CatBird Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Best battery charger/maintainer recommendations? Too many of our cars sit for a long period of time. I have disconnects on most of them as many cars have some grounding issues a really good idea if you are not using one. I have some cheaper, "float tenders" and thinking to upgrade and want bang for the buck since I have about 20 cars, multiple "tenders" for each and have both 6v cars and 12v cars. In buying charger/maintainers see features in these "chargers", many are only for "float" only in that these will keep a charge on the battery, but will not bring back a dead battery. Others will charge a dead battery (more expensive device) and others will also recondition batteries. Also, there is a range of amps, from milliamps to much heavier. As I am thinking about getting 15 of these 'chargers' what do you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 I don't use one at all because I drive my car regularly. From the presentation at the last AACA Annual Meeting, if I was going to buy one, I would buy one from https://www.batterysaver.com/store/c21/automobile. They are not the cheapest but they appear to be the most advanced product out there. The owner of the company gave a very informative presentation on batteries at the Annual Meeting. After the presentation, I visited him in his booth at the trade show. I had never felt that I needed a battery maintainer and told him that was why I had never bought one. I told him that I drive my car on a regular basis and asked him for his best sales pitch for why I should still buy his product. He told me that driving the car on a regular basis was the best option and that I did not need to buy his product. He told me that if I ever stopped driving it on a regular basis, then I should consider buying one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real61ss Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 I attended the same presentation as Mr. Hinson did and afterwards visited the owners booth. I have been using the battery maintainers but didn't have enough to service all my cars . I hear all the stories about one type works and the other doesn't but I've never had any problems with any of them. But, bottom line, I bought 4 units from the guy and they seem to work great but so did the others that I had. These have a digital readout on the front where the others that I have only have a little light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 I use these but never leave them hooked up for more than a couple of weeks at a time. I left one hooked up to a pair of brand new Optimas in my coach one winter and it ruined them. Hook up for a week or two and unhook for a couple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 (edited) As you can imagine, we have a lot of cars sitting and go through a lot of batteries. To be honest, I am undecided as to whether battery tenders of any kind do anything that simply disconnecting the battery does not. I do not see any correlation between a car that has been on a tender and improved battery life, nor do I see batteries that are simply disconnected not lasting as long. I think it depends on the battery, its age, and the conditions. I will say that regular use will keep the battery at its healthiest. I do use the tenders to top off batteries--say we just did a photo shoot and used a car's headlights or put the top down or something like that--I'll put a tender on it to get that battery back up to 100% once it's back in its parking spot. I will also use them on cars where disconnecting the battery is either difficult or not recommended. We have a Bentley in the showroom whose battery is virtually inaccessible under the driver's seat, so that one stays on a tender so we don't have to go in after it if it's dead. I also have several late-model cars with computers and stereos and other equipment that is always awake and will inevitably run down a battery. Those cars stay on tenders all the time as well. But can I say definitively that a battery tender will extend battery life? No. We still replace a lot of batteries and once in a while, even a battery that the tender says is 100% charged is nevertheless flat or not taking a charge. We do keep a few standard chargers that are bigger than the 200 milliamps of a tender (like the ones you buy at Sears), and we have two heavy-duty roll-around units with enough kick to start a car. Sometimes I can bring a battery back from the dead by putting the big one on it to put SOME charge in it, then let the tender take over for the next few days and gradually bring it back up. Again, I'm not convinced that putting a tender on every car will save your batteries. How many batteries can you buy with the cost of all those tenders? Charging them to 100% and disconnecting them seems to work about as well as keeping them on a tender in my experience. And you'll still lose 10-20% of the batteries each year, no matter what you do. It's the nature of the beast these days. Edited March 11, 2018 by Matt Harwood (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Interesting timing on this topic. I just read this in the service manuals for a newer car I bought: "If no electrical functions are operated for a continuous period of three weeks, the E65 battery is automatically isolated from the electrical system. This ensures that the battery is adequately protected against power drain. An additional data memory that can be accessed using the Diagnostic program provides a status read-out of the battery load and life." Looks like they agree with the disconnect idea. My newest charger is an automatic 6/12 volt electronic from NAPA with a tender feature as well as a mode for extended plate capacity like the Optima style. I haven't used the tender feature or needed it. My cars probably go about 2 months without starting during the winter and I don't remember anything more than an odd need to charge a few times over the years. