Batteries

[Ninian]

Hi, Does anyone have the Yuasa EFB or AGM leisure batteries and would you recommend them. I need to change my batteries and want something that's reliable. Open to other suggestions.

[Keithl]

Ninian - 2021-08-27 8:38 PM

 

Open to other suggestions.

Varta LFD90.

 

I have just replaced my original LFD90 with an identical battery after ten years service. This used to be the late Allan Evans (of A and N Caravans) choice until the EFB came along.

 

And seen as the Yuasa EFB is 30% more expensive than the Varta (£110 v £84 at Tayna) I didn't see any reason to justify the extra expense.

 

Keith.

 

PS And if you are a C&MC member you get 10% discount at Tayna!

[stevec176]

I've just bought Yuasa 100ah EFB Leisure Battery (L36-EFB) from Alpha Batteries and they were very very helpful with their advice and they matched Tayna's price and they were delivered next day. As for the actual batteries so far working well, time will tell.

[Derek Uzzell]

Allan Evans used to suggest 3 possibilities for motorhome replacement ‘conventional’ lead-acid batteries. These were the Varta LFD90, the Yuasa L36-EFB (aka Halfords HLB700) and the Exide ET650.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/semi-traction/51050/

 

The prices Allan quoted in the 2019 O&AL forum thread may no longer apply, but a Varta LFD90 should still be significantly the least expensive. (It’s the primary reason I chose a LFD90 to replace my Rapido’s original Banner ”Energy Bull” leisure battery rather than a Yuasa/Halfords or Exide alternative.)

 

Varta are evidently replacing the “LFD” range of ‘conventional’ batteries with the “LED” range that are EFB-type.

 

https://batteryworld.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/dual_purpose_efb

 

The LED95 would be the successor to the LFD90

 

https://www.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/products/varta-professional-dual-purpose-efb/930-095-085

 

and Tayna lists it here (though the length dimension quoted should 353mm not 315mm)

 

https://www.tayna.co.uk/leisure-batteries/varta/led95/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1sTYkYjT8gIVCLrtCh3jCwJuEAQYASABEgJUpvD_BwE

 

Regarding the Yuasa L36-EFB 100AH battery (Tayna advert here)

 

https://www.tayna.co.uk/leisure-batteries/yuasa/l36-efb/

 

this was discussed in this October 2020 thread.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/off-grid-leisure-battery-durite-VSR-setup/56410/

[Bop]

We've been using 2 x L36 EFBs for over 30-months after receiving a recommendation from Allan of A&N Caravans. As it turns out his advice was tip-top (as usual) and we've had nothing but success with our L36 batteries.

 

We used Alpha batteries as the ordering platform and they too were fantastic.

 

I would certainly recommend the L36 EFBs for sure.

 

All the best,

 

Andrew

[paul_richardson]

Another vote for Alpha batteries, excellent service and "usually" can match Tayna prices, phone John for help and advice.

 

My advice (I confess, John told me) is to look at the number of Recharge Cycles quoted for your battery of choice.

 

The L36 EFB that is mentioned in this thread is only quoted at 200 cycles and for a leisure battery this is not particularly good.

 

The leisure battery I have (sorry can't remember it's name) was rated at 600 cycles, which means it should last much longer.

 

Alpha are the only battery supplier that I have found who actually list the Recharge Cycle information of (most) of the Leisure batteries they sell.

 

I HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH ALPHA OTHER THAN BEING A VERY HAPPY CUSTOMER

[Alanb]

paul_richardson - 2021-09-02 6:10 PM

 

=================================================================================

 

The leisure battery I have (sorry can't remember it's name) was rated at 600 cycles, which means it should last much longer.

 

Alpha are the only battery supplier that I have found who actually list the Recharge Cycle information of (most) of the Leisure batteries they sell.

 

=================================================================================

 

Advanced Battery Supplies also supply information on the battery lifetime in cycles, and on some models cycle life is 600, and the warranty is 5 years. I have used them to source lawn tractor batteries, and I am seriously considering one of their range to replace my two Banner batteries. (For optimum use of the available space, I need to use Group 27 size batteries, max 306 long and 220 high.)

 

Alan

[Derek Uzzell]

The data for the NCC’s Verified Leisure Battery Scheme include Capacity (Ah) and Life Cycles (50% Depth of Discharge)

 

https://www.thencc.org.uk/downloads/Leisure%20Battery%20Web%20version%20October%202020.pdf

 

I note that the Life Cycles datum of a Yuasa L36-EFB battery is shown as 223, whereas that of a Halfords HLB700 (understood to simply be a rebadged L36-EFB) as 256.

