It`s winter time and cold and as usual the tractor battery is almost dead. The regular charger and the trickle charger boils out the water. A neighbor says he uses a " float charger". Can someone tell me what a float charger is amd what does it do? Thanks a lot
It's a smarter charger which brings a 12V battery up to full charge, which is around 14 volts, then backs off to a low current and monitors it to keep it at around 13 volts, which keeps it charged without over charging it.
Here's one from Harbor Freight which I have been using for the past several years with no complaints.
For a lead acid battery there is a voltage at which it will maintain its charge, but not overcharge or over heat. That is called the "float voltage". Anything higher will cause more charge to be applied, any thing lower will allow the battery to slowly become discharged.
For typical lead acid batteries the float voltage is just about 13.1 volts.
Others have described various "smart chargers", that will actually set a more or less regulated float voltage. That is a good way to go, particularly if you buy a good one that regulates well. Another way is to judge the size of your battery, and purchase a very small "trickle" charger. A 3 Amp charger is probably too big. A 1 Amp charger will work fine for a regular car sized battery. If it's something the size of a motorcycle battery, get a 1/2 Amp or less.
If you go cheap, go with a small trickle charger. If you decide to buy a "smart" charger, get a good one (because an inexpensive one has the ability to fry your battery).
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