Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-16-2020, 08:58 PM   #1
Lawson Cox
Senior Member
 
Lawson Cox's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Above the gnat line in Georgia
Posts: 7,009
Default Battery Tenders

For years I have used a Battery Tender to keep my Optimas fully charged. Worked well for years. This was a box about 4x5x6, or close. Well, I think it finally bit the dust, at least the battery did. I replaced the battery but the old Battery Tender seems to have been discontinued, or at least I cannot find one at Wally World. I bought an EverStart 6-12 V Battery Charger & Maintainer 3A Charge rate. but have yet to hook it up. (The Battery tender was 1.25 Amps.) This battery charger/maintainer is not a box looking thing but looks something like a 1 lb link of sausage that has been stepped on and flattened lengthwise if you can envision that. Got it at Wally World for some $23.00, about like the old Battery Tenders. They have served me well over the years. Anyone have any experience with these? or know where I might purchase a new Battery Tender? Thanks guys.
__________________
Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end, the faster it goes.

It is better to be seen, than viewed.

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm".

Last edited by Lawson Cox; 10-16-2020 at 09:13 PM.
Lawson Cox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2020, 10:00 PM   #2
koates
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Melbourne Australia.
Posts: 2,076
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Lawson, make sure you dont start your engine with that charger still connected to the battery. That charger is probably made in China. For $23.00 it is most likely crap. You only get what you pay for. Regards, Kevin.
koates is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 10-16-2020, 10:06 PM   #3
19Fordy
Senior Member
 
19Fordy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Coral Springs FL
Posts: 10,872
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Lawson, I am using a C-Tec battery tender. It's a wonderful unit that does a great job. Been using it continually for last 6 years. Small and compact.
Here's the website. Pick one that works for you.
https://smartercharger.com/
19Fordy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2020, 10:49 PM   #4
petehoovie
Senior Member
 
petehoovie's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 7,924
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Battery Tender 021-0144 Battery Tender Plus 6V Battery Charger





https://www.chevsofthe40s.com/detail...er_6_Volt.html
__________________
The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others....

"Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!"
"We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0
petehoovie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2020, 11:06 PM   #5
Lawson Cox
Senior Member
 
Lawson Cox's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Above the gnat line in Georgia
Posts: 7,009
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Quote:
Originally Posted by petehoovie View Post
Battery Tender 021-0144 Battery Tender Plus 6V Battery Charger





https://www.chevsofthe40s.com/detail...er_6_Volt.html
Pete. That's the one I have used for years. Very satisfied with it. I'll check out the one I have to see if it is any good and if not I'll get me a new one, The one from Wally World goes back. I bought my last battery trnder from Wally world for a little less than what it is apparently selling for now. Thanks for the input fellows. You always come through.I feel better knowing Battery Tender is still available. Lawson
__________________
Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer to the end, the faster it goes.

It is better to be seen, than viewed.

"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm".
Lawson Cox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 01:57 AM   #6
Alaska Jim
Senior Member
 
Alaska Jim's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Posts: 1,573
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
3 amps is to much, unless it has a float mode. I f you have a tractor supply near you, see if the still carry the Schumacher trickle charger. it is only 1.5 amps, and has a float mode. I have been using them for years. I bought mine down in Texas. I used to be able to also get them at Walmart. no longer available here in Alaska, and no tractor supply here
Alaska Jim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 02:55 AM   #7
aussie merc
Senior Member
 
aussie merc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: sydney australia
Posts: 1,025
Default Re: Battery Tenders

personaly i wound up with a cheap solar panel charger [gift] but i tell you what its an been absolute gem works spot on and bonus costs nothing to run
aussie merc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 07:39 AM   #8
Jacques1960
Senior Member
 
Jacques1960's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Mount Desert, Maine
Posts: 504
Default Re: Battery Tenders

I use a NOCO, expensive, but it has a 6v AGM setting
__________________
No job’s done ‘til it’s all done
Jacques1960 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 02:24 PM   #9
bobH
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: so cal, placerville, vegas
Posts: 1,394
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Quote:
Originally Posted by 19Fordy View Post
Lawson, I am using a C-Tec battery tender. It's a wonderful unit that does a great job. Been using it continually for last 6 years. Small and compact.
Here's the website. Pick one that works for you.
https://smartercharger.com/
I'd be interested in hearing a little more. I have a CTEK, and I'm not yet a fan of it. It does things that I don't yet understand... Like flashing green or red lights. The manual that came with mine does not explain what all this means. Sometimes, when I get some light indicator that I don't understand, I disconnect it, and re-connect it, and then it gives light indication that is shown in the manual. Another thing, the light codes are not printed on the side of the unit. I have to go find the manual when I want to 'decipher'.
I also have a Battery Tender, and a Battery MINder Plus, and both of these units seem to be a little more 'friendly' to me.
I have all three of these units currently running. On one car, the CTEK will not work at all, where as the other two units seem to work ok.
The CTEK is probably the best of the three units, if I can believe their published info. I just wish I could understand what it's doing, and when.
bobH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 04:18 PM   #10
Rudolph
Senior Member
 