 

Within the NCC’s A, B and C Classes are some batteries with very high Life Cycles values (up to 2000), but most leisure-vehicle owners will choose a replacement leisure battery based on its dimensions and cost, with ‘technicalities’ (eg. maintenance or no-maintenance wet-acid, gel, AGM or lithium) being secondary considerations.

 

Allan Evans was (rightly) wary of the NCC’s scheme, as much as anything regarding the credibility of the Life Cycles information

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Tested-NCC-Verified-Battery-fails-to-meet-claimed-cycle-life/49015/

 

In principle (and with everything else being equal) it might be contended that a battery with a Life Cycles figure of 800 should last 4 times as long as one with a Life Cycles figure of 200. But the inexpensive ‘old favourite’ Varta LFD90 (not included in the NCC listings, but apparently with a Life Cycles datum of 200 at 50% DoD) has gained an excellent reputation for longevity.

 

Returning to Ninian’s original enquiry

 

1: Forget AGM batteries - the electrical system of a 2014 Auto-Trail Dakota won’t marry happily with an AGM battery.

 

2: Assuming that Ninian’s requiment is for batteries with dimensions of

 

Length (mm) 353

Width (mm) 175

Height (mm) 190

 

the Yuasa L36-EFB product should be perfectly OK (though definitely NOT at Yuasa’s suggested retail price of £320.00)

 

https://www.yuasa.co.uk/l26-80-676.html

 

(I’ve glanced at online adverts for retailers of leisure batteries in Northern Ireland (where Ninian lives) and there seems to be plenty of scope for a motorcaravanner to be ‘sold’ an unsuitable or inferior product. Just saying...)

[stevec176]

I recently purchased 2 Yuasa L36 EFB from Alpha batteries and including delivery £214, no complaints from me.

[Derek Uzzell]

At least - unlike the Banner “Energy Bull” batteries that Rapido has standardised on historically - the Yuasa L36-EFB battery (and also the Varta LFD90 for that matter) is the ‘fit-and-forget’ non-mantainable type where the electrolyte-level cannot be topped up. Should still be vented, though.

[spirou]

I think it's been mentioned before that LFD90 (and the rest of LFD range) is out of production and was replaced by LED95. It is an EFB type, size remains the same, and is sold, at least in this country, at even lower price than LFD. I will likely replace my 2 year old LFDs for the LED soon. The LFDs will go into a friends fishing boat to run the lights and fridge as there is nothing substantially wrong with them appart from slightly lower capacity (I keep daily statistics and there is a slight trend noticeable).

[Derek Uzzell]

spirou - 2021-09-04 6:31 AM

 

I think it's been mentioned before that LFD90 (and the rest of LFD range) is out of production and was replaced by LED95....

 

Mentioned in my posting of 28 August 2021 7:20 AM above.

 

Varta LFD90 batteries are still available here for about £85, whereas (from the same battery retailer) the price of a LED95 is about £136. It’s quite likely the latter price will fall to a level similar to that of other manufacturers’ equivalent EFB batteries, but there’s a very significant LFD90/LED95 price difference here at the moment.

[spirou]

Not OP but just to update... I've managed to source and install 2x Varta LED95 with half an hour to spare before my parents drove off for a few weeks. Got one for 130€ from shop 1 but it turned out it was their last and took 2 days to move to our location. While the first was in transit I got the other from shop 2 for 135€ and they raised their price to 170€ after they were alerted to a mistake on their website, but sold ours at the original advertised price. Their stock was also down to 3 remaining and likely the only ones left in the entire country. Both shops didn't have an estimate when next shipment might appear, likely not before october. Anyway, I can afford quite a few of these for the price of moving to decent lithium system.

 

I was in a rush and never got to check if serial/lot numbers are close. I did check the voltage as delivered and both were around 12.55V so I'm guessing they are about the same age, likely same bulk shipment. As this is a fairly new model I doubt they were sitting around for very long.

 

Now I'm just very curious how they compare to LFD90.

[keninpalamos]

stevec176 - 2021-08-27 9:29 PM

 

I've just bought Yuasa 100ah EFB Leisure Battery (L36-EFB) from Alpha Batteries and they were very very helpful with their advice and they matched Tayna's price and they were delivered next day. As for the actual batteries so far working well, time will tell.

Time will tell as they have a much higher recycle or recharge number than the Varta and 10amp hr more power As Keith says its your choice and if Varta works for you then Varta it is. It was Allan that recommended the Yuasa over the Varta