Storing batteries for the winter

[rickcact]

I have 2 lawn tractors, a boat, a 73 Camaro, and a Ducati, which all have batteries that i would like to have survive the winter. I was looking at one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Deltran-Bat..._Automotive_Tools&hash=item2ec413ce74&vxp=mtr

What do you guys do to store and maintain your batteries?

Thanks,
Rick

 

[e-tek]

I have maintainers on some (like cars parked elsewhere), but also rotate a single charger around on batteries sitting on the shelf..

 

[bigenos]

I've used a Schumacher battery maintainer for years and it kept the battery topped off over winter for years. I'm sure this thing will do great. Just don't put the batteries on a concrete floor. I charged mine in the car, but I only had one.

 

[Erampu]

Not putting atteries on a concrete floor no longer applies. That was for batteries back in the 1960's and back.

 

[ishiboo]

Not putting atteries on a concrete floor no longer applies. That was for batteries back in the 1960's and back.

Not even. That was for when batteries had wood cases.

 

[jchetty]

For my truck, I use this

 

[SpeedCoach]

I have 2 battery tenders and a battery minder branded charger. all work well and get the job done. my oldest is a battery tender (6-ish years now i think?)...still gets the job done.

 

[DARK AGE 53]

I have that and it works great, I also have a few of these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00068XCQU/?tag=atomicindus08-20 , also works great. If you going to leave the battery's in the vehicles you'll want check to see if you might need these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002DU3TTO/?tag=atomicindus08-20 or http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FW2MWW/?tag=atomicindus08-20 .

 

[bob15]

Do you want to remove the batteries out everything? I found it was easier to leave batteries in place and buy separate tenders for each battery. I prefer the Autometer version, though I own a Deltran, Schumacher and a VDC (batteryMinder) units.

bob

 

[rickcact]

Do you want to remove the batteries out everything? I found it was easier to leave batteries in place and buy separate tenders for each battery. I prefer the Autometer version, though I own a Deltran, Schumacher and a VDC (batteryMinder) units.

bob

I was planning on removing them just to get them closer to each other. I was going to move them all to the shed, but I dont know if the cold will do damage, even if they are on the battery maintainer.

 

[DARK AGE 53]

I was planning on removing them just to get them closer to each other. I was going to move them all to the shed, but I dont know if the cold will do damage, even if they are on the battery maintainer.

Mine sit in a pole barn with no insulation, being doing these for more then 15 years with no problems.... if you order form Amazon shipping might be free also.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If they're fully charged and in good condition the cold shouldn't hurt them - in fact they will discharge more slowly. I regularly just leave them in the car disconnected and they're fine in the spring.

 

[V-10 Killer]

I picked up a Battery Tender Jr. from Ace hardware, and got a few extra pigtails too. Now I have a pigtail on every battery and just move the charger every week or so when I'm out in the garage.
Like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CITK8S/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Ray916MN]

I've got the 4 bank Deltran you're looking at plus 3 single Deltran Battery Tenders. They work well. I leave the batteries in the vehicles and leave them on the Battery Tenders. They do the job, even with temps well below zero.

 

[nosnerd]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ plus it gives us something to do....lol

 

[LG63]

Anybody using the NOCO maintainer like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/NOCO-G3500-Automatic-Multi-Purpose-Maintainer/dp/B004LWVEKS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1HL9OO1B9R6BT&coliid=IVA6RE1R41XWK

 

[tdkkart]

I bought these awhile back, which put me up to 5 Battery Tenders, had one before long enough to become a believer. I love the fact that I never have to worry about a dead battery.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221146100484?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

The individual units allow you to leave the batteries where they're at, as long as you have power close by.

 

[DARK AGE 53]

There's a ton of reviews on Amazon about the Plus version Vs the Jr version, I think this might be one of the better reviews.

