I need a new battery for Nana.

She is the 850 I recently acquired and got back on the road. Being a stately 45 year old I do not want to drive her all the time and I was looking at a gel battery 'cos they can sit for a long time and hold charge. My man now tells me that gel batteries are a no no with generators!

So, me need help. What can some kind soul recommend as the best battery for a seldom used 850??

Appreciate any help and expect the pisz to be taken accordingly.

bam.

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1964 Cooper UK 970 S 'CZ 4289'

could it be a option to have the battery on a trickle charge why its not in use which would keep it topped up for the occasions you need it?


TUCK3R

Thx tuck, but what battery? What is a good quality brand/model that will suit a spinster that needs a prod once in a while?

Trickle charge should keep her happy tho.

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1964 Cooper UK 970 S 'CZ 4289'

I find that more than a little disturbing

hollar for a MARSHALL!!

"Im in the glovebox"

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Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

Hey Blokeina...., it's not for her vibrator ferchrissakes!!!! Mind above the navel please; this is after all, a family forum init???

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1964 Cooper UK 970 S 'CZ 4289'

Heck I never said it for a vibrator. What would your Nana want with a vibrator

As for being a family forum - I agree. The best way to have a family is to not use a vibrator. Its far more effective if you use a penis.

I'm intrigued as to why you cannot use a deep cycle battery...

A friend of mine with a number of Nissan GTiR's and a Skyline he likes to keep charged and ready has gone through a number of these battery's anyway. He's less than impressed with their "longevity"

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Mick, all I can say is that the guy I was talking to said they were not the right thing for a generator system. Go figure??? I dunno why and that's why I am sending the query out to the oracle(s).

Mate, I just wanna get a good battery. Am understanding the trickle charge etc. etc, but what battery?

Sometimes I think I am too simple for myself to understand.

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1964 Cooper UK 970 S 'CZ 4289'

I have run gel batteries with generators on both cars and boats with no ill effects. In fact they wre recommended for the job.

I used an Optima

agm and other 'gel' batteries wont last long if they arent charged correctly just like a normal battery

To make it worse generators and alternators dont charge any battery fully anyway.

I wouldt get just a normal old battery for it and a ctek charger to leave plugged in all the time, no need to remove the battery or anything

the bonus is you can also use it on all your other car batteries to help prevent sulphation and make the batteries last longer

Bam, we use an RACV battery in our 850. She only gets started and driven once a month or so. Battery is now 5 years old, and still works just fine. Its a heavy battery that fills the battery box completely. works a treat.

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88 Rover 1.3i "Reggie"
99 Rover 1.3i “Grover”
12 Mini Cooper S "The shitter"
17 Mini Clubman JCW “Noddy”

I picked up a small solar cell from jaycar or supercrap or the like and put it on the rear parcel shelf. It was wired onto the battery and charged the car at a rate of 30 milliAmps. Not enough to cause any problems, and I could come back from 3 months away and simply start the car right up. All it needs is to be near a window.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I don't see why a decent sized (i.e. 500CCA or thereabouts), properly maintained lead-acid battery won't last an age and a half. When you use the 850, use it for long enough to get a decent charge into the battery, and you'll be fine. Just check the electrolyte levels every 6 months and top up with distilled water.

I've got a 600CCA (or about that) 4WD battery I keep up at the caravan on our house site, and I've charged it once since I bought it about 18 month ago. It doesn't do any heavy lifting, just a trickle discharge to run the 12V lights and my 240V inverter and it's fine.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Personally I cant see why you couldnt use an optima yellow top (thats what i'd be doing) or get a large (450 - 550 cca) lead acid battery and get one of those trickle chargers that (sorry cant remember the name of them) that keeps the battery voltage at around the 13 - 14 volt mark.....it lets it drop to about 10 or 12 volts and then slowly builds it up as if its under load .... you fit the wires to the battery and plug it in when the cars not in use and helps maintain battery life.

my 5cents worth

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU