battery experts?

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bandit86

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what is the best way to keep batteries topped off yet have them ready in the winter? I have 2 garden tractors with snow blowers and 2 atvs (and a boat batteriy) I'd like to have on a trickle charger. I'd like to have them preferably on a solar trickle charger and forget them.
 
S

steddy

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Re: battery experts?

Make sure your solar charger has a good controller that can tell when the battery is fully charged and shut nearly completely down.
I put my batteries on a 1 amp trickle charge for about 12 hours every 30 days while in storage. I don't replace many batteries.
 
JustJason

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Re: battery experts?

You can buy multibank battery tenders that work great especially if you have many batterys. most of the better ones you can mix and match 6 and 12 volt batteries on.
 
Bondo

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Re: battery experts?

Ayuh,.... By definition,... Batteries are electrical storage devises...
If the battery won't hold a charge from 1 usage to the next,...
You need a new battery,... Not a trickle charger...

I manage a Fleet of dumptrucks,... a Fleet of heavy equipment,... a Fleet of boats,+ a Fleet of toys...
If something don't turn over,... It's Boosted once or twice...
If it can't recover,+ hold a charge, the battery is Replaced...
 
4JawChuck

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Re: battery experts?

Charge em up and bring them inside wheres its warm, one maintenance charge over the winter is all mine have ever needed treated this way.
 
j_martin

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Re: battery experts?

Bond-o said:
Ayuh,.... By definition,... Batteries are electrical storage devises...
If the battery won't hold a charge from 1 usage to the next,...
You need a new battery,... Not a trickle charger...

I manage a Fleet of dumptrucks,... a Fleet of heavy equipment,... a Fleet of boats,+ a Fleet of toys...
If something don't turn over,... It's Boosted once or twice...
If it can't recover,+ hold a charge, the battery is Replaced...
Click to expand...

Most lead acid batteries have antimony as a hardener in the lead, which sets up a slow local electrical action that discharges the battery in a month to a few months. Lead calcium (phone deep cycle) or the spiral wound pure lead batteries don't have that problem.

If you put the battery on a maintenance charger with a desulfater circuit, or use a small float charger and an add on desulfater, it will probably be better in the spring than when you store it.

The onboard bank charger in my boat keeps the trolling batteries hot all winter. I run a maintenance charger on the engine battery. All three live in the boat at up to 30 below zero all winter.

hope it helps
John
 
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bandit86

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Re: battery experts?

that's just it, I'd like ot have them ready when needed without bringing them inside. I can never get more then a year out of motorcycle batteries.
 
v1_0

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Re: battery experts?

bandit86 said:
that's just it, I'd like ot have them ready when needed without bringing them inside. I can never get more then a year out of motorcycle batteries.
Click to expand...

Certainly outdoor temps will affect the life of the battery - cold affects the chemical reaction going on, and the battery is not able to deliver as much energy. Heat is bad for evaporating the water, which increases the concentration of the acid - and the water is needed to allow the ions to move - so the battery also can't deliver as much energy. If you get very low on liquid, and your plates get exposed to air - they oxygen gets involved... By impacting the chemistry of the battery, they also impact the charge condition of the battery.

Storing a battery while discharged is very very bad for the battery. When charged, the chemistry of the battery is such that things are in a equilibrium of sorts. When discharged, the chemistry of the battery is such that the lead plates are attacked by the sulphuric acid. Leave it discharged enough, and your plates are shot (surprisingly quickly).

Lead/Acid batteries will also loose their charge over time. Depending on the specifics of the battery plates, this can be very slowly or rather quickly.

Deep cycle batteries are made with thicker plates than "SLA" (Start/Light/Accessory) batteries - the common batteries in cars/motorcycles. This is because of how much discharge a deep cycle battery is expected to take (up to 80% discharge), as opposed to a regular car/motorcycle battery (10% discharge).

