[440mag]

Goooooood morning all and Happy Saturday morning!

So, my Chapin 24-volt battery powered backpack sprayer arrived ($160 Northern Tool, thank ye all, very much) a,long with two (2) spare battery with charger packages from Chapin ($90+ w shipping- OUUUUUCH!) and, I've done some searching here trying (in vain) to find two earlier mentions about these products but, I am starting to suspect I saw them elsewhere online (I.e., who,e reading reviews on Google, Amazon, etc.)

Is anyone aware of ...

Question # 1: Does anyone know if Chapin has wider, replacement shoulder straps? I definitely recall a posting (thought it was here but my searches have me suspecting it was elsewhere online) where a customer called Chapin complaining about the dismal quality of their backpack sprayer shoulder straps and The Chapin rep. confessed Chaoin is aware of the problem and sent the customer a set of wider, more substantial shoulder straps; and,

Question # 2: What is The BEST way to store the batteries in between uses? (talking a week to several weeks in between app.s). I seem to remember one user lamenting online that they had "left the battery hooked up to ..." - either the sprayer or the charger and the result was a damaged battery (Eep! At more than $40 to replace, I can't afford that!)

Reference the shoulder straps, for the money customers are paying - and if in fact Chapin is aware of the problems with the straps they're shipping their sprayers with (and if they have more satisfactory replacements) , I'd prefer to resolve the deficiency with their assist. OTOH,
I may just bite the proverbial bullet and order a set of these: MagiDeal 1 Pair DIY Waterproof PVC Shoulder Strap Replacement for Backpack: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B2A64ME/?coliid=I2WOE3VG9B7CMW&colid=2XZ4RVRPC9P0B&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Thanks in advance for any inputs and, Everyone Have A Terrific (and Rewarding) Lawn Day! :thumbup:

 

[windycityrider]

I'm not sure about the shoulder straps but in regards to the battery, in the manual, it states the battery can be left connected to the charger indefinitely without damaging the battery. The only thing I would suggest is storing it in a room that neither gets too hot or too cold. I keep all my chargers/batteries on a table I have in my basement.
As an example, my cousin just left his connected but near the front of his garage entrance, over time I think the cold temps in winter and heat from the sun caught up with the battery since it was exposed a bit more to the elements. If you take care of the batteries they will last at least a few seasons, and that's all you can really expect from any battery.

 

[440mag]

Thank you! I didn't receive a manual so, I'll either see if I can download one or call Chapin Monday.

Based on your input I will DEFinitely move my batteries out of the garage and into the house Dec through March (last winter it was krazee cold pouring down outta the mountains)!

Man, this thing is schuhweeeeeeeet! What usually took me 3-1/2 hours with a manual pump sprayer I got done in 2-hours easy this morning ... yay! And the extra wide mouth on that tank is a blessing!

happy, Happy, HAPPY 😃!!!

 

[Ware]

I didn't receive a manual so, I'll either see if I can download one or call Chapin Monday...

Chapin 63985 Manual :thumbup:

 

[gene_stl]

Not all battery chargers are the same. If you are going to leave the battery on a float charger you want a smarter one or it may cause shortened battery life.

I use a Power Sonic transformer type to charge all my batteries that are nominal 12Volt.

http://www.power-sonic.com/battery_chargers.php

There is a lot of lore about rechargeable batteries. Power Sonic has manufactured and imported sealed lead acid batteries since I was young and skinny.

The float charger that came with my Fimco sprayer says not to leave it hooked up for more than eight hours. That means I will never ever use it.

 

[440mag]

. . . That means I will never ever use it.

:rofl:

Yup. Think I'll exercise (use) them every chance I am able, re-charge them as soon as possible after each use; and, pull em off the charger after they're restored to "all green lights",

 

[Austin]

I keep my battery on the sprayer all the time. I will charge overnight then put it back on. I can spray for an entire month before it starts getting weak. (15,000 sq ft) 3-4 times per month. I have yet to run the battery down, it lasts a really long time. Hope you enjoy your new sprayer!

 

[440mag]

I didn't receive a manual so, I'll either see if I can download one or call Chapin Monday...

Chapin 63985 Manual :thumbup:

ooo, Ooo, OOO - thank you! (Lol, there was a time if you'd to,d me I'd disdain paper copies of anything and prefer e-copies so much .... well, thank you!

I keep my battery on the sprayer all the time. I will charge overnight then put it back on. I can spray for an entire month before it starts getting weak. (15,000 sq ft) 3-4 times per month. I have yet to run the battery down, it lasts a really long time. Hope you enjoy your new sprayer!

