What brand battery maintainer do you like?

kcm.MN

Well-known Member
Location
NW Minnesota
I have 6 batteries that are connected in vehicles and equipment all winter long. Temps get real cold. Nothing is used much in the winter, but I try to start everything at least once a month. However, once a battery reaches 2 years of age, it seems to no longer want to start the engine when below -20F. I use ONLY full syn oil, as that greatly helps in cold-weather starting.

Looking to get a few battery maintainers, but reviews leave me questioning. There are cheap made-in-China units; some that have a box transformer for a plug and others that have long, thin wires that would seemingly break in the cold. Have looked at the Black & Decker line, though reviews are marginal there, also.

Anyone have any recommendations?

By the way, all of these machines are outside and fully exposed to the cold. I will "hopefully" have a starter shop up this Spring, but nothing large enough to handle everything. Shop will likely be unheated unless I'm out there, so will still use the maintainers then.
 
I have 6 or so Sears 2 Amp units, just bought another yesterday. They auto-select between 6 and 12 Volts.

They've worked well for me.

Also, I try to remember to disconnect the batteries on anything that sits unused for over a few days or weeks, have a number of them set up with battery disconnect switch, making that easy.

You would find it surprising how much that helps, even without a battery maintainer they typically hold charge a lot better and last a LOT longer.

Almost everything has a least a little electrical leakage to ground, whether it be a newer vehicle with computers that "sleep" but don't shut off completely, or simply have an alternator, or even some (possibly hidden) dirty/rusted/corroded electrical components.
 
I have several batteries around here on the
cheapie Harbor Freight ones. So far so
good. Only one failure. Don't know how well
they would hold up out in the elements.
Don't have power in outside polebarn, so
pull batteries and move them to an unheated
garage where there is electricity
available. Seems to keep batteries charged
and prolong battery life. Will charge up
partially discharged batteries, given time.
 
Like Bob, I use Sears maintainers. The are useful on both 6 and 12 volt batteries. All work well.

Regular price is about $50 but they are regularly on sale for $20 or $25.

Dean
 
I have one called "Battery Tender" that seems to work well.

Avoid the really cheap trickle chargers, they'll destroy the battery if you leave them on all the time.
 
I too have a couple of the $5 ones from HF, they seem to work for me, but I don't leave them hooked up all winter. I make sure everything is charged when parked, and charge again before starting, 2-4 months later, don't seem to have any problems.
 
I have 2 Black & Decker 6 and 12 volt maintainers so far they seem ok. I have a hf one also that I haven't used yet I am not crazy about plugging the
transformer directly in the outlet. The Black & Decker units are attached to a beam in the Tractor shed and they come with a plug you can connect
directly to the battery terminal. Just unplug it and go and you can't mess it up it only plugs in one way.
 
A quality maintainer will definatly help you with your complaint of hard to start and short battery life. On the advise of battery mfgr reps where I worked in auto repair,I've used maintainers for years. Like you, I have tractors,trucks,travel trailer,boat,atvs and lawn mower. I keep 3 maintainers busy somewhere all the time. On the advice of the battery mfgs rep,my first was a Deltran Battery Tender. I tried Schumacher,Stanley,Sears and a couple of others but none equaled Deltran. I presently have the original Deltran plus two newer Delatrans. The most common fault I found with maintainers was they failed to supply floating charge but instead acted like a "TRICKLE CHARGER". That's not good so I sold,trashed or gave them away. The day I see electricians,plumbers and auto mechanics with tool boxes filled with Harbor Freight tools,I'll admit to wasting money on more expensive tools and give Harbor Freight tools another trying out. Until then I'll believe you get what you pay for.
 
I Like the Solar Maintainers, usually 1.8 Ma ... It will keep a Battery Fully Charged, No problem.. I have them on everything I have that isn't Driven/ Used Much.. Larry in N. Ga
 
I have a Schumacher 6/12 volt (auto select) charger/maintainer.
Hard wired to tractor with a one way quick disconnect plug.
 
