what battery charger/maintainer do I need ?

[Scottintexas]

I've never owned a battery charger before (although I've had to borrow one a time or two!)

I unplug my boat battery after each outing and store it in the garage over the winter, I also have just the stock stereo which I don't run much. It had lasted 5 years until I forgot to unplug it earlier this year.

I now have a riding lawnmower that the battery drains on if it sits more than a week.

I was thinking of getting a small/cheap charger maintainer but have become overwhelmed by all the information. Do I need just the cheapest one or am I getting something more in a higher priced unit.

I don't mind paying a little more for quality but don't want to unnecessarily spend extra,

 

[Diana24]

I use a battery tender plus to keep the boat battery charged. U can also use that for your lawn mower to keep your battery charged.

 

[swatski]

@ChargerGuy what do you think?

I personally like onboard chargers best, w/a through-hull port plug. Looking for one myself, I need a dual bank.

EDIT: here is the plug I will be installing
https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-Genius-...0_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GYSAVE9YRVPAQK5HFHRZ

 

[btbowden]

I use this one.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/noco-...y-charger-12v-8a-2-bank--14995955?recordNum=1

 

[swatski]

@ChargerGuy Do you have anything available right now?

 

[David Analog]

Scott,
If your lawnmower battery dies in a week then it needs replacement now.
If you have a single battery then you need a single bank charger. If adding a second battery/bank is in your future for any reason then buy a 2-bank charger.
The amperage capacity of the charger you choose depends on two factors. One, the Amp/Hour capacity by Two, how deep the discharge is when the battery is placed into storage.
It sounds like in all applications the batteries will be placed into storage with a full charge. In that case a small 1.25 amp maintenance charger can do the job. However, I would recommend spending a bit more and getting a 5-amp Smart charger.

 

[jameskeller76]

This is what I use. Not the cheapest but much less expensive than buying new batteries every season:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F5EBR1C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[swatski]

This is what I use. Not the cheapest but much less expensive than buying new batteries every season:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F5EBR1C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Those are pretty awesome. I had one 30A ProMariner before. Trying to decide between that and a Noco.

 

[maboat]

@Scottintexas Scott IN TEXAS, check out PulseTech chargers. They are a Texas company based in Southlake
http://www.pulsetech.net/12V-Maintenance-Chargers-9649.aspx

You can buy on Amazon or directly from the PulseTech website or other retailers.

@txav8r can give you more details and a while back I think there was a discount for Jetboaters.net but not sure if that deal is still available.

 

[Noko]

I have a Minn Kota dual bank on board charger with a thru hull plug. For my lawn tractor and snow mobiles, I bought some cheap battery tenders at Walmart. I think they were $10 or so on sale. They do a good job of keeping my stuff charged that won't get started for months. I'd get a decent battery maintainer for your boat battery. The charger does a lot of stuff to your battery to keep it in good shape.

 

[captras]

I have used just the inexpensive, Wal-mart ($20) battery tenders for years for both my jetskis, my lawn tractor, my boat, my 2003 Corvette, and my 1969 Chevelle, and they have never failed me. My last boat battery lasted me 6 years! My batteries are on a tender anytime they will be not used for more than a few days. You can get ones that have more features and cost more money, but my experience has been excellent with just a no frills battery tender.

 

[swatski]

@Scottintexas Scott IN TEXAS, check out PulseTech chargers. They are a Texas company based in Southlake
http://www.pulsetech.net/12V-Maintenance-Chargers-9649.aspx

You can buy on Amazon or directly from the PulseTech website or other retailers.

@txav8r can give you more details and a while back I think there was a discount for Jetboaters.net but not sure if that deal is still available.

I forgot about it, thanks for bringing it up. The only issue is those are really not designed to be mounted onboard, and from what I recall @txav8r Mel used it in his garage/barn, not mounted on board.

