• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Battery Tenders

Share this page

Hi Patrick/All,

Although I have been using a large standard 2/10/50 Amp Sears Battery Charger for years, it does require attention when using but did allow me to use the 10 Amp setting on my Optima battery for deSulfating. What has kept me from acquiring a Batter Minder or the like was the cost and the fact that what I was doing was succeeding. Reading Patrick's last post, I went to Northern Tool and, for a very reasonable price $19.99 +shipping, purchased the Battery Minder Plus 12117. This unit is a 12V 1.3 amp minder/charger that, as Patrick indicated, has a deSulfating cycle and can handle up to (4) 12V batteries simultaneously.

Hopefully, it is as good as I expect.
Ray(64BJ8P1)
 
RAC68 said:
Hopefully, it is as good as I expect.
Ray(64BJ8P1)
Click to expand...

Ray,

Having used a couple of them for many (10+) years, I would say that they will work very well...
So well that I bought 3 more from Northern Tool since they're so inexpensive.
 
PHulst said:
Ray,

Having used a couple of them for many (10+) years, I would say that they will work very well...
So well that I bought 3 more from Northern Tool since they're so inexpensive.
Click to expand...
with three ex works Healey's coming to market very soon is there something else you want to tell us?
 
PHulst,

Well, after receiving the one Battery MINDer 12117, I tried it out and decided to purchase (2) more for the Works Cars I don't intend to acquire. Although they don't recommend the charger for the Optima battery, it will work nicely and another for my Triumph TR7 (also in picture). The 3rd will be used by my son or my generator battery. Although Northern Tool offers a "Y" connector to allow for use with 2 batteries, the cost of a 12117 is less then the connector making more sense to by an additional unit. I will take a look at the "Y" connector and see if they are supplied at a lower price maybe under another name cheaper someplace else.

Patrick, thanks for the lead and PHulst, thanks for the recommendation,
Ray(64BJ8P1)
 
Ray,

Glad you like them.

FYI, the unit on sale is not the one that they recommend for use on more than 1 battery, so buying extras and not buying connectors is the right idea.

PH
 
Of the several models of battery tenders that I use from time to time, C-Tek seems to be the one most recommended. Supposedly, it shuts off when the battery is fully charged and cycles on as needed. That said, I do not use the battery tenders most of the time unless I'm concerned about a weak battery. A healthy battery, especially if disconnected from any possible power drain, should make it through the winter, even in below freezing conditions, and work fine in the spring with sufficient charge remaining to start the vehicle.
 
Optima batteries, like all AGM batteries, have a lower self-discharge rate than wet cells. They don't need a battery tender as long as there is no load on them.
 
Hi John,

I agree if the Optima battery is reasonably new (5 years or less). My Optima battery is in its 8th year and I have been keeping it charged using the 10 Amp setting of my charger. I actually bought 2 Optima batteries and both seemed to begin to fail a 5 years. After replacing my family car Optima and starting to experience the same thing on the my much-less-used Healey Optima, I decided to first call Optima Customer Support to complain. Their response was to tell me to use the 10 Amp level on my charger and to keep it on for an extended period. This charger setting and extended charge was needed to deep charge the battery and, I think, to de-sulfonate as well. I was also warned to separate the battery from charger if the case felt like it was getting hot (not warm but HOT). Since I drive my Healey at least once ever month in the cold weather, I charge my ageing Optima prior to starting and usually have no issues during the drive or any stops and restarts along the way.

Although the Battery MINDer model I purchased (12117) is not the recommended model for AGM batteries, it will maintain the charge level and de-sulfonate during this maintenance level charge. I am expecting that this continuous maintenance charge will eliminate any need for my pre-drive charge. I would appreciate hearing if my understanding is in error and the Battery MINDER I have will not perform as hoped and expected.

Thanks John,
Ray(64BJ8P1)
 
Old cars, generally true.
More modern cars, not true, if you leave them connected, as they have a constant power drain.

My Dad's 1992 Corvette will discharge the battery to zero in 2-3 months, and my 2008 will do it in about 3 weeks. My older cars can sit all winter and still start in the spring. However, if I don't have a battery maintainer on them over the winter I'm always sure to charge them before I start them in the spring. The newer cars all get maintainers for the winter, as it's easier than resetting everything that goes to zero when a battery dies.

I had a reproduction battery, well known to have a short life, last 10 years in one of my cars. I attribute this to regular use of the Battery MINDer.
 
Interesting Ray. I had some deep-cycle AGMs (not Optima) in my MH and thought they failed too soon.

I don't leave my Battery Minder on either my Healey or MH; I just use it if they have been sitting for a while. Note, 40F is really cold for us!
 
Patrick,

FWIW I use a C-Tek MUS 4.3 with the de sulfating option and a battery MIND er thats been working non stop for 4-5 years now on all the various shop batteries/backhoe/motorcycle,ect. Highly recommend the C-Tek, best in the business and well worth the money spent. Its good to de sulfate once a year, of course using it every day and keeping up on electrolyte are a big help, so drive that Healey everyday !

Carroll
 
Top Down Resto said:
Patrick,

FWIW I use a C-Tek MUS 4.3 with the de sulfating option and a battery MIND er thats been working non stop for 4-5 years now on all the various shop batteries/backhoe/motorcycle,ect. Highly recommend the C-Tek, best in the business and well worth the money spent. Its good to de sulfate once a year, of course using it every day and keeping up on electrolyte are a big help, so drive that Healey everyday !

Carroll
Click to expand...

Carroll,

Why do you prefer the C-Tek, if the BM has served so well for so long?
 
Bob,

The C-Tek has the de sulfate program the Batt Minder does not. I have a line of batteries here in the shop that get rotated with the BM and the C-Tek is for my Audi TT in the house garage and de sulfating when needed on the other batteries. For the money the C-Tek does it all, 6v 12v and gell cell batteries, highly recommended.
Carroll
 
Back
Top