Trojan Battery Review (Philippines): The Deep-Cycle Benchmark, Distributed by YHI
Published specifications for the Flooded, AGM and gel deep cycle. A brand ships several series, so these figures describe this model and not every product the manufacturer sells.
- Usable capacity
- not publishedSold by amp-hour rating across many models rather than with a single usable kWh figure. Expect roughly half of nameplate to be usable.
- Chemistry
- Deep-cycle lead-acid: flooded, AGM and gelThe flooded range is treated in off-grid circles as the durability reference rather than a budget option.
- Depth of discharge
- Around 50%Lead-acid should not be routinely discharged much past half if you want rated life, against 80 to 95% usable on LFP. So you buy roughly twice the nameplate capacity, and house, wire and ventilate twice the battery.
- Cycle life
- not publishedAt the top of its chemistry, but a fraction of the thousands of cycles a quality LFP pack is rated for under daily solar duty. No single figure covers the range.
- Warranty
- not publishedNot stated in the sources we checked. YHI Philippines is the party to ask.
- Maintenance
- Watering and terminal maintenance on the flooded rangeFlooded cells off-gas when charging, so they need a ventilated, shaded location rather than a sealed indoor cabinet. AGM and gel remove the watering task at some cost to cycle life and price.
- Philippine channel
- YHI Philippines Inc.Listed among Trojan master distributors. A named local party, which puts Trojan ahead of most imported battery brands on accountability.
Source: Trojan Battery. Checked 2026-09-28. Manufacturers revise specifications between series without notice — confirm the figures for the exact model you are quoted before you pay.
What it does well
- A named Philippine distributor in YHI, which most imported battery brands sold here lack, and cycle life at the top of what lead-acid achieves.
- Real tolerance of abuse: lead-acid handles a wider set of charging mistakes than lithium, and a flooded battery can often be nursed back from mistreatment that would trip an LFP BMS permanently.
- No BMS communication to configure, which is a genuine advantage on older or budget hybrid inverters, and flooded cells can be inspected and topped up rather than being a sealed black box.
Where it falls short
- Around 50% usable depth of discharge, so you buy roughly twice the nameplate capacity and house, wire and ventilate twice the battery to get the same usable kWh.
- Fewer cycles than LFP under daily solar duty, so over a ten-year horizon the cheaper battery is frequently the lithium one because you buy it once.
- Flooded units need watering, terminal maintenance and ventilation, which in Philippine heat means a shaded ventilated location, and it is not the natural pairing for modern hybrid inverters built around lithium BMS communication.
Compare against the other 19 home batteries we have reviewed
How the Flooded, AGM and gel deep cycle compares with the other home batteries we have reviewed. Listed in no particular order — this puts published figures side by side, it does not pick a winner. Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Model | Usable capacity | Depth of discharge | Cycle life | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flooded, AGM and gel deep cycle this review | — | Around 50% | — | — |
| US-series (US2000 / US3000C / US5000) | 4.56 kWh (US5000) | 90–95% | Up to 6,000 cycles | 5–7 years product |
| PowerBox Pro | 9.216 kWh | 90% | 6,000+ cycles | 10 years, throughput-based |
| Battery-Box Premium HVS / HVM and HVB | — | 80–90% | 6,000+ cycles | HVS/HVM 10 years · HVB 15 years |
| Lite Home range | 4–24 kWh | 80% | — | — |
| SE-G5.1 Pro-B | About 4.6 kWh | About 90% | 6,000+ cycles | 10 years |
| SMILE-G3-BAT-10.1P | 9.6 kWh per module | 95% | 8,000 | 10 years |
| LiTime 12 V, 24 V and 51.2 V LiFePO4 packs | — | — | — | 5 years above 30 Ah, 3 years below |
| UP5000, UP6100 and stackable SSRE series | Around 4.95 kWh on the UP5000 | 90% | Over 6,000 at 90% depth of discharge | — |
| RESU Prime 10H and 16H | Roughly 9.6-16 kWh depending on model | — | — | 10 years in markets where LG officially sells it |
| 51.2 V rack packs and 12 V 100 Ah units | Around 5.1 kWh (51.2 V 100 Ah), around 10.2 kWh (200 Ah) | — | — | — |
| Solar Master deep cycle (SM40 to SM200) | Around 0.6 kWh (SM100), 0.9 kWh (SM150), 1.2 kWh (SM200) | Around 50% | — | Local manufacturer warranty |
| EOS600, sold locally as MESLA | Around 14-15 kWh | Around 50% | — | 2 years |
| Ritar Solar LiFePO4, and the separate VRLA and OPzV telecom line | — | — | — | — |
| Sebang automotive lead-acid, sold as Rocket | — | — | — | Roughly 15 months private use |
| BMS boards and factory LiFePO4 packs | — | — | — | — |
| SDA10-48100 and the wider LiFePO4 range | — | — | — | — |
| Powerwall 3 | 13.5 kWh | — | Unlimited cycles under warranty | 10 years, at least 70% capacity retention |
| Stackable 48 V modules and 12 V portable packs | — | — | Over 6,000 on some models | — |
| 5.3 kWh modules, high-voltage stackable | 5.3 kWh per module | — | — | — |
Dashes are figures the manufacturer does not publish, not zeros. Where two products differ on a spec, which one matters depends on your roof and your usage — a higher efficiency panel earns its premium on a small roof and rarely on a large one.
