# Battery Tender Use



## nervous (Nov 15, 2015)

For those of you that have battery start machines do you regularly use any sort of battery maintenance equipment, like a Battery Tender, to keep the battery in the best ready to use condition? 

All my previous machines were 110v electric start but my latest is a battery start.


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## mishkaya (Oct 25, 2015)

nervous said:


> For those of you that have battery start machines do you regularly use any sort of battery maintenance equipment, like a Battery Tender, to keep the battery in the best ready to use condition?
> 
> All my previous machines were 110v electric start but my latest is a battery start.


Yes, I do use battery tenders on pretty much all my 12V battery powered equipment. Makes the batteries last much much longer.


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

Basic rule of thumb. Batteries always like to generally be in a full SOC - state of charge.

I have quick connect leads on stuff like these and connect the tender/rotate them just to keep the batteries always topped off.

I prefer Ctek chargers. Best chargers/ charging profile/algorithim on the market.
Noco's are junk...if you are leaning on that direction


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

I need a new battery. According to many reviews I've read over the weekend many of them today are crappy. Brands that were once recommended seem to have switched to made in China versions and don't last very long and have very short warranties. I cant decide if I should go cheap and expect to replace it every season, or spend more money and hope it lasts for a few years.


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

Dbert -

You talking for your Delorean or what ?


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## nervous (Nov 15, 2015)

Thanks all. Kinda what I thought and exactly what I do with my motorcycle so it makes sense. Gotta pick up another unit I guess. What are you using to cover the Tender lead/connector while blowing snow or how do you shield that plug?


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

Cteks leads come with a cap incorporated


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

mobiledynamics said:


> Dbert -
> 
> You talking for your Delorean or what ?


Exactly.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

mobiledynamics said:


> Cteks leads come with a cap incorporated


Does anyone make a panel mount? I was even thinking about putting a IEC receptacle and installing the whole tender inside. A one handed plug/unplug would be nice. And no floppy dongle hanging out. I have a couple fasteners holding the "hood" on.


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## E350 (Apr 21, 2015)

*nervous*: I use Battery Minder on many batteries (vehicles, UTV, garden tractors, jet skis, etc.). I use the smaller Battery Minders on the smaller batteries and the larger Battery Minders on the larger batteries. And use the Battery Minder AGM version on the AGM batteries. Here is a small one I use with ring clips permanently attached to the battery:

BatteryMINDer 1500 | 12 Volt Maintenance Charger Desulfator

*dbert*: Battery Minder has a thru hull method of attachment for those that don't want cords hanging out:

EZ Connector & Mounting Screws | BatteryMINDer Accessories EZC-01

I have researched CTek and it just didn't seem to be as good as Battery Minder to me, but I could be wrong. Regardless I am very happy with my Battery Minders. In fact, I am driving around in my 1995 Bronco with a 15 year old Optima Blue Top which I fully charged with a 80 amp Napa battery charger and then desulfated/recovered with a Battery Minder 2012-AGM. The 2012-AGM says that the battery is weak, but it has been working fine. I continue to try to desulfate it further by plugging it in every night when I get home from work.

BatteryMINDer 12V Maintainer for Sealed AGM Lead-Acid Batteries

BTW, anyone know how to do in-line images without attached thumbnails at the bottom?


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

I would go AGM for your Delorean.
Not all AGM's are the same, so don't band all the brands together as that.
They DON'T discharge as much as wet cells. Spec for spec, the discharge rate of a AGM is 1-3% a month whereas a wet cell is about 1 percent a day.....

Anyhow, during the off-season, you could potentially charge the AGM right after the season end and not even need to plug it in to trickle/maintain the charge as long as you did not use the battery at all.....that's how good the AGM's are. Every 3-4 months, I'll just dump the charger on it, just because......but it literally doesn't lose it's charge over the course of time, and pretty much goes into Float mode immediate.

For AGM's, I do like Odyssey or Northstar batteries, but $ for $, you could probably buy 4 wet cells or 2 cheap brand AGM's for your delorean over it's lifetime. 

IMO, all batteries need to be taken with care, in any format, making sure it's topped off....


BTW, AGM's have different charge profiles. SOME prefer to be charged at 14.7 and held there during absorption.


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

BTW, you could use this and panel mount it










The 3 LEDS tell you the state of the charge. I don't really pay much attention to these as my OCD will make me use my Fluke meter on the leads when I want to check the SOC


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

wrong. Nocos are the best out there. Have 4 of them in use for years and all my car friends use them. Not one ever failed and keep the batteries 100%. , I know a guy who sells Ctek em and even he says the warranty returns are high



mobiledynamics said:


> Basic rule of thumb. Batteries always like to generally be in a full SOC - state of charge.
> 
> I have quick connect leads on stuff like these and connect the tender/rotate them just to keep the batteries always topped off.
> 
> ...


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

buy one of these and it will work great .. Inexpensive and effective. Perfect for a small battery

http://www.geniuschargers.com/G750


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

and if you don't believe me..

Deep Cycle Battery Charger: 5 Top Rated Smart Chargers


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## mishkaya (Oct 25, 2015)

This reminds me of the "tranny wars" on one of the truck forums I frequent... opcorn:


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

mishkaya said:


> This reminds me of the "tranny wars" on one of the truck forums I frequent... opcorn:


yea really. You gotta love it when someone calls a product 'junk' when its simply not true. Its like the typical Ford vs. Chevy pick up wars. One claims they other is junk but in reality both are fine trucks


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## Coby7 (Nov 6, 2014)

I have a newer and an older battery minder, both work great and have saved my batteries. I also use the quick disconnects that permanently attach to the battery. One on my Husky and one on my Yammy


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

I have had all sorts of chargers on hand.....
And I watch how these things work in the real world by sticking meters on them and turn on the logging to see what they do. 


