Charging tractor, ATV & motorcycle batteries

piperjim

My old John Deere tractor, ATV, and motorcycle are stored in a barn w/o electricity. Sometimes they sit there for weeks and weeks without being started.

I'd like to arrange a system that would allow me to keep these on a solar or wind-powered trickle charger. It would be great if they could all be on the charger at the same time. My motorcycle battery is an AGM, the tractor battery is a deep-cycle, and the ATV is a standard lead-acid (I think), all are 12 volt. My location is great for either solar or wind, and I'm open to either source. I would locate the solar panels or turbine outside of the barn, run the wires inside and connect to the batteries.

What are the components that are required? I'm new at this and confused about the components required, and sizing the system. I read somewhere that for a trickle charge, no power controller or inverter.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
piperjim

Cariboocoot

Re: Charging tractor, ATV & motorcycle batteries

Welcome to the forum.

Good plan and not difficult to achieve.

You won't be able to charge them all from the same source as they are different sizes and types of batteries. There are off-the-shelf solar battery tenders available that will supply a small amount of current and keep the batteries ahead of the self-discharge. One such example: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/coleman-2-5w-solar-battery-maintainer-0112007p.html#.Uvj-BCdKSW8