RE: Battery vs. Tender vs. H-F Float Charger

["Jack Holloway" <jackh233@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Harbor Freight still has them at $7.95 in the store in Ocala, FL, I just
called them.
I will pick up 2 tomorrow.
Thanks Jim for information.

Jack Holloway
Leesburg, FL
2000 R1100RT


> Subject: Re: Battery vs. Tender vs. H-F Float Charger
>
>
> BAnder6125@xxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > I personally like an electronically controlled auto charger
> that has a 2 amp cycle.
> > The battery tender is a limited purpose device (tender),
> and tends (pun) to be
> > overpriced on a feature benefit basis. A good auto charger
> is versatile and can be
> > used on car batteries (10 Amps) also. They cost the same as
> a battery tender, are at
> > least as automatic, and most have a meter to boot.
>
> I agree with 95% +/- of what you said. In fact it wasn't but
> a few years ago that I
> would have agreed with 100% of what you said, but then one
> day I found that one of my
> batteries had been boiled dry by an automatic battery charger
> on its low (2 Amp)
> trickle charge setting. I forgot it was connected to the
> bike, and it remained there
> for a couple of days or weeks over the winter. If you are
> going to use an automatic,
> automotive battery charger as a float charger, do yourself
> and the battery a big favor
> by putting the charger on a clock timer that lets it charge
> for only ~1-2 hours per
> day, or 1 hour out of every 12 hours. That is more than
> enough to keep it topped off.
> Better yet, save the automatic battery charger for real
> charging and use float chargers
> for maintaining your battery at a peak level of charge.
>
> After buying several Battery Tender brand float chargers at
> $39-69 each, I discovered
> that Harbor Freight sells a float charger for ~$8 when on
> sale. I couldn't resist
> trying one, so I bought three and connected them to one car
> and two bikes in storage.
> They worked perfectly during the initial test, and now four
> years later, I have near
> one dozen of the H-F Float Chargers in use on all the bikes
> and cars that aren't used
> daily. They keep the batteries at peak charge just like the
> Battery Tenders that they
> run side by side with, but at 1/4 the purchase price. It may
> be the Airhead in me
> (airhead owners are famous for finding "cost effective"
> solutions.), but I don't mind
> saving a few $$$ when there is no down side to doing it.
>
> Jim
> microdoc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> '99 R1100RT '99 F650 '98 R1200C '88 R100GS '78 R80/7
> BMW MOA, RA, ABC

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