I have used one for about 5 years now and never a problem. Great unit.
Battery Tender Advice
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 9,592
Likes: 959
From: Palm Harbor not far from Sebring Florida
St. Jude Donor '11
Oldtimer
Battery Tender Advice
I went to start my '01 coupe on Monday, and it would not start. The battery barely turned the motor over. I put a neighboors charger on it last night for about 2 hours and tried and it fired right up. Went out today about 9 am and it fired up again. It appears that the battery is ok, but I don't drive it that much so it sits in the garage covered and waiting. What is a good brand of battery tender I can get to keep it charged when I know it won't be out for a few weeks?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
I have the Battery Tender Plus and it's worked perfectly for the past few years. Keeps the battery ready to go all winter long.
http://www.autogeek.net/btplus.html
http://www.autogeek.net/btplus.html
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
I've used the BATTERY TENDER PLUS (@ 1.25amp by DELTRON CORP) for several years on all of my OPTIMA batteries.
The latest greatest float charger is from Europe. It's the CTEK, model #US3300 which has dual input ratings @ .8 and 3.3amp for different types of batteries.
Either is safe for full time use during prolonged periods of hibernation. Mine is connected all winter long and anytime the car isn't being driven. They each have lots of electronic safeguards. Just don't drive off w/o disconnecting the charger from the battery.
A nice low amp input puts less heat into a battery (regardless of the battery manufacturer) and will not harm the internals.
The latest greatest float charger is from Europe. It's the CTEK, model #US3300 which has dual input ratings @ .8 and 3.3amp for different types of batteries.
Either is safe for full time use during prolonged periods of hibernation. Mine is connected all winter long and anytime the car isn't being driven. They each have lots of electronic safeguards. Just don't drive off w/o disconnecting the charger from the battery.
A nice low amp input puts less heat into a battery (regardless of the battery manufacturer) and will not harm the internals.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,113
Likes: 669
From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
I have a battery float charger made by VDC Electrionics, called Batteryminder, plus. But C-tek makes a really good float/charger and Batterytender is another good one. I have a Optima in my Vette, and I bought a charger that is made specifically for Optima and Odyssey batteries. Spiral wound cells.
Last edited by killain; Mar 24, 2010 at 07:03 PM. Reason: addition
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 12,899
Likes: 1
From: Denver Colorado
harbor frieght carries a tender for less than 10 bucks. i use them in all my cars, trucks,atv's and toy hauler. they work great...dont pay for a brand name, they all work the same way.....
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 239
Likes: 2
From: Georgetown TX
I got one at Sears for under $20 a while back. It's a 6/12 volt, 1 amp unit with clips and cigarette lighter adapter. Real convenient to plug into the lighter and keep the battery charged up.
Dennis
Dennis
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18-'19
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Just remember that there is a difference between a battery charger and a battery maintainer. Your old fashioned battery charger can be set to be a trickle charger, meaning that you can send a small constant state charge of about 2vDC. But the problem is it is a constant state charge, and when the battery reaches it's full charge, it continues to send the charge....eventually the battery will start to sulfate the cells and if left long enough - the electrolyte will begin to boil....and evaporate.
A battery maintainer will monitor the state of the battery and will only send current when the charge begins to go down. So if there is a $10 battery charger that does the same thing - buy it. I have used the CTEK and the Battery Tender brands and both do an excellent job.
A battery maintainer will monitor the state of the battery and will only send current when the charge begins to go down. So if there is a $10 battery charger that does the same thing - buy it. I have used the CTEK and the Battery Tender brands and both do an excellent job.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,937
Likes: 21
From: Waldorf MD
I got a Black & Decker one from WalMart for about $18 a few years ago. Had some problem with it and sent it in for warranty, they sent me a Vector charger. Both had a 1 amp or 2 amp switch. Has worked fine since.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,820
Likes: 2
From: San Diego
I'm like you, drive my vette about once a week. Now six years after the original AC Delco was installed its getting a little weak if not kept on the Battery Tender. I'm using a Battery Tender Jr. (.75amp instead of the 1.25amp) "Plus" model. Its cheaper and works well since it has a week to keep the battery charged between drives.
My point, if you don't drive much at all you'll save some money buying the Jr. model over the Plus model if you don't need your battery recharged quickly.
..rickko..
My point, if you don't drive much at all you'll save some money buying the Jr. model over the Plus model if you don't need your battery recharged quickly.
..rickko..
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6,017
Likes: 0
From: Plainfield IL
I never could understand what all the fuss was about "battery tenders". For ten years now I've used a fully-automatic Sears with 2 amp trickle charge for winter...never had a problem and she always fires right up after four months in storage. They also do quick charges and jump-start for about $40 on sale.
They also do quick charges and jump-start for about $40 on sale.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 30,770
Likes: 41
From: Down the Shore New Jersey, Elev.3 feet
St. Jude Donor '17
used Battery Tender this winter for first time.....it's still the original 04 battery so I figured why tempt the battery gods .......
Worked great by the way ...
Worked great by the way ...
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: Dayton Ohio
Anyone know what is causing the discharge?
I had charged mine up a month ago and then yesterday it was dead, dead, dead. When I hooked up the charger the first thing I heard was a loud clicking somewhere in the neighborhood of the radiator. I ended up pulling the cables and then pulled the battery. On my charger it would only take 2 amps for a while and after 5 hrs it was fully charged. I then did a load test and it was fine.
I had charged mine up a month ago and then yesterday it was dead, dead, dead. When I hooked up the charger the first thing I heard was a loud clicking somewhere in the neighborhood of the radiator. I ended up pulling the cables and then pulled the battery. On my charger it would only take 2 amps for a while and after 5 hrs it was fully charged. I then did a load test and it was fine.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 50,093
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From: Oklahoma City
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'19,'22