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Battery Charger
Just looking for advice, suggestions, knowledge, experience for a battery charger. Major concern is the boost or starter, old trucks, old batteries, sometimes (no lots of times) need help to start, especially the plow truck, when cold and the major dump came unexpected. Tired of not turning over fast enough, waiting for 10 amp to bring it up to try with inadequate boost- sure some of you are familiar with this situation. lol Thanks
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Re: Battery Charger
C/T, Prince Auto. Has some nice ones. Are you looking for a shop model or portable model. for older batt. Are you just buying for the boot start or charge option.
Is your plow truck a Dual BATT set up or are you just a signal set up. To get the most life out of your batt make sure your ground and you have good power Cables and are making good connection. A better alt for the power needs on your truck. A must 800amp to 1000amp cold cranking amps good Batt or Batts. This will help even with old batts to get the most out of them( clean dry batt.) most GM high batt only good for 7 yr I got 2 yr past the 7 yr but on the really cold day run in to the booting all the time better to fit the problems do the up grade to the power needs or power your truck or the power draw your truck makes to work best. If your stock low 42 AMP alt that not going to cut it. or it does work working the alt to hard taxes the batt to much wearing out to soon. Getting back to Chargers if the batt. shot does not matter how good your charger is. The charger with the more option is better for more jobs. $$$$ IS you starter working well clean test and clean wiring contacts. |
Re: Battery Charger
For those batteries that sit for weeks/months between uses, get some battery maintainers. Places like Northern Tool and Harbor Freight often have them on sale this time of year.
Might be cost effective to have a designated battery on a cart that is kept charged to wheel out to the dead vehicle as a jump/boost battery. I still have a pair of ancient chargers, no 'smart' features. I have seen smart chargers refuse to charge a really dead battery when they don't see any voltage. |
Re: Battery Charger
I have just too many batteries and vehicles- sort of like golf, one for every purpose. New batteries in "need to run every time" vehicle, maintainers (6) on quads and these vehicles- 3 square bodies(83 plow, 80 crew with add on dump for firewooding, 88 crew 454, 456, 4x4- just because) I feel I am getting too damn old & sore to be carting batteries around now. Tried to start my man lift started when I got back, older battery, just wouldn't turn over fast enough to do the job- thought the easiest solution would to be have a booster/jump charger to wheel or carry out, long extension cord and get the job done; thus be around for when needed for other non-starts when batteries get run down. Just finishing building a house/home and the man lift sure beats ladders, slipping and sliding on the metal roof (chimney issue)- next year now. Thanks Cam
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Re: Battery Charger
So much for sentences.
I agree it's a pain. For farm vehicles that stay home, an alt start system is fine. For something that has to move off the property, maybe a good batt, wiring and charging system are needed. I'd agree a jump setup would be good. |
Re: Battery Charger
I've never had alot of luck with boosters, I worked at my uncle's wrecker service/ shop we had a hand dolly with two batterys setup with cables to kick stubborn ones off.:lol:
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Re: Battery Charger
I have battery maintainers on everything that isn't a daily driver. I also have a jump box that works really well. If the battery is too dead for it start with a jump box, I unhook the negative terminal from the battery, and connect the jump box to that terminal. It isolates the original battery and prevents it from sucking all the power.
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Re: Battery Charger
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Re: Battery Charger
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I've been using this booster, looks like is currently on sale at CT too, :lol:
The local battery shops sell this brand. I've been quite happy with it. We have a 2004 F150 as our work truck at the clinic. Since we stopped doing large animal farm calls, the truck sits for long periods of time now. The battery drains far too quickly. As long as it is not absolutely dead, this little charger works great. I have pulled the booster out of the back of my cold personal vehicle and used it to boost the cold truck. Cranks for a bit, but does the job just fine. Amazes me every time, from such a small little box. If the battery is stone cold dead, then yes, the booster acts like it is not connected to a battery. So then I did have to drive home and get a nice fully charged battery I had sitting in my garage. Which I realize you are trying to avoid. Another time, I just left the charger hooked up for a few minutes, even though the indicator lights said it wasn't doing anything, and then I was able to start the truck. Was reading on-line the other day, and apparently these boxes have a setting to over-ride all the safety features, and then they will jump absolutely dead batteries. But then you have to "exercise extreme caution" because the reverse polarity protection, etc is all disabled. I think it has something to do with the red button with the exclamation point on it. Haven't tried that feature yet. |
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