[AT] Battery Charger recommendations

Sun Apr 24 20:36:21 PDT 2016

I have a lot of harbor freight tools and equipment.  I use it a lot and 
have not had too many problems.   However, I do not really have any 
electric or cordless tools from them.  i have a lot of their electric 
winches and they work great on my 4 wheelers and my small trucks.  
However, I use the big one with a pulley and try to take care of them.  
They are not overloaded.  I have several of the battery maintainers from 
HF, and some of  the little wall wart trickle chargers.   What I have 
noticed with them is that they cannot stand a power surge. We have a lot 
of lightning and power surges here in what used to be rural OK and I 
think that is what has done them in.   I have one on my Onan Generator 
to keep the battery up, and it has lasted 4 years The first one lasted 6 
and I just changed that battery this winter.  10 years on a battery with 
those trickle chargers on all the time..!!!  I cannot really gripe too 
much on Harbor Freight.   I have good tools also, and use them, but when 
out in the field, the HF tools are what are in the tool boxes on the 
trucks and tractors...   I tend to lose more tools that I wear out.   I 
find a lot of 5 gal buckets with old parts and tools in them, stashed in 
trucks corners of sheds, and Under some kind of weather shield...  The 
older I get, the more of these I find. Carrying the buckets to the tool 
box is the real chore now.   I use my 4 wheeler as a wheel chair since 
my knee gave out...