Not sure what you mean when you say they're not used much. Nor do I know how easy or difficult they are to access. If it were me (and not used much and reasonably accessible), I think I might keep them inside. Years ago in the 60's when I was driving 6 volt VW's and had no plug in at work and minus 25 degree days, I would take it in with me. I kept the back seat out and that's where the battery was, easy to quickly take out and put back in, just a simple twist of the cable clamps and it was like having a boost.
 
I have Batteryminders. 6 of the lessor expensive model linked and 3 of the more expensive model. Hook them up early winter unhook in spring. Either model I have hooked to semi truck with 4 batteries and has charged them.

Both models say they are weather proof. But the least expensive one is ventilated and may not be as good for continuous use outdoors. Just my opinion. Zero trouble with any of them.
maintain

maintain 2
 
(quoted from post at 13:18:17 01/14/18) I use the de-sulphater type.
Thank you sir! Got one of those also.

Well, after thawing out from my first outing today (is VERY windy today), ventured back out and finished getting all the snow off of the places it [i:023b1061a4]shouldn't[/i:023b1061a4] :wink: be. Got everything ready to put the charger on the primary truck. Made sure all snow was swept out of the crack. It has a tendency to freeze the door shut sometimes if I don't. Anyway, pulled the hood release, and nothing! ARG! Doesn't happen very often, but can be any temp warm or cold when it hangs. So, no charging the truck today.

While warming up earlier, was going over the responses and doing more buying research, and finally made my choices.

Am getting 5 of these. They're a name brand, have fairly decent reviews, and this is by far the best price I've found!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/BLACK-DECKER-BM3B-6V-and-12V-Battery-Charger-Maintainer/21721663
They're not "waterproof", but considered weather resistant. Can mount these in sheltered areas where it is easy to simply unplug and go.

Also got one of these for the Farmall 460:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HWL4N08/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's more power, so can move it around to a different battery if needed, plus it's waterproof with an IP67 rating.

And finally, as our engines can sometimes sit for long periods of time, I checked around for a battery de-sulfator.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q3CM2QY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The reviews on this are really good. Seeing as how batteries have gotten so expensive, it just seems logical to make the investment to keep the batteries in tip-top order.

The first reviewer on that de-sulfator has a really long review. Was saying how he got some golf cart batteries that were to be scrapped and hooked them up to this de-sulfator. According to the review, he got [b:023b1061a4]5 more years[/b:023b1061a4] of use from most of the batteries!! I'll be thrilled if I can get 2 extra years per battery.

Again, thank you folks for the responses!
 
So the one you posted to is $50 and rated for 1.5 amps max. The Schumacher at Walmart is rated the same and cost $20. Why on
earth would anyone buy the $50 one? What am I missing?
 
I have about 7 of the B&D maintainers. All have been working well for more than two years. Only one runs on 6V the others on 12v.
 
Hello kcm,

I don't use any. Buy a charger-maintained with some reputation. Just using one
will put you in a better state of battery charge. Don't believe any hypes.
Batteries age like people, no way to rejuvenate either one. Synthetic you are
using, as you know, is a plus. Keep connections tight and clean, the maintainers
will do the rest,
Guido.
 
why start them once a month ? it dose not help anything leave them sleep till spring then fire them up . you just create moisture in the engine and trans unless you run them till full temp and that takes running a lot
 
They are a better built unit than Schumacher . I have had Schumacher $20.00 models and have one of three that hasn't went bad. The unit he shows is fuse so if hook wrong it doesn't damage charge. I have three Deltans that cost about the same as that $50.00 and are years older than the Schumacher chargers and yet to have one fail. You get what you pay for it.
 