In the analysis of buying a Tender Jr. vs. a Tender Plus, the main issues are time to full charge, battery size, & parasitic draw. The Tender Plus (1.25) will get the job done twice as fast as the Tender Jr. (0.75). Both now are similar architecturally, save it be the charging power & lack of temperature compensation on the Jr. They both are 4 stage, both have the same sophisticated computer chip technology running the charging process, etc... I spoke to The Deltran(The Manufacturer) customer service department on 3 different occasions, making sure I had the facts right. The first 2 times I was misinformed about the temperature compensation issue. I am editing this review to be accurate as of today's date of 12/01/10. Because The Plus will bring a battery to full charge twice as quickly as The Jr. will, The Plus has a much better chance at overcoming a parasitic draw on your batteries power. Modern cars have sophisticated electronics that require constant power 24/7. Check all your battery connections & your alternator belt!!! If the connections are not clean & tight, clean it with original coca-cola and a rag / brush, make sure they fit snugly. If your alternator belt is too loose it will not charge your battery properly. If you only want to buy one Tender, don't cheap out, buy The Plus if you have the money to do so. If you want to buy 2 or 3 Tenders to make sure all your batteries are fully charged, the Jr. will probably do just fine. I personally alternate The Jr. between 3 different cars, if I had it to do over again, I would buy The Plus instead as I am not a patient person. Both models will turn off in 72 hours automatically if a full charge is not reached, & neither will start charging without at least 3 volts stored in the battery before initiating a charge. If you left your lights on for 4 days like I did, get a jump, & drive your car around for 30 minutes before hooking up any Tender to charge your dead battery. Either of these 2 Battery Tenders are the best in the world, don't bother doing anymore research, I have done it all for you. Buy one or buy both!!! I bought The Plus model a few months ago also... These babies save you $$$, time & frustration!!! Get the 25 foot extension if you want to charge a car that sits in the driveway, it's only $12. You might also want to buy the Cigarette Lighter Apapter to charge cars that have the battery in the trunk, like the BMW E39 models. [...]

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have maintainers on some (like cars parked elsewhere), but also rotate a single charger around on batteries sitting on the shelf..

Yep.

If you have money to burn, or don't have time, or are too lazy, go for the muti-charge one. Otherwise, 3 days on a maintainer is plenty and you should not have to put it back on for a couple of weeks.


Remember that NO battery charger will work correctly if trying to charge/maintain batteries hooked up in parallel !

 

[1953mercury]

If they're fully charged and in good condition the cold shouldn't hurt them - in fact they will discharge more slowly. I regularly just leave them in the car disconnected and they're fine in the spring.

X2 I leave mine for six months every winter in Colorado for the last 10 years. Just make sure they are fully charged and disconnected and you will find everything will fire right up. Mike

 

[Midnight_America]

Nothing can beat a Battery-Tender...nothing.

 

[Hawk]

A Camaro and a Ducati should not need a battery tender, They should be on the road every day.

 

[bigenos]

X2 I leave mine for six months every winter in Colorado for the last 10 years. Just make sure they are fully charged and disconnected and you will find everything will fire right up. Mike

If you have a computer controlled car it'll have to go back through it's EFI learns and may lose its oil life calculations. I prefer to keep mine connected.

 

[theoldwizard1]

... Modern cars have sophisticated electronics that require constant power 24/7....

Not exactly true.

Yes, there is a continous draw, but we are talking about a couple of milliamps (1/1000 A) or less ! Some of these computers do occasionally "wake up" (once every 15-60 minutes ?) for a few seconds and "look around". The draw may go over 50 milliamps for that time. If they have to "do" something (turn on a motor) the draw could be amps for a several seconds.

So, yes, it is a better to disconnect the ground.

Battery Tender Jr. will still charge a typical (not deep discharge) flooded battery in 12-24 hours. A big (8D) deep discharge battery could take several days.

 

[jvitez]

Nothing can beat a Battery-Tender...nothing.

Yes there is.

http://batteryminders.com/

They advertise they are a desulphation charger. How important is that? Not, if you keep batteries charged. Very, if you've let them deeply discharge.

I've got an older 4 battery Battery Minder, and two Battery Tenders. They all work, and work far better than old style automatic chargers. But using a Battery Minder every winter has allowed me to keep using an 8 year old battery that still tests at 90-92% capacity using my Snap On conductance type battery tester.

 

[OldracerJones]

I use battery minders in both boats and. Jet ski. Never ha e an issue with it starting up.

