GUYS/GALS,1st i want to say i didnt post this to debate on it anymore because i/we have been there & done that with many of you not believing what i had been posting on the subject so i wanted to post something from the maint/float charger mfg's that backs up what i have been posting on the subject.

So with that said please (see below BOLD statement) from spec's for a Deltran maint/float charger that has been in their advertising & specs for while now that when you " read between the lines " backs up what i have posting here for quite a while.

For that haven't read what i have been posting it was that i found from many yrs of 1st hand exp wrenching bikes & classic cars that often see storage cond that leaving a maint/float type charger on the battery 24/7 for wks/months at a time is NG long term which in some cases leads to reduced srv'c life or premature battery failure in 1-1.5-2yrs) .

See statement directly below from a maint/float charger mfg (Deltran).

" Built in 72 hour safety timer protects batteries from over charging "

Why do you think Deltan (Yuasa states it their maint/float charger too!) both now included a " 72hr/3-day safety timer " built into their latest generation of maint / float type chargers?

That's because when you leave those chargers on the batteries 24/7 for 5-6-7 days at a time in between riding the bike in season & or for wks or even months at a time in off season storage with charger holding the battery @ 13.1-13.2-13.3v's in float mode that the charger mfg's (Deltra & Yuasa) found there were in fact issues with overcharging batteries when maint/float chargers were left on some batteries 24/7 for over 72hr/3days 2 a time reducing some batteries srvc life or worse yet causing outright premature battery failure.

And thats even more of an issue for a bit older battery (1.75-2-2.5+yrs old) that more often then not will take longer to reach full charge voltage.

That situation makes the maint/float charger stay in it's full charge mode 2x-3x-4x+ longer (Depending on batt cond) while trying to force the battery to get to the chargers built in / pre-programed full charge cut off voltage that can over time dry out the small amount of acid/electrolyte the plates in an AGM battery has in them warping the plates in the process leading to reduced srv'c or outright failure.

And i found from testing that full charge voltage can be 13.9-14+v's before some maint/float chargers actually cut back to float mode charge which then holds the battery @ a fairly high & consistent 13.1-13.2 & sometimes even 13.3v's (Depending on maint / float charger design & mfg) that for a short time period is ok & should not damage the battery,but the battery under full charge mode for more then a a day to hit full charge along with then being held 2 a farily high & consistent float mode voltage 24/7 for 5-6-7 days @ a time or for wks/months @ a time is NG IMHO & why i rec not doing that .

Yes,we all know keeping the battery (std lead acid or newer gen AGM) at or close to full charge when not in use is a good thing but unfortunately too much of a good thing can be NG @ times with some maint/float chargers which is the point.

Thats why i always rec removing a maint/float charger within " 24hrs or less " of when the battery have reached full charge and the charger had gone into float mode.

Also keep in mind newer gen AGM batteries the majority of us have in our HD's by design have significantly less loss of charge/voltage over time vs older gen std lead acid battery does therefore dont need to be charged as often as long as there isnt too much drain on the battery. (security system/ECM-ECU/etc)

This why some newer gen maint/float chargers mfg'd by Deltran & Yuasa now state in their advertising/specs:

" Built in 72 hour safety timer protects batteries from over charging "
If you read between the lines of that statement it backs up what i have been posting here for quite a while with respect to not overdoing it with maint/float charger which the 72hr safety timer being engineered into newer gen units backs up because again,the mfg themselves stated:

" Built in 72 hour safety timer protects batteries from over charging "

See below the (dbl/===) line for the specs/ advertisement put out by Deltran that includes the above 72hr timer statement that's approx half way down the list.

Hope this info/statement directly from the maint/float charger mfg is useful & also sets the record straight on this subject too.

Scott

================================================== ========

The 12 volt Deltran Battery Tender Plus is a 1.25 amp battery charger designed to fully charge a battery and maintain it at proper storage voltage without the damaging effects caused by trickle chargers. Included is a quick connect harness for hard to reach areas.

