Battery tender question

[emac]

81sc, I have the tender connected direct to battery, when I put her up
for winter I just need to plug in. Question is just how long can they stay connected without causing damage.
Ernie

[timmy2]

There was a thread on this just the other day. Plug it into a weekly timer and let it run as long as it needs to for a full charge. (Test and then set)

[emac]

Thanks Tim, the one I have says it charges as needed
then shuts off. I've had it connected for as long as a month but never all winter
Got it at Menards 1amp I believe
Ernie

[gamin]

The two I bought at Walmart (2 batteries in 70) I have left connected for 3-4 months at a time while working on the car. No problems and the batteries are fine. Interstate U911 batteries.

[nineball]

if it is a quality brand you can leave it plugged in for as long as you like. i use battery tender jrs and leave them all plugged in for the entire winter - 911, bike and a pair of seadoos.

[Koizumi]

Seriously, buy a Ctek charger and leave it plugged in all winter. It is the very best charger as it is actually a 'tender' that will carefully maintain your battery's charge.

It's the best of the best and entirely safe.

[michael lang]

I too leave my Battery Tender plugged in all winter and in between when I'm not driving. It has yet to hurt my car's electrical system and I think I went 8 years before I bought the battery I have now. I bought a Braille because I was trying to trim some excess weight on my car.

[911_Dude]

CTEK for the win! Amazon. They are awesome.

[tirwin]

I have a BatteryMinder. It came with the car so it's not like I thoroughly researched it before I bought it - BUT, I went online to look for the manual and, at least according to the folks at BatteryMinder, theirs is "special" because it prevents sulfation.

Their FAQ says you can leave it connected indefinitely.

Batteryminders Specials | BatteryMinders.com

They claim that sulfation is a problem even with a battery kept on a charger and they have a patented technology that prevents sulfation. Here's some more info:

Battery Sulfation, Dissolving Battery Sulfation, Battery Sulfation Causes

I haven't really delved into this deeply yet to know if they are as special as they claim to be. I will say this, last year I accidentally drained the battery when I was working on the car. Thought for sure I had killed the Optima Red Top but this charger revived it from the dead.