Smart battery chargers with reconditioning modes

[Gale Hawkins]

My FIL believes that he can connect his $5 Harbor Freight trickle charger to his TOTALLY dead tractor or UTV battery and it will charge it right up!

Don't tell him he can't and let us know how it works out for him. If he was using that charge PLUS one with a Desulf mode at the same time he would have a better shot based on my personal experience.

I did try saving a dead battery by flipping the polarity the posts. I got one or two to flip and actually take charge but when I flipped it backward to factory polarity it died HARD. One can google how to do this for what it is worth.

It took me days to kill the OEM polarity so I could reverse it. One cold rainy night I had one go into Run Away mode and removing the charger did not stop it from generating a lot of heat. I set it under a gutter spout and it never did actually melt down.

daugen this morning I hooked the B&D/Vector smart charger to the wife's AGM. In the AGM mode I knew it would not let me run an Equalize cycle. It was charging at about the rate of 4 amps but the voltage output was 15 volts which is similar to FLA battery in Equalize Mode. I am going to run all 4 of our AGM batteries through the AGM cycle this week.

 

[ultrarunner]

I would always run into batteries that had the polarity reversed... at least one a month... user error.

There was a time when it was not uncommon for cars to be positive ground... if never failed when a light or similar was left on then someone would hook up a charger the wrong way assuming Negative is always to the Chassis which would be wrong.

 

[sixdogs]

My FIL believes that he can connect his $5 Harbor Freight trickle charger to his TOTALLY dead tractor or UTV battery and it will charge it right up!

My FIL used to put wood screws in metal holes and figured it was OK. Old school dies hard.

 

[HillStreet]

Anybody have a Noco Genius, CTEK, or similar charger with a battery reconditioning mode?

Between tractor, boat, ATVs, lawn equipment, vehicles, I get fed up with short lifespan batteries. A one year old battery out of one of my ATVs is already acting like it doesn't want to take a charge, after having had reasonable care.

Wondering if I should invest in a smart charger with a repair/desulphination mode.

Anyone had good luck getting some questionable batteries back in good working shape with these types of chargers?

I use a smart battery charger on the airplane battery. Went through a period where I was replacing batteries ($300) every 18 months. I am now on a three year period after getting the charger. I leave it plugged in all the time.

 

[daugen]

I am constantly connecting my smart charger to my home made water wagon. Have planted hundreds of trees and shrubs and this cart
has been my savior. I can sit on my comfortable garden tractor seat and water; no more lugging water hoses and cans.

While I regularly use my larger charger on just two devices, this old tractor battery in my water wagon, and an equally old set of batteries
alongside my diesel tank for the 12VDC pump, an IDI. I'd love to rig up something where I don't have to use alligator clips on batteries. I did replace
my clips with better quality aftermarket alligator clips, bigger, sort of Good Grips clips. But there has to be a better connector for constant
connections, and having owned a Radio Shack for five years, I can think of a few. I have bad arthritis so I really do need something easy to handle, which is not your
normal issue I realize.

I can go three barrels, sometimes four before the pump starts to slow down. That's usually long after I have slowed down even more...
Without constant use of these smart chargers, I think I would have been buying new batteries long ago. But so far, the ones I've recycled, usually after five or seven years in something
else, are going strong in their second life.

I have envisioned designing a better water wagon, with a horizontal tank for lower CG. This thing has wanted to turn over on me a few times, but I have it strapped and the
JD cart is rated for 300 pounds more so it has worked so far. Just have to be careful near ditches, otherwise everything is flat as can be here.

Back on topic, my charger has options of 2, 4 and 8 amps. Are there pros and cons to these settings beyond the obvious time savings?
I sure don't use the 8amp setting when I charge the tiny little battery in my DR Rotohog tiller...I'd be afraid it would blow up.
Though I doubt it would, it would reach the proper voltage and the charger should turn off, or way way down. And do so intelligently.
Something lacking for sure in the old battery boilers.

btw, these alligator clips in pic got replaced with bigger ones.