Yeah, man! Previously, entire yard app.s we're taking me 3-1/2 hours (NO exaggeration!). It was so bad even SWMBO was encouraging me to lay down the $ on anything other than that Manual pumper! :lol:

 

[gene_stl]

Since I got the Sprayer Mate and the Fimco There is a collection of pump sprayers including a couple of brand new ones that I think are going to be sold at fire sale prices. Anybody want an unused Solo backpack?

 

[kaptain_zero]

Question # 2: What is The BEST way to store the batteries in between uses? (talking a week to several weeks in between app.s). I seem to remember one user lamenting online that they had "left the battery hooked up to ..." - either the sprayer or the charger and the result was a damaged battery (Eep! At more than $40 to replace, I can't afford that!)

I am going to offer a long winded answer to question #2, as I actually know a bit about battery chemistry.

The Chapin 20v and 24v backpack sprayers are powered by "Lithium Ion" battery packs. These have the same or similar chemistry as current power tool packs, cell phones, laptops and many other consumer devices as well as some electric cars and other technology.

Lithium Ion (and Lithium Polymer) have many advantages over other chemistries, but also a few nasty bits that you MUST be aware of to keep you, your family and your home safe.

If you search around on the web, it won't be hard to find incidents of a lithium Ion/polymer battery "vent with flame" event. Sony laptops of some years ago was one, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner etc.

Lithium Ion/polymer batteries have some very desirable traits and some not so nice traits. If you want them to last, and minimize the risk when using them, it behoves one to learn how to treat them and what can cause problems.

In years past, everyone plugged their laptop into the mains and it charged the Lithium Ion pack until it was full and kept it there, while the user rarely actually used the battery. Lithium Ion batteries will age much faster when kept at full charge and when fully drained. Full discharge cycles are also hard on the batteries and will age them faster. It's all because of the chemistry involved. The electrolyte inside is most chemically active at full charge and full discharge, whereas at partial discharge (around 70% of full capacity) is the least damaging to the cell.

There is also the danger of a thermal runaway situation in "packs" of cells if they are not kept balanced. Each cell may discharge at a slightly different rate and if not balance charged on a regular basis may become so far out of balance that one or more of the cells become too discharged or overcharge, which will damage the cell and possibly create a thermal runaway event, causing the cell to vent with flames.

Just to clarify, Lithium Ion (typically round cylinders made of metal and looking like a typical AA, C or D cell, but in a different size) and Lithium Polymer (usually flat and square using a foil outer covering, typically the type used in cell phones because they can be made thin and flat) are the two basic types, but there are many Lithium chemistries.

A rechargeble lithium cell has a nominal voltage of 3.6v and a fully charged voltage of 4.2v. By the time the voltage drops to 3.6v the battery is almost fully discharged and it should never be allowed to go below 3.0v as many chargers for LiIon cells will not charge them due to suspected damage, but some will attempt a charge carefully to see if it is still safe to charge. Note that some Companies like to fudge the voltages on their packs. Example would be one tool manufacturer claiming they use 20v packs while most of the other companies are using 18v. These are exactly the same packs, just that while most use the "nominal voltage of 3.6v, others use the near fully charged voltage for the calculation. 18v = 5 x 3.6, 20v = 5 x 4.0v or in other words, both battery packs use 5 Lithium Ion cells in series.

I'm sorry, this is waaay to much to read and I've only scratched the surface of properly treating a LiIon cell. If you have an urge to learn more, I can highly recomend visiting: http://batteryuniversity.com/ for more information.

So, the short answer is fully charge your battery packs (either the charger or the pack will have electronic smarts to ensure the cells are balanced, but this only happens if you charge it fully). Use the battery in the device it's made for to drain some of the charge off and then you can store it for several months without too much damage, but no matter what you do... the battery WILL AGE, used or not. Manufacturers will often recommend to fully charge the pack before storage (as this insures fully balancing) but leaving the pack in a fully charged state does cause it to deteriorate faster, so using it for a short while after charging will bring it back down to about 70% which is much better for storing. You do need to check the pack every 3 months to make sure it's not discharging too far. If it is, charge it up again.

Never short circuit a lithium Ion cell... It WILL vent with flame if you do. They can dump a tremendous amount of energy in a very short period of time (we're talking seconds here) and that generates a lot of heat!

Today's laptop computers will not fully charge their pack when left plugged in, but rather keep the batteries around 70% charge to extend their lifespan.

I'm happy to answer questions or point anyone in the right direction for more information. Batteryuniversity.com is an excellent resource.