 👍🏻

[@wayneoliver5987]

will the boat motor charge the battery or is a lithium charger needed

[@frankcarlo7288]

looking for recommendations for storing lithium boat batteries over the winter

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Frank, if you're storing your boat outside in freezing temps, you can remove your batteries and store them in your garage or or somewhere where it doesn't get the extreme winter temperatures. Because the standing discharge rate is so low on lithium, you don't really have to use a maintainer for the winter, but if you do, I use this one for all my batteries: amzn.to/3n0Ua1S My boat batteries stay in the boat since last year (I bought a house with a big enough garage) but before I stored my boat outside so I kept all the batteries in the garage plugged to the Noco. I've had it for 4 or 5 years now, zero issues. Now I use it for my motorcycle and a few exra 12V batteries I have and it works for flooded, AGM or lithium (autodetects). Hope that helps!

[@jameswestberry9148]

I've been having problems with my 250 merc giving the low voltage alarm, and I now have a 12v lead battery running my outboard, lights, bilge pump, and 3 garmin w/ panoptix transducers. I'm adding dual power poles also. My question would one lithium 12v battery make a difference, or should I run 2 lithium batteries parallel to get enough power? How would you advise me to do this?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Honestly 1 100 - 110 AH Lithium should be able to handle all that no problem. I'll be running a similar setup this year (although no power poles) and I doubt I'll ever get below 80%. Hope that helps!

[@jameswestberry9148]

@Dan Richard Fishing Thank you for the help. Never tried lithium batteries before and scared I'm going to burn something up. Being that said, I'm wanting to have a 36v lithium for trolling motor and 12v lithium for starting and accessories. Can I just get a two bank lithium battery charger or do I need something special ?

[@jameswestberry9148]

@Dan Richard Fishing Thank you for the help. So as stated above I have a bass boat with all the equipment listed above, just purchased 1 36v Dakota & 1 12v Dakota lithium and I'm having a hard time finding 1 dual bank, that can be mounted on board. Do you have any advice on a brand or model ?

[@tombiga8254]

I hope to get a 12v for outboard and 36v battery for trolling motor, never knew there was a 24 36 and 48v batteries. How long does it take to charge the batteries? Running 9 hrs a day with trolling motor, i hear so much about over heating and setting on fire from guy at work his motorcycle set on fire charging the battery. I was told with the company my boat shop offers, a charger comes with them, never heard of that.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Tom, thanks so much for your questions! There are indeed different voltage batteries in the lithium space now, and the product offerings are getting bigger and bigger each month it seems! In terms of charging the batteries, it depends on what charger you buy, and remember that 24, 36 or 48 volt batteries need a special charger for that voltage. My charger runs at 10 amps per bank, so as an example if I had a 100AH battery that was 100% drained (which never happens) it would take 10 hours to charge it. So just doublecheck the charge rate of the charger you're thinking of buying. Some are SUPER slow, such as a small battery tender that could only be 1.2 amps charging. Good quality batteries come with heat shutoff protection to prevent damage or fire in the case of overheating, this is controlled by the BMS of the battery, which is basically the battery's brain (BMS stands for battery management system). There is no reason why you can't use your lithium battery on a trolling motor on a 12 hour fishing day with no issues, thousands of pros do it daily :) I wouldn't be discouraged by the motorcycle fire as I don't have any information on that at all... it could have been a cheap battery, wrong charger, damaged cell, not the correct battery for a motorcycle (you could never use a marine lithium battery on a motorcycle, the storage area of the battery is way too hot) etc. Many top brands do come with their own brand of battery charger as well. I know MTech and Dakota Lithium and several others all have their own chargers. Personally I really like the Noco Max series of chargers, I just bought myself one during Black Friday specials a few weeks ago :) Hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions!

[@chachi5975]

@@DanRichardFishing I wouldn't say, "no issues" when running lithium for trolling motors. Minn Kota mentioned that due to the higher voltage of the lithium batteries they don't recommend running the motor more than 80% speed or you can burn out the electric motor. Other than that yes they are great but be aware that there are limitations and precautions.

[@topwater22]

@@chachi5975 This is a huge deal if MK is referring to LifePo4 lithium. I would like to hear some comments on this from Dan! I fish Lake Erie with a 36V MK and it has to be on 100% speed for extended periods to handle wind, waves and currents

[@boostsr2065]

Has the answer been clearly answered if a boats alternator will charge this at all? If you’re starter battery is an AGM can you run it on “both”?

