Battery charging questions

[Trev]

It's been such a strange winter here near Rochester, NY.. there's no grass to mow, no snow to plow, nothing really to do with the tractor.. so poor Jez just sits out in the unheated pole barn waiting.

I was wondering about putting a battery charger on it from time to time. It's a JD4300, so has no voltage meter..

If I use a battery charger, can I do it without having to disconnect the battery from the tractor.. i.e., just hook up the charger without disconnecting the cables?

If I just start up the tractor from time to time and let it run, maybe drive it around a bit, how long should I run it before I can safely assume the battery is completely charged?

I know.. dumb newbie questions... but probably better to ask dumb questions than to do dumb things! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thanks,
Bob

 

[BB_TX]

I would start it up every 2 or 3 weeks and drive it around for 15 or 20 minutes. That will keep it charged as well as keeping everything lubed well. Plus it will give you an excuse to get in some seat time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You can buy trickle chargers that will keep a battery charged when left unattended for extended periods. You don't need to disconnect the battery.
Plus most good battery chargers have a high and low amp charging rates. And they have automatic cutoff when the battery is fully charged.

 

[Bird]

Bob, don't you have a multimeter? I don't know what I'd do without my clamp meter. Just check the battery voltage; "full" charge is about 12.6 volts. Putting the clamp meter on the positive cable will tell whether you have anything on the tractor that is drawing amperage while it's sitting and not running (shouldn't have anything doing that). I know that many folks recommend removing the battery, or at least disconnecting the cables, to charge it, but I, personally, would not go to that much trouble. If it needed charging, I'd just hook up the charger. But then the question is, what kind of charger do you have? How fast is it charging; the faster the charge the less time you want to leave it on, but there are also "trickle" chargers that charge very slowly (actually better for the battery) and even chargers that cut off when the battery is fully charged so you can just leave it hooked up. I'd say this is one of those situations in which you may or may not need to do anything at all.

 

[Bird]

I see you're running a minute ahead of me this morning. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Are you ready for the rain forecast for today?

 

[chim]

I've never owned a charger. If something doesn't start, I jump it. If it doesn't start again, I replace the battery (unless of course tha battery is only a year or two old, then I look for other problems).

When I got the Kubota, the Ford just sat for almost a year. I moved it a few times one Summer when the grass around it got so long I couldn't stand it. I'm sure at one point the tractor wasn't started for over 6 months. It always started without jumping.

But to better answer your question, long ago I ran with a volunteer fire company. We had trickle chargers connected to the trucks the entire time the were in the firehouse. The connections were made via plugs at the rear of the trucks. The cords were fastened to the wall behind the trucks so the trucks would drive out and the plugs would pop apart. As Sonny said once on Miami Vice, "Crude, but effective"................chim

 

[BB_TX]

First time I ever beat you I think. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Not ready but I guess I have no choice. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Looks like a cold weekend too. Had outdoor plans for tomorrow (some seat time) but that will likely change.

 

[ducati996]

You will get a few different answers on this, so here is mine.
I would get a auto sensing/float charger from either Battery Tender or Yuasa. Each put out approx. 1.25- 1.5 amps
and cost around $40-$50...you can find them for less however..
What they do is charge the battery to its intended voltage level, and then it floats when that level is reached. When the level drops, it charges again. This can go for all season or all year, it dosent matter because it dosent damage the battery..
Of course check water levels during that time and only use distilled water to fill if low. For example I have a 1995 Yamaha Vmax motorcylce with its original battery. It still is fresh as it was from day one. Its specific gravity is about the same from day one. Thats 8 years already !! starts right up everytime...all my machine have these chargers and i doubled the life sometimes tripled the life of the batteries so far...
There are different ways to accomplish what i described above. The end result should be the same, the extended life of your battery

 

[PineRidge]

If you have a local Harbor Freight they sell float chargers for $9.99 that can be left on a battery to keep it ready for your next snowfall. If you use one wrap the extension cord around your steering wheel to remind you to disconnect the thing BEFORE you turn the key.

 

[Trev]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bob, don't you have a multimeter? I don't know what I'd do without my clamp meter. Just check the battery voltage; "full" charge is about 12.6 volts. Putting the clamp meter on the positive cable will tell whether you have anything on the tractor that is drawing amperage while it's sitting and not running (shouldn't have anything doing that). I know that many folks recommend removing the battery, or at least disconnecting the cables, to charge it, but I, personally, would not go to that much trouble. If it needed charging, I'd just hook up the charger. But then the question is, what kind of charger do you have? How fast is it charging; the faster the charge the less time you want to leave it on, but there are also "trickle" chargers that charge very slowly (actually better for the battery) and even chargers that cut off when the battery is fully charged so you can just leave it hooked up. I'd say this is one of those situations in which you may or may not need to do anything at all. )</font>

Thanks for all the quick replies, folks! I'll reply to Bird's note since he hit on most of the points...

