It all depends on where you live and how much sun you get. Many so-called solar battery maintainers are only 5-15 watt which is very little.
Here in New York, a 5 watt solar panel can make about 1/10 th of an amp at 14 volts under normal sun conditions. Obviously, if you want even 1 amp, you need a 25-50 watt panel.
I have solar battery chargers on two of my old backhoes. Both have 80 watt panels and regulators. That's a bit overkill, but they work very well. Keep in mind that panels are sold by max ratings - and in reality, it rarely happens. An 80 watt panel is apt to make 40-50 watts at the best time of day when the sun is out. That comes to 3-4 amps of DC charge current.
A 15 watt panel is about the useful minimum in the northeast. It will make 1/2 to 3/4s of an a amp at 14 volts charge. If you live out west with a lot more sun, something smaller will work.
A big battery needs near a 1 amp charger just to offset the normal self-discharge rate. A smaller battery can be maintained with less.
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Today's Featured Article - Tuning-Up Your Tractor: Plugs & Compression Testing - by Curtis Von Fange. The engine seems to run rough. In the exhaust you can hear an occasion 'poofing' sound like somethings not firing on all cylinders. Under loaded conditions the tractor seems to lack power and it belches black smoke out of the exhaust. For some reason it just doesn't want to start up without cranking and cranking the starter. All these conditions can be signals that your unit is in need of a tune up. Ok, so what is involved in a tune up? You say, swap plugs and file the points....now tha
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