Hi,
When I started this thread I wasn't thinking about the large battery arrays that are used in data centers, telecom, off grid storage and similar applications.
I was thinking about 18650 cells that widely available from old laptop batteries and that are often sorted and repurposed by the community.
If you are tasked with managing a battery array in a data center, you can probably justify having a tool like the Fluke BT510.
If you are sorting discarded cells a cheaper, simpler alternative is probably more appropriate. I took my capacitor ESR meter and modified for 1 kHz operation. I have used this technique to find high impedance cells that will not take a charge. You can build this for about $10-15, less if you have a good stock of parts.
I don't have a data center or any off grid storage. I don't have any lead acid batteries apart from the one in my car. So I have little use for a Fluke BT510 or similar.
It is a question about the right tool for the job. A Keysight 3458A is a great multimeter in the lab, but it is not very handy if you are troubleshooting a car. A low cost handheld is probably much better.
The small signal measurement of ESR is probably useful some of the time, but not all of the time and not all applications.
Regards,
Jay_Diddy_B