[@pharris1015]

24v60ah or 2 12v100ah? I just have a 18ft blazer ss aluminum jet boat with 24v trolling motor. I run shallow river kinda like a big creek haha

[@alanaho4915]

I like the new "pho" feature. Sometime in the next 6 months i will replacing my two flooded grp 31 batteries (x2). I was thinking AGM because I live in hot Arizona (always checking water). Heat wise I would be concerned about the lithium. I definitely will check these out. Thanks for the review.

[@DanRichardFishing]

From the general specs I've been reading on batteries, they can operate in ambient temperatures of 60c (140F).

[@alanaho4915]

@@DanRichardFishing i checked out the website. For now many sold out. What I saw was 5 Year Warranty. Where does it say they last for 15 years. Other Lithium batteries say 10 years.

[@DanRichardFishing]

@@alanaho4915 That's a great question and the batteries last anywhere from 10 to 15 years, it depends on how quickly you use the full 2000 cycles (or 4000 - 5000 partial cycles). No one has a 15 year warranty, but most will state the battery is good for up to 10 to 15 years. So if you do 130 FULL recharge cycles with a lithium battery rated for 2000 cycles in a lifetime, that's about 15 years of use. See item #5 on the FAQ: www.mtechlithium.com/pages/faqs Dakota Lithium has an 11 year limited warranty. Battle Born has a 10 year warranty (8 years full and 2 years pro-rated). battlebornbatteries.com/faq/ Most companies prefer to use the number of cycles than quote the number of years. It also depends on the materials used for the battery and how high quality the components are. The truth is, it's easy for any company to quote a number as long as it's past the warranty. It will be interesting to see how all these batteries are performing 10 years from now. Bear in mind these have only been around for a couple of years now so we really don't have any real-world marine examples to go by. At the end of the day, it really depends on how heavy you use the battery - how often you drain and recharge it. Some guys use their boat so much, such as year-round guides, that they replace them yearly or bi-yearly at most, so this is why Lithium is such a great alternative.

[@chadbosko8935]

Can the alternator on your outboard motor directly charge a lithium without using a charger on the boat?

[@russhood6747]

I bought a Ionic 12 volt 30 aH battery. When I used on my flat bottom Bass Boat it did not last but approximatley 2.5 hours. Now I have put this battery in my kayak (Bonified SS107) I wonder how long it will last for the light kayak and if I feel its not enoungh could I connect 2 12v 30 aH together in parallel and get more time on the water.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Russ, what are trying to run on the battery if you don't mind my asking? Were you using it for your graphs, pumps etc? If so, yeah you need bigger than 30AH for sure! Now if you can run 2 connected (in parallel), but you need to check with Ionic if their batteries allow for a parallel connection. Not all batteries do! Good luck!

[@jerryboutin3133]

Dan I have a 15 1/2 ft boat aluminum with a 40 hp motor and a 45 lb Minn Kota 12 volt trolling motor What size battery should I buy

[@DanRichardFishing]

Are you looking at picking up a single lithium battery? If so, go with a 105 - 110 AH battery. As soon as have the trolling motor in the equation, you want max run time.

[@user-le3gc3dt4d]

Can older boat motors like a 200 horse Johnson charging system charge up the lithium batteries .I here you need a special device between the battery and your motor for proper charging

[@user-lj1il9rh2g]

I have a Ulterra 80 lb. thrust, 24 volt, self deploying trolling motor. Do you know if the lithium batteries die , can you still stow the motor? Minnkota recommends a battery that has 105 anp hour rating. Are their lithium batteries that meet those recommendations?tom

[@Majeskty]

I have a 36v Dakota Lithium 60 AH (new to this tech, others out there) on. MINN KOTA-Ulterra SIMILAR TO YOURS, retired this year so some better usage. I have this on a Ranger 223FC pontoon with 3-logs 24 ft, so in my mind a big boat. Since I retired end of June, 2023 I have 8-10 hours usage of the trolling motor, not a lot of time. However, I have not seen from the voltage meter (cheap ones from Amazon) drop below 39.9 volts, this entire time. When I did charge it with the included charger from DL, it took 4-5 hours, now this was only 2nd time this season since charging when putting the boat on the lift after Memorial Day. For my usage they last a long time, next season I will get much more usage. My understanding you have the same voltage level (with all device draw) until the battery get’s down to like 3% level of power which it drops down, which you never will get out of a lead acid battery which is slowly dropping the entire time. Getting this low on a lithium does not damage the battery vs the lead acid around 40% from research articles and video’s. Depending on size you should get many hours. Expensive upfront, but over time time could be cost effective. I purchased due the consistency of power level (check power curve) and longer life. Time will tell. Good luck!

