Am disabled & am using an electric scooter to get around outside. Put in 2
new batteries ( lead acid type ) (U1 Ah SLA ) the start of last summer & by
late summer one went bad & was replaced under warrantee . Now the remaining
one of the original pair is starting to go & was wondering if it would be ok
to run with the some what new one from last fall & put in a new one before
much longer to replace the one going bad. OR be best to keep the somewhat
used one & put in 2 brand new ones now ?? On S.S. so funds are
limited.......Thanks Gimpy..

Gimpy wrote:
Am disabled & am using an electric scooter to get around outside. Put
in 2 new batteries ( lead acid type ) (U1 Ah SLA ) the start of last
summer & by late summer one went bad & was replaced under warrantee .
Now the remaining one of the original pair is starting to go & was
wondering if it would be ok to run with the some what new one from
last fall & put in a new one before much longer to replace the one
going bad. OR be best to keep the somewhat used one & put in 2 brand
new ones now ?? On S.S. so funds are limited.......Thanks Gimpy..

IMO:
I'm disabled but do not use battery powered equip. Yet. So I have zero
specific experience with your appliaction. That said:

It sort of depends on where you are and intend to go. If it could strand
you somehow where it'd be difficult to get assistance, I'd go for the new
ones. If you're always around assistance, maybe try to use up the older
ones.

Those seem like awfully short lifetimes for lead-acid batteries. Do the
specs indicate a normal life for these batteries under your use conditions?
Perhaps some research into alternative battery types and manufactuers is
in order? I'd expect lead-acids to have a life of two to five years if
properly used and maintained/charged.
Perhaps more frequent charging would help, if it's possible, and never
let them get to near dead before charging.

Pop`

"Pop`" wrote in message
news:ZBAKh.89$Sf2.88@trnddc01...
Gimpy wrote:
Am disabled & am using an electric scooter to get around outside. Put
in 2 new batteries ( lead acid type ) (U1 Ah SLA ) the start of last
summer & by late summer one went bad & was replaced under warrantee .
Now the remaining one of the original pair is starting to go & was
wondering if it would be ok to run with the some what new one from
last fall & put in a new one before much longer to replace the one
going bad. OR be best to keep the somewhat used one & put in 2 brand
new ones now ?? On S.S. so funds are limited.......Thanks Gimpy..

IMO:
I'm disabled but do not use battery powered equip. Yet. So I have zero
specific experience with your appliaction. That said:

It sort of depends on where you are and intend to go. If it could strand
you somehow where it'd be difficult to get assistance, I'd go for the new
ones. If you're always around assistance, maybe try to use up the older
ones.

Those seem like awfully short lifetimes for lead-acid batteries. Do the
specs indicate a normal life for these batteries under your use
conditions?
Perhaps some research into alternative battery types and manufactuers is
in order? I'd expect lead-acids to have a life of two to five years if
properly used and maintained/charged.
Perhaps more frequent charging would help, if it's possible, and never
let them get to near dead before charging.

Pop`

Yes, they are short lifetimes, but I use it all the time & live on top of
a hill, so that uses them up faster. Asked the Amiga store where I got it
& they told me due to the way I use it a yr is about right. Yes I could
use gel-cell batteries but they arent as good for my type of use & cost
considerably more. Answer on that would to go the the next larger size,
but unfortunately I dont have the room.. Thanks gimpy

Dear Gimpy,
I have no formal experience with power scooters. Only
experience I've had was briefly being able to work on a power
wheel chair for a woman I dated some years ago.
My guess is the motors on your scooter are 24 volts. This
means that both batteries are supplying the same amperage
(current) to the motor.
With an unmatched set, the one battery will go dead a lot
sooner. The new battery will be under much greater load. Being
unevenly yoked, so to speak. So, your new battery will go dead
sooner.
It isn't what you wanted to hear, but I'm guessing that in
the long run you will find it cheaper to replace both batteries
at the same time. Used 12 volt batteries are useful to HAM radio
operators, CB radio users, and folks like me who are into
emergency prep. Might also be useful for someone who's trying to
make an extra capacity Uninterruptable Power Supply for his
computer.
Wish I could save you a few bucks. I suspect a two- battery
replacement will be cheaper in the long run.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Gimpy" wrote in message
...
: Am disabled & am using an electric scooter to get around
outside. Put in 2
: new batteries ( lead acid type ) (U1 Ah SLA ) the start of
last summer & by
: late summer one went bad & was replaced under warrantee . Now
the remaining
: one of the original pair is starting to go & was wondering if
it would be ok
: to run with the some what new one from last fall & put in a
new one before
: much longer to replace the one going bad. OR be best to keep
the somewhat
: used one & put in 2 brand new ones now ?? On S.S. so funds are
: limited.......Thanks Gimpy..
:
:

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:47:19 -0400, "Gimpy"
wrote:

Yes I could
use gel-cell batteries but they arent as good for my type of use & cost

AFAIK, gel-cells' only advantage is that you can turn them upside down
and they won't leak. Unless you do flips or barrel rolls, this
doesn't seem like an advantage to you.