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Say you had to lay up a car for many months. Could you put the charger/tender on a timer to run just a couple or three hours a day , or would the battery drain back through the charger ? - Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatBird Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 Interesting replies. I normally use a disconnect. Maybe I should stay like this. I also have a heavy duty 6/12 volt car starter, has wheels. Works fine. I also turn off the electric fuel pump and let the engine run a few seconds until it stops on its own and drains some of the gas in the carburetor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 I have "Battery Tenders" on all my old vehicles, my trailer batteries and my truck used to tow my trailer. I am getting 7-10+ years of life out of these batteries . Prior to using the "Battery Tender" chargers I would put each vehicle on a conventional 10 AMP battery charger periodically over their 4-5 month winter hibernation and during the other seasons if I was not able to drive them much. In some of the old vehicles I would get 2-4 years of life out of the batteries before they had to be replaced. For me, the "Battery Tender" chargers have been a very worthwhile investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cahartley Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 4 hours ago, 60FlatTop said: My newest charger is an automatic 6/12 volt electronic from NAPA with a tender feature as well as a mode for extended plate capacity like the Optima style. I haven't used the tender feature or needed it. My cars probably go about 2 months without starting during the winter and I don't remember anything more than an odd need to charge a few times over the years. Bernie I also bought a charger/maintainer from NAPA and am very pleased with it and beats dragging a regular charger around. It also happens to be on sale now. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NBC85506 The first one I bought developed a problem in less than a year (on a 3 year warranty) and NAPA told me to bring it in and they would exchange it on the spot. I did and asked if I was covered by the balance of the existing warranty or starting fresh.......FRESH warranty.......hard to beat that! I also have battery disconnects on 2 cars but not on the Model T because I can charge the battery from the hot side of the cutout/regulator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I bought one of the really good tenders when they first came out. Ruined an older battery the first Winter but I figured it was just an old battery and didn't check the charger. Ruined the new battery the next Winter. Tossed the tender and bought a good smart charger. I now put my cars away when the snow flies and put the smart charger on each car for a day or so late in February and again if I don't get them on the road in March or April. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Carl Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Another question : What , ah , where were these failed products made ? I have my suspicions. Now , hey ! I LOVE Chineese FOOD ! - CC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I bought a Genius charger/maintainer two years ago and also have a splitter that connects one charger to several batteries. The beauty of this charger is that it recognizes the battery type and voltage to recharge or maintain each battery as needed. I also used it to recover a 3 year old deep cycle battery for my winch that would not take a charge. After two days on the Genius, it recovered and works as it should. https://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/brands/noco-genius/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I thought the entire "saves the battery" was garbage. I have way too many cars, mostly 6V. Every other year I would by a new battery without fail, they just would no longer hold a charge after sitting all winger (about 6 months around me) I always brought them inside for the winter. Anyway read all the hype and thought I would try one. Initially I only would charge one battery at a time for several days. Now I just rotate the 3 chargers one 12V and two 6V battery tender Juniors. I have not bought a new 6V battery in 10 years. I have even brought dead old batteries back to life, you need to start them with a conventional (old, no auto shut off) charger, than switch to the "battery tender". So yes they work for me, I have been amazed at the results. I have a 12V yellow optima that is over 20 years old still works great. I have 4 6V conventional acid/lead batteries over 10 years old. Mine were made in the USA, hope they still are. http://products.batterytender.com/Chargers/Battery-Tender-Junior-6V-1-25A-High-Efficiency.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 57 minutes ago, Graham Man said: I thought the entire "saves the battery" was garbage. I have way too many cars, mostly 6V. Every other year I would by a new battery without fail, they just would no longer hold a charge after sitting all winger (about 6 months around me) I always brought them inside for the winter. Anyway read all the hype and thought I would try one. Initially I only would charge one battery at a time for several days. Now I just rotate the 3 chargers one 12V and two 6V battery tender Juniors. I have not bought a new 6V battery in 10 years. I have even brought dead old batteries back to life, you need to start them with a conventional (old, no auto shut off) charger, than switch to the "battery tender". So yes they work for me, I have been amazed at the results. I have a 12V yellow optima that is over 20 years old still works great. I have 4 6V conventional acid/lead batteries over 10 years old. Mine were made in the USA, hope they still are. http://products.batterytender.com/Chargers/Battery-Tender-Junior-6V-1-25A-High-Efficiency.html It was a pair of yellow tops in my coach that went bad over the first winter on the tender. (post #4) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) I have little (80ma max) float chargers on any car I do not drive regularly and a BatteryMinder Plus for the two GC2s in my camper. Do need to top those off about every three-four months. Any battery