Battery tenders

[autopilot]

Not to be confused with chicken parts.....

 

Me and my riding has been nothing short of a trainwreck this summer. When the heat and humidity get beyond a point, I have to pretty much hang up the chaps because I just can't seem to breathe well enough to go; that or I just don't feel good enough to go. The flip side of that is that when the temp backs off a bit, it's usually because of rain and thunderstorms and MORE humidity. Anyway, that story is to set up this story!

 

Because I haven't gotten out much and because I didn't get good results of my last 2 Battery Tenders, I didn't have anything keeping the charge up on the bikes. The GW has had an ongoing little issue with off idle performance and has been sitting basically all summer, since spring. The RSTD sat for about a month and a half, early in the year and had to be jumped to get it started. Recently, it sat for about a month for reasons I mentioned earlier and I knew that I was looking at another round of "fun with batteries."

 

Well, the weather had been really crappy and I had done some late night research into battery maintainers. Based on what I found, I decided to buy a "Battery Minder", having the anti-sufation circuit in it. It will charge at I believe it's 1.3 amps up to 14.1V then revert to a float charge mode to keep the battery up; in this mode it will periodically hit the battery with specific hi frequency AC current to accomplish the anti-sulfation (the sulfation being what kills the batteries when they sit for long periods).

 

I had been told that if a motorcycle battery (wet cell or other) goes dead, it's basically toast and has to be replaced. Now, the new Battery Minders I bought had a battery condition monitor included with one of them. They say to check the battery and if you get no indication the battery must be replaced. The RSTD had the absolute minimun indication, the GW battery had none!

 

Well, not being one to just jump out there and drop $60 or $70 on another battery for the GW, I went ahead (in conflict with the instructions, I might add) and hooked it up and plugged it in. Ditto the one for the RSTD. The RSTD charged for about 24 hours and went to float mode. A day later, I felt good, the weather felt good, so I disconnected the Battery Minder and she fired right up and I went on my merry way.

 

The Goldwing showed charge state for a full 2 1/2 days,(they recommend no more than 72 hours) then went into float mode just like the doctor ordered. What floors me is that the last time the battery on the GW went dead from sitting, like that, I had to replace it. That's why I was going to at least try to charge it up before I sprung for a new one! The battery is up full and with the BatteryMinder it should stay in top condition for a long long time (riding occasionally wouldn't hurt either, but that's a different discussion)

 

Bottom line......I am sold on the BatteryMinder! I will not use another brand of maintainer again, unless the company itself just goes away; then whatever I get will have antisulfation or I won't have it....period. The proof is in the performance and the BatteryMinder has that in spades, IMHO! (and FWIW Northern Tool had them for ~$40)

[paysaw]

Just remember if you have a wet battery to check the water level from time to time.The battery minder keeps your battery going and the battery is still very active.

[Marcarl]

I never have used a battery tender on anything yet, car, truck, lawnmower, or bike and and yet to have a problem,,,, now talking about the lawn mower, it's needs a new battery, this one is toast,, can't figure out why though, it was brand new in 2003.

[jlh3rd]

have an 02 camaro.....on a battery tender.....still using the original battery..........i gotta add that i've only got 16,000 miles on the car so the battery hasn't seen lots of cycles.......but almost 10 years ?.... ...i say it's because of the tender....

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I've had good luck with the Schauer and Samlex brands of battery maintainers.

 

 

I've heard stories of lots of failures of the Battery Tender brand...of course, that may due to the fact that there are so many out there....and not many users will post a review of something working normally, but they WILL post when they are unhappy with something.

 

[albyzee]

Whenever I used the battery tenders it always burnt up the water in the battery. Now I use a dual station X2 xtreme charge and that problem does not occur anymore.

[frankd]

have an 02 camaro.....on a battery tender.....still using the original battery..........i gotta add that i've only got 16,000 miles on the car so the battery hasn't seen lots of cycles.......but almost 10 years ?.... ...i say it's because of the tender....

 

 

Well, tenders are good for innactive batteries, and yes, I use them on some of my equipment, but....

 

I've got a 2001 Ford E-350 Van with a 6.8 liter V-10 with 63,000 miles on it. It is still on it's original battery (10 1/2 years). It's been 100% dead 3 times because of interior lights left on for weeks. It's gone for long periods of time (4-5 months) without being started. This left the battery so low that it had to be charged before it would crank the beast. Even with all of this the battery acts like it's still in good shape---it cranks over the V-10 great, but it has never had a tender hooked to it. In fact, Barb and I are leaving for Albequerque Thursday in it (1300 miles away). Of course, I'm taking my jumper cables with me ( I'm a bit paranoid). Obviously they are making batteries much better these days.

 

Frank D.

[jlh3rd]

all the cars i have owned and driven regularly.....72 monte, 77 monte ( 2 of them), 87 monte, 92 aerostar ( still have with 259,000 )......went as far as their "rating" and failed usually right at or right before......same with my girlfriend's car, who i've been with for 9 years, ( 98 mazda)......the 08 siverado has factory battery....so it's still going........but none of these cars have had battery tenders...except the camaro......so i'm sold.......

101/2 years and same battery , thats da*# good.......

oh, i had 3 sons living with me so that's how all the cars were driven regularly......