[@daleval2182]

I would like to bring these in the winter, use for solar back up, think these will be Ok as dual purpose? Boat in summer, solar panels in Winter?

[@DanRichardFishing]

You can't use these in freezing temperatures so you could only use them with solar panels if the battery is stored in ambient temperatures above the freezing mark. Hope that helps!

[@daleval2182]

@@DanRichardFishing thanks, yes bring them in as mentioned, and i buy will be climate controlled

[@daved2403]

Thanks for the video, very informative! Do you know why LithiumPros call their batteries Lithium Ion, but when you read the details, it does say it uses Lithium Iron Phosphate technology. Is this just a marketing trick or is what they call Lithium Ion different from the LiFePO4 batteries you discuss here?

[@DanRichardFishing]

That's a really good question, I didn't realize they say Lithium Ion all over their site, that's really weird. I'll have to check in to it and let you know!

[@jasonbroom7147]

Dave, all of the various lithium battery chemistries (Li-PO, Li-NMC, Li-Ti, LiFePO4) can be called "Lithium-Ion", because they all use lithium in their construction. They are using that term in their marketing because most people have heard that term before. The key thing to be certain of is that you're getting LiFePO4 cells in your battery, because that is (one of) the safe chemistry you want in a high-vibration environment. Li-Ti is also very safe, but much more expensive and not indicated for our needs. I built my own batteries and have been VERY happy with them. In fact, I'm building a smaller, dedicated 24v battery, because with the way you can draw down LiFePO4 much farther than SLA/AGM, you just don't need as much battery. Plus, I'm sort of geeking out on these things, right now. :)

[@daved2403]

@@jasonbroom7147 thanks for the info! Impressive that you built your own.

[@jasonbroom7147]

@@daved2403 - It is surprisingly easy with the resources available today.

[@thh383]

@@jasonbroom7147 totaly awesome!!

[@user-pr8uy9bw8y]

Bonjour , vidéo au top👐... Volthium, aurais tu de l'info dessus... Merci.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Bonjour! Merci d'avoir regardé mes vidéos :) Malheureusement je ne connais pas cette compagnie mais une petite recherche sur leur site et c'est en fait une compagnie québécoise! Il faudra que je les vérifie quand j'aurai un peu de temps. Pas beaucoup d'avis en ligne non plus...

[@texbassman681]

Question; this past weekend I was fishing a bass tournament in horrible conditions. My 12v Marine Starting Battery died; I had to do an emergency jump with jumper cables from my 24v Lithium Battery. Boat jumped right up. Replaced my starting battery and recharged my lithium and all seems well; What kind of damage could have occurred with me jumping that battery?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Leo, if you are running a good quality BMS on your Lithium, it shouldn't allow any kind of draw that would damage it, so I'm not too worried about the battery. For the motor, I think prolonged use would fry your electrical system on the motor not to mention put your boat electricals at risk if you jumped to the main harness, but I dont know that a 1 second jolt would have affected anything to be honest. You probably came out of this one OK ;) Check all your fuses but I suspect you're ok.

[@texbassman681]

@@DanRichardFishing Thank You! Your reply gives me some peace of mind… I am running a Dakota Lithium 24v 50Ah battery for my 24v Minnkota

[@chachi5975]

@@DanRichardFishing That's one of the advantages of 2 12 volt batteries for the trolling motor, the ability to use it in a pinch for jumping the starter.

[@donpidhoresky1396]

I have seen that some batteries on amazon have a statement "When battery is not used for a long time the battery cannot be activated and charged " can you comment on that. Also is it recommended to remove batteries when you winterize the boat and it goes in a non climate controlled place.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Don, I have definitely seen warnings about not letting your lithium batteries sit for extended periods of time but quite honestly I wouldn't do that for any batteries. I have been using battery tenders forever on anything I winterize, such as my boat, camping trailer or motorcycle. I don't know the science why this would damage the battery to be honest, I will have to educate myself on this further - I just haven't because I never do it. I would definitely recommend you store Lithium batteries indoors in temperatures above freezing and keep them on a tender or top up the charge once a month. LifePO4 will not charge when they hit a certain temperature, typically the freezing mark. Hope that helps!

