battery rejuvination

Kansas · August 19, 2011, 09:53:01 PM

I went to an auction to buy electrical wire, and wound up also buying a scissor lift. Figured it would come in handy during the putting up the building, then I can mothball it if we ever need it or sell it. We don't have a lot of money in it-maybe 900 dollars max with freight and everything. It runs on 6 batteries-6 volt. Two are missing, so I will have the battery truck deliver those. The other 4 we don't know much about. We looked at the cells and they look dry. This may have been sitting for some time, although I believe it was always inside. Someone suggested putting acid in the cells instead of just distilled water. Anyone ever tried that, can you buy acid, is there a better way, or is this a lost cause? I do remember an article one time about some guy that rebuilt farm tractor batteries somewhere in Kansas. Can't seem to find any information on it. From what I can tell looking around the internet, the batteries are a bit pricey. Probably still worth it if I have to replace them all anyway.

Kcwoodbutcher · August 20, 2011, 01:33:01 AM

The batteries will probably be shot because of crystalline lead sulfate buildup on the plates. As the battery discharges the acid reacts with the lead leaving behind water which evaporates. Since these are probably deep cycle you may have a slight chance of rejuvenating them. I wouldn't put acid in them, just water. If you have a charger with a desulfanate setting try that,otherwise use a slow charge. By the way did you get my PM about the white oak.

Kansas · August 20, 2011, 06:05:15 AM

Yes, sorry about that. Thought I had responded. I never heard of a battery charger with a desulfanate setting. Have to check that out.

Dean186 · August 21, 2011, 12:28:01 PM

I would not place two new batteries in the same circuit with very questionable used ones.

logwalker · August 21, 2011, 12:35:01 PM

Do yourself a favor and replace them all. Old and new are never a good combo. You will soon have 6 bad batteries. Having said that you could pull the 4 you have and use them somewhere if they have life left, but if you put 2 new with them the charger will cook the new ones. Batteries charge at different rates as they age. I have one of those lifts and it is great to have when you need it.

Joe

Kansas · August 21, 2011, 01:06:05 PM

I think your right. Going to call the battery truck delivery guy Monday and see what he has. We usually get blems from him, but might get the real deal this time.

The side of the lift says mayville. I found the manual online for it from MEC products. After reading some of the manual, I now see why we couldn't lift it off with the New Holland 190 skid steer. It weights 4380 lbs. It also said the top speed with the scissor lift in the down position is 3 mph. I should have bought one more so we could have drag raced.

Kcwoodbutcher · August 21, 2011, 01:35:44 PM

How are those batteries wired? Is the final output thirty-six volts. You may look into running 12 volt batteries with fewer batteries or having longer run times with the same number. Price difference may not be that much.

Kansas · August 21, 2011, 03:15:04 PM

They have three 6 volt batteries on each side. We wondered about that. Going to call the company monday for recommendations. I have to find out output per battery.

Ernie · August 21, 2011, 07:14:55 PM

Quote from: Kcwoodbutcher on August 20, 2011, 01:33:01 AM
T. If you have a charger with a desulfanate setting try that

I have a stack of batteries around the place that just wont hold a charge. They are OK straight off the charger but next day, almost dead again. On our local version of ebay- Trademe there are offerings of battery desulphinators for about $60.00. Do those things actually work or is it like, "send me 50 bucks and I will sell you this gadget so you can run your car on water."

Larry · August 21, 2011, 08:05:33 PM

I'm glad ya got your new toy home. I could see you was just itchin too make it go up and down. :D :D

You might check Sam's Club for 6 volt batteries. They carry a big stock down here because of all the golfers...I suppose they would work in a lift. Some of the pro fishing guides here run 8 in a series parallel arrangement. They say there the best value on the market.

I know on there other batteries, they have such a big turnover you almost always get a fresh hot battery, less than a month away from the factory.

Kcwoodbutcher · August 21, 2011, 08:26:30 PM

Desulfunators work by sending a pulse of current rather than a steady charge to the battery. That is supposed to knock the lead sulfate off the plate and back into solution. Once the lead sulfate crystallizes it's hard to get it back. The experience I have had with mine it less than successful, save your money.

Taylortractornut · August 22, 2011, 10:07:22 PM

A friend of mine used to dump his out and pressure wash the insides and charge with distilled water in the cells. He had good luck at it. used to be an old shop here that did that re did battereis and you could tell them on old cars they had the lids sealed on with tar.

My friend William bought a huge scissor lift that was all electric but looked like a buzzard picked the guts out of it. He bought a 13 hp CHonda motor and put on a small hydraulic pump. Then went to the junkyard and found 3 12v solenoid valves off something or other. He put a hydraulic motor on the 9 inch Ford Rear end that was in the machine. One valve ran the steering and the other ran the lift. He put up a quonset hut shop with it.

