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sulfated batteries

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whiskeyriver

11-24-2006 22:32:40




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ok, here we go. id like to know what you guys do to save payin for batteries for your collection over and over and over... i have good trickle charge battery tenders for my 12v tractors and trucks, but i cant keep a batery in my 6v systems to save my life. what do you guys do to keep your 6v batteries good and save that old one that runs dead after a while? by the way, im lookin for a few parts to get my 39 h in original condition if anyone has some layin around... mainly the seat, pto shield, radiator and shroud clips. and lights... Thanks, Adam

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HENRY E NC

11-25-2006 14:50:54




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to whiskeyriver, 11-24-2006 22:32:40  
Batteries are a favorite subject of mine, so here goes. I had a large sailboat for many tears and the first coupke of years I spent an ample amount on deep cycle batteries until I DISCOVERED GEL CELLS ( hAD THEM IN MY AIRPLANE FOR YEARS) and after installing 6 group 27's for house batteries and four for engine starting, handling winch duties and dinghy lift I had nor problem for the next twelve years. The sevret to maintaing a battery is charging at the proper voltage. My gel had to charged at 13.8 volts no more no less. After the 12 years I switched to GlaSS MAT BATTERIES because the charge voltage is not as critical. That was 1998 and the are still going strong. Thousands of cycles. Glass mats such as optima are costly but pay off in the long run. There are many braands around and the military uses them almost exclusively now I have been told.

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Wayne Swenson

11-25-2006 14:30:20




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to whiskeyriver, 11-24-2006 22:32:40  
Here is the web site & phone # of the product I use to keep the batteries from sulphating while in storage.
They have 6, 8, & 12 volt charging products.
800-379-5579



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Jimer

11-25-2006 09:40:03




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to whiskeyriver, 11-24-2006 22:32:40  
Mention is made about taking the batteries out and storing them inside. I have been told not to set/store a battery directly on cement, put it on a shelf or a board under it. Maybe this knowledge is so common it goes without saying.



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Jim Becker

11-25-2006 15:27:00




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to Jimer, 11-25-2006 09:40:03  
That precaution may have had some merit back when we had tar-top batteries with hard rubber cases. I think it has moved to old wives tale status. Modern batteries have plastic cases that are impervious to acid or current leaks.

I still put mine on a piece of wood, not to protect the battery but to protect the concrete.



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Pale Rider

11-25-2006 17:06:11




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to Jim Becker, 11-25-2006 15:27:00  
Don't you believe it Jim. As an electrician I can tell you otherwise. In the not too distant past (2002) I had to install a 480 volt back up emergency system. Installing them was a union jurisdictional work issue. What emerged was the fact that voltage bled out over the slightest dirt or imperfection to a ground which in this case by virtue of common imperfections resulted in me repeatedly shockingly the holy city out of myself until the factory rep finally told me what was going on.

I can assure you, batteries over time will bleed off power over a path of impurities, be it a dirty battery face or a concrete floor. As an electrician I can attest that what holds true at 480 volts holds true at 12 volts. Time (and in this case we seem to be talking months if not a whole midwest winter) is going to have a very real affect.

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Steven@AZ

11-25-2006 07:05:14




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to whiskeyriver, 11-24-2006 22:32:40  
Disconnect the cables when you're not using the tractor for 2 weeks or more. If you park them for the entire winter, remove the battery and put it in the (heated) garage or basement.

If you want a battery to last 5+ years, go with an Optima. You pay more now, but they will out perform and outlast a conventional lead-acid battery.



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Wayne Swenson

11-25-2006 10:26:05




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to Steven@AZ, 11-25-2006 07:05:14  
It is best NOT to store batteries in a heated place!!
Remember your chemistry teacher?? You were taught to heat a chemical reaction to speed it up. Batteries are designed to create a chemical reaction between 2 dissimilar metals; keep the battery as cool (cold) as possible to reduce the speed of the self-discharge reaction that is constantly going on.
I charge my conventional lead-acid 6 volt batteries (have 6 of them) and put them on a shelf in my unheated garage. It gets down below 0 in the garage at times so the batteries are not discharging much at that temperature. I do run a trickle charger about every 2 months or so letting them charge for 24 hours. The batteries are in great condition for next summer"s activities.
Remember: 1. fully charged, 2. clean & dry, 3. cold storage, 4. trickle charge occasionaly.

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JayWalt

11-25-2006 06:20:53




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to whiskeyriver, 11-24-2006 22:32:40  
Batteries are a touchy subject and he science behind them is kinda vague when it comes to maintenane and charging, altho it has really improved over the years. One person says this, another says that, but there is a general consensus on severl things. One thing to do is check your regulator's cutoff. If the generator is turning on too late, when the battry is really low, it can ruin a battery in a relatively short time from deep dischrging the battery. Storing them over the winter discharged isnt a good idea either, and if you happen to shut the tractor off right before it would have turned the generator on, then it's in its lowest state of charge.
There is alot of variables that can affect batteries, also check the regulators high cutoff as well, overcharging is as hard as deep discharging.
Manly, dont overcharge, dont "undercharge:, Check water levels regularly.

I have read of a dc charger that is supposed to breakup the sulfate on the lead plates by using a certain PWM, pulse width modulation, but I believe that was in a magazine for an electronic project, and I'm not sure how valid it is. How many years are you getting out of a NEW battery?
Consider a deep cycle battery as well.
Any othr info yo can provide us with would be nice, such as long between running, type of battery (brand), what the weather is like there, whether its stored outside and so on...

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Paul in Western WI

11-25-2006 05:40:37




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to whiskeyriver, 11-24-2006 22:32:40  
"i have good trickle charge battery tenders for my 12v tractors "

Are you using a auto trickle charger? If not you are over charging the batterys. I take care of cell tower sites and we control the voltage real close on all of our batterys. we get 3-6 years from them. Heat will take a battery out real fast also.



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WhiskeyRiver

11-25-2006 20:56:30




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to Paul in Western WI, 11-25-2006 05:40:37  
First, thank you all for the large amount of advice. To answer a few questions, yes, the trickle charger i use is made by MAC which is the same we use where I work and is approved to be used with our MSD ignitions and ECM's The tractor i have the most problem with is a 1939 H which is still on 6V. i use it mainly for pullin a hay rake once or twice a summer and a few shows here and there. The batteries ive been purchasing are napa commercial, and only make it a couple of years befor they show dead cells. Thanks. Adam

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gene bender

11-25-2006 03:27:02




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to whiskeyriver, 11-24-2006 22:32:40  
I dont do anything and they seem to last 6-7yrs or maybe sometimes more. A battery can set for a long time and still read good on the hydrometer



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Pale Rider

11-25-2006 07:22:50




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 Re: sulfated batteries in reply to gene bender, 11-25-2006 03:27:02  
That's exactly right Gene. A practically dead battery may still read 12 volts as I have been subjected to by fresh faced kids at the auto store more than once upon trying to return a deficient battery. What passes for an "automobile expert" will steadfastly maintain "there's nothing wrong with it." and it must be demonstrated to one of them--yet again that it ain't so. It simply has no reserve of amperage to provide any cranking power.

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