Source of used AGM batteries

[HB of CJ]

Hello all (again)

Anyone know of a Pacific Northwest source of used AGM batteries suitable for a battery bank in my planned diesel electric coach conversion?  Physically, I would prefer the medium to smaller sizes for installation/replacement purposes. Getting kinda old here, plus space height limited.  "T-105" size preferred.  Also, expected $prices$ if possible.  Thanks in advance. 

[tekebird]

why would you want used batteries?  thats like buying used oil IMHO

[HB of CJ]

I may buy used, selected AGM batteries because they may be $cheaper$ than new ones.  Used used Nicad batteries in the solar cabin years ago---worked fine, but then again I used lots of used stuff in the house which I used.    Also used used motor oil in my old chevy since it leaked and burned...and used soosss much oil.    Actually it was drain oil, which I used with permission of the service station owner where I worked since it was...used.    And... my dad used reclaimed oil in his airplane because (I think) he said it had been refined twice or something like that,...and was used.   

[tekebird]

problem is with used batteries you have no idea how they were treated/maintained/charged.  may put out 1/2 the cost of a new one but find it to be worthless in short order.....

ONly time I would consider a used battery is if I knew first hand how it was used and needed it in a pinch.

[TomC]

If you can't afford an engine oil change with new oil, or afford new batteries for the bus, maybe this hobby is not for you.  If you're out on the road on a trip and a major component fails, what do you do then?  If you're running these big beasties, to keep them safely running and to have them repaired when something fails, you should have a credit card of at least a $30,000 credit line and be willing to use it.  Good Luck, TomC

[Hi yo silver]

HB,
I'm not a battery expert, and my knowledge of NiCads goes back to the Vietnam era when I worked on airplanes, but as I recall, the NiCads had renewable components and were therefore, rebuildable.  Aren't the AGMs sealed units?  I would have to agree that unless I knew how they had been treated and maintained, and had an idea what kind of service they had experienced, I would be wary of used AGM batteries.  Feel free to correct me, guys, if there is something I'm not aware of here.
Dennis   

[luvrbus]

Guys,did you ever think that this man trying to use his money for other things like family.i see people here using battries from ups backups and having good luck.have a good day

[Dallas]

Why not use a Forklift battery, they come in many sizes and shapes.
Most are totally rebuildable cell by cell.
Even if the unit is a 48V style, you can cut the bar between cells and make 12V from each section.

I bought one from a scrap iron yard for my old skoolie back in the 80's and the guy let me pick good cells from other batteries to stock it with. I used it for 3 years and after I sold it the new owner used it for another 6 years until he sank the bus in the Clark Fork in Montana.
(I told him that the 4WD wasn't all that great, but he wouldn't believe me).

Dallas

[niles500]

Individual batteries are one thing - a "battery bank" is something else -  a "battery bank" should be made up of identical batteries with the same capacities, dates of manufacture, and charge rates, etc.... - Batteries have "memory" and are best suited when used with other batts of compatible nature - HTH

[DrivingMissLazy]

Individual batteries are one thing - a "battery bank" is something else -  a "battery bank" should be made up of identical batteries with the same capacities, dates of manufacture, and charge rates, etc.... - Batteries have "memory" and are best suited when used with other batts of compatible nature - HTH

Although this may be quite true in theory, the large UPS manufacturers and users routinely change out either 2, 6 or 12 volt units in large battery banks. These banks are typically 300 or 600 volt systems and to scrap a complete system for one or two bad units would be cost prohibitive. In the units that I manufactured and sold it was not uncommon to find one of the 12 volt units in a 600 volt system to be defective. Part of the routine maintenance was to check each individual unit and replace it as necessary.

We also routinely replaced a complete string of batteries after about 7 years of an expected ten year life. Everyone in our organization used these take out batteries in their RVs or autos without any problem.

We used an electronic battery tester that we found to be 100% accurate in detecting a bad unit. As I recall the tester was available from NAPA for less than $100 and would be a very worthwhile investment for everybody, in my opinion.

Richard

[jjrbus]

 Not everything in life needs to be done by throwing money at it. Unless of course you are the US goverment. Truly intelligent, innovative and resourceful people will gladly recycle everything and anything in sight. Why send perfectly good batteries or any other item to one of our rapidly shrinking landfills?
Not everyone needs to beat on there chest and grunt, mines new, mines new!!!

[Sam 4106]

Hi HB of CJ,
One of the members of the Midwest Bus Nuts had a reconditioned 2000W inverter for sale at a rally last year. He bought it to put in his bus but traded buses instead. He was having trouble with the six 4D batteries in the new bus. Another member charged them with a regular battery charger so he knew they were fully charged and then load tested them. One of the six was bad so he said he was going to get all new ones. I made him an offer on the inverter if he would give me the five remaining batteries. He accepted. I have been using 3 of them for the house and 2 for start for this whole season and they have worked fine. These batteries are lead/acid wet starting type batteries. previously they had been a house bank running 2 inverters. I have no idea why the previous owner of his bus used start type batteries for inverters but that is what it did. I figured that if the batteries wern't any good I wasn't out anything, but, if they were useable I would have a really cheap combination of batteries and inverter. I got lucky. SO, if you can find some useable, used batteries buy them and use them for as long as they last.
My suggestion for finding some would be a large battery wholesaler. I know of one locally that supplies the hospitals and changes them on a regular schedule.
Good luck, Sam 4106

[luvrbus]

HB, if you check with a large fire dept in your area most of them change out thier batteries every 6 mos anyways they do in Phoenix

[rdbishop]

Hey Tom C,

What in the world could cost $30,000 on the road for repairs. That's about what I have in my bus with used and rebuilt parts.

Richard

[TomC]

Richard- I know that is extreme, but say a complete engine and transmission failure; engine compartment fire; breaking an axle that takes out the entire drive train, etc.

I spent $8800 on the original engine overhaul (It was a fresh engine-but was a sloppy engine overhaul with major problems).  Then another $6500 on the transmission overhaul.  If I had the correct engine combination in it from the start, and wasn't so sensitive to smoking issues at high altitudes, I could have avoided the extra $12,000 spent to have the engine turbo'd with air to air intercooling.   So now, everything in the engine compartment has either been rebuilt or is new since I've bought it.  As I told my wife, the engine and transmission are done-no more work on them.  This is why buying a bus with a sound engine and transmission (with say at least 100,000 miles of life left on it) is a very big way of saving a big chunk-in my case $27,300.00 worth!  So seeing a bus that has a small worn out engine for $10,000 or a bus with a Series 50 in it for $28,000- the bus with the Series 50 will actually be less money over the time you have the bus.  Good Luck, Tom C