On Battery Minders

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Dec 18, 2010
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Z'ha'dum
Since I have never had to use one: what is the best battery minder? Temps will be in the twenties off and one around here this winter and here is new to me.
 

djpacholl

Guest
I live in Minnesota where we often go way into the negative numbers. I've used a Battery Tender Jr. on several of my motorcycles with great success.
 
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I think you can get a good battery tender for around $20, just watch sales. Some brands have a different plug configuration, it looks like a SAE but is reverse on the leads.
If you stay with the major brand and watch major internet MC companies you find one near $20.

Need 3
http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-Junior-Trickle-Charger/dp/B00726MXOQ


$25
http://www.jafrum.com/Shop-By-Brand/Battery-Tender/Battery-Tender-Junior-PTBATTEND12JR

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CITK8S/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00726MXOQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0W46JA247Y1MNJEW4W79
 
Last edited:

RedLdr1

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You can also buy a new Battery Tender Jr. for around $22-$24, including shipping, on Ebay. One of the Battery Tender features I really like is the optional 12.5 and 25 foot extension cables. With it I don't need a heavy 115VAC extension cord snaking around the garage to move my Battery Tender closer to the FJ. Tent campers could use one to run 12VDC from their bike's battery harness in to their tent....
 
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If you have any 6V batteries a dual range charger may be worthwhile instead of a 12V only charger. I've been using a Schumacher Companion 6V/12V charger for 10+ years with no complaints. It uses the same SAE battery connectors and is ~$25 at Walmart. Somewhere I bought lots of SAE battery connectors and at one time had 11 batteries taking turns on the charger.
 
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I guess I am old school. If my vehicle is going to sit for a long period I take the battery out and store it inside. If more than a month they it will get a recharge. Lawn tractor battery is in the house now along with an aux battery and the bike battery.
 
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I am a believer on battery tenders, when not riding one is on bike when I am home. I have the lawn mower, and a deep cell I use for a winch and transfer pump. The RV is plugged in and that have house batteries on a charging unit and the engine battery is on a tender. I think they last longer if keep on tender, and it just takes a minute.
I also find that putting the MC on tender I get one more chance to check out everything.
I use to bring in the batteries, but with mower, Kubota, deep cell battery, my wife would have one more thing to complain about.
 
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It appears from this old thread the Battery Tender is the most liked here.
I tried to use my Battery Tender junior and it appears to have failed. The led changes to solid red (charge mode) but it never finishes charging. I left it on overnight on a small good 4 wheeler batt and still solid red LED. So I swapped it to the KLX 250 battery and same result. I measured the output and it was only 0.11 ma so it looks like it basically has no output.
I used it last month and it worked fine.
I know Battery Tenders are popular and seem to have good reviews but this it my 2nd Battery Tender brand failure. Anyone else have much trouble with them? It has another year on the warranty so I'll contact them and see what's up with that.

Brad
 
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Joined
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'10 NT 84 BMW R100RT Ural
If you purchase a new Tender, make sure it will charge the batteries you plan on purchasing. I you want to charge 12V Lithium batteries or new AGM+ you need one that will maintain those too.
 

Bear

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I have three motorcycles and the Shelby GT all on Battery Tenders--plug in and unplug in the spring. Heated garage helps.
 

Warren

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O'Fallon, MO
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It appears from this old thread the Battery Tender is the most liked here.
I tried to use my Battery Tender junior and it appears to have failed. The led changes to solid red (charge mode) but it never finishes charging. I left it on overnight on a small good 4 wheeler batt and still solid red LED. So I swapped it to the KLX 250 battery and same result. I measured the output and it was only 0.11 ma so it looks like it basically has no output.
I used it last month and it worked fine.
I know Battery Tenders are popular and seem to have good reviews but this it my 2nd Battery Tender brand failure. Anyone else have much trouble with them? It has another year on the warranty so I'll contact them and see what's up with that.

Brad
I have been using the same Battery Tender for almost 20 years with no problems.
 

DirtFlier

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[...Some brands have a different plug configuration, it looks like a SAE but is reverse on the leads...]

That sounds crazy to me. Are you sure?

On the SAE plug, the protected female socket is always positive and the exposed male pin is ground - for safety reasons, this works best.
 
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I have some how got a battery tender that has a similar to SAE pug and it is reversed. Why in the heck would some company make a plug you could confuse with SAE that is the opposite poles? I think it was from one of the big online retailers too. I taped the unit so you can not mix up with other units.
 
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...Some brands have a different plug configuration, it looks like a SAE but is reverse on the leads...]
Just to be clear, are we talking about the end from the battery or the end from the charger (tender)? They mate up in the middle so a positive wire will be exposed in one place or other. The end from the battery should be recessed and insulated. The tender is short circuit protected and it's positive end can be exposed.
I have bought generic SAE plugs and this can be a trap to watch out for.

I'm doing one more test of the tender Jr. before sending it back under warranty. It seems like an odd failure to me.

Brad
 
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To be clear, I have a tender and the plug can plug into a SAE plug and the positive is reversed. Yes this is stupidly to do so.
 
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The only reason I found to have it reversed would be a positive ground vehicle. Haven't seen one of those in a while. Most positive grounded vehicles were extinct before battery maintainers were thought of.

Brad
 
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