 

[daugen]

Amazon.com: CrazyEve 5 Sets 2 Pin Car Waterproof Electrical Connector Plug with Wire Electrical Cable Connector Plug: Automotive

I just got some of these in a few days ago to install LED lights on the small Massey. I really would like something heavy duty for these chargers, almost like a plug
in connector used for dockside power on a boat. I bet there are heavier duty versions of these plugs, only need two leads, but to carry 8 amps, maybe sized for 15?
I think I know enough to be dangerous here...but always want to prevent toasters, perhaps with an inline fuse.

these big chargers weren't cheap and I don't want to buy five more of them, this one is going to travel.
But clips are iffy and have exposed shortable connections if one is clumsy. Not us of course.

 

[John_Mc]

I'm honestly surprised batteries don't come with safety stickers saying "charge on GEL setting only" or whatever is correct.
AGM batteries seem to announce what they are, but how to tell the difference between gel and flooded? I'm now defaulting to flooded because I have no idea what battery is flooded and what is gel. How does one tell? Sure makes a big difference in charging and could have a sizeable impact on battery life.

Might be safer to default to Gel. The voltages for that are a little lower. It will charge the Gel properly, but slightly undercharge the flooded lead acid battery.

I've seldom had to resort to just defaulting to Gel. I'm slowly weeding out all the Gel batteries in my inventory (I think AGM is a superior technology, and flooded is cheaper). The batteries I'm not sure about I Google any identifying marks on the case to find the type and write it on the battery.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Our chargers default to Gel Mode when they first are connected to AC.

 

[ultrarunner]

I wouldn't mind picking up a battery minder but I have just as many 6v as 12v...

My Battery Savers and Battery Tenders are either 6 or 12 and a combination would be convenient.

Some of the latest models are both... mine are older.

 

[Garandman]

Anybody have a Noco Genius, CTEK, or similar charger with a battery reconditioning mode?

We have one, mostly because it has an LiFe mode and we have those on a couple motorcycles.

It did bring back to life one very dead AGM Battery. It took a loooong time, but eventually charged it up.

My go to charger is a Clore. It is much faster, has AGM mode but not LiFe, and has a fan. Seems to be faster than the NOCO for normal maintence charging.

I set a calendar item on the 1st of every month to charge batteries, not all of which are on Battery tenders full time.

 

[aczlan]

Amazon.com: CrazyEve 5 Sets 2 Pin Car Waterproof Electrical Connector Plug with Wire Electrical Cable Connector Plug: Automotive
I just got some of these in a few days ago to install LED lights on the small Massey. I really would like something heavy duty for these chargers, almost like a plug
in connector used for dockside power on a boat. I bet there are heavier duty versions of these plugs, only need two leads, but to carry 8 amps, maybe sized for 15?
I think I know enough to be dangerous here...but always want to prevent toasters, perhaps with an inline fuse.
these big chargers weren't cheap and I don't want to buy five more of them, this one is going to travel.
But clips are iffy and have exposed shortable connections if one is clumsy. Not us of course.

I would use a 2 pin plug such as Amazon.com: CES 1 Gauge 2 Pin Quick Disconnect Harness: Automotive or Amazon.com: Tetra-Teknica MotoBasics Series RHS-1 12V Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug, 2 Feet, 16 Gauge Copper Wire, 1A Fuse, 2 Per Pack: Automotive (includes a fuse).
That should be good for a charger, your sprayer pump or some lights, not big enough to start something though.

Aaron Z

 

[Ford850]

I would use a 2 pin plug such as Amazon.com: CES 1 Gauge 2 Pin Quick Disconnect Harness: Automotive or Amazon.com: Tetra-Teknica MotoBasics Series RHS-1 12V Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug, 2 Feet, 16 Gauge Copper Wire, 1A Fuse, 2 Per Pack: Automotive (includes a fuse).
That should be good for a charger, your sprayer pump or some lights, not big enough to start something though.

