Battery Tender Deal

[PMK]

In a land far away and a time long ago........I was convinced that stretching your battery life as long as possible was the way to go.

After having things not start while FAR away from home, I thought maybe that really wasn't a good policy to follow.
After having one battery fail so bad that it couldn't be jumped, I changed my mind and now replace batteries at the first sign of weakness.

The model maintainer you are asking about should be a very good one but for motorcycle use, I think it is overkill and the ones priced around $25-$35 are plenty good enough.
If you will be using it on other stuff too.......then go for it.
It might be worth the extra money for a larger battery with heavier use.

Paid $39 for mine. Overkill, maybe, but has also been used on car batteries. Florida is hard on batteries. Cold is also, yes, if in doubt replace the battery. Ours is at 5 years, seldom gets sluggish, been on the Battery Minder 99.9% of the time when parked at home. Considering replacing the battery in early 2019, may use the old one for trailer lighting.

 

[ozarkryder]

I have 3 Everstart Battery Companion 1.5 amp trickle charger/maintainer from Wallmart, a 2 amp Schumacher maintainer, a Bike Master 2 amp charger/maintainer and a 10, 6 & 2 amp Schumacher charger/maintainer for the "big" batteries on the RV or cars. The 3 Everstart units came with a set of clamps and 2 sets of leads for direct to battery connection. 4 bikes/trikes, a lawnmower and the RV battery all laid up for the winter. But I average 5 to 7 years on the motorcycle batteries keeping them properly maintained.

 

[Easy Rider]

Cold is also,

Actually it is NOT.
Being cold will slow down the chemical aging process.
It will also reduce the capacity some while it IS cold.....but it should bounce back when warmed up.

It is a common mis-conception that cold is bad for batteries because one that is weak and worn out already will fail to have enough capacity when it gets cold.

Cold does not make batteries GO bad, it just points out ones that are already weak.

 

[Bdomini1]

A Deltran Battery Tender Jr. is the only battery maintainer you will ever need.

 

[rays hell]

Lowes has the I've had for 3 years Schumacher SPF3 for $34.99.
It has digital read out, desulfates and has a hook to hang it on the handle bar.

 

[Easy Rider]

Lowes has the I've had for 3 years Schumacher SPF3 for $34.99.
It has digital read out, desulfates and has a hook to hang it on the handle bar.

I like the Schumacher stuff. WalMart carries it too.

Sulphation usually is NOT a problem with AGM batteries......and trying to "desulphate" is often a waste of time.
Even if it appears to work, it won't last long.

 

[BajaRon]

Lowes has the I've had for 3 years Schumacher SPF3 for $34.99.
It has digital read out, desulfates and has a hook to hang it on the handle bar.

I looked at this one. It has very high reviews across a number of venues. But it did not say anything about a desulfate cycle in any of the data I looked at. I just looked at the manual for this unit and it does talk about a desulfate cycle. Why do they not list this in the description?

I know it has a microprocessor. But I am not sure this necessarily means it will also desulfate. And I suppose there are better and worse performing products in this area as well. You assume that if you pay more, you get better. But we all know this is not necessarily true either.

The charger world can be confusing. And the manufacturers do not necessarily make it any easier on the consumer.

I like the Schumacher stuff. WalMart carries it too.

Sulphation usually is NOT a problem with AGM batteries......and trying to "desulphate" is often a waste of time.
Even if it appears to work, it won't last long.

It depends. It is best to keep a battery from getting sulfated in the first place. But I've had bad batteries deslufated and they lasted another 1 or 2 years. Though you're right, that it is more of a standard flooded battery issue than an AGM (which is what the Spyder comes with).

 

[daz]

I also have 8 in use. Extended the life of my tractor battery to 17 years. Never paid more than $25 on Amazon

Crazy! I thought I was the only one with so many Battery Tenders in use. I'm sure there are other brands out there that work but I'll stay with the Deltran Battery Tender.

 

[ruralgirl]

I have tenders on everything from my Spyder to my quad to my tractors, and, as others have discussed, I like the BatteryMinder, but I too got the email from my Rider Insurance company with this CTEK offer. I jumped on it because my quad's battery was thoroughly deceased two weeks ago, and a friend came over with this very unit (my late husband had myriad everything, but in neck-deep piles, so I haven't found his chargers yet!). My battery was fully charged in just a few hours, and I just plain liked the thing.

Rider is working with the retailer HRP (Hoerr Racing Products) on this, so that's where it comes from. I ordered in the evening of December 11th, and received it today, so a three day turnaround. Happy camper.

 

[PMK]

Actually it is NOT.
Being cold will slow down the chemical aging process.
It will also reduce the capacity some while it IS cold.....but it should bounce back when warmed up.