Includes one Clamp Harness and one Lug Harness
Optional cigarette plug allows you to charge & maintain your battery directly from your vehicle's lighter socket (only use if socket energized with key off)
Temperature compensated to ensure optimum charge voltage according to ambient temperature.
Automatically switches from full charge to float charging mode.
Reverse Polarity Protection to ensure user safety.
Complete 4-step charging program (Qualification, Bulk Charge, Absorption Mode, Float Mode).
BTP microchip technology virtually eliminates battery destroying sulfation
Built in 72 hour safety timer protects batteries from over charging
Maintain up to 4 standard, starting batteries (of similar type - in parallel). Amperage is divided evenly among connected batteries. (NOT recommended for deep cycle batteries)
Spark Proof
Size: 4.88" x 3.25" x 2.88"
Input Power: 115VAC @ 60Hz
AC power cord with a standard 3 prong plug - 6ft in length
DC cord with connectors - 6ft total length (58" cord length)
Temperature Range: -20F to 120F
UL listed
10 year Warranty!
================================================== ====

 

That Deltran charger, and most of the ones we've been using for years, are old technology. I wonder how the new smart chargers will do in the long run; I've already had the experience of having my Noco bring back a couple batteries that my Deltran tender and a car charger wouldn't even try to charge any more. With more batteries than tenders, I rotate them, so I probably won't find out if it would make any difference for winter long storage.

Twice I've had batteries sit too long and drop below 11.5v charged and even the Noco smart charger wouldn't bring it back - until I drained it down to around 9V, and then on the smart charger. Repeated that 2 or 3 times, and both times got the batteries back to 13+ V, both agm batteries, one car, one Harley. The first was summer last year and still working fine, but before the drain/charge cycles, it wouldn't crank when the chargers indicated full charge. I wonder if the battery capacity could be restored on some of these winter "failures" doing that.

 

So what I read is (between the lines) if the float circuit in the tender fails, the charge circuit will stop charging after 72 hours. That means that batteries that have lasted 5-6 years would have lasted 7-8 years? I think I've had pretty good service from their smart tenders since 1998.

 

My original HD battery lasted 7 years with no charger/maintainer used. My replacement HD battery that I kept on a Battery tender Lasted 2 years. No more constant Tender charging for me! Could be a coincidence, but...

 

Oh gesus.

 

I have said this for years. I see guys putting their bikes on trickle charge after every ride then complain their batteries die after 2 years. I had a big crank battery in my old bike for 8 seasons. I pulled it out of the bike every year and put it in the house then put in on trickle charge for 8 hrs when spring came

 

This is correct the battery needs to be charged to 13.9-14+ Volts for some period of time. Typically 1 to 2 hours. It's the absorb part of the cycle.. This insures that the battery completely charged.. The Deltrans used to have only 3 stage charging. Bulk (current limit to 14V), Absorb (Hold 14V ) and Float (drop to 12.9).. Sounds like they went to 4th stage - shut down... This is better if they can monitor voltage then possibly restart the cycle..

Deltran is really old school technology.. If you want the best get one of these..

http://www.streetsideauto.com/blog/a...ttery-charger/

 

Why should you care if some of us don't believe you or choose not to follow your recommendations? Are you really that insecure?

Most of us here are grown adults with our own experiences to draw from, and frankly nothing you post here will get anyone to change how they do things, if what they do has been working for them.

For 3.5 decades I have been connecting my collector cars and motorcycles to battery tenders during winter storage. They are connected all day, every day for up to 6 months at a time and I have NEVER experienced a premature battery failure.

Choose to believe it or not Scotty, makes no difference at all to me.

 

Yep, same here.
My Corvette sits for months at a time connected to a "Battery Tender".

 

Well, here's my first hand experience:

I use Battery Tender Jr.'s on my four-wheelers and mower. I have 2 Yamaha Grizzly 700's, both of which are 2007 vintage. I've had them both on these battery tenders, 24/7, since they were new. They rarely get used (perhaps started every 2-3 months, with an occasional *real* outing once a year). The original batteries in these ATV's are still going strong, almost 10 years later.

The battery in my Yazoo zero-turn mower has likewise been on a Battery Tender Jr. 24/7 for the past 7 years and it too starts very strong.

Based upon this experience I have always kept my 2014 Ultra Limited on the exact same battery tender. I expect similar results. Time will tell.

I'm no expert at such things, and I can well imagine that AGM, and newer lithium ion batteries, might well need specific coddling. But, I'm not apt to meddle with the success I've had with old-school lead-acid batteries and tenders.

For what it's worth, I do use Stabil fuel additive in the ATV's and mower - especially over the winter.

Steve