Batteries

   / Batteries #1  

6sunset6

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Joined
May 6, 2007
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1,056
Location
SE NY
Tractor
NH TC34DA 34HP HST, 2 rear remotes, front diverter, loaded R4's
I am sure this has been posted a thousand times. Make this 1001.
Seems to me batteries in machines, cars, tractors, trucks, that run all the time last for quite a awhile 7 years maybe.
My TLB which I hardly ever use anymore but cannot bring myself to sell has the following story
New Die Hard 9/08 Since I run it a couple of times a year I put a float charger on it. Red led is always on. Went to start it and one turn, nothing but electric fuel pump running. Checked voltage 11v Put a charger on it. also cleaned and tightened terminals . 4-5 hrs later 13 v. Tried to start not much . Charged it again and put a load tester on it. 12v but nothing under crank load. No question the battery is gone. SO what does the float charger do exactly. I have also heard they alternate between red and green led but I have never seen that.
This 4 y and 2 m on some kind of warrenty 54 months prorated I guess I can get something on it.
Anybody have a comment on how to keep a battery good when not used much?
 
   / Batteries #2  
All "float" chargers are not the same. Some are a true voltage sensing, automatic on-off battery maintainer, while others are basically just a redesigned trickle charger. At the motorcycle shop we used to advise customers to only use the low amp charger 24 hours at a time, and only use it once every 1 or 2 weeks. People who followed that advice got a lot better battery life than the ones that had a charger constantly used.

Ken
 
   / Batteries
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Brought the battery back to Sears. $30 credit but the price went up $30. New bat Started in 2 sec. Ran around for a while .It still works.
SO How to prolong the life of infrequently used batteries.
I think Ken is right not all float chargers Float. I think I got 2 that trickle.
I guess bring it in the garage Set it in a corner. But a reminder in my e calender to charge every 2 weeks for 24 hr. and a reminder to take it off. Too much remembering what I was going to do went I went to the garage.
I have some fancy timers around. I will see if I can set up a two week cycle. I know I can do a 1 week cycyle.
Maybe 8 hrs once a week and watch the voltage for a while . then I camn leave it in the machine.
 
   / Batteries #4  
I have had good luck with the Deltran Battery Tenders. Aside from lightning killing them, the 800ma water proof ones seem to work well outdoors. I have the 1.25ah ones for inside the garage now. They seem to do a good job of kicking back in when the voltage drops (you can tell it changes to charge mode from maintain when you turn the head lights on and the LED goes from green to orange.).

I can't comment on other brands. These are quite low current, so it can take quite some time to recharge a battery if it's drained down (like days).
 
   / Batteries #5  
i will sometimes swap batteries between well used and unused equipment just to keep stuff fresh.

setting and no use is what kills them.
 
   / Batteries #7  
In addition to float chargers, I have been using a charger with a desulfating cycle on my batteries twice a year, for the last few years.

They say sulfur builds up on the plates over time, and these chargers send pulses through the battery, to knock it back off.

I was skeptical when I bought this. But, 2 of 3 "dead" batteries from my pile of cores, were useable again, after trying it on them.

Each cycle takes 24 hours. They say you should give up on it, if it doesn't take a charge after 3 cycles.
 
   / Batteries #8  
   / Batteries #10  
Invest in a quality smart charger. I'm using a Genius G3500 to charge batteries as well as maintain one of my seldom used batteries.
 
 
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