Battery Tender

[dmdeaton]

They make about a dozen different models. What do you guys use while they sit idle a while in the winter?

http://products.batterytender.com/Chargers/

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I would use a 2 Amp trickle, plugged into a 24 Hour timer & set it to run about an hour each day.
Bill W.

[Tony Hillyard]

Nice to see you back Bill!

[Mitch]

The juniors work fine, but i have dual use tenders 6, 12 or 1.25...
this way i can use them on other things

all these tenders turn on and off automatically depending on the needs

[dmdeaton]

I think I will get the 5 amp model just in case I need the extra. Then I can turn loose of my old one on wheels and gain some garage space back. The lithium jump pack they sell is nice also.

[DaWizard]

Just a word of warning. 5 amp charger will boil the water/acid out of the battery, slowly, but it will. That is one of the reasons the battery "tenders" are only 1 or 2amp charge rate.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Just one (1) humble opinion from many experiences:

My sons and I have been through several "failed" models with the brand of "Battery Tender" for all of our cars, trucks, tractors, and our boats with marine batteries.

If you ever get one of these, $35.00 Schumacher Battery Charger/Extender's at Amazon Prime, (red in color), you will never want another.

Works great for 6 & 12 volt automatically.

This one has 75% five (5) star ratings on Amazon.com.

Too long to write all of what it can do, but one can read the details of how this model works at Amazon. Schumacher SP-1 2/4-Amp 6/12-Volt Automatic Battery Charger/Extender

[Supergnat]

I have an AccuMate TM-08 for both 6V and 12Volts available on Amazon. Works great. I leave mine plugged in whenever I am not driving the car. Still using the battery that came with the car in Jan 2011.

[Jeff/Illinois]

I've had good luck with a Battery Tender, Deltran I think makes it. 1.25 amps trickle charger. I plug it in for about a day, once a week. I know you are supposed to be able to just leave it on all the time but Tom W. had a bad experience once with a trickle charger that he posted about on another Model A Ford site, and that always kinda spooked me after reading about that.

Combine that with Tom's Electronic Voltage Regulator in the gennie, and I've been getting a LOT longer life out of my Farm King 6V batteries for the antique cars!

[DaWizard]

Most of the battery "tenders" now days are a switched trickle charger that will only run when the battery needs a voltage kick, kinda like the cut-out on your generator. Now, a battery "charger" is NOT a tender and should not be depended on to work as a tender. It is made to charge up the battery continuously. Where a tender will only replace what is needed, a charger on the other hand doesn't care what is missing, it will sit there and boil the water/acid out regardless. I have used tenders on motorcycles for years with great success. If in doubt, do as Bill does, toss in a 24 hour timer and set for an hour a day.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I paid $209.00 for an AMERICAN made charger for my Gel Batteries, in my 48 Volt Scooter!
It has a high, quick rate, when needed. You can leave it on INDEFINATELY, it comes on ONCE a month, for a self test & slowly charges what is necessary!
I DON'T know the BRAND or whether they make them for 6 & 12 Volts????
Bill Notmuchhelp

[newshirt]

I use the Junior

[1931 Flamingo]

Nothing Late October to late March/early April.
Paul in CT

[Tom Wesenberg]

Nothing Late October to late March/early April.
Paul in CT

Same here. If I happen to be in my cold garage for 5 minutes or more, then I might stick my 6 amp charger on the battery for the few minutes I'm in the garage, but I no longer leave chargers on unattended batteries, unless the battery is outside where it can't damage something.

[pAAt]

I would say solar, but if it's really sunny better get out and disconnect it ! Or take it for a drive

[cpf240]

Maybe use a properly configured solar charge controller. That is what they are made for.

[Mitch]

I have 3 of these .75A chargers
They charge at a low rate and are universal for 6 & 12v.. I use one on my lawn tractor battery over the winter which needs a low amp charge.
It's fully automatic etc
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LX3AS6?psc=1

[copgib]

Mitch is this the battery tender you would recommend? I am looking for one for my 1930 Model A 6-volt positive ground battery. Hugh

[smittykid]

I have been using Battery Tender Juniors for years-both 6 and 12 volt models. From my Model A's to anything else I have in storage right down to my riding lawn mower and boat battery. I have had a couple go bad during their great 5yr warranty period. Deltran replaced them with no problems. I have nothing but praise for the Battery Tenders.

[Mitch]

It's that time of year again!!

[plyfor]

We have Optimas which require tenders/ maintainers designed for gel type batteries as mentioned in post 9.

[Mitch]

We have Optimas which require tenders/ maintainers designed for gel type batteries as mentioned in post 9.

The Optima is an AGM and not a gel type per say. Here is a reasonable charger that will do an AGM. I have the cheapest one of these .75A that I use on my lawn tractor.

NOCO Genius G3500 6V/12V 3.5A UltraSafe Smart Battery Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LWVEKS..._VRZ-Bb25SBYZ9

[plyfor]

Oops, you're correct. Optimas are glassmats . I mixup the 2 types. We've had some of the Battery Tender Juniors fail so perhaps another brand like the NOCO or Black and Decker may be next to try.

[2manycars]

I have 9 tender juniors running all the time, some 6 volt, some 12. 3 model A;s, a john deere tractor, an MG roadster, my daughter's MG, and 3 motorcycles. I need one more for my 40 ford.

[DaWizard]

Bill, you already have one for the 40. Just crank it up and drive it!!

[2manycars]

Not with salt on the road Wiz

[Easty]

Never ever trust your property or personal safety to a battery "tender". They are not a "fail safe" technology! I have had 2 different brands fail to the constant high amp mode. One cooked an ATV battery, the other one cooked an aircraft battery. Even at their low max output, over an extended period they can destroy a battery. Now I only plug them in for a day at a time occasionally. Another time I had a battery go bad while being "tended" and caused the tender to "see" the battery as needing max charge continually. I could smell the fumes in the garage. The battery was quite warm and the electrolyte was depleted. That one not the tenders fault but still a bad scene.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I agree.
I had one battery explode in the middle of the night while it was on a 1 amp charger. Had another small battery charger go up in flames during the night. Luckily it was setting on the top of my Dodge Dakota radiator, and the flames didn't go beyond the charger.

[plyfor]

I went to a shop that has 5 maintainers installed for a few years from Granite Digital in California. They have a model that can maintain 6 or 12 volt batteries.