Batteryminder 1500 Review

[Fallon]

Desulfuitization via pulsing at the resonance of a lead sulfite crystal sounds like snake oil, but isn't. It won't work miracles, but it does help lengthen a batteries lifespan a bit.

A pile of different chargers have that function now. You can build your own for $5-10 if you are handy with electronics. I'm handy, but have just picked up chargers with the function instead, less hassle.

 

[Ford850]

Here's another follow up on this. My BatteryMinder 1500 has been in use for about a year now. The original battery I used it on, for my DX55, was put to the test a couple times in the past week. First, after keeping up with rotating the Minder to all batteries every couple months, they have been performing like new. I had to start the DX55 last week after sitting without the Minder for weeks, and without starting it. It had been below 0 degrees for days, so I did plug in the block heater for 2 hours. It cranked over like it was summer, and I plowed the drive and then parked it again for a week. After sitting all week in -5 to 15 degree temps, today it was upper 20's, and I started it without the block heater or the aid of them Minder for many weeks now. It cranked as fast as in the summer. I am very pleased with how this battery is revived compared to a year ago.
My wife's car had a dead battery a couple weeks ago. I thought it was a shorted, since it was so drained and didn't seem to take a full charge nor hold one. I charged it using my Shumacher charger, then let the BatteryMinder sit on it for 2 days. It's back to holding a full charge again.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I have about 4 or 5 of the older Battery Tenders that I keep on my motorcycle, lawnmower, tractor, etc. On the m/c I used to be in the battery buying business every 3 years. At $185 per copy, that gets old really quick. Once I started keeping my batteries on the Battery Tender the life of my m/c batteries has extended to over 7 years now. And still perking!

I am a little disappointed in Deltran though. I had one Battery Tender just quite charging a few weeks ago. I wrote to them asking about repairing it, but they've elected to totally ignore my email. So, I can't say much for their customer service...

Now I'm in the need of a desulfator for my golf cart batteries. They're 6 volt but I can hook up a desulfator in parallel so I could use a 12 volt desulfator. At over $200 per battery, and I need 12 total, I'll be buying a desulfator charger. Any recommendations on brand?

 

[Garandman]

I started using the BT Jr on motorcycle batteries as well. Now I have them on three bikes, two snowmobiles, and have a Battery Tender Plus for the tractor.

 

[PILOON]

OK, get green with envy.
Last summer I was at a garage sale and the guy had an intelligent battery tender that he asked $10.00 for.
Since I already had 2 I offered him $5.00 and he said 'sold'. Was like new in the box. (lists at about $25-30 here)
Now my tractor, ATV and spare battery sit comfortably 'tended' ! LOL. (I do get lucky at times)

 

[RPW]

Gem99, I hope you meant in series. In parallel you are still at 6vdc.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Gem99, I hope you meant in series. In parallel you are still at 6vdc.

There's a difference? hehe - That sparky stuff is just electrifying to me. But thanks for the correction.

 

[Oldtink]

I had a BatteryMinder 12248 and got 5 years out of it before I just gave up on it and went to a Battery Tender Plus. (half the $$$)
I hope I just got a bad one but it was back for repair under warranty twice and the third time was just out of warranty and said enough of this. The darn thing was smart though, so smart it wouldn't attempt to charge a battery once it got down to 8 or 9 volts then it learned to do the same thing at 11.5v.
I liked it when it did work and left it on my tractor 24/7 which would sit idle in a cold barn for weeks but the battery was always strong when I'd hit the key.
I'm under the impression that lead sulfate isn't an issue if you keep the battery charged. Could be wrong but I don't put much faith into restoring an old slow cranking battery into like new for $150. I'll invest that in a new battery and keep a charge on it.

 

[varmint]

Not to derail the thread, but I have had good luck with the cheapo Harbor Freight battery tenders. I install marine 12V outlets in the plastic lower front panels on my Kubotas (12V ciggie lighter outlets...?) and wire a plug on the chargers instead of the alligator clips- almost instant "on" or "off", and since the battery on some tractors isn't easily accessible, this proves handy. A 10A inline fuse, of course. I guess it would make for a handy power source, if I needed it for something.
My brother had a beautiful Porsche 911 that sat most of the time (only 3000 miles in 8 years- I volunteered to borrow it and exercise it) in one of his aircraft hangers, always with an expensive battery maintainer on it, and I know he had trouble with the maintainers a couple of times.

 

[JJZ 109]

I've got a mix & match battery charger/tender setup. On the 3 motorcycles, I attached ring terminals to all the batteries with the pigtail and just plug/unplug to use. I bought a tender from the local Harley dealer and rotate that among the bikes weekly. Got about 4 HF cheapies. One is on a Mustang GT all winter. Another is on the commercial truck battery that runs the hydraulics on a Telsta bucket. Another is on the engine starting battery of the bucket truck. It sits parked all winter. Last one is on an Interstate 850 CCA battery that's just sitting as a spare.
I have a Sears 6/12 volt charger that I've had around for many, many years. That gets rotated among the four 6 volt deep cycles that I have for a JLG tow behind lift. There's also another NAPA battery maintainer that gets rotated between the zero turn mower, a JD lawn tractor and the dump trailer battery. Man, there are a lot of batteries to look after all winter!