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winter battery storage

O

Orange

New User
How do you guys store your batteries in winter?
Thought of storing in a old refrigerator unplugged of course or building an insulated box of some kind. What works for you? Please reply with any ideas.
Thanks,
Orange
 
Just buy a Battery Tender Plus of the voltage of your battery. 6, 8 or 12 and hook it up to your battery in a warm place and forget about it until spring.
Using a Battery Tender you will get alot more life out of your battery.

Simple!!!
Battery Tender
 
Most I leave in the tractor and every once in a while on a warmer day I'll pour in a gal .of gas and start them up and let them run till that gas is gone. Keeps the tractor engine freed up charges the battery and also keep condensation in the engine from becoming a problem
 
If you don't use a Battery Tender store it in a cool place and charge it once a month with a charger.

Here is some good info from Interstate Battery.

Storing a battery in cold weather is easy, if the battery has removable caps make sure the water levels is above the plates and clean the posts if necessary. Hook the battery up to a good automatic charger sized to the battery capacity and rated for the type of battery you have. Right after the battery is done charging check the water level and add distilled water to 1/8” below the vent wells if necessary. Allow any water that was added to mix with the electrolyte then check the specific gravity using a hydrometer, a fully charged battery should be around 1.285 specific gravity. The battery may need to run through another charge cycle if a lot of water was added. Storing the battery in a cool location will slow down the self discharge but it will still be necessary to recharge every other month or use a maintainer charger after the battery is recharged.






Interstate Batteries

Technical Services Department
 
Don't EVER set the battery on the ground or on any metal to store. This will discharge the battery and it will be dead and no good. Put them on a board!!
 
I use my WD-45 and 82S mower for a few weeks in late summer.
When I park it in the fall, I pull off one battery connection and let the tractor set "til late summer the next year. For the last 4 years it has always started without even charging the battery. The battery sets in a "steel" battery box and the temperature here yesterday morning was -4 degrees. Am I just lucky? Probably!! LOL
Would I recommend everyone do this? No!!
 
in the basement if we remember but usually in the tractor because we forget or are too busy with current events.
9 out of 10 times no issues with the forgotten batteries come spring. Occaisionally a top off charge is needed before starting (a multimeter is handy). This is rural central MN.

karl f
now expecting all of our outdoor batteries to make a fool of me in the spring :)
 
Battery box is metal. It used to be back when the cases were made of hard rubber that they would discharge if you put them on concrete. The new batteries are not affected anymore. I still would store it on a dry board.
 
If the batteries are clean (not coated with dust/mud/debris) and charged up simply slip one of the cables off to eliminate any chance of discharge and leave them in place 'til the tractor is needed.
 
The 'steel' battery box is not sitting on the ground. There are rubber wheels to keep it from grounding out. I mean on metal on the ground.
 
There is some truth to this. A battery naturally discharges over time. Batteries were often let sit for 6 months or longer, add to this that the acid seeped from the old rubber cases, causing an acid stain when it reacted with the moisture on the concrete.
Keeping the top between the posts clean will do more for the battery than what it sits on. It's the small current leakage between posts that does the damage , nothing at all about contact with earth ground.
 
From the time I was a kid (a very long time ago).
I was aleays told to never set a battery on a concrete floor. Always seemed like "Phooey" to me.
However, I never set a battery on a concrete floor or dirt without a piece of 2"X8" under it. LOL
 
Thanks for the quick replys. I always enjoy the expertise showen on this forum. Thanks again for the info. I'm sure my batteries will be in better shape this spring. Thanks again to all.

Orange
 
I keep mine in the heated shop, on a wooden shelf, once ever two weeks, I hook a car heater motor to each one, let it run till it starts to slow down, remove and recharge, unless the battery is super old, its good to go next spring.
 
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