Another Battery!

[Paystar]

I've had more batteries fail that have been left on battery tenders (several brands) than not.

I'm by no means a battery expert, but I have read that.....that it is no good to leave them on a maintainer all the time. They say to take them off every other week or month or have one that cycles because it is better for the battery to discharge then recharge in cycles?

 

[DarkBlack]

Darkblack, I read about people like you and I hope to someday achieve that goal but so far it seems unobtainable for me. I will keep trying but as I stated - even with a "smart" charger hooked up it seems to evade me!! Just not as lucky as you are I guess. Thanks for your input though - it gives me continued "hope" that I may "someday" be one of the lucky ones.

I believe it has a lot to do with where you live. Hot weather shortens the life of vehicle batteries. I believe batteries last a lot longer in colder states like NH, than in hot states like Arizona. I saw a listing on it once. It was striking how short average vehicle battery life was in hot climates.

I also never use battery tenders. If the vehicle is sitting more than 3 weeks and has a computer drain on the battery, I just do a normal rate charge about every 3 weeks

 

[stevem5215]

My 17' Ridgeline has a 8 year old battery (as of Oct at least). I keep it on a NOCO 5 battery charger when I'm not using it for any length of time. That charger also has a desulfination mode that I use a couple times a year. It works. And how do I know ? I use a battery tester to check internal resistance (actually capacitance) inside the battery. It tests it and especially after a charge cycle and settle time (next day test). I also had a battery for my Steiner last 12 years recently. It was a cheap Walmart battery. I did the same testing and charging regiment to it too. I've had lawn and garden tractor batteries last long periods as well. But not all. Some fail of course as they are cheaply made and not good quality like a better car battery is.

Here's the charger I use.

Amazon.com

And here's a tester like I use (not this exact one as they keep changing them)

Amazon.com

 

[John_Mc]

I've had more batteries fail that have been left on battery tenders (several brands) than not.

There are a lot of crappy brands for battery maintainers out there. Some of them undercharge, leading to sulfation of the battery, some overcharge, boiling off the electrolyte. If you are going to leave a maintainer on the battery for an extended period, yo really need to be using a good quality smart charger.

 

[John_Mc]

I'm by no means a battery expert, but I have read that.....that it is no good to leave them on a maintainer all the time. They say to take them off every other week or month or have one that cycles because it is better for the battery to discharge then recharge in cycles?

That is not the case for flooded lead acid or AGM batteries. They do best when kept fully charged (using the appropriate charging and float voltages). Since the appropriate voltages vary with temperature, it's important to have a temperature compensated charger for best life. I prefer a smart charger that also has a desulfation feature. True smart chargers (good quality ones) are not constantly pumping electrons into the battery: they monitor the battery condition and only charge as needed.

NiCad and Lithium batteries do tend to like to be cycled occasionally. For best longevity, most lithium batteries also like to be stored somewhere roughly around half full (somewhere in the 25% - 75% of full charge range) when they will not be used for an extended period.

 

[John_Mc]

The optima yellow top battery in my tractor is 8.5 years old. I put it on a BatteryMinder brand charger maintainer any time I won't be using it for more than a week or two. (Model 1215C - electrically very similar to their model 1500, but more weatherproof.) It's temperature compensated and has a full time desulfation circuit (using high frequency pulses, not high voltage as some do).

My antique truck has a 24V system with two 12 V batteries in series. I have an on-board NOCO Genius 2 bank charger (similar to their current GENPRO 10x2 charger, but mine is an older model), temperature compensated with desulfation and charges each battery independently - which is a much better way to go than using a 24V charger. I connect it any time the truck is not likely to get used in the next week or two. The batteries were in the truck when I bought it. No idea how old they are. I've had it for 5 years. The batteries seemed a bit on the weak side when I bought the truck, but the desulfation seems to have brought them back. They are still going strong, and test well with a load tester.

I bought a used UTV a little over 1-1/2 years ago. The original battery was trashed so I replaced it. A local dealer and an ATV service guy both told me I'd be lucky to get two years out of the little battery these things use. I went for a Yuasa AGM battery, hoping to get a bit more life out of it. The receiver for the wireless winch control is always on, creating a drain on the battery. I keep it on a BatteryMinder charger/maintainer specifically designed for AGM batteries any time the UTV is not in use. The battery is 1.5 years old now and still going strong. I'm interested to see how it holds up.

 

[bmaverick]

9 years for the basic Exide in my machine. It's now starting to show weakness. I'll have to find a replacement before winter since the tractor is used to plow.

@John_Mc Yes, I agree, I too only use a smart charger.

2/8/15 Amp Automatic Microprocessor Controlled Battery Charger

Amazing deals on this 2/8/15 Amp 12V Automatic Charger Starter at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[DK35vince]

A good battery well maintained will last 4 to 5 years. I had one make it to 6 years, but that is about the limit of a wet cell battery.

My last pickup truck battery lasted 13 years.
My original tractor battery last 11 years, current tractor battery is 12+ years old and still working fine.
Zero turn mower battery last 10 years.
I generally average 10 years on my car battery's
Never had a maintainer on any of my batteries.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

With over 60 batteries to take care of I do my best to treat them nicely.

Started using BatteryMINDers and Canadus desulfators a long time ago, later also PulseTech products.

Some batteries (Optima Group 31 and normal car size, four each) were constantly on maintainers mentioned above and lasted over 20 years. Well, they started acting up when no longer plugged in, but were charged by solar chargers (still with desulfation).

My '10 M6040 battery is still going strong, rarely charged other than by using the tractor, but has a permanently installed Canadus. The '13 L3800 gets treated to desulfation every now and then, when I remember to put a Canadus on it.

Basically, each vehicle/trailer/battery is a bit different, and treated differently, but I think the key is (as mentioned by others above) to use quality maintainers.

I've also found regulated 10W solar panels that seems to work very well. Some batteries are constantly on one of the six I have, others more occasionally, just like with the maintainers.

I don't remember having a single battery lasting less than five years, but the majority makes it past 10. Some are inside for the most part, the majority are outside.

 

[Smokeydog]

Things lasting half as long but costing twice as much. I’m sounding like Dad a little more each day. Troubling that increasing initial cost doesn’t necessarily mean a longer lasting product. One of reasons we have down sized from half a dozen tractors to two.

On a related subject have been pleasantly surprised by these newfangled capacitor jump starters.

Amazon.com

Easily starts extending stored diesels with failing batteries or even completely dead. Appreciate flashlight feature in a dark tractor shed, light weight and so much easier than jumper cables. Safer too. Will help get a little more life (year(s)) from the batteries and comfort in knowing I will not be stranded.