Connector(s) suitable for battery charger(s)

I'm looking for an easy and reliable way of connecting battery chargers to a lawn tractor and a mini tractor battery. The standard crocodile clips that come with the chargers are unreliable, go rusty and are too easy to touch on the wrong place.

I'm quite happy to drill some holes etc. in the tractors and I am also quite happy to do some soldering etc. Requirements are pretty obvious really:- Reasonable current capacity, say 10 amps or so maximum. Weather resistant in the sense of not corroding. Polarised by some means or other. Reasonably compact. Would prefer if they will simply pull apart (we all occasionally forget the charger is connected!).

I've hunted around on the CPC/Farnell site and a couple of other places but haven't found anything really suitable. The best I've found so far are the DIN loudspeaker connectors but I'm not really convinced that they can carry the current.

Reply to
tinnews
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Just use a cigar lighter fitting for a car[avan]. Get a cigar lighter plug and attach to battery. You the have a 12V cigar lighter on yer tractor for any accessories you may want in the field and a way of charging. These available from (for example):

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Reply to
Bob Mannix

Far too big and, in my experience, not a very reliable connection either. They're not designed as connectors so don't work very well as such. Horrible things - sorry, I'm not getting at you for suggesting it but they really are nasty.

Reply to
tinnews

Cigarette lighter plug & socket thingy? The sockets can be had with weatherproof covers, ISTR. You'd have a live plug, though...

Thomas Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

Anderson connectors. Any motorsport supplier will have them.

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Reply to
Huge

Trouble is both sides can be live, so you want a connector where both the male and female are shrouded. Have a look at the 3-pole IEC connectors on an electric kettle. That could be the sort of thing that might do the job.

Reply to
Tony Williams

The Bulgin Buccaneer range, eg

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waterproof covers, will handle current and very reliable. Not snatch connectors though.

Reply to
Peter Parry

Possibly too big. Probably nasty. But

They do provide for a wealth of accessories to be plugged in They are high current (cigar lighter) They are cheap It's only a tractor and he just wants to charge it not run a high quality supply though it for 10 years!

Reply to
Bob Mannix

'genderless' design that needs no separate 'male' or 'female' parts - they just click together in the correct polarity.

Here's some info I prepared earlier, with further links:

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30A contacts in the 15-45A housings should be fine for what you need. Although the contacts are not totally shrouded or waterproof, they are silver-plated so they can stand outdoor use. Dust caps may also be available.

They hold together well under normal usage, but also pull apart easily enough. Larger versions are used for charging electric forklifts, and can stand being disconnected by just driving away.

Reply to
Ian White

In message , snipped-for-privacy@isbd.co.uk writes

Cigarette lighter plugs. The only connector designed to pop out it's socket!

Reply to
Clive Mitchell

In message , snipped-for-privacy@isbd.co.uk writes

High current battery connectors like this?

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think forklift battery connectors.

Reply to
Clive Mitchell

Demon Tweeks have waterproof caps for them. (They're used on racing cars).

Reply to
Huge

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Reply to
Tom Woods

Tamiya connector, try a model shop or Ebay.

Good for ~15A AFAICT

cheers, Pete.

Reply to
Pete C

often scrounge them for free from computer hardware repairers because they are often used on battery packs in APC UPSs (maybe in others too)

Reply to
Clint Sharp

They used to sell these at Maplins but I don't know if they still do

Reply to
the_constructor

Hmm, might be ok but aren't they locking (unless you cut the latch off of course?).

But whilst at the model shop the black / red 'Power poles' (£2.99 / pack and as per Huge's link) are what I have on all my chargers / solar panels / coolerbox / motorbike camping leads / lead lights etc etc and never had one melt (unlike the Tamiya connectors when on our MR4TC's (RC electric 4WD touring car)) ;-(

Polarised, non locking, good current rating (good size opening for reasonable sized cables), self cleaning, compact but not 'waterproof' (as in boots etc).

All the best ..

T i m

Reply to
T i m

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Excellent, thank you, something actually *designed* for the job!

Reply to
tinnews

Thanks for the further details. I was wondering if a 'genderless' approach would be possible as for 12 volts there's no need to prevent one touching live pins.

Reply to
tinnews

Even better, thanks some more.

Reply to
tinnews

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