on a atv or skidoo as it sits in the machine without harming anything electrical?
I have always taken them out in the past,guess I'm getting lazy in my old age.

Yes, best to disconnect the battery from the vehicle but for a quick charge jump you can leave it hooked up.

If you are worried about it just unhook the ground wire.

I trickle charge the batteries on my older Polaris ATV's without unhooking all the time. I've been doing it for a long time and no harm.

I don't know about newer machines with the fancy electronics. Probably best to look up manufacturer's instructions.

If concerned, just unhook one of the cables.

I don't think you'll have any problem tho, we charge batteries in cars all the time without unhooking. In fact, most cars you have to reteach them how to run if you unhook the battery!

I do it all of the time on my 2005 Honda not like them batteries last that long anyway. Trickle chargers don’t push much juice anyway.

Thanks for the replys all.
Guess I will take them out to charge just to be on the safe side..

With the price of things today, good idea..

A guy needs to weigh the price of a gel battery vs an acid one to see what’s the better deal over time.

Might consider a Solar charger, just hook it up and forget it till you need the equipment.

I buy extra lawnmower 350cc batteries to have on hand as the mower, splitter and 4 wheeler will all take the same one. I wait for the sales to come on then pick up a couple then charge them from time to time until they are needed.

Thought about that for the off season,but I only get a dead battery in one of the machines every couple years.Usually at the beginning of the season after it has sit for a few months.

an alternator charges the battery while everything is hooked to it and your driving

you might want to avoid pulse chargers but your typical 2amp charge or smaller while it is connected shouldn't hurt anything

A gel battery last longer than most acid ones but they cost a lot more in your situation the gel might be a better option but down the road it’s going to fail it just might take longer.

Yes you can, everyone of the farmers I know charges them right on the machine and hooked up. I've always done it with my machine. Mine is a 2018 Polaris

dont try to charge when frozen
takes a battery 24 hours at room temp to thaw out
many times a frozen battery will separate the plates and you dont have a 12v any more

some guys I know have solar chargers hook up for reassurance at the remote cabins

Chickmechanic today did a good review on redoing a mag that the magnets loosened and the lawnmower was not charging

I do it all the time, charge on low amp and heavy amp if I'm inclined to get it going right away.

When your charging the battery the voltage is roughly thje same as the battery, amps are the determining factor on how fast it takes to charge the battery.

Its no different than when the alternator is charging the battery.

Battery charger has no effect of any consequence on the rest of the electrical system.

I don't know the answer but..., I'm impressed Boco asked a question

Lol I thought the same thing.

Really, it's quite impressive.

Lot of boats have onboard battery chargers

My Honda has automatic trickle charger connector wired to the battery. It might stay on charge for a month or more. No problem. Of course the ignition is turned to off.

Make sure you know what electrical power is being used Boco.
If it is power from Quebec, your battery may want to separate.
Boco Always remember to place the charging battery on a Delissio pizza box

Yes but disconnect charger/ maintainer b4 turning key on machine if its a newer one with digital electronics.

What he said. Thats one beauty of voltage regulated systems.

Why would me asking a question be surprising,I'm not what you would call mechanically inclined,although I can do some basics.I guess thats why I am religious about maintaining my vehicles.
I know a lot of guys on here are whiz bang at mechanical stuff.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Won’t hurt a thing to charge it in the machine. Don’t need to disconnect anything.

I run one of those Battery Saver chargers on my snowmobile year round and never disconnect the cables while it's in the sled. Would it be any different on an ATV?

Around here you are not considered a finished trapper, if you can't fix your equipment. At least he has removing batteries dialed in.

He's just trying to hit 45,000 posts.

I don’t think Coonman has even asked that question

X2

Around here you are not considered a finished trapper, if you can't fix your equipment. At least he has removing batteries dialed in. [/quote]


Never heard that one before/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhA5YbZsb8g
one of these is going on a tractor that has a short somewhere and dead batteries are a pain

I use this brand of battery tender on everything, they won't overcharge and kill a battery. I have them on everything and have never had an issue. Trickle chargers have killed batteries in the past. When I am ready to use something, the batteries are up to full charge and ready to go. I never remove the batteries on anything. I use the two smaller ones for the most part.

https://www.batterytender.com/?gad_...goHqNg2MV9LSe46YeEmfxKxxFghoCdAUQAvD_BwE

Yep, do it all the time, I try and put a trickle charger on the snowmachine in the summer and the fourwheeler in the winter, but it always gets taken off at some point and used on something else and not put back. But regardless I never take the battery out or unhook the cables... except for one snowmobile I had that had something that would suck the battery dead in a week if you left the cables connected from the time it was new. I tried to remember to unhook the cables when parking it, but forgot lots of times. I only take the battery out to charge if they are parked where I can't reach with an extension cord.