Light & Motion Li Ion

[zagnut]

I can buy a lightly used L&M Li Ion ARC for $250. I'm concerned that I may be buying a system in which the battery is about shot as it was purchased in '05 and according to what I've read, Li Ion go bad in about three years whether you use them or not. At L&M they want way N of $200 for replacements, this might be a deal killer. Anybody have real world experience with this. Is there another place to get replacement batteries for something less? Any and all input is welcome re. the L&M Li Ion ARC HID system.

Zagnut

[paulrad9]

They may die in three years but you can also kill them in three days if you abuse them. That said, a dead battery is one which holds 80% of its original capacity, so while it's down 20%, the battery still has the ability to hold a charge.
The L&M lamp heads are high quality items, so even if the battery has been sucked dry, you're getting the whole kit for less than 1/2 retail which sounds good to me. Should the battery die and you don't want to spend the extra bucks, go with the NiMH batteries. If you're handy with a soldering iron, take the Lion pack, dissemble it and solder in some new cells for less than $100