[@ATC235]

Thank you

[@DanRichardFishing]

You're very welcome!

[@bitsurfr46]

How could you prevent an AGM battery from being over discharged and being damaged?

[@christianconner5095]

I have 2 batteries on my center console. One of these batteries is going bad. Can I mix a lead acid and lithium battery with the use on my 2 -on battery switch?

[@DanRichardFishing]

I would definitely not mix up technology on your two batteries. Honestly I don't even recommend running two different brands of the same technology or different AH ratings either, they really should match ideally.

[@codyfog8382]

Hey Dan, i would assume you know that lithium battery's are not all built the same. have you looked into any certain brand name yet? maybe the new tracker lithium battery?

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Cody, I'm definitely starting to learn more and more about specific brands and I did an indepth review and field test of a lilead dual purpose lithium battery recently on my channel if you want to check it out. I have not seen anything on the tracker battery yet!

[@eyekande]

Hey Dan I have a question. I boat a tracker lithium TLi100 12.8V 100ah battery for my Avalon pontoon with Honda 90HP motor. I added a amp, a 10” sun, 4 7.7” speakers, LED’s, and fish finder on it. When I hook the lithium battery up by itself and check voltage with a volt meter and it reads 12V-14V. When I try to start the motor it won’t even crank over. I turn the key off and back on and the volt meter on my boat and independent handheld volt meter show zero volts. Nothing will turn on in my boat. Not even a LED. I plug a charger in for a few seconds and take it off and check the voltage and it’s back to 12V-14V. I turn the key again and same thing happens. Back to zero volts. I thought maybe I got a bad battery. I went and exchanged it for another new $900 battery and it does the exact same thing. What do you think the problem is? Also both batteries with it says zero volts it can’t be jumped with small battery cables. Only heavy duty jumper cables will jump the battery so that the boat starts. A jump box will jump it too. I put my old cheap regular led acid battery back in the boat and it fires right up. Sooooooo weird. Please help if you can. I want a lithium battery for weight reduction and long use of stereo without starting the engine.

[@codyfog8382]

@@eyekande are you charging with a lifefe4 charger?

[@eyekande]

@@codyfog8382 I am using a battery tender plus wifi that has charging options STANDARD, AGM, and LITHIUM LiFeP04. When charging on the LITHIUM LiFeP04 setting you can only select the 1.25A CHARGE and POWER SUPPLY (which I don’t know what this one is used for). You can’t select the 20A BOOST OR 75A ENGINE START when charging lithium batteries with this charger.

[@BubbaclubbaW]

Dumb question but google wasn't super clear, are all lithum batteries deep cycle? Some say deep cycle and some don't. Didn't know if it was an advertising gimic. Thanks

[@DanRichardFishing]

This is actually a great question and I would have to say yes, they are all deep cycle. All Lithium batteries are being made to power your electronics as long as possible, they are not really being made as powerful starting batteries. BUT with that said, a few manufacturers such as MTech and LiLead (a battery I tested) are making dual purpose, so both a deep cycle but also a starting battery. The battery cells are pretty much the same, but the BMS is made to allow both.

[@BubbaclubbaW]

@@DanRichardFishing thanks for the info, keep up the good work!

[@edwardfizette9854]

What would be downfall if I use my minn kota 3 bank charger

[@alanrobidoux4458]

Dan, when looking at Lithium batteries, am I still looking for class 31 for trolling motor or any deep cycle will do.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Alan, the Lithium batteries don't use these group sizes, they are WAY smaller for the same charge. Look at amp hours and go with that :) I actually have a Lithium battery I am about to start testing for a review and it's as powerful as a group 31 but the size of a group 24 and more than half the weight! So for a full size boat, look for a 100 - 110 Amp Hour Lithium battery, that's standard.

[@alanrobidoux4458]

@@DanRichardFishing thanks Dan, love your stuff, it’s for kayak.

[@fernandox189]

is posible for yamaha outboard??

[@artprosser9860]

Unhooking a battery with the alternator charging can absolutely damage things! Don't you recall warnings from battery switch makers about switching it by off when the motor is running or the reason you get a make before break battery switch. I am just a regular dude and even I know that much...

