[DIYguy]

There is no need to try and justify your decision. It's yours and you are allowed to do what you like. There are considerations attached to every decision. Even within the lead family of batteries, the sealed ones need a bms even more than Li. I started with lead, and I'm not ashamed of going that way. I did however, not invest a lot and the purpose was to prove everything out. It's a bit of an evolution but for those who have moved on to Lithium, there are some experiences worth sharing.

Originally Posted by piotrsko

My charger cost $40 to make,

I would like to point out something about the chargers though. For those of you who are using lead, it actually is to your advantage to buy a good charger with some well developed algorithms. Lead charging profiles are much more complicated than lithium charge curves. Lithium is dead simple. CC then switch to CV and allow taper of current. Good lead chargers have 3 or 4 stages and many include pulsation techniques to improve life and usefulness of lead. Floodies are certainly more tolerant however the venting and boiling causes some nasty issues.