Larry · August 22, 2011, 10:32:51 PM

Quote from: Taylortractornut on August 22, 2011, 10:07:22 PM
A friend of mine used to dump his out and pressure wash the insides and charge with distilled water in the cells. He had good luck at it. used to be an old shop here that did that re did battereis and you could tell them on old cars they had the lids sealed on with tar.

When I was a teenager I bought one of those batteries. They called them re-conditioned and they were cheap. Think it lasted a year of so if I remember right.

Kansas · August 23, 2011, 09:39:09 AM

I called the guy with the battery truck. Ordered 6 new ones at 74 each. Still going to be a cheap lift, assuming it works. And btw Larry, I weighed all the wire I bought. 880 lbs. After figuring weight of the wooden spools that works out to around 3 dollars a lb laid in. There was one full 2500 ft roll of #10. Secretary called around and best price she got was 640 dollars. That spool had to weigh around 100 lbs. That or I'm getting weaker in my older age. I came out good. About half price, I figure, for new wire.

WH_Conley · August 23, 2011, 11:15:57 AM

Kansas, if you are going to use it in the construction of your new building, read the safety guidelines if you are in sight of the highway. OSHA would have a ball if they came past and building materials laying on the rails. I think anybody working out of it has to have on a safety harness too.

Peter Drouin · August 23, 2011, 09:39:35 PM

A long time ago when I was young and had no money the battery on my hot rod would die. I had an old timer tell me to dump out the battery acid and flush out the battery with a garden hose. Go buy two boxes of baking soda dump half a box in a gallon jug with water, shake well. And put the battery right side up and fill with your mix, but be careful because it will act like a volcano. Let it sit overnight, take the second box and dump it on the old battery acid. Baking soda will neutralize battery acid. Next morning dump it out. Get your garden hose, with the battery on its side again. Put the hose in the top hole and watch all the stuff come out the bottom hole. When it is just water coming out and the stuff is gone, dump all the water out of the battery. Look inside and you will see nice shiney plates. Refill with battery acid put on a charger and my hot rod would run for another year. 8)

Taylortractornut · August 23, 2011, 09:55:32 PM

Peter that sounds like what this old man did. He had a big 12V converter on the wall and a set of wooden tables around the joint. He had 2 rails of copper pipe wired into this looked like a pair of rails around the room. Hed put hte batteries under them with the posts touching. He had an old concrete mixer in the corner he put the old batteries in to provide the agitaion.

Kansas · August 29, 2011, 08:13:49 PM

An update. I got 6 new 6 volt batteries off the battery truck. 74 bucks apiece. It works perfect, except for the up down switch on the control unit on the platform. Should be no big deal. Saturday, a guy hopped on and another guy discovered you can run it up and down manually on the side of the unit. It worked perfect. Turns, back and forth, and the lift works fine. As a matter of fact, at 15 foot high, the guy in the platform felt that was high enough. The guy running the switch felt otherwise. Ran him all the way up to the top near 31 feet. I was glad to see it work, and at the same time kicking myself for not buying any of the other ones. If I can't rent that out or sell it and make money after we are done with it, I got no business being in business.

Then today, we got an email from the auction company. Someone bid on the internet on a bunch of stuff at that auction. Including one of the lifts. Over 100,000 dollars worth of stuff. They never paid and basically said "if you don't like it, sue us". They offered the lift for 600 bucks. So lift number 2 is on its way. I also found out that auction companies talk among themselves. The guy was blacklisted from basically all auction companies. Interesting phone conversation with the auctioneer. He were pithed.

submarinesailor · August 30, 2011, 06:50:27 AM

Kansas,

As far as we are concerned, you haven't purchased any of these lifts.............because we don't have no pictures. ;D :D ;D :D ;D ;D ;D :D :D :D :D :D

Bruce

Kansas · August 30, 2011, 07:02:39 AM

I need to figure out the picture posting thing. The look on the guy hoisted up to 31 feet was priceless. But I do have a witness. Larry was there.

Sprucegum · August 30, 2011, 09:40:54 AM

That brings back memories; we had a scissor lift in our big rig washbay. One day the down switch quit and the guy kept fiddling with it until he had himself pressed right up to the cieling. He was working alone and couldn't get down. All he could do was holler for somone to hit the manual switch. When I came in I spent some time pretending I couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from ;) :D I even left the building a couple times :

I let him down when he started losing his voice. He was so upset I had to leave the building again ;D ;D