So for years I've used a battery tender hooked up to my tractor battery during the winter months. It was started right up when time for first cutting.

Now I've been told that I should have used a battery maintainer instead. The tender will continuously charge the battery to the point of overcharge whereas the maintainer will shut off when max charge is reached.

If this is true I guess the tender should be removed when solid green light comes on and maybe check periodically during off season.

Or start using the maintainer instead.

Whoever told you that was either mistaken, or one of you misunderstood the other. A 'BatteryTender' (the brand by Deltran) IS a battery maintainer. It is exactly what you want for the use you describe. What you don't want is a 'trickle charger'...

https://www.batterytender.com/battery-chargers

ETA - It appears all of the Battery Tender branded Battery Chargers are 'smart chargers' at this point, so even their more traditional larger capacity chargers switch to a 'float charge' maintenance mode after the battery is fully charged.

It's my understanding that a battery tender maintains the battery at whatever level it was at when plugged in, but doesn't charge it like a battery charger would do. I keep my Harley on a battery tender all winter and it fires right up in the Spring.

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So for years

How old is it? The reason I ask is that perhaps your Battery Tender (name brand not a type of equipment) is so darn old that it doesn't have modern smart charging technology in it.

I had to replace my off-brand battery maintainer last year since I switched from a traditional to Lithium Ion battery in my motorcycle. I ended up buying the NOCO Genius 1 for my motorcycle since it Lithium charging capabilities. Great size for power sports and power equipment. Would have had to spend a lot more money on a Battery Tender brand one that had lithium charging capability.

I liked it so well that I bought a larger one, the Noco Genius 5, for my truck. It also adds a 12V battery repair mode which might come in handy some day.

quote:

Originally posted by MMSIG229:
It's my understanding that a battery tender maintains the battery at whatever level it was at when plugged in,

Every one that I've seen actually charges it but very slowly. If you put a 1 amp one on a motorcycle battery it'll charge it overnight. The issue is that they have a minimal level or else it considers the battery needs replacing so it won't charge.

A Battery Tender (brand) will charge the battery fully, then go into a float or maintain mode and will keep the battery at the optimum charge, so you leave it plugged in all the time.

As was said the old chargers or trickle chargers that are not smart units can overcharge and need to be unplugged when the battery is fully charged, they of course, can't maintain.

Deltran makes the Battery Tender brand, these are the chargers you want, or other brand that offers similar charging/maintenance of your battery.

I've had mine for over 20 years, and it still works today to keep the motorcycle battery charged.

https://www.batterytender.com/battery-chargers

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Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by MMSIG229:
It's my understanding that a battery tender maintains the battery at whatever level it was at when plugged in,

Every one that I've seen actually charges it but very slowly. If you put a 1 amp one on a motorcycle battery it'll charge it overnight. The issue is that they have a minimal level or else it considers the battery needs replacing so it won't charge.

My experience as well. Also will not recharge a battery that's discharged, still have to put on an actual charger first to get enough juice back in it for Tender to bring back to full charge and then maintain.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
A Battery Tender (brand) will charge the battery fully, then go into a float or maintain mode and will keep the battery at the optimum charge, so you leave it plugged in all the time.

Been using battery tenders for 25 years. The above is 100%.

Another brand is "Battery MINDer," from VDC Electronics. I used to use one of their high-tech models for the expn$ive battery in the V-Tail. It did a good job of keeping that battery healthy. In addition to voltage sensing, it took battery temperature into account via a probe with a thermocouple. It had a desulfating cycle. Expensive device, but it doubled the battery life.

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Originally posted by V-Tail:
Another brand is "Battery MINDer," from VDC Electronics.

This is what I have been buying for the past two years, as I need new ones. They make them specific to AGM or flooded batteries. Both have the desulfate pulsing mode. I only have one Deltran brand still in regular use, and that is built into my generator transfer switch, to keep the generator battery up to snuff. It is 20 years old at this point and still working fine.