Gel battery

[Exodus]

Hey all .i'm in Alaska and winters are rather long and dreary and brutal on lead acid batteries when they sit for extended periods of time
i'm looking at getting a gel batt for my H3 but wondering if there are any major\minor drawbacks to it ??

[alrock]

I prefer AGM batteries, at least here in the desert. Traditional wet batteries break down here in the desert and usually fail faster than AGM batteries. Nonetheless, it's pretty typical here to replace your battery every 2 years. I can't speak to your cold weather conditions.

[Exodus]

if by AGM you mean lead acid ??

[JPaul]

Yes, Absorbant Glass Mat. They have fiberglass matting in between the lead plates which acts like a sponge to soak up the electrolyte and hold it in place. Plates can be made thinner (since the matting keeps them from touching and shorting out, a common death of flooded batteries) so it's more efficient.

Gel batteries use lead/acid as well, but the electrolyte is modified to be in a gel form rather than fully liquid. I'm not aware of anyone making actual gel lead acid batteries in the sizes we need, and I don't think they are great at the high current draws needed for starting and winching, but could be wrong.

AGM fixes a lot of the issues traditional flooded lead acid batteries have. They're sealed, non-spillable, greater resistance to heat and cold, can be used on their sides or even upside down, far more resistant to vibrations and abuse, and they don't cost a whole lot more these days. I picked up a group 31 for less than $200 from Sam's Club and it's been going strong, even with infrequent use of the H3.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/duracell-...gm/prod3590232

[alrock]

if by AGM you mean lead acid ??

Yes, also meaning I know I didn't answer your question head on but provided a bit of insight on a more traditional solution, as JPaul just alluded too. Ended up getting a new X2 battery in yesterday as my old one failed and they didn't have an equivalent in stock, so they refunded me my original purchase price.

[Exodus]

Yes, Absorbant Glass Mat. They have fiberglass matting in between the lead plates which acts like a sponge to soak up the electrolyte and hold it in place. Plates can be made thinner (since the matting keeps them from touching and shorting out, a common death of flooded batteries) so it's more efficient.

Gel batteries use lead/acid as well, but the electrolyte is modified to be in a gel form rather than fully liquid. I'm not aware of anyone making actual gel lead acid batteries in the sizes we need, and I don't think they are great at the high current draws needed for starting and winching, but could be wrong.

AGM fixes a lot of the issues traditional flooded lead acid batteries have. They're sealed, non-spillable, greater resistance to heat and cold, can be used on their sides or even upside down, far more resistant to vibrations and abuse, and they don't cost a whole lot more these days. I picked up a group 31 for less than $200 from Sam's Club and it's been going strong, even with infrequent use of the H3.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/duracell-...gm/prod3590232

OK sounds like an AGM is a better choice
btw,the oilfields of Alaska trucks are all gel battery,very few traditional engines up there,mostly diesel