Best way to charge and maintain batteries?

[LDUBS]

I usually run a voltage check the night before going out. As long as I am 12.6-12.8 volts, no extra charging needed, but if they drop below 12.6 then a top off is needed. Actually, never have I run my batteries low...even after a 6 hr day of trolling, my batteries are still well over half charge ( 12.2-12.3 volts) . From my reading and talking to a local battery company, getting that battery charged back up fairly quickly is the key to a healthy battery.

That last part, I've heard that too and made it a standard practice. Probably heard it here. Maybe even from you.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

It looks like, overall, we agree to fully charge right after use. Split on using maintainers or just periodic charging. Given the experience of the forum members here, both methods work. Just pick what you are most comfortable with.

As far as topping off, if it has been a few weeks since last charge, I top them off. Might be wasting a charge cycle, and using a voltmeter is probably the better approach.

 

[thill]

If a maintainer ever overcharges, or boils a battery it is faulty ! Maintainers do a slight discharge and then top it off to keep sulfation off the plates. Many cheap chargers will overcharge a battery. My "Battery Tenders" have been maintaining my batteries for over 20 years with O issues.

It was a name-brand battery tender that caused me problems years ago. I don't want to pay for new batteries if one goes bad again.

My method is simple and my batteries last as long or longer than anyone else I know, so I see no reason to change, even if the new tenders are perfect.

@thill, when not in storage but let's say been two weeks since you were out. Do you put it on the charger the night before going out again, or rely on that charge after the last use two weeks ago. I think I'm probably asking a dumb question, but that never stopped me before.

No dumb questions ever. If only two weeks, I will plug in the charger while loading my stuff. It should only stay on for a few minutes.

If it takes longer, after the trip I will run it through the desulfur cycle on my good charger. That works great. But eventually the old battery gets sent to the gate opener and one day it gets swapped for a new one.

Now that I'm on the Lithium kick, we will see how things change. I really love my TimeUSB batteries. I'm in my 2nd year now of zero issues and crazy long-lasting power. For $40 more than lead acid, it was a GREAT move!

 

[airshot]

It was a name-brand battery tender that caused me problems years ago. I don't want to pay for new batteries if one goes bad again.

My method is simple and my batteries last as long or longer than anyone else I know, so I see no reason to change, even if the new tenders are perfect.


No dumb questions ever. If only two weeks, I will plug in the charger while loading my stuff. It should only stay on for a few minutes.

If it takes longer, after the trip I will run it through the desulfur cycle on my good charger. That works great. But eventually the old battery gets sent to the gate opener and one day it gets swapped for a new one.

Now that I'm on the Lithium kick, we will see how things change. I really love my TimeUSB batteries. I'm in my 2nd year now of zero issues and crazy long-lasting power. For $40 more than lead acid, it was a GREAT move!

During boating season a maintainer is not necessary. If your battery won't hold a charge for a couple weeks, then you have a bad battery. I have only recommended maintainers for long term storage like over winter storage. I charge my batteries to peak after each trip out in my boat. Within a week or two, I am back on the water and my batteries have no issues maintaining their charge for that period. Years back I used to charge my batteries every month or two over the winter, but found my old brain stop remembering to check them and lost a couple batteries from them during on me. The battery mfgr recomended a maintainer and since going with them over the winter, I no longer have to remember to charge them, thus not losing any more batteries from my lack of remembering. Nothing wrong with charging and slight discharging over storage, actually good for your batteries, I just chose a simpler method that doesn't make me remember, it dies that job automatically.

 

[airshot]

It was a name-brand battery tender that caused me problems years ago. I don't want to pay for new batteries if one goes bad again.

My method is simple and my batteries last as long or longer than anyone else I know, so I see no reason to change, even if the new tenders are perfect.


No dumb questions ever. If only two weeks, I will plug in the charger while loading my stuff. It should only stay on for a few minutes.

If it takes longer, after the trip I will run it through the desulfur cycle on my good charger. That works great. But eventually the old battery gets sent to the gate opener and one day it gets swapped for a new one.

Now that I'm on the Lithium kick, we will see how things change. I really love my TimeUSB batteries. I'm in my 2nd year now of zero issues and crazy long-lasting power. For $40 more than lead acid, it was a GREAT move!

I am looking forward to that move on my trolling motor batteries when my current batteries retire. So far going strong since 2019.....Mabey they are afraid of being replaced.....

 

[airshot]

It was a name-brand battery tender that caused me problems years ago. I don't want to pay for new batteries if one goes bad again.

My method is simple and my batteries last as long or longer than anyone else I know, so I see no reason to change, even if the new tenders are perfect.


No dumb questions ever. If only two weeks, I will plug in the charger while loading my stuff. It should only stay on for a few minutes.

If it takes longer, after the trip I will run it through the desulfur cycle on my good charger. That works great. But eventually the old battery gets sent to the gate opener and one day it gets swapped for a new one.