Aaron Z

Don't buy that first one you linked to. I bought some of these (there are many similar others too) and they are very poor quality and do not connect to each other without distorting the pins. I learned my lesson.
I have many of the pigtails from BatteryMinder or BatteryTender brands. Maybe some Schumacher too. They are all very similar to each other and good quality.

 

[John_Mc]

I'm thinking of adding one of these bulkhead fitting charger connectors to a couple of my "toys":
Flush Mount EZ Connector
Flush Mount EZ Connector with ring terminal and fuse



Just haven't figured out where I want to mount the one on my tractor

 

[lostcreekranch]

I’ve had good service from the three Battery Minder Plus chargers we have.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332201_200332201

 

[John_Mc]

I’ve had good service from the three Battery Minder Plus chargers we have.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332201_200332201

That model (12117)has been discontinued by VDC, the folks who make the BatteryMinder chargers (I'm guessing Northern Tool bought out their stock, since they were discontinued a while ago, but NT still has them). They are still good battery maintainers. I have one that has to be more than 12 years old, and is still going strong.

It was replaced by the model 1500 (model 1510 is electrically identical to the 1500, just has 10 year warranty instead of 5, and comes with insulated battery clips). The 1500/1510 adds the ability to recover batteries which are much more deeply discharged (down to about 3 volts, if I recall), along with a couple more stages in the charging process and temperature compensation.

They also make some higher amperage chargers, but the price jumps up significantly for those.

 

[the old grind]

Here are 3 of my 4, and they vary quite in 'buttons and bows'. First, 'Accumate' apparently uses an iron core power supply like our 'dumb' chargers vs 'switching' type of 'BatteryMINDer' and what charges our handhelds. I kinda doubt that this aspect is as significant as the electronics and automation within, and if the 'PT Xtreme' is by far the largest it weighs about half as much as the Accumate.



I've braced up tired batteries that had to be topped up every 4-5 days, and with auto/float gear, to light their fires. After playing back forth with 'AM' & the 'B's, I just won't accept these as 'snake oil', and based on some batteries' seeming stronger if floated, and faded less during idle periods after. btw, I'm darn sure I haven't used both brands on any battery (autism ), so I'm happy to put my personal stamp of 'maybe you care' on 'em. :thumbsup:

I wish I could offer say, a controlled test of the now-three chargers, or monitor results with an o'scope to see what's really 'what' when one is OTJ. However, and unfortunately, the matrix of procedures would exceed the capacity of any lined paper I have on hand. Sorry That said, I could set up just about anything y'all suggest with the Pulse-Tech Xtreme that just came today (also means I'm adrift on where to re-connect which one next .. :confused2: ... old age .. :laughing

EDIT: Ultrarunner, please note that 'Accumate' 'does 6v'. It did a J.O.B on a 280CCA that wouldn't start w/o a jump (B&S 22hp). I did it 'the long way' for lack of confidence by disconnecting sometime after 'green', and reconnecting 24 hrs later. The first few days it was 18 hrs to 'go green', after a week maybe an hour or two. Yes, it was 10 days or so when the light would turn green inside of a minute. No guess whether I needed to disconnect daily, but falling on my old practice of soaks between cycles I hope it suggests that desulfating was at least as much the boost as depth of charge would be. My point is that the IMO Accumate shouldn't disappoint in 6v mode.

 

[3930dave]

I am constantly connecting my smart charger to my home made water wagon. Have planted hundreds of trees and shrubs and this cart
has been my savior. I can sit on my comfortable garden tractor seat and water; no more lugging water hoses and cans.

