New (Old) Battery OK to use?

[methusaleh]

I have a top-of-the-WalMart-line battery I bought about two years ago and have only charged occasionally in order to start up vehicles I purchase at auctions. My own battery is starting to go south on me, so I was wondering if the two-year-old battery would still be dependable for daily use? It has probably about 20 hours on it, and has usually only been charged with a float charger in the garage.

 

[rpn453]

I think it would be fine.

 

[kgb007stb]

Charge it to full with a good charger that will cut off at 14.40V let it sit over night and measure the voltage the next morning, this is usually a good indication of where the battery is. Tables with specific voltages can be found on the internet. Also if you know how to measure the acid density with a hydrometer even a better indication of the battery condition.