I have a storage shed that will have my zero turn Toro and a DR brush chipper. I plan on running a cord to it so my question is, Do you think it would be safe to have a tender on each battery? Or should I remove the batteries and bring them into the shop for the winter?
Storage question about batteries.
- Thread starter bpracer
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- May 28, 2014
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Some people use a battery tender. Myself I just bring them inside the house and put them in storage until next year.
I personally bring mine inside down to the basement and throw a battery tender on it.
Bring them inside. A battery tender or trickle charger will operate and maintain more consistent charges if the OAT is consistent and doesn't fluctuate as much. Inside your basement house would be best. This also holds true for many Lithium Ion batteries for lawn equipment etc. I bring those batteries inside and store them there until the following season.
If they are fully charged cold temps will actually slow the chemical reaction and retard discharge even though the voltage looks lower. I put a small solar panel on the side of my shed facing SW and leave them plugged into it for the winter. Its only a 6W panel but it keeps 2 batteries topped off winter and summer.
wherever they are stored keeping them charged is key + of course colder temps make charging take longer. i move my smart optimate charger between my bikes + rarely used TT roadster + even give the fronty a shot as being retired i drive only as needed or for pleasure on my bikes or roadster. i traded a 7 YO dual sport Kawi with the OE battery!! everything is stored in an unheated garage except when used or i am working in there + fire the wood stove for comfort in Pa winters!
I bring my riding mower's battery inside and put it on a trickle charger every winter. I'm on my 5th season, doubt I'll get another year out of it, but, who knows?
my garden tractor battery that was "abused" and left out in shed every winter.. just died at 11 years.
I threw it on charger overnight in spring once a year... mostly.
Maybe I should have been bringing it inside.
thats actually a pretty good idea
The JD 316 takes a standard sized car battery. Replacement (with quality) is a bit pricey. It is worth keeping it in good condition.
It is easy to disconnect and tuck away in the basement stair closet when I pack it up for the winter. I hit it with a maintain charge a couple of times over the winter when I think about it. The previous battery lasted 10 years.
It is easy to disconnect and tuck away in the basement stair closet when I pack it up for the winter. I hit it with a maintain charge a couple of times over the winter when I think about it. The previous battery lasted 10 years.
I would be more concerned about running that cord out to your shed. It sounds like you will leave it in place all winter. I would and do remove all my batteries take them to my garage where I keep them charged all winter.
Heck yeah, it probably would have lasted forever.
Left attached I’ve had the batteries fully discharge in the winter
left in the basement I’ve had them overcharge? And fail on a trickle charger
Disconnected outside with an occasional top off seems to work best but a good battery can fully discharge and be recovered with a trickle charge and a PWM battery charger with a restore function
I’ve gotten 5 years out of a battery that fully discharged every winter
Previously every lawn battery I’ve had seemed to die overwinter regardless of my regime and I was lucky to recover it for two seasons usually with a weak battery on season 2.
Maybe the battery is better but having a true engine start charger with battery recovery I think has allowed me to get around annual replacement. I don’t worry if the battery is weak just jump it if it decides to be putzy, strange part is I’m running 9/10 starts off battery my thought is the tractor doesn’t charge up the battery very well either
We will see if the battery finally totally bricks this winter having a desulphator actually seems to work on this battery
I've got a lot of batteries in toys to maintain, and not just $40 OPE ones either.
I use temp. compensated BatteryMinders in outside unheated buildings on my sleds and other equipment. The easy to pull boat ones for example come into the garage for winter. Less cords running around the yard.
My sled batteries last 10 yrs. along with the bikes battery using a maintainer / conditioner units on them. At over a $100 a pop I want my moneys worth out of them.
I use temp. compensated BatteryMinders in outside unheated buildings on my sleds and other equipment. The easy to pull boat ones for example come into the garage for winter. Less cords running around the yard.
My sled batteries last 10 yrs. along with the bikes battery using a maintainer / conditioner units on them. At over a $100 a pop I want my moneys worth out of them.
^^^^This plus + 1000x^^^^
Given that you see all four seasons, a BatteryMinder is seriously going to help you immensely. Especially if you cannot remove and store the battery in a more temperate climate.
I live in a very hot, messed up 24-7-365 place and since I've employed Battery Minders in my maintenence routine, never lost a battery in over 10 years. The creator is literally a next city over neighbor. All I can say is that there is some tricky-smartie stuff happening in those black boxes.
We said BatteryMinder. Not Battery tender. A tender will relentlessly boil a battery dead over time. The minder is internally compensated for ambient temperature and some models have an external thermocouple for dead on site measurements and prevents thermal runaway. They use a digitally controlled charge algorithm. (If you call the support number, they can coach you through popping the covers and setting the internal DIP switches for even more utility) *Taps side of nose*
They support flooded, gel and AGM.
Again depending on the model; once you've got a whole rack of batteries up to charge? It can maintain up to 8 parallel connected batteries simultaneously.
Seriously, not a sponser... The tech is slick and adaptable and it's creator is a seriously cool, nerdy guy.
HMy father had a battery minder on his motorcycle overwinter, would go outside check and it would be errored out with a dead battery.
Usually could reset and recover the battery but setting it and leaving it for months doesn’t always
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