lithium battery opinion

For those upgrading to Lithium batteries a little something to consider. It is recommended to store your batteries at 40 to 60 % State of  Charge. This means it is not good practice to leave the charger plugged in continuously. I bought a 2 bank charger for my lithium batteries and don't usually plug them in until the night before I am going fishing. I then put a small battery maintainer on my starting battery that I leave plugged in. Keep lithiums at 100% puts extra stress on the components and shortens the life. I'm going on year 4 and so far see no measurable degradation.

Isn't a 55# Terrova a ​12v trolling motor?  How can that work with a 24v battery?

I just bought a 24 volt 100 Ah XZNY lithium ion battery on Amazon for $409.  I have a new Terrova 55 pound spotlock trolling motor. Used it in Fremont on the Wolf River for 4 days and still had 40% charge. Very happy with it so far.  $400 about same as 2 12volt lead acid batteries.  Did need to buy new charger for higher current but very happy with battery

Thanks migr8r!

I put an isolated 54ah lithium battery on my boat exclusively for my electronics. I’d only get about 7-8 hours of run time with my 2 dash units on. That wasn’t long enough for me. I ended up putting in a 100ah battery and it’s been much better. 

Figure each of those units are drawing roughly 3-3.5 amps/hr. If both are on for 8 hours, that would be in the neighborhood of 48-54 amp hours. If you only ​have those units on sporadically for a couple hours while out, you could get away ​with a ​50-ish ah battery. If you were using them for a longer period or wanted to be able to go a day or two without charging, 100ah. 

Recommendation for lithium size to run Solix 15 and Xplorer 9.
Thanks.

I agree about Ulterras, which is why I have a Terrova.  The difference though is if my battery were to have a problem, I still have my kicker motor or an anchor.  If the Ulterra has an issue, you are screwed.  Saw some guys playing with one at the launch last spring around midnight because it would not stow.  That was a perfect example as to why I will never buy one, I can walk a few steps to lift it up and not worry about it.

If you have newer AGMs, I would also wait until they ​get old.  No point in changing ​batteries at that point.

During my research for lithium batteries, I specifically called Minn Kota and was advised to use multiple 12V batteries vs 24 or 36V. That was a few years ago and may be different now. There was a good reason but I don’t recall exactly what it was. It would be worth calling Minn Kota and asking. 
One thing that also may have changed now was that trolling motors weren’t supposed to be run at full power with lithiums because they produce more voltage and would burn the motor out. I can run mine at 70% power and troll at 2mph. I will run at full power in short bursts if needed but not for more than a minute or so. Newer TM’s may be different now. 

As for running in cold weather, I frequently fish in sub freezing temperatures and never had my lithium batteries shut off. Given that lithium batteries are frequently used for locators while ice fishing in well below freezing temps, I really can’t imagine being in a boat in such cold weather that it would cause a lithium battery to shut off. To my knowledge, it’s only charging in sub freezing temperatures where it’s a problem. 

Ulterra's were supposed to stow and deploy without getting stuck, too.
Most of the bass pros that I talk to do run lithiums.  Just a lot of benefits to them.  But they also carry their AGM's with them "just in case".  And many have needed them in the early spring.

Again, for me right now, it's AGM.  In another two years, I'll re-evaluate.  That technology is always going to improve.  Prices are going to come down even more. 

When I was looking at them, I run 4 batteries in the boat.  3 are for the trolling motor.  I absolutely loved the "combined" 36 volt system with the lithiums.  I can't recall the difference in weight, but it was really, really substantial.  And the whole system looked very easy to connect and maintain.

I mention that because that one system for 36 volts was not a feature or "thing" a year prior when I was looking at batteries.   These kinds of things always evolve.

LiFePO4 batteries for trolling motors can safely discharge/operate in temperatures as low as
-4°F, so that would be ice fishing. 

For those using or considering the LiTime batteries...

I see they have a single, 24V 100ah battery.  The battery and charger is comparable in price to 2 batteries and chargers.

This seems like a logical choice for a 24v system.  Anyone using a single 24v LiTime?  Advantages?  Disadvantages?

Like, I get it, for sure.  Tons of benefits to lithium batteries.
To me, they are like the Ulterra trolling motor when it first came out.  Tons of benefits.
But you better pray that it doesn't fail on you while on the water.  Some did.  Many did not.
Same thing in regards to cold and those batteries.  I know too many pros that have to keep AGM's as backups so when their lithiums freeze, they have something ready to go.

Probably not something that most of us will ever have to deal with considering where we keep our boats and how we use them.  But that one time it happens..........

Heres another thing that I heard from a pro once....he runs a bass boat and when he took his AGM's out and went to lithium, the weight in his boat changed so much that his performance suffered.  Too much cavitation.  He had to re-organize his boat to make sure the weight was better for how he had to run to get to spots.

Again, not something us "normies" will have to deal with much, but something to consider.

3 full seasons on my WEIZE trolling motor batteries, no drop in performance and couldn't be happier. Anyone who is looking to replace there lead acid batteries is crazy not to make the switch in my opinion. I also have the Minn Kota charger that lets me select battery type by bank. I don't have bluetooth ​but would definitely be sure to have next time, problem is I'm going to be so old when it's time to replace them again! LOL
Key Lifespan Factors and Benefits:

• Lifespan: Often last 10–15 years, far exceeding the 2-5 year life of traditional lead-acid batteries.
• Cycle Life: LiFePO4 batteries typically provide between 2,000 to over 4,000 cycles at 100% depth of discharge (DoD).
• Performance: They maintain high voltage (near 13V) for almost the entire run, preventing sluggish trolling motor performance.
• Weight & Efficiency: These batteries are 40% lighter and 20% smaller than lead-acid, increasing boat efficiency.
• Maintenance: They require no maintenance and are significantly safer with built-in Battery Management Systems (BMS)

I have the Minn kota 220 pci  charger set one bank for the lithium trolling motor battery and set the other bank for the AGM starting battery.

Thanks for the info.  I will look into it.

Jim