All these smart chargers are ~3~ step chargers with some brains to them.....

Some Key points off the top of my head without trying to remember more...

Granted any battery below 12V reading is not a healthy battery already but just for discussions sake
NOCOs *Will Not *start ~smart~ charge a battery unless it reads 7 volts or so.
Cteks *WILL* smart charge a battery with voltages as low as 2V.

Take 2 same exact batteries with similar voltage ratings.
Put both on a smart charge.
The Ctek will hold the absorption phase much more longer - closer, inline with what a HIGH end AGM battery manuf. calls for.....

Spend some time reading reviews on Amazon. I would easily estimate more than 60% of Noco's reviews are paid shills. 

Take the higher 25 amp Ctek and Noco chargers. I don't use them any more as I use a 40AMP charger on my Odysseys as they like a high amp bulk charge.

Anyhow, the Ctek will also do 25 amps in power supply 12V mode.
The Noco 25 amp model, on power supply mode will only put out 7-8amps @ 12V constant.

Lastly, between these 2 brands, call both and speak with tech support. One of them not only proudly documents their charging profile with listed volts per each phase, in the manual they include with their product. The latter, sparsely documented in the manual and when you call them to ask what is their charging profile, they hesitate to tell you, like it's some secret sauce to it. At the end of the day, these are over-glorified 3 step chargers....


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

NJHonda said:


> and if you don't believe me..
> 
> Deep Cycle Battery Charger: 5 Top Rated Smart Chargers


I personally take review sites with Affiliate links with a grain of salt...


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## E350 (Apr 21, 2015)

To add to what *mobiledynamics* said, Battery Minders will not charge/maintain a battery with less than either 10v or 10.5v (I forget which). So that's why I had to bring the ~15 year old Optima Blue Top up to over 10-10.5v with another charger before the Battery Minder could start desulfating it (I started with a Battery Minder 12248 on AGM setting at 8 amps and it is now maintained by an under the hood Battery Minder 2012-AGM. We just got back from the mountains where I plugged it in and now it is at home plugged in. Whether or not it ever gets past the Battery Minder 2012-AGM's "weak" indicator will be interesting to see, but I am impressed that it works at all. (When I get time and if I remember I will call Optima with the serial number and find out just how old that battery really is... But it is old... and still powering the vehicle.)

I am here mostly to learn, but also to help out a little if I can. So which maintainer/desulfator is better? I don't know, I just know that I personally have had good luck with Battery Minders. But I am not a double E and my experience is merely anecdotal.

And BTW after burning up two Schumacher's and three Harbor Freight battery chargers, I really like the Napa Battery Charger, 80/20 - 10/2 Amp; 12 Volt; Automatic; Bench:










NAPA AUTO PARTS


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## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

mobiledynamics said:


> I personally take review sites with Affiliate links with a grain of salt...


but yet..

"Spend some time reading reviews on Amazon. I would easily estimate more than 60% of Noco's reviews are paid shills"

Sorry, you make no sense. And how do you estimate the 'shills' (and *believe it* )but someone taking the time to do an honest review is just not true.

wow


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## SnowG (Dec 5, 2014)

I think some are overthinking this. This is a small start battery for a 6hp machine that will be used intermittently. I'd go with a Costco or Sams Club sealed battery to fit the battery case, it'll be 25-35% of the the cost of an AGM. If charged for 24 hours on any of the mentioned "smart" chargers every 60 days it will last as long or longer than the AGM (AGMs tend to be more temperamental about charge regimen than other lead acid batts, which can tolerate more abuse).


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## nervous (Nov 15, 2015)

I'd like some thoughts on this please. I have has the battery on my Arien's 1336PRO attached to a Battery Tender since March. I did not remove the battery as I have done in other storage situations, I simply left it installed and ran the charger pigtail to the BT as per my usual in season maintenance routine. All summer all seemed well and I never checked on it. However this past Tuesday I opened the garage to a fairly noticeable rotten egg-like stench. Strong enough to be concerning. One by one I unplugged the chargers that were in use on my B&D 18v batteries and that did not solve the problem so I unplugged the Battery Tender and after a couple hours that seemed to eliminate the problem. 

And, today, when I pulled the machine out to do some work and start the batter was dead. A couple pulls and it started right up from its long sleep but now I am wondering is the batter is somehow ruined. Perhaps a cooked cell? I have it on a different BT now to see what happens and if the problem is replicated. 

Should I have removed the battery for summer storage charging?


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## E350 (Apr 21, 2015)

*nervous*: What make/model of battery tender and what type of battery? AGM or flooded?


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## tinter (Apr 20, 2014)

My machine is plugged into a battery tender it's entire life. The only time I ever unplug it is when it's in use.


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## nervous (Nov 15, 2015)

E350 said:


> *nervous*: What make/model of battery tender and what type of battery? AGM or flooded?


 It was on a standard older, metal cased Deltran 'Super Smart' Battery Tender. The battery is an Interstate SP-35 lead acid lawn & garden battery. 

However, it looks like I may have an issue beyond the battery that I have not yet identified. I put teh battery on my Deltran Battery Tender Jr and I am reading 12.5V today and yet nothing is happening when I turn the key. Worked perfectly before it want into summer storage so I don't kno what might be wrong. If need be I'll address in a separate thread.

Thanks all.


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