Benefits of Lithium-Ion Batteries

1. Lifespan is much longer than wet/flooded, AGM & AES batteries

2. Longer run-time

3. No regular maintenance or watering required

One of the biggest drawbacks of wet/flooded batteries is the necessity to add water to the battery to keep the lead plates covered in order to generate electricity properly. If batteries are neglected and the water drops too low, the lead plates will oxidize causing permanent damage and can eventually ruin the battery.

Aside from needing to know when to add water to a battery and remembering to actually do it, watering a battery can be a dangerous task– especially for someone who is inexperienced.

Luckily, lithium-ion batteries are completely sealed and require no maintenance or watering. All you need to do is charge them when you’re not using them. So, not only will your lithium-ion batteries last longer between charges and won’t need to be replaced for about 5 times as long, but you won’t have to waste any time maintaining them either.

4. No risk of hazardous battery acid leakage and corrosion

While we don’t go into the details of how to water a battery in this blog post, improper watering can lead to an increased risk of battery acid boilovers which cause extensive corrosion of not only the battery casing and terminals, but anything else it touches such as the machine, floor, or in the worst case scenario: skin. Corrosion can also occur if the battery terminals are tightened too much or if any foreign substances (debris or liquid, including water) comes into contact with them.

Battery acid leakage/corrosion

Permanent battery acid stains on cement flooring

Not only can battery acid leakage and corrosion make a dangerous mess, but it will also reduce battery function and can shorten the life of the battery. But don’t worry, lithium-ion batteries will not leak battery acid and won’t corrode as long as the battery terminals are kept clear of foreign substances–which should be easy since you don’t have to regularly maintain or water them.

Lithium-ion batteries will not leak battery acid or corrode

5. Extended warranty coverage

On trend with the rest of their advantages, warranty coverage on lithium-ion batteries can’t be beat. Wet/flooded and AGM batteries only have 12-month pro-rated warranty coverage that doesn’t include the cost of labor or trip charges associated with replacement of warrantied batteries. AES batteries have slightly better coverage with a 3-year full-replacement warranty, but that still doesn’t include the cost of labor and trip charges. 

Lithium-ion battery manufacturers are confident that their products will stand the test of time, and so are we. Our lithium-ion battery partners offer 5-year full-replacement so you can have the peace of mind that your battery will last at least as long as we’re accounting for in our cost analysis calculations below (5 years).

6. Save money on replacements & service

As mentioned before, wet/flooded and AGM batteries need to be replaced once a year on average, depending on use and consistency of maintenance. AES batteries last slightly longer and have a 3-year warranty so you won’t have to pay to replace them quite as often, but still more frequently than lithium-ion. 

Every time your machine’s batteries need to be replaced, you not only have to pay for the batteries themselves, but you will likely also have to pay a service provider to come physically replace them and properly dispose of the old batteries*. If you don’t know whether the batteries need to be replaced prior to calling a service provider, you’ll also have to pay yet another set of service and travel charges just to determine that the batteries need to be replaced in the first place. 

*Triad Service Center offers free shipping on batteries, free battery disposal, and no core charge!

Since lithium-ion batteries last for at least 5 years and don’t require regular maintenance, you’re not only saving money on the replacements themselves, but also on service costs. Check out the chart below to see the average battery pack replacements over the course of 5 years for a single 24-volt machine. As you can see, the costs add up quickly!

Average Battery Pack Replacements Over 5 Years

*Pricing is estimated for 24-volt equipment, but the cost savings for higher voltage equipment are even greater

A  general rule of thumb for lithium-ion batteries is that they typically “pay for themselves” within 2 years since you won’t have to pay for replacements or the associated service charges as often as with other battery options. The graph below shows how much you’ll spend on battery replacements over 5 years. 

Total Spent on Replacements Over 5 Years 

If you have more than one machine, the savings multiply. See the chart below for details on how much you could save by switching your entire fleet of machines to lithium-ion batteries. 

 Estimated Cost of Fleet Battery Pack Replacements Over 5 Years