It is a common mis-conception that cold is bad for batteries because one that is weak and worn out already will fail to have enough capacity when it gets cold.

Cold does not make batteries GO bad, it just points out ones that are already weak.

Yes, a cold battery will have less actual capacity. Less capacity, cranking a cold engine that requires greater loads into the starter, drains the weakened battery even faster. If the engine does not start, or the battery is not capable of getting the engine started, the battery sits discharged until recharged. Ultimately, the effects are hard on batteries.

As for desulfation of AGM batteries, when I spoke to the engineers at Concorde Aircraft Batteries, they schooled me on best practices regarding AGM batteries. The engineers endorsed desulphation and with that recommended the Battery Minder chargers. Additionally, they advised against Battery Tenders on account of no desulfation mode.

Experience has proven their recommendations to work as they described. The aircraft batteries that previously were failing at 2 years or less, replacement batteries lasted more than 4 years, until the aircraft was sold. Previous failures resulted in missed flights, plus added cost for batteries and labor to replace them. The Battery Minder paid for itself by a factor of 5, maybe more. This was a more expensive version for aircraft 24v AGM setups.

 

[Easy Rider]

Additionally, they advised against Battery Tenders on account of no desulfation mode.

Two things about that:

The consensus of other "professionals" in the battery industry seems to be that "desulfation" is mostly just a gimmick and not worth the effort.

AND.....I don't think I would like to be riding in an airplane where the battery had failed and was brought back to life with ANY kind of a process. :yikes:

A quick Google search turned up these on the first page. The rest of the hits at the top of the list were charger companies hyping their fantastic equipment.
You are, of course, free to believe whatever you want.

https://www.upsbatterycenter.com/blog/battery-desulfation/


The producers of desulfation devices claim wonders when offering their
products to consumers across the globe. Nevertheless, according to my
personal experience, these technologies are to a greater extent a
hypothesis and has no practicality attached to them.
It may be valuable for incidental maintenance, but again there is no
confirmation that desulfation of a dead battery will bring it again
to life or recuperate anything.

---------------------------------------------
https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_prevent_it


Several companies offer anti-sulfation devices that apply pulses
to the battery terminals to prevent and reverse sulfation.
Such technologies will lower the sulfation on a healthy battery,
but they cannot effectively reverse the condition once present.
It’s a “one size fits all” approach and the method is unscientific.

 

[Cruzr Joe]

I just ride mine year round, no need for a battery tender

hyea:

 

[PMK]

Two things about that:

The consensus of other "professionals" in the battery industry seems to be that "desulfation" is mostly just a gimmick and not worth the effort.

AND.....I don't think I would like to be riding in an airplane where the battery had failed and was brought back to life with ANY kind of a process. :yikes:

A quick Google search turned up these on the first page. The rest of the hits at the top of the list were charger companies hyping their fantastic equipment.
You are, of course, free to believe whatever you want.

https://www.upsbatterycenter.com/blog/battery-desulfation/


The producers of desulfation devices claim wonders when offering their
products to consumers across the globe. Nevertheless, according to my
personal experience, these technologies are to a greater extent a
hypothesis and has no practicality attached to them.
It may be valuable for incidental maintenance, but again there is no
confirmation that desulfation of a dead battery will bring it again
to life or recuperate anything.

---------------------------------------------
https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_prevent_it


Several companies offer anti-sulfation devices that apply pulses
to the battery terminals to prevent and reverse sulfation.
Such technologies will lower the sulfation on a healthy battery,
but they cannot effectively reverse the condition once present.
It’s a “one size fits all” approach and the method is unscientific.

Thanks for both of those linked articles. Reading them indicated that proper desulfating, while maintaining a full charge can be a benefit, especially when done from day 1 when the battery is new.

As for your ideas about aircraft batteries, if you reread my words, no where did I say aircraft batteries were rejuvinated. The aircraft batteries were replaced with new batteries and placed on the Battery Minder once the batteries were installed. So it was new batteries, always on the Battery Minder unless flying. This doubled the battery life and more.

The Battery Minder did save my friends Harley battery, maybe not to new condition, but rather after the Battery Tender it was on indicated the battery was no good, he borrowed my Battery Minder, and the battery came back.

 

[revboy]

Deltran battery tenders are the best. I have 5 in use and just purchased a 3 amp model from Costco for $39.99. Does both 6 and 12 volt.

 

[revboy]

Battery tender deal.

FYI,I also got ten years out of the battery on my Buell. Battery still worked but I felt ten years was long enough. Didn’t want to risk a dead battery while out on a ride. It was on a battery tender jr. since day one.