But anyway, I still have not had to replace that battery. But I never put it on anything but my AGM charger.
Many of the tenders have the AGM circuit. But if it doesn't you may be doing yourself (and your battery) harm.
Ron, I just have the regular Battery Tender...how do I tell if it is for gel...I never heard of that before. Thanks.
You don't want a GEL charger (which is again, another animal), you want a charger specifically designed to handle AGM batteries. The terms are used interchangably but that is a shame since they are not the same thing.
But don't feel alone, a lot of people are confused about it. I was too, that's why I spent some time researching it. My brother is pretty up on stuff and he didn't know. He would have ruined another AGM battery if I had not said anything to him.
Look at the paperwork that came with your charger or google your tender model on the internet to see if it specs out for AGM. If it does not say AGM then don't use it. Be careful. A newer model of the same unit may say AGM whereas older versions don't have that feature.
Gel batteries take another kind of charge even than the AGM. AGM (Absorbed glass mat) is a hybrid Gel battery and much better for most applications.
Excerpts from Wikipedia - A
VRLA battery (valve-regulated lead-acid battery) is the designation for low-maintenance
lead-acid rechargeable batteries. Because of their construction, VRLA batteries do not require regular addition of water to the cells. VRLA batteries are commonly further classified as:
- Absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery
- Gel battery (gel cell)
Disadvantages
- Cost. AGM automobile batteries for example, are typically about twice the price of flooded-cell batteries in a given BCI size group.
- AGM batteries have up to a 10 year lifespan. (this is a disadvantage? Wikipedia needs to re-think this one!)
- AGM batteries do not tolerate overcharging. Overcharging dissociates the water in the electrolyte, which is unable to be replaced, leading to premature failure.
There are many advantages to AGM batteries, I just copied the disadvantages here.
When they say 'Overcharging' they are actually talking about 2 different events. 1- AGM batteries can not tolerate the higher, continuous voltage rates that normal lead acid battery chargers generate. To correctly charge an AGM battery the charger needs to pulse the current at a slighly lower voltage. 2- AGM batteries can not tolerate the same amount of over charge (above 12 volts) that a normal battery can.
A normal battery charger will charge a battery beyond 12 volts, and that's fine for normal batteries. But if you do that to an AGM battery you will shorten its life.
I have a battery charger that will do all 3 types. Lead Acid, Gel and AGM. Some sense the battery type and will switch automatically to the correct charge cycle. I have to set mine manually.
Hope this helps.
. Not good for her:sour:. Got the RT and it's a lot more comfortable for my back. Sitting on it is easier for me too. The RS comes with a CUP HOLDER!!!!!:clap: that right there oughta change everybodys mind some!!! Went on a trip to Wi right outa the box towing a BRP trailer toboot. She did great. Then to Gatlinburg and the twistys there. Home again and got the DPS fixed( didn't know there was much of a problem. she hung up a couple times thought that was me screwing up) Sooo now steering 
pps:my bad)