Cecil in OKla

On 4/24/2016 9:52 PM, Dean VP wrote:
> Mike,
>   I agree with that with one caveat. I bought 3 or 4 of the cheapo Harbor
> freight versions and they seemed to do the job until I found one where the
> plastic caser had melted.  Now I don't trust any of them unattended. If you
> can't use them unattended they are worthless in my opinion.  I just plain
> have lousy luck with any electrical from Harbor Freight.
>
>
> Dean VP
> Snohomish, WA 98290
>
> It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Mike M
> Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2016 7:34 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Subject: Re: [AT] Battery Charger recommendations
>
> I'm a fan of battery tenders that are left on all the time. Batteries are
> getting more expensive all the time. they seem like a good investment to me.
>
> Mike M
>
>
> On 4/24/2016 3:32 PM, Dean VP wrote:
>> Bill,
>>
>> I usually have one of battery boosters around and have found them helpful.
>> I think I'm on my second one, both purchased at Costco. I don't remember
> the
>> brand right now.   I didn't have very good luck with either, the 1st one
>> failed in that it was only putting our 6 to 8V anymore and on a 6 V
> battery
>> it didn't work very well either.   So I purchased another and it worked
>> awhile but now it puts out 0V even though the meter shows over 12V
>> available ,  My guess it  has blown a fuse internally and after
>> calling the manufacture they won't help me fix it myself.  They want it
> sent in.  They
>> wouldn't even admit there was a fuse inside.   The shipping cost of
>> returning it, getting it repaired and sent back exceeds the cost of buying
> a
>> new one.   Someday I might try to take it apart and see if it is fixable.
>> So I've not had very good luck with battery boosters and I have sworn
>> off buying anything electrical from Harbor fFreight.  I've just had
>> too much trouble with Harbor Freight Battery powered tools.  I'll buy
>> a wrench or so from them if I only need it once in a while otherwise
>> if I want something good I go elsewhere.  Just am very down on Harbor
> freight right now.
>> r
>> Snohomish, WA 98290
>>
>> It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Bill Bruer
>> Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2016 10:10 AM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Battery Charger recommendations
>>
>> Dean,
>>
>> You might get by with a more reasonably priced battery charger if you
>> can use one of these power pack/battery boosters for the starting chores:
>> http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-1-portable-power-pack-with-jump-star
>> ter-62
>> 306.html
>> Very portable & relatively cheap, though I see the price has gone up.
>> At least you can get the 20% off coupon on the website.
>>
>> I got one a couple of years ago to aid in starting an IH D312 Diesel
>> that has to sit too long between uses.  It works as advertised if you
>> follow the directions to hook it up and wait a full 5 minutes before
>> cranking the engine.  My only gripe is the very short cables.
>>
>> Bill Bruer
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dean VP
>> Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2016 11:59 PM
>> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Battery Charger recommendations
>>
>> Cecil,
>>
>> Right now I'm trying to get 6 acres of lawn under control after coming
>> back from AZ 2 weeks later than normal and this area had 90 degree
>> weather for a week.  Broke every record in April since God was a kid.  The
> pasture grass
>> was over 2 ft tall.    I got it mowed with a garden tractor today, maybe
>> knocked down is a better description.  I just don't have any extra
>> time right now getting ready for Knee replacement surgery on May 11th.
>> Have to get the 6 acres under control so the lawn maintenance people I
>> hire to do the lawn won't charge me a fortune while I am recovering from
> knee surgery.
>> I should have mowed it with a sickle bar mower, raked it and baled it.
>> But in our normal wet weather that probably wouldn't have worked either.
>>
>> So repairing Battery chargers is just not in the cards right now.
>> They will get put on a shelf to be looked at later to determine if
>> they are worth repairing. I have an electronics background so fixing
>> them is not an issue but time to do it is short right now.  We had my
>> wife's car in AZ for 3 1/2 months this winter. No problems at all.
>> Drove it 1600 miles back home and the second morning after we returned it
> appeared to have a completely dead
>> battery.  That was unexpected.   Was going to hook up a battery charger
> and
>> both were DOA so hooked up battery cables to my truck.  Let it charge
>> for 15 minutes or so and her car started right up.  Went to remove the
>> Jump cable and the car's positive cable came off of the post with the
>> jumper cable clamp.  The stinking clamp was loose on the post. Problem
>> solved.  Wonder how long that clamp had been loose. Might have been
>> that way since last April, 2015 believe it or not and just now acted
>> up.  Vely weird. My wife did have the oil and filter changed in AZ at
>> a Honda dealer but I sincerely doubt they removed the positive battery
>> cable while doing that. Always mysteries to wonder about.
>>
>> Dean VP
>> Snohomish, WA 98290
>>
>> It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Cecil
>> Bearden
>> Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2016 2:12 PM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Battery Charger recommendations
>>
>> Dean:
>> If your old one still has a good transformer, you can upgrade it to
>> solid state rectifiers.   The old ones had 2large square diode plates
>> that would go bad if they got rained on.  I replaced them with a
>> bridge rectifier or more than one if I needed the amperage.  I used to get
> them
>> from Surplus Center in Lincoln Neb.    If not, them an electronics
>> supply, not Radio Shack, a real electronics supply house would have
>> them..    You probably should mount them on a aluminum plate with some
>> conductive grease to give it a heat sink, or Surplus center had some
>> heat sinks also...  I never have had a transformer go bad unless it got
>> hit by lightning while it was charging.   I usually could fix a large
>> one for less than $25 including shipping...
>>
>> Cecil in OKla
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/23/2016 2:37 PM, Dean VP wrote:
>>> Bruce,
>>>
>>> I would suspect that a good charger would have a heavy duty
>>> transformer in it and be heavier. Kind of like a welder or so.
>>> Weight might be a good indicator of goodness.  This reminds of the
>>> days when the better audio bass speakers could be determined somewhat
>>> by their coil weight.  Haven't been out to touch and feel units yet.
>>> Once I get a few targets in mind the store visits will begin.
>>>
>>> Dean VP
>>> Snohomish, WA 98290
>>>
>>> It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Bruce
>>> Fallon
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2016 7:15 AM
>>> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
>>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [AT] Battery Charger recommendations
>>>
>>> I remember the roll around units that were heavy and heavy duty,  a
>>> friend bought a new one with digital readout etc. and it is so light
>>> you can pick it up with one hand.  Just a light charger in a big
>>> metal box.  Check them out before you buy one.
>>>
>>> Bruce Fallon
>>> Langley, WA 98260
>>>
>>>
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