Battery Tester Analyzer

[goeduck]

I have had the two tractor yellow top Optimas with me at the house this week and ran the Optima 400 charger maintainer on them all week (rotated every day or so). Both are about the same age and size. Both would show 100% charge after being on the charger and both would say 75% charged when I first switched to each battery from the other. I would power down the charger each time so it would analyze the battery. Both would show approx 13 V in the 100% charged state on a multimeter.

I received my $30 Schumacher BT100 load tester (old school heating element type) today and tested both batteries. One easily put out over 1000 Amps. The other (the one that failed to start its tractor) could not get off the bottom of the scale.

My intent is to let the charger go through the 30 day maintenance cycle on the bad one where it will attempt to desulfate the battery in a last gasp hope of recovering it. Seems odd to me, but nothing to lose.

 

[5030]

Never been impressed with any Optima (Johnson Controls) battery. Over priced. They make them not too fat from here in Waterville, Ohio.

 

[3930dave]

I have had the two tractor yellow top Optimas with me at the house this week and ran the Optima 400 charger maintainer on them all week (rotated every day or so). Both are about the same age and size. Both would show 100% charge after being on the charger and both would say 75% charged when I first switched to each battery from the other. I would power down the charger each time so it would analyze the battery. Both would show approx 13 V in the 100% charged state on a multimeter.

I received my $30 Schumacher BT100 load tester (old school heating element type) today and tested both batteries. One easily put out over 1000 Amps. The other (the one that failed to start its tractor) could not get off the bottom of the scale.

My intent is to let the charger go through the 30 day maintenance cycle on the bad one where it will attempt to desulfate the battery in a last gasp hope of recovering it. Seems odd to me, but nothing to lose.

Shame to lose a young yellow-top; certainly worth a try.

I voted for the Optima charger for a few reasons. According to the BU guys, AGM is a bit more heat-sensitive than I would have guessed (wrt. charge voltage).....

Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) Battery Information - Battery University

Standard FLA batteries can have a tough time with heat too, but at least there you have the option of topping up electrolyte. (Not slagging AGM; many people don't check FLA cell levels, so don't gain anything there.....).

Rgds, D.

 

[John_Mc]

Never been impressed with any Optima (Johnson Controls) battery. Over priced. They make them not too fat from here in Waterville, Ohio.

I thought Optima moved their production to Mexico a few years ago. I got the one I'm using in my tractor a little over 4 years ago, and it's been working just fine so far.

 

[John_Mc]

I always try and recover a good quality battery, esp. one not that old. I want to say Battery Tender, but search around for a post in the last year from ultrarunner, or PM him - he bought a higher end model that had extensive re-conditioning modes, and had good luck on a near stone-dead battery or 2 - not sure if he used on AGM or not....

I have a few chargers around, that do get used, but something like that ^ one is probably my next addition here.....

Rgds, D.

Battery Tender has no desulfation mode. They are not all that good as chargers go, IMO, and will not recover or recondition a weak battery.

You are not thinking of a BatteryMINDer charger, were you? I have about 6 of them of varying models (the oldest is almost 20 years old and still works well). Their top of the line 12 V charger is the 128CEC1. For a less expensive maintainer, check out their model 1500 can be found for less than $50.

 

[3930dave]

Battery Tender has no desulfation mode. They are not all that good as chargers go, IMO, and will not recover or recondition a weak battery.

You are not thinking of a BatteryMINDer charger, were you? I have about 6 of them of varying models (the oldest is almost 20 years old and still works well). Their top of the line 12 V charger is the 128CEC1. For a less expensive maintainer, check out their model 1500 can be found for less than $50.

That sounds more probable.

Thanks for assisting my less than 100% memory .

Rgds, D.

P.S. - always liked the tagline you have. Also found out the hard way.... Tallest Nail Gets The Hammer First.....

D.

 

[John_Mc]

P.S. - always liked the tagline you have. Also found out the hard way.... Tallest Nail Gets The Hammer First.....

D.

Thanks. Some people take it too literally, assuming I'm talking about actual hand tools. I've found the sentiment expressed in my tagline to be true all too often in life. (I try to guard against doing it myself, but don't always succeed.)

I like your "Fizx" tag line as well. (A classmate and I basically taught our high school physics class, and I almost majored in it in college - I took 4 semesters of it - so I especially appreciate the value of understanding it.)

 

[5030]

I thought Optima moved their production to Mexico a few years ago. I got the one I'm using in my tractor a little over 4 years ago, and it's been working just fine so far.

Could be, I don't keep tabs on them. Isn't everything made elsewhere today?