 

[Ronnie]

Here are the Chargers I use on my boat and waverunners. I've never had a problem with either over many years of service. If you are not brand name loyal the one from harbor freight may be perfect for you. It's a charger maintainer but also give you an option to just attach the pig tail leads to the battery so the charger itself isn't always on board. Price wise I haven't found anything better.

 

[Ilmmct]

This is the dual battery tender I have had for 3 years - shore power 365 days/year. Very happy with the durability and simplicity:

http://www.pulsetech.net//Assets/ProductSpecifications//100X200.PDF

The is likely a newer model from Pulsetech out there now, but a great product which I found as a recommendation from another jetboat owner.

 

[Ilmmct]

Duh ... do what I didn't ... look above at maboat's post ...he's got got taste in Battery Tenders

 

[msavold]

I had a cheap Noco Genius G1100 from Amazon ($39.95) that worked fine for the stock single battery. When I put in the dual AGM batteries I got a
Minn Kota MK 230 PC on Mikey's recommendation. Pricey but Jet.com had it on sale for $199, first time purchase discount of 15%, and Minn Kota has had a $50 rebate in the spring... I think I posted all this in 'bargains' thread back then...

The big debate I had with myself was what amperage to get - somewhere I found a good chart of amperage vs charging time but I can't put my fingers on it now.

 

[swatski]

You will want to have at least 10A per battery for fast charging. Now, that is a luxury that comes only in more expensive packages for onboard charging.
Where is @ChargerGuy when we need him, LOL? he has hooked me up with a killer deal on my old ProMariner 30A, which was a porsche of chargers.

@Ilmmct I like the PulesTech a lot, but I don't see those as designed to be mounted inside the hull?

 

[djetok]

I have used just the inexpensive, Wal-mart ($20) battery tenders for years for both my jetskis, my lawn tractor, my boat, my 2003 Corvette, and my 1969 Chevelle, and they have never failed me. My last boat battery lasted me 6 years! My batteries are on a tender anytime they will be not used for more than a few days. You can get ones that have more features and cost more money, but my experience has been excellent with just a no frills battery tender.

Seconded.

I do the same thing plus all my semis during the winter. A lot more amperage on the semis. All are maintainers so the dont overcharge the battery.

 

[txav8r]

You could easily mount a pulsetech in the boat. That is not its primary design but when we have traveled, I just lay it in the battery compartment vs being mounted in the barn outside the boat. I need an extension cord then, but it is easy to route over the swimdeck, and under the backrest, into the engine compartment via the fresh air intake home in the seatback.

Understanding recovery time to charge and desulfate a battery is important. Wet lead acid batteries, whether AGM or serviceable, won't take more than 10 to 15 amps per hour. Time to charge depends on level of depletion. Whatever charger you get, make sure it has smart technology. You want it to test or prepare the battery to accept a charge before just jumping up to max amps, then to slowly increase amperage, then to stabilize until the battery approaches 75-80% charged, run to slowly start to back off the charge rate to a trickle, and to stop charging when it is full. After that, a smart charger doesn't charge, it checks by testing, and won't actually put a charge on the battery(s) until they have room to too them off. If a charger constantly charges a battery, even when fully charged, it will shorten your battery life. And short small charges aren't good either, as you don't desulfate a battery doing that. It needs a cycle. Smart charge algorithms are programmed with thresholds to do this most effectively. I like the 2.5A pulsetech, because it has a 5A effective charge rate. The pulse technology and varied pulse widths accomplish that. But it isn't set up to best serve the boater that needs an onboard charger, so find one of the brands of onboard chargers, that will both charge and protect your batteries.

 

[Island Jay]

Sorry, I was not getting any notifications in my email about this thread.

Ideally you want a mounted charger so they can get hard wired to the battery posts. Plug in, walk away, forget about it. Easy.
Not too much of a big fan of portable chargers when dealing with multiple batteries, banks, etc. Too many possible errors.

I have 2 bank guest chargers for $81 shipped. 12 amps, waterproof, includes all AC & DC lines.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151967813430

thanks!
Jason