"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
If you want a one off, a special offer powerful torch which uses an SLA
can often be cheaper than any replacement. Makes no sense, but these
things rarely do.

Yes. It costs less to buy one of those car starters with built
in 24Ah battery, tyre compressor or 240V inverter, and charger,
than it does to buy a 24Ah SLA battery alone.

I have one of those bought from Lidl for under 20 quid and didn't expect
much of it, but some two years on and having started quite a few cars as
well as being used for blowing up tyres and as a convenient source of high
current 12 volt DC for testing some car electrics, it's still fine, and
has proved an invaluable device. Perhaps there isn't the same spread of
quality between SLA batteries as with Ni-Cad, etc, or it could be the
chargers are rather better designed.


I bought one of these from Lidl and topped up charged for about 6 months
then had a real life need to use it!

I clipped it on to the battery and ..... Click.... went the starter
solenoid and that's all !
The battery meter was showing full charge volts as it had always done, but
was unable to
turn the engine at all - and this was a motorcycle engine !
I got the leads out and jumped it from the car.... still haven't taken
apart to see what
the problem is, but I don't think its lead / contact resistance....

Nick