Timer for charging batteries

[Spencer]

I have a variety of different batteries that need to be recharged for a certain amount of time. For instance my mother just got our daugter a 12 volt John Deere Gator for Christmas. They want you to charge that battery for 18 hours but definately not more than 24 hours. What I would like to have is a timer, preferably digital, that I could plug the charger into. Then I could set the timer for 18 hours and forget about it, the timer would cut power to the charger after the 18 hours was up. Luckily all my Makita cordless power tools have smart chargers that allow you to leave the batteries in them and they will stop the charging cycle when appropriate (or go into a "top-off charge" state). I sure would like to find a digital timer to take care of all of the other battery chargers. I have looked at Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, ect. I have also looked at Graingers and McMaster but I did not find anything there either. The only timers I can seem to find are the kind that you can set a weekly schedule for (like for turning on and off lamps, etc.)

 

[DavidJ]

I know it's not what you're looking for but we use a battery charger that has a built in timer to charge the batteries for the local FD. It has up to a 24 hour setting just crank it around to the proper time and walk away. We also use those spring loaded plugs tied to the wall for those occasional drive aways without unplugging.

Have you checked the kitchen supply places. I'm not sure they have timers that will stand that much load but it might be a good place to look.

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue">Luckily all my Makita cordless power tools have smart chargers that allow you to leave the batteries in them and they will stop the charging cycle when appropriate (or go into a "top-off charge" state). </font>

My brother-in-law modified one of his kid's plastic 12V ATVs that you see riding up and down the sidewalk... he put in a battery out of one of his cordless drills and made a socket for it to plug into. Now he keeps one charging and one in the ATV. The kids change it themselves. Works great.

As for timers... you can get a timer that runs on 110V. Connect an outlet to it. I did that for my father-in-law to run his Christmas tree lights at their old house. No reason you couldn't use it for anything else plugged into that outlet.
I believe it was made by Intermatic. . This brand can be ordered through most local electrical supply houses.

Hope this helps.

 

[RalphVa]

When we went to Singapore for 9 months, I removed the battery from my 220D Benz and set it in the basement with a charger on it. I just connected 2 of those cheap dial type timers in series. Don't remember how much time I put on each one. Think I had each going for about 1 hour a day. Think this ran the charger about 1 hour every 24 days then.

When I got back, I took the battery upstairs and installed it in the 220D. Glowed it for about 30 seconds or so. Started immediately. That's one thing I love about a diesel. Think it had about 160,000 miles on it at that point.

Ralph