Battery maintainers

[steve706]

I want to get a couple of maintainers for my tractors so they will be ready if I need them this winter. I've seen all kinds at various prices from $30.00 to $200.00 and want something decent but not pay for extras I don't need. I open to all ideas so if you have one let me know. thanks
 

[buzzinduzzin]

I use sears, about $ 30 3 year warranty
 

[Justin SE IOWA]

I have 3 of them. 2 of them are on the kids 4 wheelers and are "battery tender jr" brand. Around $35 bucks each. The other one I dont remember the brand but I got it from the local ma and pop parts store and it was $40 bucks. They all work well and all have different color blinking lights that tell the state of the battery.
 

[Pops1532]

Deltran brand is really good. They have some different models. The Junior model should work fine for your needs.
 

[GeneMO]

I bought one at Grainger for less than $40. It has worked well for about 2 years now. I keep it on my Farmall 706.

We have had one down at the hunting cabin for about 10 years. Keeps our 12V battery for the water pump system charged year round.

Gene
 

[SMHimrod]

I bought a Schumacher 1.5 amp fully automatic charger/maintainer. It came with clips and a quick connect harness you can leave on your battery(mines on my ATV). It automaticaly determines if battery is 6 volt or 12 volt. It has a float mode to keep batery fully charged. I use it for ATV, RV battery, my boat battery and my Super C. I bought mine at local fleet hardware store couple years ago for under $20 dollars. I just out of curiousity looked at wally world, they have the same one online for $25. Good luck choosing-SHON
 

[George Marsh]

I paid about $125 for a batteryminder, 12248. It claims to desulfate batteries. Yet to see it take a half dead battery and fully restore it. Manufactor claims it may take up to 3 month to desulfate a battery. I'm not totally sure that it can or if there is any charger out there that really can.

I use the batteryminder to charge batteries and keep them topped off in the winter. It has a 2a, 4a, and 8amp setting. A setting for gel, flooded and AGM batteries.

I have about 25 batteries: mowers, tractors, trailer, car, truck, and trolling.

Currently, I have 4 lawn mower batteries on a bench connected in parallel and will leave the charger on them for a week or so. Then move it to other batteries. It's very important to keep batteries topped off, especially in the winter when you may not be using them. When I can, I top off more than one battery at a time. I try keep the charger working year around.

I really don't know if I were to spend that much money on a charger again. I can say that the charger hasn't damaged any battery, so that a good thing. It does good job charging batteries at a slow rate and not cook them.

George
 

[Dauber]

I also use the Schumacher 1.5a maintainer. I use them at home as well in the classroom. I get them at Fleet Farm about $25. I also purchased a solar panel wiring harness from Fleet Farm. It uses the same connectors as the battery maintainer I cut it up for all of the connectors then installed the connectors on my batteries. Now when it is time to charge them I just plug them in. I think I paid $13 for the harness and got 4 ends.
 

[RayP(MI)]

I have 6 of them. Chicago something brand. A small "wall wart" power supply 350ma if I remember, a small plastic box with some sort of regulator, one red LED. And, of course clips to attach to the battery. Have used them on all the batteries on machines that have long standing times, including one used on dual battery diesel PU. Has kept up batteries OK. Am told it slowly disharges battery, then brings it back up, cycling between two levels. Price under $10, available from Harbor Freight, others. Recommended and supplied to me by our auto electric shop. He has probably a dozen running on his collection of garage queens, stored in his pole barn.
 

[LJD]

I've tried 6-7 different types over the past 5 years . The Duracell D2A for $25 has held up the best for me. I've got around 15 trucks, cars and tractors that spend most of the time sitting. So, they are on the 2 amp maintainers.
 

[old popper]

I use the Sears also. I had one of those $10 HF jobs on my riding mower, but it died half way thru the second winter. I have about a half dozen of the Sears models.
 

[Mike M]

I have the cheap harbor freight ones and a sears one. They both are to maintain a battery if left on,but they seem to overcharge them to me ? Had some start loosing water. I try and unhook them once the battery is up.
 

[rustyfarmall]

[egbinor]

I've had very good luck using a cheap HF battery switch. Have a JD M and Ford 8N, both 6V. Turn the battery sw off and close the fuel valve every time I use them. Been doing that for three years now without a single problem. The local HF doesn't sell a 6V float charger. Bought one thru ebay and it eventually cooked the water out of the battery. Threw it away and went with the switches and all is well now for three years. EGBinOR