[@DanRichardFishing]

I'm a little confused by this, there's nowhere in the video that says you should be disconnecting your battery from the motor while it's running, you should not be doing this with any battery and I don't know anybody who would actually want to do this in the first place.

[@k1kenobi1]

Bro! Where did you get the t-shirt?

[@DanRichardFishing]

I have a bunch of these, they are from Chapter One, I absolutely love their designs! chapteroneonlinestore.com/

[@k1kenobi1]

@@DanRichardFishing Thanks!

[@andrewhansen4179]

Hello Dan. Where can I get a T shirt like that?

[@craigpeters3165]

I just converted my electronics and trolling motor to lithium. Unbelievable! I haven't gotten below 75% on my trolling motor batteries and not below 60% on my electronics running 3 graphs (12") and 360. Everything running full blast in tournaments. Never going back to AGMs.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Yep, it's a huge difference, congrats on the upgrade Craig. Gotta love fishing hard all day and coming home with enough power for a second day lol!

[@craigpeters3165]

@@DanRichardFishing I actually forgot to plug in after the first day of my last tournament. Ran everything just as hard on day 2 with power to spare. Awesome! Thanks again for a great video.

[@craigpeters3165]

Is this real?

[@joshuat7171]

Which battery brand and voltage/amp hour did you go with Craig?

[@craigpeters3165]

@@joshuat7171 Ionic 50 amh (3) for my Ghost and a Renology 100 amh for my electronics. Plenty of juice.

[@user-dj7dz5jh1w]

what 36 volt lithium battery for my trolling motor should i get

[@bigbadbob143]

I have a diesel transfer tank with a 12 volt pump. I only run the pump 20 minutes a month. What is the smallest lithuim battery that I can use? The pump says it a 10 amp pump. I dont care if I have to charge it after 15 minutes of use. I can charge in from my truck when I am traveling anyways

[@TW14137]

Good vid, lot of questions addressed. One other thing I have heard is that with the older Lithiums, you could burn up your trolling motor if you ran it on the higher settings, like past 8, due to the higher voltage. Have they resolved that issue with the new technology?

[@greenspiraldragon]

He talked about that at 7.00

[@TW14137]

@@greenspiraldragon Don't think so. He talked about battery overheating, BMS getting better , and main motor charging system damage, but not about not being able to run the trolling motor on high. Different issue.

[@johnanderson8705]

What about when its cold? Like 20 degres ??

[@DanRichardFishing]

This is a really important question because it's important to know that you cannot charge one of these batteries in temperatures below freezing. They can however be operated in up to -20c or -4f although read the manufacturer specifications for their recommended operating temperatures but that is a good general rule. I use mine for ice fishing so it definitely works and provides power all day.

[@gerardhaubert8210]

Would you recommend a single 36v battery vs 3 x 12v batteries for a 36 volt trolling motor system

[@DanRichardFishing]

This is a tough one as there's a few things you have to consider. The huge advantage with going with a single 36v battery is the weight and space savings, that's a big deal. But also consider that you need to get a special 36v charger specifically for that battery PLUS the charger for your regular 12v main battery. Another thing is if one of the cells goes bad on the battery and you need to replace it, you have to replace the entire battery. When you have multiple batteries, you just change that smaller, less expensive battery instead of the entire set. For me I personally would go with multiple 12v batteries so I can have a single charger for everything in the boat. Hope that helps!

[@bigpapamd1]

HOW LONG WILL THESE BATTERIES KEEP CHARGE AFTER 6 MONTHS OF NON USE (WINTER STORAGE)BUT FULLY CHARGED.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Lithium batteries lose between 2 and 3% of charge per month, whereas lead acid technology depletes at 5 to 6% per month.

[@rxxexx1662]

HELP !!!! I bought 2 Weize 12V 200Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Batteries from Amazon 2 months apart - 1 weighed about 14Lb lighter and has a hollow sound.... Hard times rip-off? both sohw proper voltage. I have no way to test the load. Weize is giving me a run around wants to hear the hollow sound... WT...HELP

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hey, send me a DM on my Facebook page or via Instagram and I can try to help you out :)

[@mikesamolsky4719]

Does the fact that pro's are sponsored and probably get their batteries for free have any effect on their thoughs

[@DanRichardFishing]

Absolutely, but there are tons of pros that use lithium batteries that are NOT sponsored or get them for free as well as semi-pro and casual anglers. And pros are out there to win... if the gear sucks and fails, they wouldn't touch the sponsor. I can also confirm that David Dudley and Scott Martin were using lithium before they were ever sponsored by one. No one sponsors me and I absolutely love my lithium setup!

