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Battery Maintainers

Started by gspren, December 16, 2020, 01:16:15 PM

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jimbarry

I struggle with keeping batteries charged whether on a trickle charge or not. So I am learning stuff here. Good thread.

John Mc

Quote from: beav on December 20, 2020, 09:05:25 AM
Don't use a battery charger as a battery maintainer and dont use a maintainer as a charger. There is a huge difference
There are plenty of quality products out there that do both.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Tacotodd

Quote from: John Mc on December 20, 2020, 01:32:16 PM
Quote from: beav on December 20, 2020, 09:05:25 AM
Don't use a battery charger as a battery maintainer and dont use a maintainer as a charger. There is a huge difference
There are plenty of quality products out there that do both.
Absolutely so ! The ones that do both. I just can't make this quote function work for me as it should from my iPhone. Tech inept
Trying harder everyday.

snobdds

The Norco genius 10 can be used as a battery starter and maintainer.  The genius 5 can also be used as a starter, but it takes a bit of time on the battery to then start it.  Around 20 minutes if dead. 

The smart chargers are fantastic. 

John Mc

Quote from: snobdds on December 21, 2020, 10:50:27 AM
The Norco genius 10 can be used as a battery starter and maintainer.  The genius 5 can also be used as a starter, but it takes a bit of time on the battery to then start it.  Around 20 minutes if dead.

The smart chargers are fantastic.
That's adding a whole 'nother wrinkle: There are maintainers, chargers, and starters. 3 different functions (and there are some good units out there that do all three). Personally, I don't consider a 10 Amp charger to be a "starter", but it will recharge a functional battery in a reasonable amount of time to the point where it will start a typical automotive engine.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

woodroe

I've got 8 batteries of different sizes to keep charged.
Two car batteries, 2 small 12 volts for snowmobile and finish mower, 
2 12 v 35 Ah marine batteries for trolling motor
1 12v riding mower battery and 1 6v tractor battery.
The tractor battery uses a 6 volt junior maintainer
The AGM marine batteries use a 12v smart charger/ maintainer with a suggested charge rate of 3-4 amps. 
The smart charger can be used on other 12 volt batteries and has different setting for charge amperage 2,4,8 and 
also settings for lead acid, AGM or Gel batteries.
Plus have a standard charger with 6 or 12 v setting for times when a battery needs a quick charge.
Needless to say its a challenge keeping everything charged but the smart chargers are probably the best
all around chargers/maintainers IMO.
Skidding firewood with a kubota L3300.

SwampDonkey

Ordered another Optimate 3, I have one that is dead. Must have been a lightening storm. Electronics are probably sensitive to a surge I suspects. :D

Anyway, they have about doubled in price now since 4 years ago.  :o

I see many tractor and ATV companies get them to make a model with their own branding, Honda, Kabota and so on. Same charger. All made on Oakville, On.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

moodnacreek

8 tractors, 7 trucks, 2 forklifts riding lawn mowers and some stationary engines but no battery maintainers. I gave up on them because they seem to cause to much corrosion.

SwampDonkey

Mine haven't had any corrosion. I'm only charging batteries the size of ATV or generator.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

gspren

I've had my Harley plugged in anytime I'm not riding for 3 years now and see no corrosion. If we are going away for a week or longer without taking the Subaru I plug it in, no more sluggish start when we get home.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

SwampDonkey

Optimate has a lot of different maintainers for different kinds of batteries.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

John Mc

Quote from: moodnacreek on November 07, 2023, 07:36:53 AM
8 tractors, 7 trucks, 2 forklifts riding lawn mowers and some stationary engines but no battery maintainers. I gave up on them because they seem to cause to much corrosion.
Corrosion is often caused by over charging. If in fact the corrosion was caused by the maintainers, you should check the charging and float voltages of the maintainer (not just the spec, but the actual voltage when in these stages of charging.) 
Malfunctioning vehicle charging systems have also been known to cause this problem. I had had exactly this issue on my tractor. I've never had a corrosion problem from any of my BatteryMINDer or Noco maintainers (I've probably got about 7 or 8 of them).
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Magicman

Noco products are top notch. 
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

SwampDonkey

The local hardware store in town carry those. I think they have 3 NOCO Genius 2 in stock.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

YellowHammer

I have all types of battery maintainers scattered everywhere, hooked up to this or that battery.  Now it seems that natural selection has taken place, and it seems pretty much everything has a Noco on it.  

Never boiled a battery or otherwise damaged a battery that was hooked up to a Noco.  Not so with other brands, I stopped using maintainers cold turkey for awhile, they seemed to be battery killers, then bought a Noco and liked them.  

YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

SwampDonkey

Optimate has never been a problem here on batteries. It's a top rated brand. When lightning strikes, it can take out any of them. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

jb616

I seen there was a brief discussion on Solar chargers but was wondering if anyone has had success with one.  My sawmill and tractors are on the opposite side of my 40 acres and there is no electricity there. If i don't use either for a while, I end up jump starting them. 

Ljohnsaw

I have a cheap PWM charging a deep cycle in my bathhouse to run a water pump and lights. The previous cheapo boiled a battery. I also have a MPPT by Renogy keeping a pair of 6v Interstate deep cycle batteries charged in my camp trailer. The solar panels are 180-220w.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

John Mc

Quote from: jb616 on November 07, 2023, 11:33:35 AM
I seen there was a brief discussion on Solar chargers but was wondering if anyone has had success with one.  My sawmill and tractors are on the opposite side of my 40 acres and there is no electricity there. If i don't use either for a while, I end up jump starting them.
If you are just maintaining a tractor battery to keep the battery from self-discharging over time, you should not need a really high-wattage solar system. Batteryminder makes some good solar charger/maintainers, but they are not cheap. A friend has one of their systems with the included 20 watt PV panel and is very happy with it. It has eliminated the dead battery issues on the tractor he keeps at a remote location with no electricity. 
I've also heard from folks who have their larger system (where you supply your own solar panel up to 200 watts) who are happy with that as well. I've never seen their set-up, but they maintain multiple batteries with it. (Tractor, ATV, and a small 12V lighting system in a cabin with no other utilities.) They do have to be careful to fully charge up all of the batteries before connecting multiple batteries to the system to keep them maintained, and all of the batteries have to be of the same type (They currently use flooded lead acid, but are considering converting to AGM for all batteries.)
As ljohnsaw mentioned: stay away from the cheapo models. Leaving a poor-quality maintainer connected to a battery long-term is a great way to ruin a battery.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Old saw fixer

It is curious to me that I haven't seen Clore Automotive products mentioned. 
I hadn't heard of Noco Brand chargers or maintainers ever, in this area.  I had to look them up, and now I will check on their line. 
Stihl FG 2, 036 Pro, 017, HT 132, MS 261 C-M, MSA 140 C-B, MS 462 C-M, MS 201 T C-M
Echo CS-2511T, CS-3510
Logrite Cant Hook (with log stand), and Hookaroon

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