Ideas for Battery Trickle Charge/Maintenance

[Rod Dumbreck]

Our handler sits out in the cold and with the current run of weather is needing an extra battery/jump start to actually get it to fire up. Im thinking there must be a proprietary item that you could plug in overnight to keep the battery 100% for the morning. Its not for me so much as anyone who comes to feed if Im away (Im dreaming it could happen) and therefore needs to add reliability and ease of use. Opening the battery box and getting the jump leads on is a little tricky.

 

[Bury the Trash]

yes plenty of choice , something like this

Clarke IBC5 6/12V Intelligent 4A Battery Charger - Machine Mart - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

and some of them come with to leads /wires to connect to battery terminals and slip out under the bonnet /cover to enable plugging in without faffing around under there , easy enough to make up, red and black wiring and some plugs and a fuse.

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

yes plenty of choice , something like this

Clarke IBC5 6/12V Intelligent 4A Battery Charger - Machine Mart - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

and some of them come with to leads /wires to connect to battery terminals and slip out under the bonnet /cover to enable plugging in without faffing around under there , easy enough to make up, red and black wiring and some plugs and a fuse.

That would be worth a go if its as clever as it makes out, I'm thinking I would need to add an exterior + and - terminal somewhere to clip to easily and my existing battery charger doesn't take any prisoners if you connect it wrong so put me off using it.

 

[Bury the Trash]

That would be worth a go if its as clever as it makes out, I'm thinking I would need to add an exterior + and - terminal somewhere to clip to easily and my existing battery charger doesn't take any prisoners if you connect it wrong so put me off using it.

as above Thats easy made or bought, some trickle chrger maintaners come with it like this ..

and left stickong out the side/cable tied tidily / easily found to plug the charger in every eve,
could well need longer wires than that

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

as above Thats easy made or bought, some trickle chrger maintaners come with it like this ..
View attachment 1159498
and left stickong out the side/cable tied tidily / easily found to plug the charger in every eve,
could well need longer wires than that

Ive just bought the above one, so Ill see how it comes. Ive got an inline fuse somewhere, to put on the machine side. Typical that theres straw around so its got to be fairly "reliable"

 

[Bury the Trash]

Ive just bought the above one, so Ill see how it comes. Ive got an inline fuse somewhere, to put on the machine side. Typical that theres straw around so its got to be fairly "reliable"

that actually comes with the eyelet wires plug and fuse ...will be easy to extend if needed .

Always a bit of extra fire risk with battery charging , im always a little bit uneasy at leaving them on over night but needs must sometimes.

 

[Steevo]

You need a high speed starter from @ACEngineering

 

[Old apprentice]

The safest way I would sujes t is have two batteries on a two wheeled little boggy put it on charge in the day and of at night safer then you loads of ampage to start any thing you wish . An old sack truck a few hours in the work shop and a useful peace of kit

 

[Farma Parma]

CTEK do everything you need inc a plug in flush socket if you want to be really flash in cab for that matter or a flying lead near batteries. & you can leave even the smallet units they make on permanent charge at night. If you need more AMPS a jump pack be easiest way.

 

[Flatlander]

Clean all the connections and a new battery might help. If it’s only on the coldest of nights I’d seriously consider a circulating block heater. Plumb it into the heater hose and it will warm the engine. Even at 40 below my grain truck will fire first time over after being stood for a week. A lot kinder on everything.

 

[ACEngineering]

Our handler sits out in the cold and with the current run of weather is needing an extra battery/jump start to actually get it to fire up. Im thinking there must be a proprietary item that you could plug in overnight to keep the battery 100% for the morning. Its not for me so much as anyone who comes to feed if Im away (Im dreaming it could happen) and therefore needs to add reliability and ease of use. Opening the battery box and getting the jump leads on is a little tricky.

It will be the starter motor causing your problems, replace it with a better one.

Let me know details if you want help with this

 

[JWL]

As a quick solution to my Defender as this cold weather is not doing the batteries any favours I attached a wire to the positive terminal and put a female spade connection on the end. Pop the smart battery charger on overnight, negative crocodile clip to a seatbox bolt for earth, and the positive is clipped to a blade fuse, one lug in the spade connection and the clip to the other side of the fuse.
When finished the fuse is pulled out and the wire tucked away. Simples

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

As a quick solution to my Defender as this cold weather is not doing the batteries any favours I attached a wire to the positive terminal and put a female spade connection on the end. Pop the smart battery charger on overnight, negative crocodile clip to a seatbox bolt for earth, and the positive is clipped to a blade fuse, one lug in the spade connection and the clip to the other side of the fuse.
When finished the fuse is pulled out and the wire tucked away. Simples

Thanks for all the brilliant suggestions, the whole issue is about making it easier /more reliable if someone less familiar with our way of doing things has to use the loader on a frosty morning. And about myself climbing into the cab with the battery box flap blocking off the step and a set of jump leads all joining in the fun, I ordered the small charger and will have a bodge around next week.

 

[steveR]

Clean all the connections and a new battery might help. If it’s only on the coldest of nights I’d seriously consider a circulating block heater. Plumb it into the heater hose and it will warm the engine. Even at 40 below my grain truck will fire first time over after being stood for a week. A lot kinder on everything.

Had one of these on my long gone Teleshift loader. It was always an absolute pig to start, possibly as I was once told, because of oil drag in the transmission...? Ford 6600 engine that eventually succumbed to the shite, porus block problem.

Winters were a nightmare so a Kenlowe block heater on a timeswitch solved all the problems, and a nice warm cab from the first minute was the bonus.

Kenlow don't make them now... So https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=engine+coolant+pre+heater&_sop=12

 

[David.]

Imagine how you will cry, when one morning the battery compartment and everything around it is sprayed with battery acid, as a result of the maintenance charger not doing what it says on the box.
Noco Genius 10 has coated everything near my charging bay thus, twice.
It will happen.

 

[MrNoo]

Imagine how you will cry, when one morning the battery compartment and everything around it is sprayed with battery acid, as a result of the maintenance charger not doing what it says on the box.
Noco Genius 10 has coated everything near my charging bay thus, twice.
It will happen.

They seem plenty ok for the supercar brigade etc who always put their cars on Trickle charge etc.
Got one on my Aston, goes on when I don't use it.
Got them on my match ploughing tractors and my main farm tractors over the winter period with no issues.
Ctek and also Airwave chargers used here with a couple of the cheaper ones on my ploughing tractors.

 

[David.]

I was unlucky then. Just glad it wasn't on a classic Ford, else I'd be repainting bonnet and engine.

 

[Timbo]

As said, sort the underlying poor cranking issue or fit a block heater in electric or diesel fuelled form. -5c shouldn't be any issue for anything.

 

[Bucks Boy]

My 20 year old, parked outside,10000hrs Manitou started straight up at -6c this morning. Still fitted with Lucas starter motor. Did fit new battery leads last year.

 

[ACEngineering]

Thanks for all the brilliant suggestions, the whole issue is about making it easier /more reliable if someone less familiar with our way of doing things has to use the loader on a frosty morning. And about myself climbing into the cab with the battery box flap blocking off the step and a set of jump leads all joining in the fun, I ordered the small charger and will have a bodge around next week.

Nothing easier than curing it perminantly with a decent starter motor though.