Does anyone have any experience using a solar charger to keep the battery fully charged when the tractor is not used for long periods? I keep my tractor in a barn that is open on both sides an the barn gets lots of indirect light.
Solar charger
- Thread starter marhar
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ericm979
Super Member
Solar panels need direct sunlight to make decent power.
If you're going to leave the charger on long term, get one with a battery charge controller. Cheap ones just dump current into the battery without sensing battery voltage and can over charge it. I made my own charger with a controller and a panel and it did not keep my vehicle battery charged as well as I hoped. Putting it on the dashboard was probably the problem. Just not enough direct sunlight.
If you have power on site just not at the barn, and you know when your long periods of inactivity will be, it might be better to remove the battery and hook it up to a good quality charger.
If you're going to leave the charger on long term, get one with a battery charge controller. Cheap ones just dump current into the battery without sensing battery voltage and can over charge it. I made my own charger with a controller and a panel and it did not keep my vehicle battery charged as well as I hoped. Putting it on the dashboard was probably the problem. Just not enough direct sunlight.
If you have power on site just not at the barn, and you know when your long periods of inactivity will be, it might be better to remove the battery and hook it up to a good quality charger.
2manyrocks
Super Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 7,330
I have been using a 100w Grape solar panel from Home Depot plus a MMPT controller from ebay similar to this one (I don't know which seller I bought from ) for a few years without any issues. 30A Solar Panel Charge Controller 12V/24V Auto LCD Display Regulator Dual USB 750958476340 | eBay
100w may be more power than needed, but it seems like the panel choices are either small panels or they jump right to 100w. The panel I bought was about $90-100. The cables were too short and I also had to buy extension cables that fit the quick connectors on the panel.
Mounting the solar panel is easier (mine is mounted flat to the exterior wall of my barn) if you buy the aluminum frame mounts like these. PowMr 4 Pcs of Solar Panel Mounting Z Brackets for RV Boat Wall Off Gird Roof | eBay
You will also want to add an inline fuse plus a shutoff switch so you can turn the power off when you disconnect from your battery.
If you have 110v power in your shed, a smart trickle charger would be less expensive and less work to install.
100w may be more power than needed, but it seems like the panel choices are either small panels or they jump right to 100w. The panel I bought was about $90-100. The cables were too short and I also had to buy extension cables that fit the quick connectors on the panel.
Mounting the solar panel is easier (mine is mounted flat to the exterior wall of my barn) if you buy the aluminum frame mounts like these. PowMr 4 Pcs of Solar Panel Mounting Z Brackets for RV Boat Wall Off Gird Roof | eBay
You will also want to add an inline fuse plus a shutoff switch so you can turn the power off when you disconnect from your battery.
If you have 110v power in your shed, a smart trickle charger would be less expensive and less work to install.