Decent "Charger-Starter"?
 

My old diesel tractor wouldn't start the other day because the ancient
battery on it finally gave up the ghost.

I have a small car battery charger, but it is limited by the length of
its extension cord.

So, I'm wondering about several products:

1. The "combo" battery jump starter/charger devices I see around these
days. Don't know anything about them. Might be a good thing to have on a
boat, if you remember to keep its battery charged.

2. A really good battery charger, rejuvenator.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Hello Harry,

My suggestion? Get a longer extension cord for your charger.

If the battery is at the end of its life, get a new battery.

If the battery routinely (through infrequent use of the tractor) gets
fully discharged, keep it on a permanent trickle charge. Either remove
the battery and carry it to the charger (especially good in the winter
if the charger is indoors) or put in a more permanent extension cord to
charge the battery in place.

Chuck






Harry.Krause wrote:
My old diesel tractor wouldn't start the other day because the ancient
battery on it finally gave up the ghost.

I have a small car battery charger, but it is limited by the length of
its extension cord.

So, I'm wondering about several products:

1. The "combo" battery jump starter/charger devices I see around these
days. Don't know anything about them. Might be a good thing to have on a
boat, if you remember to keep its battery charged.

2. A really good battery charger, rejuvenator.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Harry.Krause wrote:
My old diesel tractor wouldn't start the other day because the ancient
battery on it finally gave up the ghost.

I have a small car battery charger, but it is limited by the length of
its extension cord.

So, I'm wondering about several products:

1. The "combo" battery jump starter/charger devices I see around these
days. Don't know anything about them. Might be a good thing to have on a
boat, if you remember to keep its battery charged.

2. A really good battery charger, rejuvenator.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

I've got one of those power pack type starter devices from Northern
Tool. Just okay in my opinion. Might be okay for an outboard, so I'm
thinking of keeping it in the boat. If your tractor, like mine often
gets discharged because of infrequent use, then what I did was get a
smallish solar charger, and keep it hooked up as a trickle charger all
the time. That works well for me.

Harry.Krause wrote:
wrote:
Harry.Krause wrote:
My old diesel tractor wouldn't start the other day because the ancient
battery on it finally gave up the ghost.

I have a small car battery charger, but it is limited by the length of
its extension cord.

So, I'm wondering about several products:

1. The "combo" battery jump starter/charger devices I see around these
days. Don't know anything about them. Might be a good thing to have on a
boat, if you remember to keep its battery charged.

2. A really good battery charger, rejuvenator.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

I've got one of those power pack type starter devices from Northern
Tool. Just okay in my opinion. Might be okay for an outboard, so I'm
thinking of keeping it in the boat. If your tractor, like mine often
gets discharged because of infrequent use, then what I did was get a
smallish solar charger, and keep it hooked up as a trickle charger all
the time. That works well for me.



A solar charger with a cut-off to prevent cooking the battery?

No cut-off needed. 5 PEAK watts, and that's at 100% efficiency.
Nighttime, nothing, cloudy, nothing, partial sun, very little. At 5
watts, it's still just a trickle, and wont' cook the battery. I've
checked mine at full sun, and the battery never has boiled. What's
more, with a trickle, I think it's actually better for the battery than
discharge/charge, let sit for six months, charge/discharge.

In response to your question about a charger/starter unit, I have an Exide
brand 2 amp or 10 amp charger and a 60 amp starter unit that I bought at
Kmart I think.
Will automatically charge most batteries from a small motorcycle type to
full size auto. Has auto shutoff feature that reduces charge rate to
maintenance level until you remove it. Kind of a set it-and-forget-it, no
worry about leaving it on too long and cooking the battery. I used it most
on the boat, throw it on the day before and take it off before leaving the
next day. I've got no complaints with the unit. Under $40 if I
remember...........

Bill
"Harry.Krause" wrote in message
nk.net...
My old diesel tractor wouldn't start the other day because the ancient
battery on it finally gave up the ghost.

I have a small car battery charger, but it is limited by the length of its
extension cord.

So, I'm wondering about several products:

1. The "combo" battery jump starter/charger devices I see around these
days. Don't know anything about them. Might be a good thing to have on a
boat, if you remember to keep its battery charged.

2. A really good battery charger, rejuvenator.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Bill wrote:
In response to your question about a charger/starter unit, I have an Exide
brand 2 amp or 10 amp charger and a 60 amp starter unit that I bought at
Kmart I think.
Will automatically charge most batteries from a small motorcycle type to
full size auto. Has auto shutoff feature that reduces charge rate to
maintenance level until you remove it. Kind of a set it-and-forget-it, no
worry about leaving it on too long and cooking the battery. I used it most
on the boat, throw it on the day before and take it off before leaving the
next day. I've got no complaints with the unit. Under $40 if I
remember...........

Bill
"Harry.Krause" wrote in message
nk.net...
My old diesel tractor wouldn't start the other day because the ancient
battery on it finally gave up the ghost.

I have a small car battery charger, but it is limited by the length of its
extension cord.

So, I'm wondering about several products:

1. The "combo" battery jump starter/charger devices I see around these
days. Don't know anything about them. Might be a good thing to have on a
boat, if you remember to keep its battery charged.

2. A really good battery charger, rejuvenator.

Suggestions?

Thanks!



Thank you.

wrote in message

......then what I did was get a
smallish solar charger, and keep it hooked up as a trickle charger all
the time. That works well for me.

If you know, or know someone who works for, a VW dealer, that could be a
good source ( i.e., $0). Every new VW comes off the transport at the dealer
with a small solar charger wired to the battery and suction-cupped to the
inside of the windshield.

"John Gaquin" wrote in message

If you know, or know someone who works for, a VW dealer, that could be a
good source ( i.e., $0). Every new VW comes off the transport at the
dealer with a small solar charger wired to the battery and suction-cupped
to the inside of the windshield.

Clarification: the panel is about 10" x 10", and is not actually hard-wired
to the battery. The panel cable merely plugs into the cigarette lighter,
providing enough trickle to keep the battery alive.

John Gaquin wrote:
wrote in message

......then what I did was get a
smallish solar charger, and keep it hooked up as a trickle charger all
the time. That works well for me.

If you know, or know someone who works for, a VW dealer, that could be a
good source ( i.e., $0). Every new VW comes off the transport at the dealer
with a small solar charger wired to the battery and suction-cupped to the
inside of the windshield.


Hmm, I'll look into that, I'd like to have a couple of them, I'd just
put a couple of alligator clips on it, and have another trickle
charger. Hell, mine isn't any bigger than that, and I paid somewhere
around $40 for mine.