# trojan t-145 or US batteries 145?



## Evford (Nov 5, 2009)

I am trying to decide if I should go with trojan t-145 with 260 amp hour, or the US batteries with 244 amp hour.
the questions are:
how much difference does it make if I have a 120 volt system?
does it just give me more range or do I get more power and speed if I go with the most amp hour?

the difference in price is that the trojan cost 150$ each and the us batteries cost 121$ each, is it worth spending more money?


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## CPLTECH (Sep 14, 2007)

My dealer suggested the US Battery brand as he had fewer returns vs. the Trojans. I think you can’t go wrong with either brand and each model you have chosen is close enough to be the same AH.
I have 20 of the USB145. A lot of weight to carry around, but worth it IMHO. I will say that I think I have 1 defective battery that seems to be using a lot of water, in fact 2 cells were showing their plates recently. So it must need replacement as my range is down to ~15 vs. an easy 30 miles previously. Thank goodness for opportunity charging! Had them for 2.5yrs and 7,900 miles.

94 S10 120V 9”ADC motor


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## Sunking (Aug 10, 2009)

Both are good batteries and about equal in quality. The main difference is you will pay extra for the Trojan name.


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## Evford (Nov 5, 2009)

Thank you for the advice.
On one hand I want to get the US batteries because they are going to be 600$ cheaper. On the other hand I am worried about the us batteries not being as good. You say that you think one of the batteries may be defective after 2.5 years and 8000 mile. The previous owners of my ford ranger claim they got 5 years and 20000 miles off of the trojans. I know that most of it has to do with how you use the batteries, and some about luck. 
what is your case?


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## Sunking (Aug 10, 2009)

I can only speak for a golf cart POV, but they are both equal other than price. Try starting with the warranties, then spec and weigh it out. I think once you compare the warranty and specs you will find them to be about equal. What will not be equal is price.

The way I see it is like this. You are driving down the road and need gasoline for your wheels. You pull up at an intersection there are two gas stations a Exxon and a Conoco. Exxon sells gas for $3 pg, and Conoco sells for $2.80 pg. Which station do you pull into?


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## ZEVUtah (Apr 10, 2008)

Make sure you ask lots of questions about the warranty. The Trojan dealer here in utah told me the warranty does NOT apply to any trojan battery installed in an EV. I called the trojan factory and the story was the same, even though my receipt said 48 month warranty on the receipt. I will NEVER buy another set of Trojan batteries again. 

Buyer beware !!!
KJD


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## Evford (Nov 5, 2009)

ok, I like saving money, and when I go to the gas station I do get the cheaper gas, so if the trojans are the same as the US batteries it make more sense to go with the US. 

On last question I have is: how much difference is there between the 244 amp hour and 260 amp hour?
and also does anybody know what kind of charger plug is that of the photo?
my charger is a bycan 120 volt but I don't know if I need an adapter for that or what.

thank you for all of you that helped and will help me learn more.


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## ZEVUtah (Apr 10, 2008)

Evford said:


> On last question I have is: how much difference is there between the 244 amp hour and 260 amp hour?


The 244 ah number and the 260 ah number are derived from the 20 hour rating. If the battery load is very small for 20 hours how much can it deliver ?
For example 13 amps for 20 hours = 260 ah rating. 

When driving your EV you are going to pull a lot more amps than 13 and the battery will give you much LESS than 260 ah. Take a look at the 75 amp rating and see how many minutes the battery will give you. This is a much better number to use for our real world conditions. My toyota mini truck pulls about 75 amps when doing 50-55 mph on level ground. 

http://www.usbattery.com/usb_us145xc_golf.html
http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/GolfCart.aspx

From the factory specs we have Trojan at 145 minutes and US battery at 154 minutes. 

You might also look at Costco for 6 volt golf car batteries. The other day I spotted one with only slightly less power than a T-145 and the cost was only 72 dollars. 

Good luck on your shopping adventure
KJD


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## CPLTECH (Sep 14, 2007)

Evford said:


> You say that you think one of the batteries may be defective after 2.5 years and 8000 mile. The previous owners of my ford ranger claim they got 5 years and 20000 miles off of the trojans. I know that most of it has to do with how you use the batteries, and some about luck.
> what is your case?


To be fair, I do not take good maintenance care of the batteries, yet drive with a close eye on the ammeter. I don’t do the individual voltage or specific gravity checks either. The previous water check found 3 cells (all from different batteries) low on water. This last time it was confined to just one battery. Maybe could have saved it if was inspected earlier. I have 15 under the bed & must use a hoist to tilt the bed (under a shade tree-Does that make me a shade tree mechanic?), hence this lazy boy pays the price. I think by using these hefty units have saved me to this point & need to learn the lesson. I question the life & distance of 12V batteries some are using.

Sometimes I wonder that since EV’s require such “unusual” LA maintenance, that many shy away or get disillusioned. At work, we had a person in our dept who monthly did checks on our emergency lighting panels, & yet it is hard to get me to do them. LiPO is the better way to go.

As for the low mileage, it gets driven to grocery store & church 2X weekly… Little else but a few short trips per week.


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