Oil & Fuel Battery Tender Success Story?

[John_Mc]

I'm sure a temperature sensor is better, but I doubt that one in a hundred here have a battery charger to fit that description. And I'd bet most of us have gotten along just fine, so far.

Most of the BatteryMinder chargers have temperature sensors. Some are ambient temperature sensors: just a short lead with the sensor plugged into the end of it hanging in the air. The better ones have a sensor to attach to the battery post. The Ambien ones can be converted to the battery mounted sensors simply by buying the sensor and plugging it in where the ambient sensor was connected.

 

[dickfoster]

I was given some VX6 battery rejuvenator and tried it on my 6 volt battery that would not hold a charge and it worked...

No idea what is in it... I was 16 at the time.

EDTA or ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid. It's a chemical that breaks down the sulphide crystals like the pulse chargers do. It is supposed to be some nasty stuff. While it does remove the insulating sulphides from the plates, it does not reconvert the material back into sulphuric acid in the electrolyte. However it's another way to attack the same problem of sulphation.

 

[ultrarunner]

Thanks for the explanation... it really did work the one time I tried it.

 

[94BULLITT]

No battery charger is really good unless it has an external temperature sensor. It can't be. As temperature is so critical in the charging process formula. A friend in the battery/inverter business just gave me a few more intelligent chargers (take outs) and I am pleased to see that one has the mod plug input for the sensor.

My big charger/maintainer has a temp sensor. It is my favorite charger. I think it is super smart. It is a 26amp charger, and I have never seen it boil a battery. I guess the charger test the battery and can determine the size of it and with the temp sensor it knows how many amps it can put in the batter.

 

[94BULLITT]

I think chargers, tenders and desulfators are marketed much like laundry detergent. Since it is almost impossible for the average person to ever prove or disprove the claims, the manufacturers can claim just about anything that sells well.

I would love to be proven wrong and see some real autopsy like study showing that voltage spikes or high frequency, introduced into a battery, break down sulfation, for I don't buy it. Why are we throwing away millions of batteries that only need to be desulfated?

I bought a cheap data logging multi meter to test chargers/ maintainers. I cannot think of a good way to do a comparison though.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I had smart chargers that never boiled a battery. But they never fully charged it either. I had one from Princess Auto that I returned after years of irritation and two Schumakers that I grabbed by the cord and flung them to the concrete floor. The smart chargers also routinely told me I had a bad battery which wasn't the case.

Actually, my favorite chargers now are the old school dumb chargers. The ones you can leave out in the rain. A transformer, rectifier, meter and circuit breaker. The only thing I consider a MUST is to add a clockwork timer so you don't boil your battery..

 

[94BULLITT]

I never considered the Schumaker chargers to be very good.

 

[ultrarunner]

I had smart chargers that never boiled a battery. But they never fully charged it either. I had one from Princess Auto that I returned after years of irritation and two Schumakers that I grabbed by the cord and flung them to the concrete floor. The smart chargers also routinely told me I had a bad battery which wasn't the case.

Actually, my favorite chargers now are the old school dumb chargers. The ones you can leave out in the rain. A transformer, rectifier, meter and circuit breaker. The only thing I consider a MUST is to add a clockwork timer so you don't boil your battery..

I've got an old Baldor Charger that will work when the Smart ones don't

Sometimes I have to trick chargers.... like putting a know good 6v with a discharged 6v in series and using 12 volt charger.

 

[John_Mc]

I think chargers, tenders and desulfators are marketed much like laundry detergent. Since it is almost impossible for the average person to ever prove or disprove the claims, the manufacturers can claim just about anything that sells well.

I would love to be proven wrong and see some real autopsy like study showing that voltage spikes or high frequency, introduced into a battery, break down sulfation, for I don't buy it. Why are we throwing away millions of batteries that only need to be desulfated?

Three batteries that would not hold a charge if they sat idle for a week or two despite being charged repeatedly with my "dumb" charger, but which now work fine after a solid week or two hooked up to my smart charger is proof enough for me.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

All I know is I just sold a 2007 dual sport motorcycle, still had the original battery.
My 2009 street bike still running original battery.
My pickup truck battery is 11 years old and still going.
My original tractor battery lasted 11 years.
None have ever has a battery tender on them.

chances are that has to do more with your location as you do not see the high temps