Do Solar Battery Charger Work?

SuperA · Oct 1, 2015

I 've been looking at 6 Volt Solar battery Chargers on EBAY, they go for anywhere from $10 to $30... Have any of you guys used these to keep your battery up over long periods of down time? Do they Work?
My Farmall Super A is 6 Volt POSITIVE GROUND , so I was also wondering, do I have to Disconnect the NEG Terminal before Hooking it up or just hook it up + to +... - to - or reverse ? This Positive Ground Always makes me Hesitate hooking anything up. I usually disconnect the Batt when using a house charger then hook the terminals up normally.
Any advice on the Solar Panels would be greatly appreciated. thanks, DanO

'http://http://www.ebay.com/itm/6VOLT-WEATHERPROOF-SOLAR-PANEL-GAME-DEER-FEEDER-CAMERA-6V-BATTERY-CHARGER-/271261751979?hash=item3f2875daab

Oaktree · Oct 1, 2015

Can't speak for 6 volt chargers, but I have a shed that's probably 250' from a source of electricity. Occasionally I need to get something there after dark, but not often enough to be bothered with trenching cable that far. I rigged up some cheap auto-parts store LED driving lights to an old car battery which is connected to a small solar panel. 5 years later, still going strong (and this was a battery that was removed from a car for a reason). If it works for this, can't see why it wouldn't work to keep a tractor battery maintained.

+ to +, - to -. Doesn't really matter which one you connect/disconnect first, though it's always a good idea for the ground to be the first one disconnected and the last one connected.

k0ua · Oct 1, 2015

I have used one of the cheapy 12 volt solar chargers in one of the barns with no electricity for several years..It works great, It is at a fixed angle in the south facing window to catch a little sun. It keeps the lawn mower charged up. I don't run the mower in the winter at all. Starts great in the spring. As said above, don't worry about the Positive ground. The charger just needs to be hooked up plus to plus and negative to negative. The solar charger does not have any other connections to come into contact with the vehicle.

RalphVa · Oct 2, 2015

For older vehicles that don't have any battery draw when shut down, they'll work fine. I have a very small panel that keeps the electronic fence charger utility battery on my veggie garden charged up.

Tried one on our diesel generator which is connected to the house panel for auto startup and shutdown. The battery powers its own LCD panel and the LCD panel in the house. The solar panel was not enough to keep the battery up on the generator. Had the panel in full sun position, too.

Moved that panel to add to a panel to keep the battery on our driveway gate charged up because the one panel they supplied for the gate just wasn't doing the job. Finally had to have a couple trees taken down around those panels. Now, the two panels keep the battery charged up. Of course, the gate gets opened around 2 to 4 or 6 times/day, and there's an LCD panel inside the box. During the winter, it kept the battery @ 12.3 volts. During the spring, summer and early fall, the voltage is running 12.6.

Ralph

MortOz · Oct 2, 2015

There is no need to disconnect the battery when charging, just take the usual care that none of your terminals touch the frame when connecting or disconnecting. The solar chargers do work, not to charge up a flat battery, but should keep one in reasonable condition from flattening due to self-discharge. There is a lot of complicated electrochemistry in lead-acid batteries, but a good way to make them last well is to periodically give them a good amount of use (e.g. headlights on for a while), and a good recharge from a good charger or the tractor's alternator/generator.
A small solar charger should be safe to leave connected long term - have a look at Charging Information For Lead Acid Batteries ? Battery University if you want to find lots of things to worry about re lead acid batteries!

EddieWalker · Oct 2, 2015

There is something to the saying you get what you pay for. My first 12 volt solar charger was a cheapy that cost around ten or 12 dollars. It didn't work very well and after a few months out in the weather, just quit completely. The next one came from Northern Tool and cost me $40. It was easily twice as big, maybe more, with an aluminum frame around it instead of plastic and thicker wires. I've had it for at least five years now, and it still works great. It is outside 24/7 and seems to be impervious to the elements here in East Texas.

SuperA · Oct 2, 2015

Thanks for all the input Guys, I think I'll invest in a decent one to use on my Farmall.
One issue that some of you mentioned here that still bothers me is the RIGHT WAY to actually Hook up a Charger to a POSITIVE GROUNDED BATTERY SYSTEM... it just definitely makes common sence to me to Disconnect the Battery Terminal from the Positive Post, which is GROUNDED, before Connecting any kind of Charger Positive connector to that Post, If NOT aren't you going to short circuit the Charger??? Without the Positive Terminal (GROUND) disconnected you would be Connecting POSITIVE TO NEGATIIVE... As I said earlier, this POSITIVE GROUND System is Puzzling sometimes. Am I Wrong about this???

bigdeano · Oct 2, 2015

You don't need to disconnect the battery to charge it. Just hook + to + and - to -. I have a generator that's 24v. I use a 12v charger hooked to one battery at a time without disconnecting anything. The output of chargers is isolated from ground by a transformer. A solar charger would also be isolated from ground.

JRobyn · Oct 2, 2015

I have several little (2 watt) "maintenance" solar chargers that work great, plus a larger 20 watt one on the solar gate operator. It keeps the gate battery up just fine, despite being in fairly heavy shade whenever leaves are on. All 12v.

- Jay

k0ua · Oct 2, 2015

SuperA said:
Thanks for all the input Guys, I think I'll invest in a decent one to use on my Farmall.
One issue that some of you mentioned here that still bothers me is the RIGHT WAY to actually Hook up a Charger to a POSITIVE GROUNDED BATTERY SYSTEM... it just definitely makes common sence to me to Disconnect the Battery Terminal from the Positive Post, which is GROUNDED, before Connecting any kind of Charger Positive connector to that Post, If NOT aren't you going to short circuit the Charger??? Without the Positive Terminal (GROUND) disconnected you would be Connecting POSITIVE TO NEGATIIVE... As I said earlier, this POSITIVE GROUND System is Puzzling sometimes. Am I Wrong about this???

No worries. Just hook it up. The electrons won't care that the positive terminal is the vehicles frame. They are easily fooled that way. Nothing on the solar charger has any kind of reference to that positive chassis. It is not like using a negative grounded vehicle to JumpStart a positive ground vehicle and accidentally letting the bumpers touch.... Whoops!!! Big mistake!! Your little charger or your vehicle are not going to know or care.