Keeping a battery charged

[gunnner]

The othe day I went to start my track hoe------Battery was dead---Have not used it for some time. As there is no power where I keep it I was able to jump start it with my tractor parked next to it.
So my question is: How often do I need to start/run my equipment to keep the battery up. Being that the batteries are around 2 years old ---how long do I need to run the engines?

 

[Car Doc]

It depends on the draw with the key off (is it computerized or have a clock or a radio?) and the temperature (cold is bad on battery's) and the cleanliness of the battery itself can cause a surface drain.

I use and highly recommend HF battery tenders I have them on everything I own that sits over the winter or is parked unused I realize you have no power but a small solar panel and a diode installed in the output of the tender I think would work.

 

[kneedeep]

A auto mechanic told my mom when she was having trouble with her car battery (she drove 2 miles to work and home only) that it takes at least 30 min driving at highway speed to re-charge a car battery after cranking. Apparantly she was not driving enough to keep the batteries charged so I rigged a trickle charger that would unplug if she forgot and backed out of the garage with it plugged up. That problem solved!

I have used Solar Charges and they seem to work well if you get the big ones from Auto suppliers and not the cheap small ones from Academy

 

[Bob77064]

One that would unplug is what I would need, soon as I had backed out I would remember it.

 

[Car Doc]

One that would unplug is what I would need, soon as I had backed out I would remember it.

Yeah that sounds familiar :laughing: how about hanging the key on the battery tender wiring! :thumbsup:

 

[yelbike]

One that would unplug is what I would need, soon as I had backed out I would remember it.

How could you be so forgetful?? I would never do that......twice in one day.

 

[oldballs]

I guess one could remove the battery alltogether and leave it where one could keep a trickle charger on it. Sounds like a lot of hassle, but might be better than starting/running the tractor just to keep the battery up.

 

[gunnner]

Aaaaaah------Solar powered battery chargers------now why did I not think of that????? ( GUESS cause I never had one)
I have started to look for one (2)----As a starter motor has only so many starts in it.
Sunforce® 12-Volt Battery Solar Charger, Battery Chargers & Power Packs, Auto/Boat Batteries & Chargers, Boating : Cabela's

Thanks everyone

 

[94BULLITT]

I have some solar chargers. The small ones put out 100 milli amps and I have a big one that does 400 milli amps. I keep them one my vehicles. I also have a Noco genius battery charger that about once a month I use to top off the batterys. If you keep something inside I recommend you keep a quality battery maintainer on it. The battery in my truck is over 7 years old.

 

[gunnner]

After thinkin bout solar chargers-------Well I don't get much direct sunlight up here-----perhaps in mid winter bout from 9AM till 2PM------so I now wonder if that is enough?????
Guess I could run a extention cord on the ground to the carport----after all I have other extion cords going to my lower carport , chicken coupe, garden shed ,& greenhouse ( parcially burried ).

 

[94BULLITT]

The solar chargers i got are amorphus so they charge on cloudy days or even inside.

 

[Jkott]

How often do I need to start/run my equipment to keep the battery up. Being that the batteries are around 2 years old ---how long do I need to run the engines?

A battery in a HD vehicle is probably in the 60-90 AMP*Hour range. Alternator on my tractor and ATV are 50 Amp and my truck is 145Amp. From totally dead, it would probably take close to 2 hours on your tractor to get a good charge on the battery, but alternators are not great at charging a battery to full.

They aren't 100% efficient at charging, so its possible it would take even 3-4 hours to charge. I don't know the output of it at idle, but I know my ATV's barely break even powering the fuel pump and computer at idle. It doesn't even think of charging until it's at medium RPM's.

The solar maintainer (400milli amps isn't a charger, it's a maintainer) is probably your best long term bet. For the short term, getting the battery to a real AC charger is the best solution to a dead battery. The longer a battery sits dead (days are bad, weeks are very bad), the more the lead oxidizes and reduced future capacity and life.

 

[SPYDERLK]

A auto mechanic told my mom when she was having trouble with her car battery (she drove 2 miles to work and home only) that it takes at least 30 min driving at highway speed to re-charge a car battery after cranking. Apparantly she was not driving enough to keep the batteries charged so I rigged a trickle charger that would unplug if she forgot and backed out of the garage with it plugged up. That problem solved!

I have used Solar Charges and they seem to work well if you get the big ones from Auto suppliers and not the cheap small ones from Academy

If the car needs to be cranked for the better part of a minute, sure. If it starts w/i 2-3 seconds like most cars it will be well recharged in 5 minutes.
larry

 

[kneedeep]

If the battery is fully charged, a good solar charger should keep it topped off. I used a mantainer on a new2003 Mahindra OE battery and it finanly died last month!

 

[swines]

Put a battery disconnect switch on the positive battery terminal. Disconnect the battery and you'll eliminate parasitic draining of the battery. I've done this on two of my tractors & it has nearly eliminated the need to charge the battery after not using the tractor for an extended period of time.

 

[pat32rf]

Most lead acid batteries will self discharge across the surface of the battery just due to their own moisture. AGM batteries such as the Optima will last much longer when stored.

 

[94BULLITT]

Most lead acid batteries will self discharge across the surface of the battery just due to their own moisture. AGM batteries such as the Optima will last much longer when stored.

That is why GM's have sidepost batteries, it is supposed to help with self discharge.

 

[Monster5601]

the temperature (cold is bad on battery's)

From Freq Asked Questions - Batterytender.com

"Batteries are sensitive to temperature. Recall the number of TV ads showing how tough a battery is when it can start a vehicle in sub-zero temperatures. Cold temperatures tend to reduce a battery's ability to deliver current to a load. High temperatures not only increase a battery's ability to deliver current to a load, but also increase a battery's internal losses."

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would try to determine what parasitic drain is causing the battery to discharge. As suggested put in a switch to disconnect the positive terminal would stop any loss. I had a Yanmar that would set for more than 6 months thru the fall/ winter and sometime spring months and still crank every time. It never had any drain on it. My BIL's JD 750 wouldnt crank after setting 3 months due to something draining the power. Wifes car with alarm system wouldnt start after setting in storage for 6 months, but my truck cranked quiet easily although I could tell it wasnt fully up. Even those little blinking LEDs will eventually drain a battery. Now I keep a maintainer on all of them when long term idle is anticipated.
I gave my BIL a solar panel to put on his gate opener battery. It puts out 14volts and 15 watts. It has worked for keeping the battery charged for over 2 years now without need for charging on a AC charger.
I have an identical one that I hook on my JD 332 mower and it keeps the battery full up without overcharging.

 

[Soundguy]

ditto what 94 said.. even something like a solar cell can help greatly offset battery self discharge and help with parasitic draws / loads.