This winter I'd like to try to keep my batteries in good condition if
possible. I've got a zero turn mower, tractor, truck, backhoe, marine
batteries for the boat, I've counted 8 lead acid batteries to maintain in
all. My goal is to keep everything charged to be ready when I need it and
have my batteries to still be good next year when I need to mow again.

Possibilities are on-board automatic chargers or perhaps use weatherproof
connectors and running cables to a cabinet with chargers. Not sure if I
should run 120V to each vehicle for an on board charger or run the chargers
in a cabinet and run 12V charge leads to each battery. Just wondering if
any here have recommendations or good/bad experiences with such?

RogerN

On Oct 11, 1:09*pm, "RogerN" wrote:
This winter I'd like to try to keep my batteries in good condition if
possible. *I've got a zero turn mower, tractor, truck, backhoe, marine
batteries for the boat, I've counted 8 lead acid batteries to maintain in
all. *My goal is to keep everything charged to be ready when I need it and
have my batteries to still be good next year when I need to mow again.

Possibilities are on-board automatic chargers or perhaps use weatherproof
connectors and running cables to a cabinet with chargers. *Not sure if I
should run 120V to each vehicle for an on board charger or run the chargers
in a cabinet and run 12V charge leads to each battery. *Just wondering if
any here have recommendations or good/bad experiences with such?

RogerN

How cold does it get at your location?

How many sunny days do you have at your location?

TMT

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
...
On Oct 11, 1:09 pm, "RogerN" wrote:
This winter I'd like to try to keep my batteries in good condition if
possible. I've got a zero turn mower, tractor, truck, backhoe, marine
batteries for the boat, I've counted 8 lead acid batteries to maintain in
all. My goal is to keep everything charged to be ready when I need it and
have my batteries to still be good next year when I need to mow again.

Possibilities are on-board automatic chargers or perhaps use weatherproof
connectors and running cables to a cabinet with chargers. Not sure if I
should run 120V to each vehicle for an on board charger or run the
chargers
in a cabinet and run 12V charge leads to each battery. Just wondering if
any here have recommendations or good/bad experiences with such?

RogerN
\
\How cold does it get at your location?
\
\How many sunny days do you have at your location?
\
\TMT
\

I'm not far from St Louis, it's warmer than Chicago but it's not unusual to
get a few 4WD snow days a year. That's the problem I had last year, my 1
ton 4WD truck doesn't get driven much unless I have to haul something or
need the 4WD. We had a snow day and I needed to take the truck and had to
charge the trucks (F350 diesel with 2 batteries) for a couple of hours
before it would start. This year I'm wanting to keep the truck ready to go
plus try to keep the seasonal batteries in shape for next year. I already
have a few bad batteries but I'd like to have automatic charging working
before buying new batteries. The backhoe is handy year around but only
using it every couple of months keeps the batteries dying.

RogerN

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
...
On Oct 11, 1:09 pm, "RogerN" wrote:
This winter I'd like to try to keep my batteries in good condition if
possible. I've got a zero turn mower, tractor, truck, backhoe, marine
batteries for the boat, I've counted 8 lead acid batteries to maintain in
all. My goal is to keep everything charged to be ready when I need it and
have my batteries to still be good next year when I need to mow again.

Possibilities are on-board automatic chargers or perhaps use weatherproof
connectors and running cables to a cabinet with chargers. Not sure if I
should run 120V to each vehicle for an on board charger or run the
chargers
in a cabinet and run 12V charge leads to each battery. Just wondering if
any here have recommendations or good/bad experiences with such?

RogerN

How cold does it get at your location?

Colder than your mommies (both of them) tit!



How many sunny days do you have at your location?

TMT

I pull the batteries on all my seasonal use engines. Clean and put on a
board in the basement. Twice during winter, give them a tickle charge till
the auto charge light goes out.

Werks grate!

Karl

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
I pull the batteries on all my seasonal use engines. Clean and put on a
board in the basement. Twice during winter, give them a tickle charge till
the auto charge light goes out.

Werks grate!