 

[Vettman]

My Corvette was my daily driver until I retired 3 yrs. ago. The Optima would last about 3 weeks without being driven and it's was kaput. The AGM type batteries require a microprocessor controlled type charger like the "Battery Tender etc." As luck would have it I found a Schumacher microprocessor charger-maintainer for $20 bucks at Walmart! It has led indicators, an accessory pigtail to leave attached to the vehicle. I bought one for the tractor as well.

 

[66HertzClone]

I have a C tek maintainer I use for my mustang. I purchased 1/4 phone plug male and female jacks and sockets from radio shack. Mounted the female socket in the grill and modified one of the supplied connectors and attached the male end. I can now charge/ maintain without opening the hood.

 

[WhiskyDevil]

my first post here... anyone use Pulse Tech XC100-P Xtreme Charge 12V Battery Maintenance Charger Desulfator? Seems a little pricey but has great reviews. I need to put my motorcycle to bed for the winter (not a fan of riding in the snow or cold) and want to ensure the old battery is good in the spring.

 

[cj7365]

x2 i leave mine for six months every winter in colorado for the last 10 years. Just make sure they are fully charged and disconnected and you will find everything will fire right up. Mike

this^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Motown 454]

I saw battery tenders onsale at Sears Fri. night.

 

[RCStocker]

On the farm I pull the tractor batteries and put them on the work bench. The shop end is closed off with a cement floor. I keep it at 40-50 degrees in that shop area all winter. I have don't realy charge them up until Spring.

My garden shed is on the back of my machine shop and stays warm because I have the heat on all winter. The riding mower battery has a solar pannel charger. I have the panel on the roof and the leeds go down to the battery. I do the same on my sail boat. I have a solar charger that keeps my battery charged all year around.

I am gone a half of the year and my kids drive my cars and truck. The will take them out once a week and they stay charged.

 

[Delta74]

Always had great success with the Cteck chargers/tenders/minders whatever you want to call them, just hook up, plug in, forget them till spring, use them on the summer car, the quad and Kubota on the farm, and the old old Ford tractor, the battery is always ready to go summer or winter, hit the starter and away they go. there 3300 series will work for the car or bike, depending on your budget, look at there application guide.

http://smartercharger.com/

 

[HOTFR8]

Nothing can beat a Battery-Tender...nothing.

That is not true. They do not like moisture or getting wet as they are not a sealed unit unlike others on tha market like C-Tek. Still if used correctly they are a good unit and I have three I use. I also have C-Teks that I use.

 

[onemore]

I live in Ny and have a boat, yes I know it's insane hobby, but people think my tool obsessionis odd as well. I used to take the batteries out and store them inside and trickle charge them 1 day a month. Now with a achy back, I fully charge them and leave them in the boat. I disconnect all cables to them, 4 months is usaully it, throw them on trickle before I use them. Have not had a problem. I find battery storage is like oil changes, a lot of "theories" just have to find what works for you. Good luck.

 

[Viz]

I've got at least 7 of the Battery Tender Plus version in use, year round, whenever something isn't being driven. Some might say overkill, but just for an example, doing this gave me 11+ solid years on the dual Delco OEM's in my diesel Suburban, 10+ years on a diesel Golf, 10 years on a diesel Jetta....etc.

I thought about the multi bank version but if one of the 4 chargers fail (and they will once in awhile), you have to replace the whole unit. That gets pricey if it's not on warranty. You can get 10 and 20 foot extension cables for the DC side of the connections and use the Plus without having to move batteries around the shop, if that was your consideration.

Viz

 

[bczygan]

Here's a question...if you have left a battery discharged during the winter is it savable?...or scrap?

 

[HOTFR8]

Here's a question...if you have left a battery discharged during the winter is it savable?...or scrap?

Depends mostly on the time frame it is left flat and discharged.

 

[shoturtle]

I used optima battery tenders on my motorcycle batteries for the winter. I find battery tender overcharge and shorten the life of my batteries. I used to used them but have found the optima a much better charger for storing for more then 4 months.

 

[Richard D]

Not putting atteries on a concrete floor no longer applies. That was for batteries back in the 1960's and back.

Not even. That was for when batteries had wood cases.

I remember still hearing this as a kid in the 70s.