Trojan is the name deep-cycle lead-acid is measured against. It has been making flooded, AGM and gel deep-cycle batteries for decades, and in off-grid circles its flooded range is treated as the durability reference rather than a budget option.
In the Philippines it reaches buyers through YHI Philippines Inc., listed among Trojan’s master distributors — a named local party, which puts Trojan ahead of most imported battery brands on accountability.
The honest question is not whether Trojan makes good lead-acid batteries. It does. The question is whether lead-acid is what you should be buying in 2026.
Where Trojan genuinely wins
- Cycle life at the top of its chemistry. Trojan’s flooded deep-cycle range is built for repeated deep discharge in a way most lead-acid is not.
- Tolerance of abuse. Lead-acid handles a wider set of charging mistakes than lithium, and a flooded battery can often be nursed back from mistreatment that would trip an LFP pack’s BMS permanently.
- No BMS communication to configure. Nothing to pair with your inverter’s protocol — a real advantage on older or budget hybrid units.
- Serviceable. Flooded cells can be checked and topped up. That is a maintenance burden, but it is also transparency a sealed pack doesn’t offer.
- A named Philippine distributor, which many battery brands sold here lack.
The arithmetic that still favours lithium
Same maths as Motolite, because it is chemistry rather than brand.
Lead-acid should not be routinely discharged much past 50% if you want rated life. LFP delivers 80-95% usable. So you buy roughly twice the nameplate capacity to get the same usable kWh, and you house, wire and ventilate twice the battery.
Then cycle life: a quality LFP pack is rated in the thousands of cycles (how long solar batteries last), and deep-cycle lead-acid — even Trojan’s — is a fraction of that under daily solar duty. Over a ten-year horizon the cheaper battery is frequently the lithium one, because you buy it once.
Full comparison in lithium vs lead-acid.
Maintenance, and the Philippine climate
Flooded Trojans need watering and terminal maintenance, and they need ventilation because they off-gas when charging. In a Philippine setting that means a ventilated, shaded location — not a sealed cabinet indoors, and not somewhere heat will accelerate the plates.
Trojan’s AGM and gel lines remove the watering task at some cost to cycle life and price. If maintenance is not realistically going to happen, do not buy flooded.
What it costs
Trojan is not a budget lead-acid brand — it is priced above generic deep-cycle units, and the case for it is that it lasts longer than they do.
Compare it the way you should compare any battery: on peso per usable kWh over the life of the bank, not on sticker price. LFP runs ₱13,000-23,000 per usable kWh installed (battery price guide), and Trojan’s advantage over cheap lead-acid rarely closes that gap for daily-cycling duty. How to size a solar battery covers doing that calculation properly.
Where it falls short
- 50% usable depth of discharge, so double the nameplate capacity needed.
- Maintenance on the flooded range, and ventilation requirements.
- Weight and footprint per usable kWh.
- Fewer cycles than LFP under daily solar duty.
- Not the natural pairing for modern hybrid inverters designed around lithium BMS communication.
Who it’s best for
Established off-grid systems already built around lead-acid, installations where an existing charge controller and inverter are configured for it, and operators who genuinely will do the maintenance and value the abuse tolerance.
For a new grid-tied home adding storage that cycles every evening, LFP is the better buy even at a higher upfront price — Pylontech, BYD, or Dyness at the budget end. See the best solar battery roundup, and is a solar battery worth it before buying any of them.