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Is the only advantage of a using a battery tender over winter to keep batteries charged? In other words, would it be the same to not use one, remove battery and just charge a dead battery once with a battery charger in the spring or is the latter bad on batteries to let them run down in the first place?

If you keep the battery charged over the winter with a battery tender, the battery will likely be good in the spring to start the mower. If you don't charge the battery all winter, it will likely be dead in the spring, fail to take a charge, and need replacement. I don't charge mine continuously over the winter, but rotate the tender every few days between my tractor and the two mowers. A week on the tender every other week is sufficient. Cold weather and hot weather coupled with lack of charging destroys batteries. When you mow every week or so in the warm months, the battery gets charged by the alternator.

Agree, when a battery is just left, sulphation begins. Thus the beginning of a downhill decline.

I use Battery MINDers* with ambient temp compensators. They can adjust the float level by the surrounding temps.

And I rotate my chargers as well.

7394 said:

Agree, when a battery is just left, sulphation begins. Thus the beginning of a downhill decline.

I use Battery MINDers* with ambient temp compensators. They can adjust the float level by the surrounding temps.

And I rotate my chargers as well.

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I NEVER have an issue with my equipment .. :laughing:..:laughing:

Boobala said:

I NEVER have an issue with my equipment .. :laughing:..:laughing:

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Pedal POWEEEEER ~!~!

I generally run my tractor 2 or 3 times a week, in the Winter...mostly doing some chansawing in the woods, etc. Whenever I am out in the shop for any length of time, I hook up a trickle charger to the mower battery, and bring the battery to full charge. At least once a week, I start the lawn tractor up, and let it run for several minutes....that way, between keeping the batteries charged, and running the units several times during the Winter, all I have to do is turn the key when I need to use them. I usually get several years out of a battery before they show any signs of wearing out.

never liked battery tenders.
With modern batteries, if left to go dead flat they are very hard to recharge.
I use a standard battery charger & a 7 day timer.
Batteries get 15 minutes from a regular charger once a week.
Mower batteries do not get removed as we mow all ear round.
Motorcycle batteries get removed and all joined together then connected to a single charger.

Finally all batteries will self discharge, some just do it slower than others.
A pressure valve regulated battery usually will go several years.
However mower owners are cheap so mower batteries will generally fully self discharge is a couple of months.

In this area of the country we recommend using a battery tender constantly. The cold takes the batteries down real fast. Using a tender on the tractors means they will be ready when needed. If the unit will not be used for more than a month, we recommend removing the battery and storing where temps do not get below 40 degrees and trickle charging for 24 hours every four weeks. Never store on concrete as they will discharge twice as fast.

ok, I see the battery tender is better than not using one, what about disconnecting and storing inside house? would this keep battery form going bad just as good as the tender?

ugabulldog said:

ok, I see the battery tender is better than not using one, what about disconnecting and storing inside house? would this keep battery form going bad just as good as the tender?

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No.
Unless it is a PVR AGM battery, it will just go flat slower.

deminin said:

I generally run my tractor 2 or 3 times a week, in the Winter...mostly doing some chansawing in the woods, etc. Whenever I am out in the shop for any length of time, I hook up a trickle charger to the mower battery, and bring the battery to full charge. At least once a week, I start the lawn tractor up, and let it run for several minutes....that way, between keeping the batteries charged, and running the units several times during the Winter, all I have to do is turn the key when I need to use them. I usually get several years out of a battery before they show any signs of wearing out.

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The thing I don't like is just running a engine for only several minutes over & over thru winter. Doing that does not give the engine enough time to get a full heat & burn out all the condensation in the crankcase created from the many short runs. I leave mine hibernate.

But I do have them hooked to Battery MINDers* with ambient temp compensators. This will adjust the 'float' rate, higher for winter & lower for summer.

I lost my Harley FatBoy battery to a battery tender. It just ran it dry as a bone. That's when I switched to the temp compensated MINDers* ......

My mowers are parked in a shed without elect. I take out the batteries in January and give them a recharge, then back to the shed. I get 6 or 7 years out of them, usually buy the higher powered battery though.

Couple things. A dead battery will actually _freeze_ in cold weather, they are junk at this point, whereas a fully charged battery is good to go till -50° below zero (or some ungodly temperature.) Further, attempting to recharge a frozen battery may cause an explosion. Batteries are nothing to fool with!

As far as temperatures go though, in general cold temperatures for _storage_ are preferable, because, a lead-acid battery is basically nothing more than a self-contained chemical reaction. Like most chemical reactions, the higher the temperature, the faster the reaction, in this case natural rate of self-discharge, and then the negative plates start to sulfate very quickly.

It is hot weather or high temperatures that actually ruins a battery before their time, it just doesn't usually become apparent until cold weather arrives, when current demands are much higher and the battery ampere capacity is inhibited by the cold. This is why there is a "run" on car batteries every year at the auto parts houses once that first subzero cold snap hits.

Given a choice it's better bringing a battery in out of the heat and keep it in the basement as far as long term storage condition is concerned. I agree with the "charger on a timer" method being a better method versus a tender as such. The tenders do work though, just not as well.

If keeping a battery outside in the winter or somewhere it freezes make sure it is thoroughly charged before putting it away. A little attention towards battery needs will go a long way tohelp extend their service life, they are getting spendy.

I used to connect the battery to a battery tender over the winter months but found little difference. The battery will last 5-6 seasons regardless, so now, I don't bother to do it. My mower does not measurably drain battery when not in use so it's usually not dead but weak in the spring. I normally give it a charge in the spring before use. I buy cheap mower batteries at Walmart for $19.99 a piece.

Well, FWIW: My Chevy Truck still has the original battery in it, & truck was built in Nov 2007. Battery still load tests fine & resting voltage is great as well.

So I'll just stick to my Battery MINDers* Totally different that a tender.

I get the battery tender . If the battery won’t charge what is a good battery to purchase?

Seems many now complaining about Interstate* batteries, I think they got farmed out to china.

And the Die Hard batteries don't seem to be as good either.

I got mine from my Toro Dealer, 350 cca & 1 yr warranty. Brand is TNT. Time will tell, but it is great now..

If you can use a 7-1/4" tall battery WalMart have them w/ 200cca for $21. That's all I know about that one.

I stock 3 tenders on the shelf for nice folks to buy. Heck sell all 3 some Saturdays.

Im a cheapskate. I tender everything. The wife's car battery was 11 years old, the one in the Harley 10 years old. The one the rider was used when i towed it home. That was 4 years ago. i dont buy batteries but every decade, and I am about out of decades, so these best last.

I quit using battery tenders from deltran. Overcooked the battery in my FLSTF Fat Boy.

I swuitched to battery MINDers* which have external temperature compensators.. No looking back....