I have an Opti-mate desulfator, love it but expensive. A pair of deltran Battery Tenders, they're ok but the green and red lights don't give much information. Then Advanced Auto clearanced their Ctek units $7 for the smaller one (.8a) and $15 for the (4.3a) desulfator maintainers regular $115 and $145. I bought all their stock from all my local stores. Very informatve displays, have resurrected several AGM motorcycle/atv batts that the Battery Tenders didn't respond to.
 
The red and green light will tell you if it's working or hooked up right and if it's charged by how it flashes. And you do know if a battery is below a certain charge level they will not work and other maintainers work the same way.
 
I'm using Voltech sold by HF and a local Farm Store. Have used two years worked okay. There may be something better on the market. Local electrical shop wanted something like $30. for theirs. The HF model is $4.99 and seems to work. Plus I have seven of them on various tractors, lawn mowers, etc. that don't see much use during the winter months.
 
I have both "Battery Tender" and "Battery Minder" battery maintainers for 6-volt batteries. Both seem to work well... The "Battery Minder" brand is a little more expensive, but I think they are the better of the two.
 
I have over 20 of the Schumacher 1.5 amp Speedycharge maintainers. Some are 5 years old. So far, not a single failure. They have changed over years. First ones had a manual switch between 6 and 12 volts. Model SEM-1562A. Then they came with auto-sensing. Newest ones are still auto voltage sensing but much lighter . So three versions, zero failures. What went wrong with your's and what models were they?

I know in my case, with zero % faiures, I have to be nuts to get something different for more then twice the price with the same max charge capacity.
 
cheap HF units have done well for me. 5yrs plus on some. my buddy bought the better HF brand and had trouble with too much charge!
 

I've been using one of these for a number of years, and it has been working well.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0144-Plus-Charger/dp/B000NCOKNI/
 
Not sure I agree with that. My generator starts once a week and runs under load for 20 minutes then another 5 for cool down,
 
(quoted from post at 16:49:52 01/14/18) So the one you posted to is $50 and rated for 1.5 amps max. The Schumacher at Walmart is rated the same and cost $20. Why on
earth would anyone buy the $50 one? What am I missing?
The Schumacher is a maintainer "only", right? I don't know the exact model you're looking at. The BatteryMinder is a battery "de-sulfator". It will not only keep a battery charged, but will (hopefully) also extend the life of the batteries.



(quoted from post at 17:08:06 01/14/18) why start them once a month ? it dose not help anything leave them sleep till spring then fire them up . you just create moisture in the engine and trans unless you run them till full temp and that takes running a lot
Yup, that's what I do. I just can't justify running equipment for that length of time when it's not doing anything, and in the winter there's just not that much to do. Plow truck does everything, fast and easy.

Every time a vehicle gets started, it gets run so that all fluids become warmed and circulated.
 
(quoted from post at 17:03:37 01/14/18) Hello kcm,

I don't use any. Buy a charger-maintained with some reputation. Just using one
will put you in a better state of battery charge. Don't believe any hypes.
Batteries age like people, no way to rejuvenate either one. Synthetic you are
using, as you know, is a plus. Keep connections tight and clean, the maintainers
will do the rest,
Guido.
Hey Guido - Yeah, I used to think the same thing. But as that one reviewer had mentioned, he brought several batteries back to life that were headed to the scrap pile. When battery de-sulfators first started appearing, I think there were probably a few folks who knew what they were doing, but still far too many other folks who just threw components together and claimed it a miracle! Well, the BatteryMinder has a LOT of reviews, and high ratings. And it's hard to argue with someone who claims to have done what this guy did.

I've watched the Youtube videos of the Epsom salts trick and other things people do, but I held out, not knowing if it was just snake oil. Yet one thing I've learned in this world, once some people have an idea (like from Star Trek), they'll go out and find a way to make it happen! Sooooo, here's hoping this thing's for real.
 