Karl


That would be great on the mower. I occasionally use the 4WD truck and the
tractor with front end loader during the winter but a freezing engine seems
to take a good charge to get running. I like the idea of sealed automatic
marine chargers myself but they seem to be on the expensive side. That is
probably the main reason I'm considering an enclosure for chargers and
running cords for the charging. I'm hoping extended leads will work OK with
low current maintenance charging.

RogerN

That would be great on the mower. I occasionally use the 4WD truck and
the
tractor with front end loader during the winter but a freezing engine
seems to take a good charge to get running. I like the idea of sealed
automatic marine chargers myself but they seem to be on the expensive
side. That is probably the main reason I'm considering an enclosure for
chargers and running cords for the charging. I'm hoping extended leads
will work OK with low current maintenance charging.

My SOP on winter machine that are a bit old:
Hook up engine block heater wait 30 minutes
Hook up large charger, set to 40 amp.
Put in starting ether.
Hit glow plug heater.
Starts right up even at -40.

Now, i did have an old car that wouldn't start at -50 with this treatment.
So, I lifted car with floor jack and stuck the 500,000 BTU knipco under. 20
minutes later i was on my way.

Karl

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...

That would be great on the mower. I occasionally use the 4WD truck and
the
tractor with front end loader during the winter but a freezing engine
seems to take a good charge to get running. I like the idea of sealed
automatic marine chargers myself but they seem to be on the expensive
side. That is probably the main reason I'm considering an enclosure for
chargers and running cords for the charging. I'm hoping extended leads
will work OK with low current maintenance charging.

My SOP on winter machine that are a bit old:
Hook up engine block heater wait 30 minutes
Hook up large charger, set to 40 amp.
Put in starting ether.
Hit glow plug heater.
Starts right up even at -40.

Now, i did have an old car that wouldn't start at -50 with this treatment.
So, I lifted car with floor jack and stuck the 500,000 BTU knipco under.
20 minutes later i was on my way.

Karl


Sounds like your SOP ought to work well. My truck has a block heater, I'm
not sure if it's on all the time it's plugged in or if it has a thermostat.
Most days I take my ~ 35MPG car and only take a truck if I need to haul
something or it's bad weather needing the 4X4 (sometimes not even once a
year). Usually the problem is that I wake up and find out if I need the
truck or not. The last time that happened, the truck didn't have enough
charge in the batteries to get it started, I plugged in the block heater and
the charger, got it started a couple hours later. This year I hope to
improve the situation by keeping the batteries charged and turning on the
block heater if snow/ice is in the forecast.

RogerN

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:34:04 -0500, "RogerN"
wrote:


"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
tanews.com...

That would be great on the mower. I occasionally use the 4WD truck and
the
tractor with front end loader during the winter but a freezing engine
seems to take a good charge to get running. I like the idea of sealed
automatic marine chargers myself but they seem to be on the expensive
side. That is probably the main reason I'm considering an enclosure for
chargers and running cords for the charging. I'm hoping extended leads
will work OK with low current maintenance charging.

My SOP on winter machine that are a bit old:
Hook up engine block heater wait 30 minutes
Hook up large charger, set to 40 amp.
Put in starting ether.
Hit glow plug heater.
Starts right up even at -40.

Now, i did have an old car that wouldn't start at -50 with this treatment.
So, I lifted car with floor jack and stuck the 500,000 BTU knipco under.
20 minutes later i was on my way.

Karl


Sounds like your SOP ought to work well. My truck has a block heater, I'm
not sure if it's on all the time it's plugged in or if it has a thermostat.
Most days I take my ~ 35MPG car and only take a truck if I need to haul
something or it's bad weather needing the 4X4 (sometimes not even once a
year). Usually the problem is that I wake up and find out if I need the
truck or not. The last time that happened, the truck didn't have enough
charge in the batteries to get it started, I plugged in the block heater and
the charger, got it started a couple hours later. This year I hope to
improve the situation by keeping the batteries charged and turning on the
block heater if snow/ice is in the forecast.