[@bruce9648]

These pro's have switched to that Brand why ? Do they believe these are superior to other luthiums ? Not at all as you know its cause of what else, $$$$, they are pd to endorse use what ever you want to call it.. Shaquille O'Neal would endorse hair clubs for men if the price was right just like KZbinrs saying they use whatever to do this or that or they are reviewing a product and give them a good rating the company give them that product but they have to give them a good rating for them to do that you know how it goes you endorse stuff I'm sure I don't know I just come across the channel but I did enjoy your vid take care 🇺🇲🦅🌍⚓ USMC

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Bruce, I appreciate your comments and your thoughts on the matter. While of course sponsorships and endorsements go a long way, I would have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. Let's go piece by piece... first, yes I believe that Millertech makes better batteries than many manufacturers. Not all lithium batteries are built the same, don't fall for that for a second. There are MASSIVE ways to cheat on lithium builds, from the grading and technology of the cells, to the components and build of the BMS, to the inner components and casing. I know that MTech uses top grading on all components and redundant amperage ratings on the BMS. The other massive difference is customer service. You can literally call Dean, the owner, on his cell phone right now. His number is on the site. Please tell me what other lithium battery company you know offers that? Dean and his team are also heavily involved in the sport, understand the needs of anglers and the challenges they face and adjust their business to meet those needs. You mention the pros... the pros also need to be able to count on amazing service. If something goes wrong in a tournament, they know that MTech is there to back them immediately on site for pretty much all major tournaments. On top of that, there are a ton of pros that use MTech without being sponsored in any way and don't talk about them. They just want a battery and a company they can count on. For me on my end, I have never received a penny from MTech or any free or discounted product. I own their 22AH battery that I use on my ice fishing rig that I bought from their site at regular price like anyone else. That's my 2 cents on the matter :) Thanks again for watching my content and for serving!

[@bruce9648]

@@DanRichardFishing thanks Dan for replying I do see a lot what you're talking about and I appreciate it I'm actually going to look at that battery the 100 amp from mtech cuz it's cheaper than the Dakota battery I don't know I'm still on the fence Dakota and Ionic pro company out of town Mooresville North Carolina both them and Dakota have an app that shows your battery the BMS in real time, thanks again and I gave you a subscription also this was voice typed so the accuracy might not be the best have a good weekend 🇺🇸🦅🌍⚓USMC

[@ranger178]

can you keep lithium batteries charged with solar panels they all say use only a specially designed charger?

[@curtwuollet2912]

As a guy with a $450 kayak and looking at a minnkota endura, much of this discussion is irrelevant. $170 for a 50 AH lifepo4 battery is a huge investment in my neck of the woods. But, I did wonder who bought the boutique brands.

[@DanRichardFishing]

Yep, these batteries are not for everyone, that's for sure. But just like anything in life... we can't all own Rolexes and Ferraris unfortunately.

[@curtwuollet2912]

It'll be interesting in a few years to see how much difference there is between Dakota and Eco-Worthy. They are electrically the same now.

[@jimquantic]

AND by now, it is more like 300 bucks per Lithium. Prices do fall and already have fallen

[@DanRichardFishing]

The prices are definitely continuing to fall however the dual purpose batteries are still the more expensive ones in the market. It'll be interesting to see what the prices are in the next couple of years!

[@fishgod20]

Do they make lithium deep cell battery??

[@DanRichardFishing]

Hi Godon, they are all deep cycle batteries and can be used for deep draw applications. Where you need to pay attention is if you need one with high amperage output for starting motors and things like that then you're going to want to look for a starting battery.

[@uzerozero6399]

General ideas are pretty good in this video but the numbers are a bit off (inflated). example lithiums are good for 10 years not 15

[@DanRichardFishing]

thanks so much for watching my video! They can definitely last 15 years it all depends on how much you cycle it. A weekend warrior will last 15 years, someone who fishes almost every day definitely won't last 15 years.

[@FishingITGuy]

@@DanRichardFishing you said in this video that depth of discharge does not effect performance lol. Ps I have 10 year old agm's still kickin!

[@akaCamo]

links to miller tech seem to be broken

[@DanRichardFishing]

Oh snap! Looks like they completely changed their website address! Thank you for the heads up, I just updated the links. Appreciate you!