Jell Batteries

GregCO · Jan 7, 2015

I didn't want to hijack the post below, but was wondering who has had good luck with jell batteries. I have tried a few and have had horrible luck with them. The biggest issue I have noticed is that if they are ever ran dead it is almost impossible to get them to come back. The last time I tried them was in a boat and something got left on and ran them down. They were new and would not take a charge after they were ran dead one time. I purchased them from a battery house and took them back the following week. I don't know if the guy was giving me the straight story or not, but he told me that a normal charger will not bring them up from the dead and they had to be hit really hard with a huge charger. It was something silly like over 200 amps to get them to snap out of it. Anybody ever heard of that?

Greg

Geo-TH,In · Jan 7, 2015

My sister has an electric car GEM, golf cart on steroids, with jell batteries. She had one go bad. Very expensive to replace. So my BIL replaced the bad one with a marine battery. He figures so what, the rest of the jells may not last very long. No idea how long it will last

The small battery on my implement trailer is a 5 year old 12v jell. I have a 10 year old 6v jell on a small electric train small grand kids can ride on. It gets used very little, but battery seems to hold a charge for a long time.

I've never seen a jell used to start a car. I have a charger that has a special scale to charge jells. Not sure how much the charging voltage is.

Dick2 · Jan 8, 2015

I've been told to not buy a jell battery for use in this hot climate; they usually die pretty fast here.

rubberwrench · Jan 8, 2015

jell batteries take a special charger when dead.No experience but just read about that

Geo-TH,In · Jan 8, 2015

Yes, my charger has a special setting for jells.

So if that is true, how can a person put a jell battery in a car? Does the car have a special alternator?

kansas45 · Jan 8, 2015

I have a jell batterie in my old Chevy 4x4. I'm thinking it's been in there for 10 years or more. Never had a problem starting. Another one is used in my little aluminum v-bottom boat, and it starts the engine and runs the trolling motor. The same battery runs the trolling motor on my 2 man bass boat.
I charge the boat battery after each day of use, and use it for a spare whenever something has a bad battery that needs replaced.
They are expensive, but well worth the money.

Pajamafied John · Jan 8, 2015

Gel batteries last 8 years in my Harley. Always hooked to a maintainer. Just installed my 3rd one in the 98 heritage

HenryO · Jan 8, 2015

had used gel batteries in my boats and airplanes for years. The last I had were 8 series 30 batteries in my sailboat and they lasted 12 years until I switched them out for Glass mat batteries. The main thing I know about gel cells is they need to charged at 13.8 volts to keep them healthy. More voltage cuts down the life span They provided great service but when run down they should be charged slowly over a longer period of time. The big reason I switched is to adopt new technology and glass mats can be run flat without damage

buickanddeere · Jan 8, 2015

(quoted from post at 22:50:22 01/07/15) I didn't want to hijack the post below, but was wondering who has had good luck with jell batteries. I have tried a few and have had horrible luck with them. The biggest issue I have noticed is that if they are ever ran dead it is almost impossible to get them to come back. The last time I tried them was in a boat and something got left on and ran them down. They were new and would not take a charge after they were ran dead one time. I purchased them from a battery house and took them back the following week. I don't know if the guy was giving me the straight story or not, but he told me that a normal charger will not bring them up from the dead and they had to be hit really hard with a huge charger. It was something silly like over 200 amps to get them to snap out of it. Anybody ever heard of that?

Greg

Gell or AGM batteries ?
About the only application for gel batteries any more is in fare alarm panels, exits lights, computer UPS's etc.
The AGM battery if the proper style and size is choose for the application and not abused. They work very well.
AGM batteries are outstanding in small aircraft in particular.

Geo-TH,In · Jan 8, 2015

Both my buick and GMC truck came with delco AGM's. They lasted about 7 years. Dealer wanted 4x more the the AGM than I could buy a cheap flooded excide at rural king.

My charger has a special setting for AGM's, flooded and jells. Not sure why either. The alternator on truck and car charges the flooded excide battery just fine.

Jell Batteries

GregCO

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Geo-TH,In

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Dick2

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rubberwrench

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Geo-TH,In

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kansas45

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Pajamafied John

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HenryO

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buickanddeere

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Geo-TH,In

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