Solar battery tender

[NoTrespassing]

Looking for a solar battery tender set up advice. Will be used on L series Kubota. Need about 16' lead from panel to control and at least 6' from control to battery. What panel size, control, extension wire, etc. Can you recommend. I'm electrical novice, plug and play would be best option.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Peter 315]

I have this setup works great......

 

[jaxs]

You used the name "Battery Tender". If you indeed buy a Battery Tender which is what Deltran call's their chargers,you can't go wrong.
Check them out Battery Tender

 

[Industrial Toys]

I just ordered a (quite fancy) 10 amp solar battery charge/controller off Ebay from China for EIGHT BUCKS! With temperature compensation too. Just sayin.

 

[NoTrespassing]

I just ordered a (quite fancy) 10 amp solar battery charge/controller off Ebay from China for EIGHT BUCKS! With temperature compensation too. Just sayin.

Personally, I'd be afraid of an 8$ solar battery charger. Don't get me wrong, I buy cheap stuff from China all the time, but for this, I'm going to be a little more careful. I don't want to cook my battery or burn down my tractor and shed. Like I said, I'm a novice when it comes to electricity.

Kevin

 

[NoTrespassing]

You used the name "Battery Tender". If you indeed buy a Battery Tender which is what Deltran call's their chargers,you can't go wrong.
Check them out Battery Tender

Yea, I've been there and checked it out. I'm thinking I need (3) items;

Amazon.com: Battery Tender 12V, 27mA, 5W Solar Battery Charger - Weatherproof by Deltran 21-1163: Automotive

Amazon.com: Battery Tender 25 FT Extension Cable for Battery Charging and Maintaining by Deltran - 81-148-25: Automotive

Amazon.com: Battery Tender Ring Terminal Accessory Cable: New World Diamonds: Automotive


I assume the third item will allow me to plug into the tractor without having to open the hood to disconnect the cables. Am I right?

Kevin

 

[Industrial Toys]

I hear you. I always fuse such stuff, in and out. I also place chargers on concrete so if they go poof, it's a bit safer. I have no insurance!!! Thing is, you can spend ten times more on "name brand" stuff that is the same junk. Or worse! When the same item is sold on E-bay by a hundred vendors, I am a little more assured.

 

[TractorGuy]

I recently bought the Battery Tender brand 5-45 solar controller. I have it connected to a 30W panel on the roof of my barn. I use the polarity connectors out of the Harbor Freight solar power connector kit. Make sure you check polarity with an ohm meter before connecting anything. I have pigtails on all my equipment with the positive connection on the equipment side being the insulated side on the connector.

Most of these controllers require connection to a charged battery BEFORE you connect them to a solar panel. I swap my 30W panel back and forth between a car and tractor from time to time so I ran the panel positive wire through a toggle switch. I turn the panel switch off before I disconnect the controller and turn it back on after it's connected to the other battery.

I also have one of those cheap controllers off eBay connected to a 100W panel. I have had mixed results with those but they seem to hold up if kept out of the weather. Right now I have that on a group 27 battery that isn't really doing much. I have a couple of LED lights connected to the load side and a Wyze Cam plugged into one of the USB ports.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a PVP that I bought for Y2Y and never used. Figure it's time to put in in a small cabin by our pond, and needed a controller. The cabin has a five ton frame made of strucural steel, so if it burns, it won't be a TOTAL loss. lol

 

[RalphVa]

Yea, I've been there and checked it out. I'm thinking I need (3) items;

Amazon.com: Battery Tender 12V, 27mA, 5W Solar Battery Charger - Weatherproof by Deltran 21-1163: Automotive

Amazon.com: Battery Tender 25 FT Extension Cable for Battery Charging and Maintaining by Deltran - 81-148-25: Automotive

Amazon.com: Battery Tender Ring Terminal Accessory Cable: New World Diamonds: Automotive


I assume the third item will allow me to plug into the tractor without having to open the hood to disconnect the cables. Am I right?

Kevin

The battery tenders I have and have had generally come with a removable end cable that is either one to place over screws or with clamps that attach to battery posts (often both are provide). You can unplug and leave one on the tractor.

A solar one would probably work on your tractor, but I tried a 10 amp or so one on my diesel generator, and it was not adequate. However, its battery runs the tiny LCD panel on the generator PLUS the panel inside the house, e.g. works the little motor that auto switches the power.

I now use only 120v battery tender for the generator battery, a Chinese one and also lately for the Tacoma and Miata batteries, swapping it back and forth. Theirs is a genuine Battery Tender brand.

Got solar ones on the driveway gate battery and on the fence charger. Even on the low draw fence charger, I've 2 solar panels and end up recharging the battery about twice/yr. Same deal with the gate battery: 2 solar panels and end up swapping batteries a couple times/yr. Got a Battery Tender off the biggest (near 20v) panel between it and the battery but have the 13-14v panel connected directly to the battery. Sorta the same for the gate. Those panels have built in battery tenders and connect both in parallel to the battery.

Ralph