While I regularly use my larger charger on just two devices, this old tractor battery in my water wagon, and an equally old set of batteries
alongside my diesel tank for the 12VDC pump, an IDI. I'd love to rig up something where I don't have to use alligator clips on batteries. I did replace
my clips with better quality aftermarket alligator clips, bigger, sort of Good Grips clips. But there has to be a better connector for constant
connections, and having owned a Radio Shack for five years, I can think of a few. I have bad arthritis so I really do need something easy to handle, which is not your
normal issue I realize.

I can go three barrels, sometimes four before the pump starts to slow down. That's usually long after I have slowed down even more...
Without constant use of these smart chargers, I think I would have been buying new batteries long ago. But so far, the ones I've recycled, usually after five or seven years in something
else, are going strong in their second life.

I have envisioned designing a better water wagon, with a horizontal tank for lower CG. This thing has wanted to turn over on me a few times, but I have it strapped and the
JD cart is rated for 300 pounds more so it has worked so far. Just have to be careful near ditches, otherwise everything is flat as can be here.

Back on topic, my charger has options of 2, 4 and 8 amps. Are there pros and cons to these settings beyond the obvious time savings?
I sure don't use the 8amp setting when I charge the tiny little battery in my DR Rotohog tiller...I'd be afraid it would blow up.
Though I doubt it would, it would reach the proper voltage and the charger should turn off, or way way down. And do so intelligently.
Something lacking for sure in the old battery boilers.

btw, these alligator clips in pic got replaced with bigger ones.

Just guessing - probably your arthritis will be the gating factor re. the best connector choice.

Flat 4 trailer connectors are cheap and widely available. Could be doubled up (2 pins per conductor) to handle more current on a 2 wire hookup. For pulling apart, maybe drill a hole towards the back of the body of each connector, and loop a zip tie through to make an easy pull ?

For custom wiring, Anderson power pole connectors are more expensive, but are scalable to major current levels and are easy to configure in custom/keyed orientations (a bigger benefit with more complex hookups than 2 wire). Should be available various places online, or if you can still find an amateur-radio store standing (or get to a AR flea market), they should be on the shelf.

Powerpole(R) Stackable Connectors, Anderson Power Products

Kind of like Lego 101 for the connector world....

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

I would use a 2 pin plug such as Amazon.com: CES 1 Gauge 2 Pin Quick Disconnect Harness: Automotive or Amazon.com: Tetra-Teknica MotoBasics Series RHS-1 12V Ring Terminal Harness with Black Fused 2-Pin Quick Disconnect Plug, 2 Feet, 16 Gauge Copper Wire, 1A Fuse, 2 Per Pack: Automotive (includes a fuse).
That should be good for a charger, your sprayer pump or some lights, not big enough to start something though.

Aaron Z

yes, thanks, this is heavier duty version. Dave's idea of doubling up on a trailer plug was a great solution for how can I do this with what I have.
something simple hanging down would be ok; thinking of the receptacle end. Dave, pushing the plug in isn't so bad. It's pulling it out that is hard. And why getting a PTO collar off is becoming a real issue for me.

 

[sixdogs]

I have a Genius charger and wonder if I can battery recondition/desulphate in cooler weather? No mention in the manual. It's in the low 50's now and I wonder if too cold or if that even matters.

 

[John_Mc]

I have a Genius charger and wonder if I can battery recondition/desulphate in cooler weather? No mention in the manual. It's in the low 50's now and I wonder if too cold or if that even matters.

Even a non-temperature compensated charger should handle the low 50s with no problem. THe recommended charging & float voltages for the low 50s only differs by 0.4 volts from what it would be for a temperature in the 70s.

Also: as the temperature gets colder, the recommended charge and float voltages go UP. So you won't fry a battery by charging it on a non-temperature compensated charger. The worst that will happen is you will not charge it fully (which is not great, but better than not charging it at all). I've attached the temperature compensation graph form one of my charger's manuals. (One of these days, I need to get someone to tell me how to attach a full-sized picture, rather than a thumbnail)