Now that I'm on the Lithium kick, we will see how things change. I really love my TimeUSB batteries. I'm in my 2nd year now of zero issues and crazy long-lasting power. For $40 more than lead acid, it was a GREAT move!

Looking forward to the lifepo4 move when my current batteries retire, been going strong since 2019....Mabry they are scared of being replaced ??

 

[LDUBS]

Now that I'm on the Lithium kick, we will see how things change. I really love my TimeUSB batteries. I'm in my 2nd year now of zero issues and crazy long-lasting power. For $40 more than lead acid, it was a GREAT move!

Looking forward to the lifepo4 move when my current batteries retire, been going strong since 2019....Mabry they are scared of being replaced ??

Two years is a pretty good long term test.

I also look forward someday to moving to the Lifepo4. The cost of my current AGM battery has about doubled in the last four years. In fact, last time I checked the TimeUSB battery cost less.

 

[thill]

Two years is a pretty good long term test.

I also look forward someday to moving to the Lifepo4. The cost of my current AGM battery has about doubled in the last your years. In fact, last time I checked the TimeUSB battery cost less.

Yes, the AGM are more than the TimeUSB. That was a big factor. I like AGM a lot, and they have given me long service life. My fav batteries ever are the yellow-top, dual-purpose Optima AGMs, as they can do everything. When mine died after almost 10 years, I looked to replace and YIKES! They are expensive!

My boat with a 70 on back started fine using the TimeUSB in an emergency, which I'm very glad about, but I wouldn't make that a habit.

 

[thill]

I am looking forward to that move on my trolling motor batteries when my current batteries retire. So far going strong since 2019.....Mabey they are afraid of being replaced.....

I think you will like them. And since they are stored at 30-50%, no need to charge after a trip, unless you are going again soon. That takes a little getting used to, believe it or not.

Back to the maintainer, I am guessing it's a lot colder where you are than here. I lived near Cincinnati, OH, and we got a LOT more snow and ice than here.

I've had dozens of batteries here in MD/VA, and the only time I've ever lost a battery to the cold was many years ago, when I used my TM hard while winter fishing, then came home and forgot to charge the deeply discharged battery. Next time I looked, probably a month later, it was swollen and short-circuited. Lesson learned!

 

[thill]

Looking forward to the lifepo4 move when my current batteries retire, been going strong since 2019....Mabry they are scared of being replaced ??

Oh, and for what it's worth, I would recommend that you get one sooner than later, with inflation supposedly coming to the lithium market soon... That $170 price for a 100AH on Amazon day may not happen again. I decided to go ahead and buy two more, mainly for the solar backup system I just got for cheap.

 

[airshot]

Oh, and for what it's worth, I would recommend that you get one sooner than later, with inflation supposedly coming to the lithium market soon... That $170 price for a 100AH on Amazon day may not happen again. I decided to go ahead and buy two more, mainly for the solar backup system I just got for cheap.

Been thinking about that same thing !!

 

[airshot]

I think you will like them. And since they are stored at 30-50%, no need to charge after a trip, unless you are going again soon. That takes a little getting used to, believe it or not.

Back to the maintainer, I am guessing it's a lot colder where you are than here. I lived near Cincinnati, OH, and we got a LOT more snow and ice than here.

I've had dozens of batteries here in MD/VA, and the only time I've ever lost a battery to the cold was many years ago, when I used my TM hard while winter fishing, then came home and forgot to charge the deeply discharged battery. Next time I looked, probably a month later, it was swollen and short-circuited. Lesson learned!

In my case, it isn't the cold, it is my poor memory that forgets to check the charge. Once deep cycles get to low, they rarely come back. As my batteries got older, they lost there charge more quickly, especially in the cold. When I remembered to check the charge, it would be to late, batteries would never fully recover after. This is when I went to maintainers, no need to remember over long winter storage. After maintainers, never lost another battery from being undercharged. Been over 20 yrs since I made that switch, and no lost batteries since. However, I have heard of a couple cases where the maintainer/ chargers have gone bad, and caused battery issues. I stopped using a popular charger after a couple bad ones that shorted my batteries, but have also had a couple batteries short and ruin my chargers !! Depends on your luck I guess...

 

[thill]

In my case, it isn't the cold, it is my poor memory that forgets to check the charge. Once deep cycles get to low, they rarely come back. As my batteries got older, they lost there charge more quickly, especially in the cold. When I remembered to check the charge, it would be to late, batteries would never fully recover after. This is when I went to maintainers, no need to remember over long winter storage. After maintainers, never lost another battery from being undercharged. Been over 20 yrs since I made that switch, and no lost batteries since. However, I have heard of a couple cases where the maintainer/ chargers have gone bad, and caused battery issues. I stopped using a popular charger after a couple bad ones that shorted my batteries, but have also had a couple batteries short and ruin my chargers !! Depends on your luck I guess...

I think you are right. It's nice having the freedom to make choices that work for our own circumstances.