I bought a couple of Battery Tenders last year and liked them so much, that I
bought 3 more. I used to use a regular 2 amp charger and a 6 amp charger to
try to charge all my seasonal vehicle batteries a few times throughout the
winter, but as I didn't check out the battery voltage after charging or use a
hygrometer (perhaps more difficult with a "sealed" battery) it was hit and
miss as to exactly how long I needed to charge the batteries and when I needed
to charge them. And at best my batteries rarely lasted more than 3 seasons.
I like 4 things about the Battery Tender. My First Like is the 2 lights -
Flashing Red for a bad connection/open circuit; Red for a low battery; Red and
Green for almost charged; and Green for fully charged and charger shuts off
and then just measures voltage to determine if it should come back on. My
Second Like is the permanent spark-free wire connection to the battery using
the ring terminals which connect to the bolts through the terminal ends on the
car's standard battery cable ends, and then the umbical cord from the ring
terminals can be fed permanemtly through the car's grille ending in a
weatherproof capped quick disconnect - no worrying about alligator clips
jumping off when you shut the hood. My Third Like is you can leave the Battery
Tender connected forever without worrying about over charging or running up
huge dollars on your electric bill. My Fourth Like is the integral fuse that I
imagine might help prevent a fire.
If, by using a hastle-free $50 Battery Tender, I can get 6 years out a $100
battery instead of 2, it's saved me $200, a 4:1 ROI ! If I get 8 years, I'll
save $300! Multiplied by number of seasonal vehicles.
-David Murphy
Dearborn Michigan
'76 TR6
'66 AH3000
'03 BMW MCS
'73 Norton Commando 850 Roadster
1 big old Yank ragtop
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