that is low, I have a smart desulphating charger I use first then connect the little float devices. Edited March 12, 2018 by padgett (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejboyd5 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Anecdotal observations only: I have battery disconnect switches on all vehicles that are not used at least weekly, Average battery life has been 10-12 years in non climate controlled storage. My previous high was 17 years from a Sears 36, but a Sears Die Hard has just now passed 18 years with no signs of weakness, so we'll see how that goes. My personal view regarding battery tenders is that they do more harm than good relative to battery life by constantly varying a battery's natural equilibrium through forced and unnecessary charging cycles. For battery life alone, it is far better to "let sleeping does lie" rather that constantly trying to maintain an artificially high level of readiness or charge. Most people use battery tenders because they want their cars to start. Most cars do not start because their batteries have lost their charge, and most batteries have lost their charge due to one or more parasitic drains in the electrical system. Instead of treating the symptoms through use of a battery tender, why not attack the disease itself by installing a disconnect switch to eliminate parasitic drain. Your battery will reward you with a longer life and additionally you will have gone a long way toward eliminating short circuits and possible fires caused by rodents gnawing wires in unattended vehicles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomcarnut Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I too have multiple cars in an unheated barn that I drive or start monthly in most cases and do not use a tender. All but a 96 Buick have a shut off. I have been getting 10 plus years on them. When they only keep a charge for week, I replace them. I only get three years with a deep cycle for a boat that sits a lot but try to charge monthly. Since the 96 Buick has computer, I have not put on a shut off but would like to prevent rodent fires. Any thoughts on shut offs for Computer equipped cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithb7 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Seasonal items in my garage get battery tenders. I have about 5 if I recall. Seadoos, jet-skis, my Polaris ATV and my ‘53 Chrysler see regular, very low amp, trickle charges from the battery maintainers. I have bough a few brands. So far I have no complaints. Watch your water level and adjust accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broker-len Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I have two 6 Volt cars I use timers and set power to go on as short a time as I can and use lowest amp setting ,,,,,,about hour a day,,,,, battery stays up and do not use water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I have used Battery Tender brand chargers for at least the last 20 years on both 6 and 12 volt cars with both Optima and conventional batteries with no issues. However I do not leave them permanently hooked up as "maintainers", I only use them as chargers. I hook them up occasionally to top off the charge but I am lucky that the climate here allows me to drive my cars year round. I have also used them to charge an occasional dead battery which they do just fine but it takes a while to full charge. I don't trust any electrical item with spring clip connectors to be left on long term but that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 4 hours ago, tomcarnut said: Since the 96 Buick has computer, I have not put on a shut off but would like to prevent rodent fires. Any thoughts on shut offs for Computer equipped cars? I haven't tried them, since my newest old car is a 51, but there is an adapter to plug in your cigarette lighter that has a small battery to keep your computer going. Also good for swaping a battery on a computered car. You could probably make one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 I own a 6 Volt & 12 Volt Battery Tender Plus never an issue and they are very helpful if you have questions, just call em. I use the 6 volt version on my NEW optima Red Top the 12 Volt Tends the Golf Cart Battery. they will tell they are maintainers and use a 4 step process for charging and maintaining. They use advance algorithms etc. all i know is they work and do their job. most everyone i have talked to that owns one love em. they also have tons of geeky tech info available on their site. i know for like $40-50 that is cheap insurance and security !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 My Tender Family Photo: My 6v Red Top Optima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poci1957 Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 I have had a Battery Tender like the one in the photo for 10-12 years and am convinced it has extended my battery life (note that all my batteries are 12V). I bought this one with two plugs and an extension cord so I can connect two vehicles at a time and I find that convenient. I rotate the unit between my cars and my lawn tractor & ATV every week or two rather than leave permanently connected and got 15 years from the battery in my Miata and over 10 on my lawn tractor, I am a fan, Todd C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke01 Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 The only complaint I have with Battery Tenders is warranty. I had one of the higher end models go bad during the warranty. I sent it back and received a Battery Tender Jr. as a replacement. Zeke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearsFan315 Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 (edited) yeah my concern on warranty is that WHAT i bought is no longer made, so what will i get. I may be OK if they are equal value and specs as what i had, but will NOT settle for less. That NAPA one looks a lot like a schumacher Good products Also !! Edited March 15, 2018 by BearsFan315 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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