Rudolph's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: North island Newzealand.
Posts: 272
Default Re: Battery Tenders

I got a battery desalphator, I connected it to a battery that wouldn’t even crank the flat head when fully charged, after about a month is was as good as new,
Rudolph is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 07:49 PM   #11
35fordtn
Senior Member
 
35fordtn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: McMinnville, TN
Posts: 2,327
Default Re: Battery Tenders

I use NOCO Genuis chargers they are great
35fordtn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 07:53 PM   #12
fordv8j
Senior Member
 
fordv8j's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 322
Default Re: Battery Tenders

I put a Wally world battery tender on our 38 conv'
, had a new Ford script battery on it; didn't check on it; when I did the battery was hot and boiled dry; put new acid in it, it never charged up, the company send the tender back with $10.00 and they would repair it, I said no thanks; they wouldn't replace my battery
fordv8j is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 08:32 PM   #13
Heard
Senior Member
 
Heard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 577
Default Re: Battery Tenders

You could just go here:

https://www.batterytender.com/battery-chargers
__________________
Do I look like I have a plan B?
Heard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 08:49 PM   #14
koates
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Melbourne Australia.
Posts: 2,076
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Quote:
Originally Posted by fordv8j View Post
I put a Wally world battery tender on our 38 conv'
, had a new Ford script battery on it; didn't check on it; when I did the battery was hot and boiled dry; put new acid in it, it never charged up, the company send the tender back with $10.00 and they would repair it, I said no thanks; they wouldn't replace my battery
Not recommended to top up a boiled dry battery with acid. Its only water that evaporates so only top up with distilled water. I never leave batteries on charge unattended overnight. Need to keep an eye on them now and then. You never know what a charger is going to do, especially cheap Chinese crap. Regards, Kevin.
koates is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2020, 09:40 PM   #15
tubman
Senior Member
 
tubman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys
Posts: 10,259
Default Re: Battery Tenders

I have battery tenders on my cars when I go to Florida for 6 months every winter. I was concerned about overcharging, so I bought a simple timer from K-Mart. After a few months of experimentation, I found that if you set the timer to power up the maintainers for 15 minutes a day, it will keep the batteries up without worrying about overcharging and boiling. It cost me $6.99.
tubman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2020, 02:15 AM   #16
Alaska Jim
Senior Member
 
Alaska Jim's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Posts: 1,573
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Tubman, that is a great idea. I may try it myself.
Alaska Jim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2020, 06:18 PM   #17
fordv8j
Senior Member
 
fordv8j's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 322
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Schumaker is the brand that cooked my battery
fordv8j is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2020, 08:06 PM   #18
cajunfirehawk
Senior Member
 
cajunfirehawk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ms GulfCoast
Posts: 238
Default Re: Battery Tenders

We own 4 "collector" cars, we use; 2ea C-tek 4.3us, a Deltran, & a Schauer Charge Master CM6A for our odyssey battery and they are all somewhat different but kinda do the same thing, C-tek and the Schauer are the more advanced models w/newer features where as my Deltran (same size as the 6v one shown above) is a tank workhorse but w/less features. Really comes down to how much you want to spend on one and sorry to say, all of them are made in china, afaik! YMMV
__________________
Regards,
Todd

1936 FORD Tudor Slantback


"cajunhotrodder" on instagram/youtube
cajunfirehawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2020, 08:20 PM   #19
50fordcoupeman
Senior Member
 
50fordcoupeman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LaGrande Oregon
Posts: 865
Default Re: Battery Tenders

Quote:
Originally Posted by fordv8j View Post
Schumaker is the brand that cooked my battery
Friends car was burned badly by a tender that went bad. Luckily a circuit breaker did its job before his shop caught on fire too, I need educated here-why does a person need a tender? I have seven batts and they have all been fine in the spring after a 4 or 5 month siesta.
50fordcoupeman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2020, 08:35 PM   #20
cajunfirehawk
Senior Member
 
cajunfirehawk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Ms GulfCoast
Posts: 238
Exclamation Re: Battery Tenders

Quote:
Originally Posted by 50fordcoupeman View Post
Friends car was burned badly by a tender that went bad. Luckily a circuit breaker did its job before his shop caught on fire too, I need educated here-why does a person need a tender? I have seven batts and they have all been fine in the spring after a 4 or 5 month siesta.

My optima is on a c-tek, its 12 yrs old (battery)!!, I drive that car once or twice a year, literally. I use them on power equipment and 5 out of the 7 cars we own that are not daily drivers, YMMV. My 2008 f150 is the worst at parasitic battery drain, its on one too. I drive it about 1 week out of the month.
__________________
Regards,
Todd

1936 FORD Tudor Slantback


"cajunhotrodder" on instagram/youtube
cajunfirehawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:40 AM.