Oil & Fuel Battery Tender Success Story?

[John_Mc]

... I do have a battery Minder and it does work well. It can't revive a battery that's too far gone but it can keep the weak ones that are discharging too quickly when sitting idle from getting worse. In the winter I take all my "summer" batteries into the garage and charge each one with the minder and then put them in the basement.

In order for a BatteryMinder or other desulfating charger to properly desulfate the battery, you have to leave it connected for an extended time (for weeks, in cases of heavy sulfation). Just topping off the batteries charge may help prevent further sulfation, but it will have little or no effect on the existing sulfation in the battery.

I have brought back marginal batteries to fully acceptable, year round performance with a BatteryMinder. It takes some time, but it does work. You are right that it may not recover an extremely sulfated battery, and it can't fix a shorted cell, but you may be surprised at what it can recover

 

[ArlyA]

On this subject, at my job I seasonally operate a few machines, namely a ATV, UTV and sleds. Seems I was going through batteries a bit faster than I appreciated and someone mentioned the sulfation of these batteries. I called SCHUMACHER and asked which of there chargers does this processes of desulfates and they said "all ours do, that are microprocessor controlled" so we got one. As JohnMc states, you need to leave it connected through its charge so it can run this process which it does after the battery is full. Over the summer we connect all our machines to a Scumacher charger and leave it on for 24 hours. Then switch it to the next machine and do them all like this. This seems to work and we've now replacing batteries less often. I should add that I read somewhere that most battery failures are from this sulfation of the plates.

 

[PILOON]

On my genset battery I initially used a $10 el cheapo trickle charger.
Well that simply boiled out all the acid as all it was is a tiny transformer with a diode that provided about 18 vdc all the time.
I then replaced the genset battery with an ATV 12 VDC battery that I had on hand and used a proper 'intelligent' charger.
That ATV battery has now provided me with 5 years of reliable start power.
Yes, I am a believer in 'intelligent chargers'.

 

[gwstang]

So, very hot temps are harder on a regular 12V lead battery than very cold temps? I guess I have always thought the cold temps were worse. I think that's because the tractor/four wheeler don't get used as much down here in the deep parts of winter...so they go dead. I think we are just whimpy down here in the deep south when it gets really cold occasionally and don't use stuff as much. Really cold in central Alabama is about 20F-30F and maybe below 20F for a short time. I don't know how you "Yankees" do it way up there in the arctic cold . Of course, it has been around 100F just about every day (until today, it was rainy/cloudy) for the last 3 weeks or so.

 

[gwstang]

"I then replaced the genset battery with an ATV 12 VDC battery that I had on hand and used a proper 'intelligent' charger."

I get a motorcycle battery from Walmart and use that on my generator/electric start. The generator also charges the battery when I run it for maintenance. I try to run it at least once a month to keep things lubed up and trouble free. I always cut off the gas valve and run the carb out of gas. This keeps it working great when I need it.

 

[Jkott]

So, very hot temps are harder on a regular 12V lead battery than very cold temps?

No, I think it's the extremes on either side.

Hot temps boil off fluid a lot faster, permanently crippling it. Freezing is bad because water expands around freezing, crushing/deforming plates and shorting them out.

100% charged batteries in freezing temps survive because sulfuric acid has a lower freezing point than water. But let's be honest, unless you are diligent, you are going to enter the freezing temps at less than a full charge. There is a long time between autumn when you winterize equipment and deep winter storage for a battery to discharge before freezing.

And hot air temps, in a hot engine compartment, boil off water, and that's bad. You can't park tools just because it's summer and hot, so it's going to happen, especially if you have AC and you are down south.

Keeping the correct water level, diligence of storage, state of charge, and sheer luck helps in longevity.

There is no arguing that keeping batteries on maintainers that may sit idle or get drained by electronics can't hurt. If your charging system is perfect and you have no parasitic drain while idle, then awesome. For the rest of us, we will prolong batteries with relatively inexpensive maintainers.

 

[Ford850]

I just updated my BatteryMinder thread. I've had it for 2 1/2 years, and my routine has been working great.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...nder-1500-review.html?highlight=batteryminder

 

[stlbill]

My JD 2320 is now over 6 years old (500 hours) with the original battery and going strong. I try to give it a booster charge once a year or so if I can remember to. When I think about how much time I've saved not hooking and unhooking a battery tender, I think I'm way ahead. :cool2:

I never ran a tender but I just changed my tractor battery at 6 years and a couple months. It ran great all along through the years and then it just stopped. Wonder why? Would a tender have extended that? Probably not, but I don't know.

I wonder how long it takes a properly operating tractor to replace the juice used to start it by running its alternator?

Consider this:

(Total Hours) / (Engine Starts) = (Average Running Time)

500 Hours / 2 Starts = 250 Hours. I would say no need for a tender because the alternator was running all that time.

but:

500 Hours / 2000 Starts = 15 Minutes. In this case I would think the alternator might not have put back what the starter and glow plugs took out.

Substitute your own numbers.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

I wonder how long it takes a properly operating tractor to replace the juice used to start it by running its alternator?

Consider this:

(Total Hours) / (Engine Starts) = (Average Running Time)

500 Hours / 2 Starts = 250 Hours. I would say no need for a tender because the alternator was running all that time.

but:

500 Hours / 2000 Starts = 15 Minutes. In this case I would think the alternator might not have put back what the starter and glow plugs took out.

Substitute your own numbers.

You need to consider ambient temp, at higher ambient temps the charging rate should be decreased. In most military applications they are now sensing battery temp and have a computer in the alternator regulating charging rate based on battery temp. That is a resent development based on our current deployment. When we first deployed we could not keep batteries in the trucks. Similar issue down south, high ambient temps are hard on batteries.
http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/WP_DeepCycleBatteryStorage_0512.pdf
Looking at figure one battery just sitting there at 86 it will be at 80% capacity in just 4 weeks. Lower the temp to 42 and it is 19 weeks.
So, a tractor down south with the battery box in the hot sun, it is going to be discharging big time. If I remember correctly the magic number for charging a lead acid battery is 110, at that temp you can only charge at a very low rate.

 

[ruffdog]

My BX25 is less than a year old but during the winter, I cranked it every two weeks and let it run for 10 mins. Good idea, bad idea, or should I use the tender next winter?

Most of the engine wear is when the engine is cold, so I would limit cold running just to charge the battery. Also, just running it for a short time will load up the muffler with moisture that normally gets burned off if fully warmed up.