OPTIMA Batteries

[MDA1775]

Have only one optima and it is 6 volt for the T speedster... no generator so it's battery or mag.

It's a little over 5 years old and so far so good...

No Pulsetech for Optima 6 volts?

Sorry we can't do 6 Volts unless they are wired in series and then 12V.

[DieselMonk]

The only battery desulfator that does 6V is "Wizbang" you can google it. I have a couple of these and all I can tell you that small items like this can only correct minor sulfation maybe up to Cat2, that's it, and can keep the battery "clean" inside. I don't recommend it if you have a heavily sulphated battery. For Cat3 sulfated batteries you should make your own. I have unit called Mini CIP (Charged Inductive Pulse). Even with that a heavy sulfated battery takes up to a week to clear out (from everything white inside until there is nothing left). The next one down was the "BLS" it took about a month. Sorry I don't have the Pulestech to compare. Desulfating does work, but it really depends on how bad the battery is plus what you use to desulfate it with. Infinitum and Wizbang were last as they couldn't do anything with cat3 sulfation, even not after 8 months! I don't want to say that these 2 are useless, I have mounted one on my sports car with a C-Tek charger), to keep the battery from sulfating another one on my tractor, next one on the generator, etc., Works A1.
Others hook an electric fence energizer up to the battery and let er go.

[jinman]

So send me an email if you'd like to read the report since I don't want to be accused of not supporting the information I presented and since you're close by stop in and I'll walk you through the lab so you can have a better idea what we do with batteries. Then you can explain all of this stuff.

One other thing the military is getting 18-24 mo out of their red top Optima's right now, a lot of that has to do with their use profile but unfortunately they don't seem to be lasting as long as the older ones.

Mark

Mark, thanks for the invite. I noticed you were in Jacksboro and it reminded me that a couple of years ago, I bought a Yamaha golf cart from an older gent (he'd be 91 today) right near downtown Jacksboro. He had a used car lot there and sold golf carts on craigslist too. It occurs to me that a golf course might be the perfect customer for your charger/desulfators. The cart I bought had 4 big 12 vdc batteries hooked in series for 48 vdc. Of course, the charger hooked into a single plug and must have charged at the 48 vdc level. I gave it to my brother and he charges batteries about once per month. Perhaps, the charger for the cart is a pulsing model that also desulfates. I know it goes through a set cycle that you do not want to interrupt if possible.

[MDA1775]

DieselMonk, You are correct about most things not working on heavily sulfated batteries, the large motive industry batteries literally blast the sulfate off with current but those plates are much heavier than automotive type batteries. You are always better off preventing rather than trying to get the heavy stuff to break up. In fact we sometimes see older batteries fail completely with pulsing since the sulfate is all that is holding the paste on the grid and once you clean it up the paste is no longer connected at all.

[stevem5215]

Put the extreme 2.5amp model on the tractor battery. Was charging when I left today. Said it was at 75% charged. I'm hoping that it won't shut off after 24hrs like the manual mentioned if the battery has issues. (which this one does) If so I'll just get a new battery next spring.

Steve (no deer today)

[MDA1775]

Unlike most chargers on the market ours read voltage and current to make its determinations. What that means is as long as voltage is able to increase and current output decreases the charger will keep on working. It is not uncommon to see a charger get to 75%, then drop to 50% and then go back to 75% since as more surface area gets cleaned up there is more area that can be charged. I would not hesitate to run it a couple of times if the Xtreme does shut off because your battery has problems. Sometimes they come back after multiple attempts. Good Luck

[Whisper35]

I have had Optima Batteries in my Jeep and I put them in all of our off roaders/rock crawlers. I have never had a problem with these batteries. They have always worked, even at -40 which is a usual Winter temp for us. I would recommend them.

[thcri]

Murph, I thought you were looking for a new tractor. Am I confused? Didn't you post that earlier? It has nothing to do with batteries, I just saw your post and it triggered a memory. . . good or bad.

Yes I am thinking of getting a new rig. But just thought I would share my experience with my battery on my existing rig.

[ruffdog]

When I bought my TC33D about 12 years ago, I heard that the small battery in front of the radiator was giving up some acid and damaging the tractors. I saw the same thing was happening with mine so I replaced the battery with a larger Optima battery. I had to build a 2" riser so the battery would clear the hood latch. I have never had a problem since and am happy.

[stevem5215]

Update on the new smart Extreme charger -

Well, it never shut off so I disconnected it last week and let the machine sit for a week with nothing connected. I checked the battery voltage today and it was 12.1 volts. So I put on the 10amp smart charger I have and went hunting. At lunchtime I came back and it was on FLO which usually means it's charged up fully. So I put on the Extreme charger and it went to 75% again and when I left this afternoon it was still charging. Now this battery has been sort of working meaning that when I stopped the machine in the middle of the day and had lunch it would start right back up afterwards with no issue. But, when i went to start it after a month of sitting it would not without using the jumper pack battery or charging it up with the Smart charger.

I believe it to be exactly as you mentioned where the Extreme is checking the current and finding it's charging whereas the Smart charger just checks the voltage and thinks it's good to go when actually the battery isn't so good in reality. I still think I might need a new battery but I'll leave the Extreme charger on there for another week and we'll see what happens. Worst case I end up buying a new battery anyway.

Steve