Hi, I bought one Schumacher at Walmart for $20. If
battery is low it will start charging at 3 amps then
it goes lower rate as battery reaches its full charge,
then just keeps battery up. It doesn't matter if its 6v
or 12v. If battery is low a red digital light shows
Lo. I just got it about mid Dec. so I don't know
much about it yet. Ed Will Oliver BC
 
if your in cold climate it more then likely has a block heater most up in Wisconsin do and running a engine 20 minn.it will get up to temp and you have no trans on it or oil in hyd.system.i have heavy EQ loader and hoes that sit 4 months in winter never run them till spring
 
We started getting all of our trucks from the south some years back. The ones we'd find up here would have too much rust. Trucks from places that never get snow are just beautiful, even at 15 and 20 years old. The hard part nowdays is finding one that 1) doesn't have 40million miles on it (preferably under 100k) and 2) that has been taken good care of. Sometimes we've shopped for months before finding one we liked.
 
(quoted from post at 14:47:23 01/14/18) I too have a couple of the $5 ones from HF, they seem to work for me, but I don't leave them hooked up all winter. I make sure everything is charged when parked, and charge again before starting, 2-4 months later, don't seem to have any problems.


I have one of the HF 'cheapies' on an old ('65?} Cub Cadet that has been left hooked up for over 10 years,24/7 and the battery (AutoZone) is still good! I don't have any explanation for this except maybe it's just 'the luck of the draw', or 'planetary alignment'! It is fairly unheard of but it's continuing at this minute! :shock:
 

"They're a name brand,"

Some years ago, I bought 3 "Dack and Blecker" battery maintainers from WaldoWorld.

Upon looking at the boxes later, they were made in "The Land of Almost Right" for Walmart, and the B&D name was "used under license".

They worked very well, but all three were DOA within 2 or three years.

The units in the link you posted are completely different than the ones I had, so, who knows, yours MAY be a genuine B&D product but I wouldn't hold my breath vs. Waldo simply buying the rights to use the name, as they did with the ones they stiffed me with.
 
I agree. Here's why--I have a '68 Mustang I bought new when the '69's were coming out. It was my daily driver until my family came along and then I stored it in an unheated barn starting around 1984. I pulled the battery out and it sat for at least 6 years until I put in another battery, primed it with some chain saw gas, and got it started. The transmission had leaked enough oil that it wouldn't move and the carburetor (Holley) leaked as the gaskets had shrunk, but it RAN. 6 year old gasoline still had enough 'oomph' to make all those pistons (302-V8) come to the party. NO water in the oil or rusted exhaust system. I 'stored' her with 118,000 miles but kept up the license plates. I live in Ioway, and right now, my Mustang costs me $14 to license. NOT an 'antique', either, but a full grown, hit the open road license. I went on my honeymoon with that car and I've been married 42 years, so I can truthfully say I've had my little 'partner' longer than my Wife.
 
I keep meaning to get a good one but I just use about 10 of the HF cheapies. I don't leave then on permanently, but rotate them through things
when I think about it. I had one on the diesel standby generator that I left on there and it malfunctioned and cooked a brand new Interstate
battery in a couple weeks' time.

I've only got two old six volt trucks. They get used enough that I don't use a maintainer, but when I need them for chores and it's close up zero I
will put that charger on them for a while before I roll them over. Those six volt starters are a challenge at 70 years old. You only get one shot
and then you have it flooded so I help it out with the charger. Every spring I swear I'm going to pull those starters and have them gone through.
Maybe this spring - the 54 Chevy is getting really dicey to start. It's worse than the 35 Chevy I used to feed yesterday.
 
Hello kcm,

My first thought of battery desulfators was and still is highly skeptical. Not
all discarded battery are done. Charging rate determines that battery charge-
saturation. The slower the charge the more the % of saturation- full charge. So
a totally dead battery may not take a fast charge and soon would be discared. Like I
said, keep a slow rate of charge, maintainer hooked to any battery, it will be
ready when you are!

Guido.
 

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