Connector(s) suitable for battery charger(s)

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):

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.

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

Thomas Prufer

Anderson connectors. Any motorsport supplier will have them.

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.

The Bulgin Buccaneer range, eg

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!

'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:

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.

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

High current battery connectors like this?

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

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

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

Tamiya connector, try a model shop or Ebay.

Good for ~15A AFAICT

cheers, Pete.

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

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

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

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.

Even better, thanks some more.