RogerN



Friend's big White Field Boss generally didn't need to be started in
the winter - had the blower on a smaller tractor - but after a big
storm sometimes he'd need the boss - or if the hydro went out he's
hook the "boss" to the Winco.
To start it cold, he'd pull the air intake off and lay a Bernzomatic
torch in the manifold for a few minutes, then crank it over, and away
it would go, every time. Sure saved running the glow plugs and
wearing the battery down. When the hydro's off you don't have the
option of the block heater or the battery charger.

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...

That would be great on the mower. I occasionally use the 4WD truck and
the
tractor with front end loader during the winter but a freezing engine
seems to take a good charge to get running. I like the idea of sealed
automatic marine chargers myself but they seem to be on the expensive
side. That is probably the main reason I'm considering an enclosure for
chargers and running cords for the charging. I'm hoping extended leads
will work OK with low current maintenance charging.

My SOP on winter machine that are a bit old:
Hook up engine block heater wait 30 minutes
Hook up large charger, set to 40 amp.
Put in starting ether.
Hit glow plug heater.
Starts right up even at -40.

Now, i did have an old car that wouldn't start at -50 with this treatment.
So, I lifted car with floor jack and stuck the 500,000 BTU knipco under.
20 minutes later i was on my way.

Karl




Karl
Ether and glow plugs used together aren't a real good mix.
Steve

On Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:23:36 -0500, "Karl Townsend"
wrote:


That would be great on the mower. I occasionally use the 4WD truck and
the
tractor with front end loader during the winter but a freezing engine
seems to take a good charge to get running. I like the idea of sealed
automatic marine chargers myself but they seem to be on the expensive
side. That is probably the main reason I'm considering an enclosure for
chargers and running cords for the charging. I'm hoping extended leads
will work OK with low current maintenance charging.

My SOP on winter machine that are a bit old:
Hook up engine block heater wait 30 minutes
Hook up large charger, set to 40 amp.
Put in starting ether.
Hit glow plug heater.
Starts right up even at -40.

Now, i did have an old car that wouldn't start at -50 with this treatment.
So, I lifted car with floor jack and stuck the 500,000 BTU knipco under. 20
minutes later i was on my way.

Karl


Guy I used to work with in the late sixties had a 60 Corvair that
lived in a corn-crib for the winter - and he drove it to work every
morning. HIS sop was get out of bed, turn on the coffee, go out and
pull the steel fence stake wrapped in burlap and chichen wire out of
the barrel of used oil and deisel fuel, shoot a bit of ether at it,
light it and stick it under the back of the Corvair.
Go in, drink the coffee, eat brakfast, come out and start the Corvair
to go to work.

The back end of that beast was a mess of black oily soot, but he never
missed a day of work.

Never burned the darn thing either. Never could figure THAT one out.

"RogerN" wrote in message
...

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
I pull the batteries on all my seasonal use engines. Clean and put on a
board in the basement. Twice during winter, give them a tickle charge
till
the auto charge light goes out.

Werks grate!

Karl


That would be great on the mower. I occasionally use the 4WD truck and
the
tractor with front end loader during the winter but a freezing engine
seems
to take a good charge to get running. I like the idea of sealed automatic
marine chargers myself but they seem to be on the expensive side. That is
probably the main reason I'm considering an enclosure for chargers and
running cords for the charging. I'm hoping extended leads will work OK
with
low current maintenance charging.

RogerN



For your 4WD you might want to look into the small solar panels that sit on
the dash board, and plug into the lighter socket to trickle charge the
batteries.

For your loader, getting a block heater and removing the battery to the
garage might be a good idea. Also I presume the loader has a diesel engine,
so some winter fuel treatment to keep the fuel from gelling might be a good
idea.

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.

What has been your experience with these "small solar panels"?

Pete Stanaitis
---------------------

Roger Shoaf wrote:


For your 4WD you might want to look into the small solar panels that sit on
the dash board, and plug into the lighter socket to trickle charge the
batteries.

"spaco" wrote in message
news
What has been your experience with these "small solar panels"?

None personally, but I met a merchant marine sailor that kept a car in
storage while he was at sea and used one of these and he seemed to be
pleased that he could start his car and go after leaving it for months at a
time.

Seems to me it might be worth a shot for the OP to try as draping wires all
over the place or lugging batteries in and out of vehicles in the freezing
cold can't be fun.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.