[AT] Having battery problems--so how to fix?

[John Wilkens]

Say you have 6 old tractors sitting outside through the winter and they all 
have batteries in various conditions,   how's the best way to preserve them 
for use the next season?   I've heard different things about this but never 
paid much attention.    I assume you would take them out of the tractors and:
1)  Put them on a wooden surface (heard that somewhere)?    2)  Charge them 
up good and then leave them alone for say a month and then recharge 
them?     3)  Keep them on a trickle charger all winter?    4)  Let them 
drain off about 1/2 charge before recharging ?   5) Alternate between 
trickle charging and regular battery charger charging?    6)  Or 
?????              Another thing...I heard you could take an older weak 
battery and hook it up to 40 or 60 amps for a short time to "rattle the 
plates" to revive them.  Any truth in that?   (I tried it once on a shot 
battery and all it did was heatup the battery and totally kill 
it).    Whatever.  Over the years I've had pretty good luck with Cat 
batteries....both 6 and 12 volt.     John W.

                    In the wide-open spaces of NE Oregon