BatteryMinder

[HIGHFIVE]

Does anyone have info as to how effective the BatteryMinder is relative to entending the life of golf cart batteries?

[ajbrown]

Hate to see anyone left hanging, so I will provide some info which is only my opinion. As a disclaimer, I own a Battery Minder (BM) for each of my two carts. I purchased them primarily to keep my batteries charged while I am not in TV. If I get some desulfation, that is a bonus. Use the search facility to see other threads on BM.

I have read many testimonials that contain phrases like "My batteries feel..." or "My range now seems...". It would be nice to see some load test results of an aging pack. Load test of a three year old pack before and after the BM. These may exist, but I have not seen them ( have not looked too hard either :)).

The specific question you asked about how much longer a pack will last because it uses a BM is pretty tough to answer. Tough to know how long a battery pack would have lasted without the BM. There are so many variables in how long a battery pack will last it is hard to know for sure. What we have been told is that battery life is shortened by poor maintenance and sulfation. The BM cannot fix poor maintenance. IMO poor maintenance kills more batteries than anything in TV.

Assuming you are on top of the maintenance, then sulfation is the next battery killer. I read that sulfation happens when a battery sits in a discharged state. A battery begins to discharge the moment the charger shuts off. Sulfation begins as the voltage drops below some value. I am too lazy to go look up that number. Owning a BM, I can keep the batteries fully charged, so it prevents sulfation, even when I am away for a period of time

Mr. Woods (not related to the golfer) has this letter and other stuff at the site:

Letter from Bill Woods (http://batteryminders.com/from_bill_woods.php)

So in the end I do not know the answer to your question. Our second cart has had a BM on the battery pack since the batteries were new. If this pack lasts six years will it be because of the BM or because I use this cart less?

I can tell you one thing. I know these batteries are properly maintained. If this pack lasts two and a half years Mr Bill Woods and I will have to have a talk :D