The regular car battery is designed to deliver a lot of power in a short time frame (ie: starting your car), after which point your power comes from the alternator. To do this, it has been designed to allow as much surface contact between the lead and the acid - eg: thinner plates..

Deep cycle batteries (for the same physical sized battery) do not deliver as much up front 'umph' as the SLA type battery. They are designed with a different intent, ie: to run things from for a while..

It's similar to burning a piece of wood. If you take the wood and split it into thin pieces and put it on a fire, it will burn bright and hot. The same piece of wood split into thick pieces will not burn as bright nor as hot, but will burn longer. That's similar to what's going on with the lead plates in the different battery types. (Although, hopefully, they don't burn... )
 
4JawChuck

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Re: battery experts?

I see your in Ontario and have similar weather to myself in Manitoba. Your motorcycle batteries are small and freeze easily...even connected to a charger. Bring them inside and you won't have to worry about them.

When it hits -40C here no trickle charger will keep a battery warm, we use 120VAC battery blankets to keep them warm here...all my vehicles have them. If you must leave them in the garage, a battery blanket layed out flat with the batteries sitting on top is a good alternative to bringing them inside...heat rises and keep them from freezing.

batt-blanket.aspx


I did have a Honda four wheeler with a gel cell motorcycle battery and it was the only motorcycle battery that didn't need constant attention in the winter as long as I drove it regularly (I used it to plow my driveway) but I had to park it inside the garage or it would freeze also.

If your not using your batteries in Canada, keep them warm or face the consequences...it only takes one cold snap and they are gone.
 
j_martin

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Re: battery experts?

WizeOne said:
Buy a few of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42292

They are dirt cheap and keep just enough juice going to keep the batteries from sulfating up. That is what really kills a battery.
Click to expand...

Two years ago I lost all 3 of my boat batteries while on these and in the basement. They were older, and they just went dead while on these chargers.

When I finally lose my job in this Obama-depression, I will take time to build a battery maintenance and recovery station, with multiple float chargers with desulfators, and a fast charge setup.

Napa has a 10 battery pulse technology maintainer, but I think it's pretty expensive.

John
 
j_martin

j_martin

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Re: battery experts?

4JawChuck said:
I see your in Ontario and have similar weather to myself in Manitoba. Your motorcycle batteries are small and freeze easily...even connected to a charger. Bring them inside and you won't have to worry about them.

When it hits -40C here no trickle charger will keep a battery warm, we use 120VAC battery blankets to keep them warm here...all my vehicles have them. If you must leave them in the garage, a battery blanket layed out flat with the batteries sitting on top is a good alternative to bringing them inside...heat rises and keep them from freezing.

batt-blanket.aspx


I did have a Honda four wheeler with a gel cell motorcycle battery and it was the only motorcycle battery that didn't need constant attention in the winter as long as I drove it regularly (I used it to plow my driveway) but I had to park it inside the garage or it would freeze also.

If your not using your batteries in Canada, keep them warm or face the consequences...it only takes one cold snap and they are gone.
Click to expand...

Back in the 60's, we used to put a 100 watt trouble light under the hood beside the battery. Helped a lot.

John
 
B

bandit86

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Re: battery experts?

what do snowmobils use for batteries? surely if it's good for that it's good for a bike or quad?
 
M

mscher

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Re: battery experts?

bandit86 said:
that's just it, I'd like ot have them ready when needed without bringing them inside. I can never get more then a year out of motorcycle batteries.
Click to expand...

If it's something you are going to run in the winter, leave the batteries in and run them.

I have a 4+ year old Walmart battery in my 17 year old garden tractor. Start it and let warm up each week and daily in really cold weather. Sets in an uninsulated garage. Have not put a charger on it yet.

Good idea to do this anyway, for vehicles used during winter, but not used daily.
 
kenmyfam

kenmyfam

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Re: battery experts?

My boat batteries sit inside in the warm for the winter. Bolt them back on in spring and fire up the boat. If it needs charging then it gets replaced.
 
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