Originally Posted By: wdn
I second the part about getting a really good battery charger and using it.
I bought a Diehard Gold battery charger/starter on wheels and a handle, like a dolly, when a K-Mart bought out by Sears went out of business maybe 8 years ago. It charges at 12 Volts at 2 amps, 10 amps, 50 amps, and 250 amps starting current setting. Also does 50 amps at 6 volts. It is a manual timer a spring operated timer. These are better than the automatic chargers in my opinion. The thing is a beast. They were marled half price $180 down to 90 bucks. I believe they were made by Schumacher -- you can get something very similar for $250 now.
Best $90 I ever spent. The jumper setting alone is worth it. It will start a dead battery V8 truck in below zero weather. But the real use is I keep the battery topped off and charge the cars when a family member is not using them. Also the Kubota diesel tractor I have had for 17 years and drive it in 15 below zero in the winter. The Kubota is old school too -- when the key is "off" the tractor draws no current. But every few months I top off the battery. The original battery and first replacement lasted 7 years each.
I recall a time not so long ago when a name brand battery would outlast it's warranty. Extreme hot temps. Extreme cold temps. Stop-n-go driving, etc, etc, etc. And with little to no maintenance to speak of. Across the board, it didn't matter. In my experience, this was more the case than not. Now, today, it would appear there has been a shift and many are noticing it. Is it a certain manufacture making cheap batteries? Is it that the last remaining primary lead smelter in the U.S. was shut down by EPA regulations so now batteries are made with recycled lead instead of fresh virgin lead? Don't know? But that is a sad state of events when one feels the need to invest in trickle chargers, battery chargers, whatever, and constantly be fussing around and nursing their batteries. I've used jumper cables more in the last few years than my whole life combined. It would sure be nice to know what is going on?