Good morning all, I've got a Genie scissor lift that's in need of new batteries, it uses the 4 6V batteries I'm sure you've all seen before. Has anyone had any luck or attempted to swap these things out for something newer in technology like Lithium Ion batteries? I've found some 24V batteries online, that just come in one unit instead of 4, that might get the job done. I just don't know about run time.
Scissor lift batteries
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- Placerville, CA, USA
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Probably the biggest problem with trying to change the battery chemistry will be battery management (low voltage cutoff and charging current and voltage control) so even if you managed to put together a battery pack that fit and delivered the voltage and current the motor and its control system needs you would have to add a battery management system and replace the existing charging system.
However, for any equipment like a scissor lift with serious safety issues, I would not touch anything that was not sanctioned by the manufacturer!
However, for any equipment like a scissor lift with serious safety issues, I would not touch anything that was not sanctioned by the manufacturer!
cadpoint
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- Durham, NC
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- Electrician - but not by NC Law.
The problem i see in Napa's web page is that they don't list cold/hot crank amps on Lithium Ion batteries, as they do on
traditional batteries.
I think I'll get this statement right, your existing system of batteries are wired in series but work in parallel, IE the drain
is less on a mass of batteries, than it would be if you only had one battery.
Not to miss the excellent point that GoldDigger made.
traditional batteries.
I think I'll get this statement right, your existing system of batteries are wired in series but work in parallel, IE the drain
is less on a mass of batteries, than it would be if you only had one battery.
Not to miss the excellent point that GoldDigger made.
ColdSparks
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- Compliance Engineer
The main problem with switching batterie types in a lift is not electrical but weight. The batteries are a major part of the counter weight of a scissor lift. The manufacturers load and stability calculations are depending on having all that lead down there in the base of the lift. As GoldDigger points out, while you could in theory replace the missing weight, with out approval from the manufacturer if anything happens you are the one that will have to justify how your modification did not contribute to the incident.
gadfly56
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I had not thought of that. A very good point.
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I am not at all sure what an electrician or electrical engineer could possibly mean by that statement.
As far as CCA goes, Lithium batteries as a general rule have relatively low internal impedance compared to other battery types. The available CCA will mostly depend on the bussing and wiring of the battery pack rather than the batteries themselves.
Not to mention, the CCA rating isn’t even relevant to an electrically-driven scissors lift.
drcampbell
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- The Motor City, Michigan USA
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- Registered Professional Engineer
The Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) performance isn't too relevant unless you're working in the cold.
Cranking Amps performance isn't completely irrelevant; the hydraulic pump motor draws great gobs of current and if the cranking-amps performance isn't there to support it, the battery voltage might drop to the point where the controls become unreliable.
I do think it's a small concern. If I recall correctly, pump motors draw maybe 200 amps starting and 100 amps running (? - somebody confirm or deny?) the typical GC2-format battery offers more than 500 cranking amps, and the solenoid valves are designed to work on 20 volts.
(but since there are four of them in series, the four-battery battery pack will offer ... sorry, precisely the same 500 cranking amps; only the voltage changes when batteries are connected in series)
Cranking Amps performance isn't completely irrelevant; the hydraulic pump motor draws great gobs of current and if the cranking-amps performance isn't there to support it, the battery voltage might drop to the point where the controls become unreliable.
I do think it's a small concern. If I recall correctly, pump motors draw maybe 200 amps starting and 100 amps running (? - somebody confirm or deny?) the typical GC2-format battery offers more than 500 cranking amps, and the solenoid valves are designed to work on 20 volts.
(but since there are four of them in series, the four-battery battery pack will offer ... sorry, precisely the same 500 cranking amps; only the voltage changes when batteries are connected in series)
CCA is a 30 second rating. There may be some correlation between CCA and what is required to run a lift, but it’s not directly relatable.
I think Golddigger answered it on the first post, even though the cost of the battery swap from what I was looking at was tolerable for me price-wise I hadn't thought about the charging system. The added cost of that now defeats the purpose of swapping them. And Coldspark also with the post about weight I hadn't thought of that, a very good point. I think I'll round up just some new replacement batteries, that does seem like the most cost effective and least risky move. Thanks everyone for the input!
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