Battery life

37 chief

Well-known Member
About 1 1/2 years ago I ordered a 6 v battery for my motorcycle. I added acid, gave it a slow charge, to 6 v. The battery has sat all that time charged, and not installed. I checked it expecting it to be dead, but it still had a little over 5 volts. I put a slow charge on it, now has a little over 6 volts. My experience with batteries after they sat for that long they are dead. Is the reason it still has life, is because it's new, and never used? Stan
 
A stored, charged, unused battery can have a quite long shelf life.

A very low amp solar charger would keep it fully charged. Even thought it is rated for 12v, the low output would be compatible with a 6v battery.
 
That's pretty good, especially in your warm climate. Our Farmall C sits all winter with a 6 volt that's 6 years old now, it started right up this spring, but I had disconnected the ground cable.
 
I put 2 new 12v lead acid batteries in my mom's old wheelchair. Left it on charger. They didn't last. Didn't use wheelchair either.

Batteries are like people, some live forever, some die young. Hard to predict how long they will live. I've had new batteries only last a few months, Some last 10 years.

When it comes to a cordless battery, I get better luck with Li batteries vs the old nickle cads. Not to say I haven't had some die young too.

I'm a big fan of sealed AGM batteries vs the wet cell.

I'm cheap, but when it comes to mower batteries I buy AGM's.
 
Steve ...... I've often wondered about that ..... ie. charging a 6V battery with a small 12V solar charger. So for a small 6V motorcycle battery or even a group 1 6V tractor battery do you think?
 
They do make solar chargers for 6 volt batteries, primarily for game cameras, most of them are 6 volt.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=6+volt+battery+charger+solar&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkIGKBhCxARIsAINMioLPeV8wbTmfgqn9t_ZtrlqYjlbErtqvVhvTrosJHcH85bgggZ0VcxEaAiFTEALw_wcB&hvadid=214513483635&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9020241&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3352604398424804914&hvtargid=kwd-347656909196&hydadcr=7805_9761245&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_8lxcx2mv6j_e
 
(quoted from post at 21:38:50 09/13/21) About 1 1/2 years ago I ordered a 6 v battery for my motorcycle. I added acid, gave it a slow charge, to 6 v. The battery has sat all that time charged, and not installed. I checked it expecting it to be dead, but it still had a little over 5 volts
Consider yourself lucky. At a little over 5 volts that battery was basically over 90% discharged.

I've seen brand new batteries be junk after being discharged once. While sometimes others don't have a problem, especially when new.

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