Yes, I have a multimeter.. but I so rarely use it that I'm sure *it* needs a new battery by now! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif If a full charge is 12.6 volts, what is the lowest I should let it get before charging?

The charger I have is one I got at Walmart or someplace like that.. it has normal charge, slow trickle charge, and a mode for jump start. I think there is also something called a "deep" charge for marine use.. never sure what that was and never needed it. Never used anything but the trickle so far.. and that was on a battery taken out of a car and stored in the basement all winter. Sounds like that's the ticket for the tractor.. just hook it up on trickle and let it sit overnight?

I have both block and hydraulic heaters on the tractor.. perhaps I should wire up another plug for the battery also. Make up a plug that I can hook the charger to, and make life easy. OTOH, the idea of driving it around every couple weeks to keep things lubricated sounds appealing also.

It would be so simple if they'd included a volt meter on the dash.. maybe it's worth adding one? Nah, sounds like a LOT more work than just checking it with the multimeter from time to time. Just pop open the hood, and measure the battery with cables connected?

Also, I have the "old fashioned" JD battery which is reputed to cause problems from leakage. I don't see any problems so far.. but perhaps I should do something preemptive about it before problems develop?

Thanks again for all the helpful replies!

Best....................Bob

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( what is the lowest I should let it get before charging? )</font>

Bob, I'm certainly no expert, but I think battery stuff has a pretty good explanation which indicates 12.4 or less ain't good. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[heehaw]

great link, i will be passing that one on a lot..
heehaw

 

[gerard]

<font color="blue">I don't know what I'd do without my clamp meter </font> bird - I have a multi meter but I don't think I can check current with that can I?? Are you talking about an ammeter that can actually measure current flow?? (The thing that has a set of jaws that you calmp around the wire and it reads current flow?) If I can check parasitic draw on a battery using a multi meter please explain how. I have a digital one and know how to use it for continuity and voltage but not current /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Trev]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( great link, i will be passing that one on a lot..)</font>

Me too! Thanks!

 

[normde2001]

Actually, a full charge is 12.75 volts. Minimum starting voltage is 12.6 v, 12.5v is 1/2 charge, 12.25 v is 1/4 charge. The confusion comes with the misnamed 12 volt battery. It is actually (6) 2.1v cells equally 12.6 volts.

 

[art]

I'd say to once a month start the tractor and let it warm up for about 30 minutes or so. Before you start it you might want to warm the battery by using a small charger for a half hour or so.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The thing that has a set of jaws that you calmp around the wire and it reads current flow?) )</font>

Yep, Gerard, that's what I was talking about (I'm no electrician by a long shot, but I think they generally refer to that as an inductive pickup). I used to have a cheaper multimeter and to measure amperage flow, you had to take a wire loose and hook up the meter in that circuit, but it was only good for up to 10 amps and was practically never used for that purpose. There are even better instruments than the one I have now but it measures volts and amps to one decimal place (tenths) up to 1000 volts and 400 amps (AC/DC) and also has a temperature probe for up to 570 degrees F. I don't know what a new one would cost now, but I gave $180 for mine on 4/21/90 and in nearly 14 years, I've certainly gotten my money's worth from it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Wal]

Here is something I have been thinking of doing this winter as far as keeping the battery in my B7500 fresh. I have an old 1 amp trickle charger that still works fine. Bought it for a motorcycle battery years ago. In order to avoid unattended overcharging of the tractor battery, does it seem like an OK idea to merely put the charger on a timer such that it only turns on for maybe an hour a day or so? The thing I'm not sure of is whats happening in the electrical circuit when the charger is not actually on. Is it bad to have it hooked up to the battery and not have it turned on /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Will it somehow discharge the battery in that situation. Obviouly, I'm not much of an electrician, so this question may seem rather "dumb" to most of you guys /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Soundguy]

I know that you've already got a slew of answers. .but I'll throw in mine as well.

Considder a solar charger.. I use them on my tractors with great results. It is usually 2-3 weeks between when each tractor gets used ( I try to rotate use between all my tractors.. so that menas over a month passes between each ones 'turn'. Though the battery will charge up pretty quick.. less that 10 minutes.. I agree with the suggestion of letting it run for 15-20.. to let it come up to operating temperature to flass off any accumulated moisture in the oil. Also, might kick it in gear and pull it in / out of the barn... just to get the tranny and diffy gears a rotation in oil... Same with 4wd. My dealer told me to put my unit in 4wd, at least once a month, just to rotate the gear 'tops' that were out of the oil back into the oil, etc.. even if for only a back in / back out procedure.

Good luck

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

If that trickle charger has a 'solid state' output, then no.. it won't discharge your battery when not chargine. That is the great thing about diode junctions... 1 way current...( under normal operating circumstances ).

Soundguy

 

[Wal]

Soundguy,
My little 1 amp charger is probably about 20 years old. I'm sure it doesn't have diodes. Plug it in, it starts charging. Unplug it, it stops charging. As basic as it can get.