Author Topic: used forklift batteries (Read 9303 times)

Saltwater · « **on:** August 10, 2011, 05:33:24 PM »

I have an opportunity to get 18 of these batteries. They have been sitting for an unknown amount of time and are dry. There is sometype of wire something that fits down into the batteries and that has been removed leaving an open hole in the top. Before I go off and purchase, transport, and possibly be dissapointed, what are the odds the batteries will work? Wish I would have taken a pic of the top of the batteries.

Jeff

Actually, now that I think about it... might be the vent cap that is off.

TomW · « **Reply #1 on:** August 10, 2011, 08:09:18 PM »

My crystal ball is on the fritz.

No where near enough information to get an answer.some numbers, a photo or even a description would help. On a Thursday anyway.

Tom

Saltwater · « **Reply #2 on:** August 10, 2011, 09:10:14 PM »

Tom, could you give that ball a kick or shake? or something?

Sorry about the post, he got them in today and the more I think about it, I believe it is the caps that are off. don't know how long they have been sitting, they came with other stuff from an auction (including a battery powered forklift). I'll check them out a little more thursday and take some shots. Since they have been sitting collecting dust, did not know if they would be worth trying to make work.

birdhouse · « **Reply #3 on:** August 10, 2011, 09:25:50 PM »

saltwater-
if these are dry, and have been collecting dust (inside the battery through the cap holes) for a while i wouldn't touch them with a ten foot stick. even for free. too much effort moving a big (potentially junk) bank of fork lift batteries around.

put a voltmeter on 'em that should give you "some" idea.

adam

TomW · « **Reply #4 on:** August 10, 2011, 09:38:22 PM »

"Dry" or "water below the top of the plates"?

Neither are good but it depends on the battery chemistry if it is a fatal condition.

Saltwater · « **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2011, 10:49:26 PM »

Thanks, did not know if it would be worth trying. I sorta thought if the caps were off and collecting dust, they are junk. If they were good it would sure be a good find.

Jeff

birdhouse · « **Reply #6 on:** August 10, 2011, 11:04:08 PM »

jeff- don't count 'em out. i'll bet they are 2v cells. put a meter on 'em. if they are 1.9 or higher, they "MIGHT" be worth screwing with...

adam

Saltwater · « **Reply #7 on:** August 11, 2011, 06:28:50 PM »

Here are a couple shots of the batteries.

Forgot to add, there is another shipment arriving Friday. Don't know if more batteries will be there, but... There are 2 chargers for forklifts and so far only 1 forklift. Hoping there is another battery pack. I'm going to spring for acid and fill the batteries, then use one of the chargers and see what happens. If they are halfway decent, I'll haul them home. I have a feeling they are shot, but who knows.

Jeff

thirteen · « **Reply #8 on:** August 12, 2011, 12:16:37 AM »

it may take several times charging and dischargeing them to get any life out of them. You might have a silver mine or boat anchor but worth the try. I knoiw I would try the get some life out of them. I just priced batteries and they seem to have almost doubled. in clam value.

Saltwater · « **Reply #9 on:** August 12, 2011, 02:50:36 AM »

Unless more batteries show up in the morning, should I fill these with acid or water? I'm gong to leave them in the shop, fill and charge then test them. Then pick and choose. Getting them to the house is easy, not a problem there.

They are 2v batts so if I can get 12 that are ok I'm happy. The (cord) that runs along the batts is not electrical, rather it appears to be some type of top off. It has a plumbing quick disconnect on the end.

If I can find 24v worth of good batts I'll have them put on his wrecker along with a forklift and brought to my house. Easy enough, hopefully there are a few good batts!

Jeff

Simen · « **Reply #10 on:** August 12, 2011, 05:47:52 AM »

Most likely the water has evaporated, so you should fill them with water.

If you can get an confirmation that the acid has spilled out, you would need to fill up with acid. But only if you're sure!

And yes, that 'cord' are used to top up the cells; i'm guessing there's a float in that cap that floats up and stops water when each cell are full.

TomW · « **Reply #11 on:** August 12, 2011, 07:33:03 AM »

And, when we say water talking about batteries we mean distilled water only.

Just tossing that out in case you didn't know.

Tom

XeonPony · « **Reply #12 on:** August 12, 2011, 12:05:41 PM »

there is a way to recondition batteries in this case, and since they are all ready drained!

1: Rinse and wash with distilled water

2: Fill to required level with distilled water and put them on a 4A constent current charge and monitor specific gravity (SPG from now one)

3: as specific gravity rises to a high point dump out and neutralize the water and refill batteries with distilled water. Keep doing this till no rise in spg occurs at this point you should have removed most all of the moderately hard sulfates and converted the soft back to the recharged state. close monitoring will be needed at the end stages due to temp rise.

After there is no longer any change in spg in the distilled water mix water and acid to the fully charged spg then fill cells, charge at a constent current of 4A until cell is evenly and steadily off gassing.

it is a long and tedious procedure but it has worked sever times for me and only worth it for really Fing big batteries!

SteveCH · « **Reply #13 on:** August 12, 2011, 04:36:03 PM »

Those tops and cables in the photo look almost exactly like my C & D forklift batteries. If you can get them going, they are wonderful batteries, mine have been running my PV home for about 20 years. Couple of times I abused them inadvertently and they recovered. If they are junk, and they are free, the lead is worth quite a bit.

dnix71 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 12, 2011, 09:14:30 PM »

In your first post you said "purchase" How much are you paying? If you can get them for the local scrap value, then you're fine. Even that won't be cheap, though. The outer case is worth something to a rebuilder, too.

The one in the picture doesn't look bad at all. No swollen tops or bulging case, no major rust, just a lot of dust.

Saltwater · « **Reply #15 on:** August 13, 2011, 09:36:31 PM »

Never did get the time to go mess with the batteries and don't know if more came in. work was really busy and just have not had the time. Thank you for all the input.

When I said purchase, I would be paying salvage value so it's not a huge investment, maybe less don't know. All the stuff that came out of the building is going up for sale, and on ebay. Don't know what they made but there are many 3 wheeled bikes with boxes on the back, loads of racks and tables. If anyone is in the Springfield MO area, that is where all this stuff came from, I never did hear what the business name was.

I may give him a call in the morning to go mess with the batts. He is talking about maybe getting several used mills at the end of the month. He only wants the 10kw's and said I could have a smaller one. There are a couple 5kw's and if I can "have one", this would be great with the batts.\
\
Jeff

bart · « **Reply #16 on:** August 14, 2011, 08:45:45 AM »

I am in your area and am interested if there are more available. Any help would be appreciated.
Even buying at scrap value and turning out to be bad could be considered an "investment" the way metal prices are going.
But, want good batteries, 48v is my goal.
Thanks, Bart

Saltwater · « **Reply #17 on:** August 16, 2011, 08:29:57 PM »

Well I've been shot down. The buyer, #2 guy, said they were purchased as a spare set and now I cannot get. Would have been $780.00.

Oh well, another time.

thirteen · « **Reply #18 on:** August 26, 2011, 09:07:05 PM »

It has been a couple of weeks and i was wondering how the batteries are doing

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Author Topic: used forklift batteries (Read 9303 times)