Battery charger ?

[Martin_D]

Hi everyone ,
My battery charger went out on me a couple of weeks ago , and since my dealer is now 1.5h from my place I'll be buying a new one on Amazon .
So what are the good deals to be had , best brands and prices . I don't want the cheapest or the most expensive ...
Thanks in advance for the suggestions and comments .

[justjoe]

Kind of a loaded question in regards to what is best. Optimate makes a full line of chargers with different features/costs. Their cheap chargers are $40 USD and go up to $240 USD.

I have a Black and Decker battery tender that I've had for years that cost about $15 USD that is awesome and has outlasted all the others that I have owned. But it is a simple 12v charger at 1.5 amps. The more advanced tenders charge faster, have more features, are suitable for multiple battery types etc. If you are looking for a simple tender...https://www.homedepot.com/p/BLACK-DE...-202710992-_-N

[MattB]

I'm with Joe, not sure that it's a one size fits all option. Like him, I have various chargers. The most recent was a Optimate that was marketed to help revive a sulphated battery. I can't tell for certain if it did as marketed, but it seemed to... unfortunately for me, it has gone missing at my house and I have zero idea where it disappeared to.

[cabnfvr]

I use a Battery Tender Jr. Cheap, effective, what's not to like.

[aviator]

I second Tim.
The Deltrand Battery tender Jr is a workhorse. Never let me down. I have so many keeping all my wheels and wings charged up. You cannot beat it for its price.

[RS530]

I too have the deltron battery tender, except mine is the tender plus version, not sure what the difference is, but has worked like a charm since the day I bought it over 7 years ago.

[Martin_D]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions !
I have one question about the https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tende...69784302&psc=1
Does it come with the cord connecting it to the battery , and the 12' extension , or do I have to buy it separately as suggested just below the description of the item on the page linked in this reply ?

Thanks again !

[Lee]

Martin, if your heated jacket has a coaxial plug you can buy SAE to Coaxial adapters so you can plug into the battery charger pigtail.

[aviator]

Lee, manufacturers for the heated gear strongly recommended that you DO NOT use the SAE charger pigtail.
I had this discussion with the Warm and Safe guy. Gerbing is the same. They want you to use the coaxial pigtail that comes with their kit.
My bikes have both attached to the battery.

[Lee]

Lee, manufacturers for the heated gear strongly recommended that you DO NOT use the SAE charger pigtail.
I had this discussion with the Warm and Safe guy. Gerbing is the same. They want you to use the coaxial pigtail that comes with their kit.
My bikes have both attached to the battery.

Didn't know that. Quess I'm ok, I use the coaxial pigtail connected to the bike battery for my Gerbing.
For the tire pump and battery charger I use a adapter.

I wonder why they say SAE is not good for heated gear.
My Eclipse, BMW and first Gerbing were provided with SAE pigtails.

[aviator]

There was a mention about the wires they use to make the charging pigtails. The trickle charger is of very low A. The heating stuff uses 10A or more.

[802Mike]

I've got several Battery Tenders and they work well. I rotate them around and
don't leave them on all the time. I've heard that putting a timer on for an hour
a day is better.
If it's an unheated space I'd remove the battery and bring it inside.

[aviator]

I've got several Battery Tenders and they work well. I rotate them around and
don't leave them on all the time. I've heard that putting a timer on for an hour
a day is better.
If it's an unheated space I'd remove the battery and bring it inside.

I have charged my airplane with the BT junior outside in winter and it did just fine.

[802Mike]

I have charged my airplane with the BT junior outside in winter and it did just fine.

Not in Montreal, Quebec I bet ?

[MattB]

Didn't know that. Quess I'm ok, I use the coaxial pigtail connected to the bike battery for my Gerbing.
For the tire pump and battery charger I use a adapter.

I wonder why they say SAE is not good for heated gear.
My Eclipse, BMW and first Gerbing were provided with SAE pigtails.

When it comes to heated gear, it's not rocket science.... so long as the wire and connector are rated for the load of the electric garment it would work fine. I'm assuming that the heater gear manufacturers want to "be sure"... or else they just want to sell more stuff.

I tend to make my own connectors, that said, not everything available for sale on the internet is equal. Some stuff has pitifully undersized wiring, claims to be 14 awg but looks more like 16 or even 18 sometimes.