Modern Vespa

Can anyone recommend a good battery tender?

I don't want something cheap, but not looking to give up an arm and leg either. Price isn't my main concern though. I want to buy it right the first time.

I use the Battery Tender Junior (one for each bike)
http://batterytender.com/products.html

BatteryTender Junior does the job, gets good reviews and is about $40 or so.

I have a battery tender junior as well. It works great here in the frozen north....keeps the battery fresh throughout the winter. 8)

Thanks for the feedback. I will get one ordered.

My 2 cents: If you park outside (like I do) then consider getting the waterproof model. Same specs as the Jr., just in a waterproof case.

+Battery tender Junior.

I have one too! Big fan.

I have a tender and a 2-bank 1.25 amp one (we have 4 scoots, so...).

Works very well.

+1 for the battery tender Jr. I found mine online (amazon I think) for under $30 brand new.

[quote="TEX"]I use the Battery Tender Junior (one for each bike)
http://batterytender.com/products.html[/quote

I have the Battery Tender Jr. and like it. I have the quick connect on 3 scooters and rotate the tender between scooters every few days.

I use the battery float chargers from Harbor Freight that cost about $5.00 each. they have worked well for me on my scooters, cars , truck , and an ATV that i use each summer parked up in Idaho.
My daughter lives and works in Hong Kong and gets home every few months. She uses them on her two BMW automobiles and a '63 Ford Convertible here in the states and they work just fine.

Reading their published reviews and recommendations points to a 60/40 success/failure rate. Buy a lottery ticket, luck appears to be on your side.

An excellent choice, as you don't have to concern yourself with protecting it from the elements, as is the case when your car battery needs help after someone leaves the headlamps on overnight.

Also very handy if you think you might wake up one morning and impulsively move to a Greek Island, where the power is 220V. One less item to replace.

Is that like chicken tenders?

I use one here in CA. They are absolutely fine on a battery that's in otherwise good condition, but just needs topping up. They mustn't be left on continuously on the smaller m/c batteries though, as they are designed differently from the Deltran type of tender. They won't switch off when the battery is fully charged and allow the battery to rest at ~13.6V while monitoring the voltage, they will keep the fully charged battery at ~14.2V albeit with a very small rate of charge. This residual rate of charge is of the order of the self-discharge of a larger car battery (a few mA), but will gradually stress the smaller ones. No harm may be evidenced for a long time, but it can't be good in the long-term.

As long as this is borne in mind they work very well, and are an excellent budget choice.

Definitely the best choice. You get excellent bang for your buck.

+1

jimc,
I have been using a little Harbor Freight float charger on my Yamaha ATV for nine or ten months of the year for the last six years. It is left on continuously from when I return from Idaho in September until I return in the following June Or July. Same old battery!

I have a Halfords "Bike it" (own brand) charger/tender - easy to fit leads, boost and trickle charge, very easy to use (even tells you if you've got the leads on the wrong way round), 40 quid, extra leads about a fiver, wouldn't be without it in winter.

Just an update.

I didn't hit the lotto last night as planned , but a very nice forum member just randomly sent me a brand new Battery Tender Junior and accessories for free!

I don't feel like I deserve it and certainly not one who is need, but he wouldn't let me say no.

This person wishes to remain annoymous so I won't mention their name, but I did pay it forward by leaving a very large tip for a nice waiter this morning while grabbing breakfast. Basically, left a tip for what a new battery tender junior costs on a $18.00 check.

Please pay it forward to someone else.

Thanks for all your feedback.

It will kill your battery too, as JimC stated, it doesn't stop charging is the problem.

This is the one to get, as it water proof too.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CITKCE/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=31837380782&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5337986021839709844&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6km91b794y_b

I'm going against the grain here but I won't buy another Battery Tender Junior. My Battery Tender Junior stopped working properly and fried a fairly new AGM battery. I have used Battery Tender products for years and the Junior is the only one I've had a problem with. I had noticed that the Junior got much hotter than my other two Battery Tenders.

Since I live in AZ and garage temps hit 100F+ on a daily basis in the summer, I'm sure that contributed to the failure. The Junior might work fine for many years in a cooler environment. I simply won't buy another one. Saving a few $$ on the Junior wasn't worth the expense of replacing a $100 AGM battery.

-Craig

Heat was most likely the culprit, 100°+ will kill electronics.

Yes! And the design of the Junior doesn't allow for a lot of cooling. My other Battery Tender products have a larger box that allows more air circulation. Spending just $20 more will get you a Battery Tender Plus like the one I have been using for 13 years without failure.

Battery Tender Junior... very compact, gets very hot... BAD.


Battery Tender Plus... $20 more, stays cool... GOOD.

I see the masked man has struck again. I believe he's a member of 'Kick Ass'
He's just an ordinary scooter rider who became a real-life scooter superhero, calling himself 'Anonymous'

The water proof one may be a bad idea for that temp too, as everything is encased in silicone.

Has anyone tried the Black and Decker http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-BM3B-Battery-Maintainer/dp/B0051D3MP6/ref=pd_sbs_auto_5 I like the idea of just pluging it into an unswitched power point [ciggy lighter].

Also it looks like the 6VBattery Tender Jr is a 3 stage unit [does not go to a maintainer mode], whereas the 12V is a 4 stage unit and does have the mainter mode. http://batterytender.com/battery-tender-junior-12v-at-0-75a.html

"Automatically switches between charging mode and float mode monitoring"

The "Float Mode" is a concern, doesn't say it will shut off and just monitor.

I have one of those B&D units. It works fine. There is a 12V socket adapter (cig lighter) for the Battery Tender Junior as well.

I have both the Battery Tender Plus and the Junior. I agree with a previous post. Get the Plus. It charges faster and cooler than the Junior. Worth the extra.

I bought a Battery Tender Junior from 4 Wheel Online for only $31.19 and it works very well. After installing it, all electrical functions stabilized as well as the battery charging.

I've been using Granite 36 volt charger/maintainer on an electric bicycle for years- as well as being a plain old charger and a float charger it also cycle a lead acid battery to de-sulphate the plates. I've had noticeably longer battery life and when they finally do go bad they are not completely dead. Probably overkill for just a trickle charger, but they are more useful than just that. I'm just a happy customer. Not a shill, and I do have a basket case Allstate that will be getting an LML engine in the near future.
http://www.amazon.com/Save-Battery-1702-12-Volt-Maintainer/dp/B002HGFS3O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1387417602&sr=8-3&keywords=save-a-battery

The Deltran (Battery Tender Brand) and Optimate chargers are very good. FYI if you have a lithium battery it requires a different charger.

http://www.atbatt.com/motorcycle-batteries/how-to-charge-a-lithium-phosphate-motorcycle-battery

http://www.tecmate.com/u_optimate_lithium.php