UTV and SxS Manufacturer Forums

Good mud riding here, its been raining all week. Dont do a lot of that since i got older, just more work cleaning when i get home.

Interesting battery discussion, i would have never thought small battery would cause a fire , but i guess its possible, i have many battery powered tools, saws, drills, impact wrenches, and i take special care when charging them also, i never charge them directly after use, the battery is usually hot, so i let it cool for a few hrs before charging, i think what really concerns me is leaving battery maintainers on equipment i use rarely, never had a problem, but it is concerning keeping them plugged in all the time. Intersting enough i have several of those going all the time and the only one i ever had to go bad was a Dewalt, and i paid a lot for it just to get a good one. Goes to show you, never know, and the chinese ones still going good. Battery boxes also concern me, im not talking about the cell phone size ones, i have a few that i use rarely because they are annoying, never have power when you need it, have to keep pressing that little button, im talking about the big ones that take a small battery and amp it up. I have had more of these go bad and internally short, no fire just sparks but most just die. I am extremly careful with those.

I do too Jen . Lithium Ion batteries are great for capacity and holding their charge; but they must be charged with chargers designed for them, not with ones for NiMH batteries. Another caution for Li ion ones is to keep them out of the sun where they could get overheated. Li FePO4 batteries used in solar systems and power stations are much safer than the older Li ion batteries but they still need to be charged with chargers designed to work with them, and they cannot be used for starting service as they are designed for a long draw at low amps (deep cycle) rather than the short heavy draw of a starting battery

Sounds like a good idea!

I understand and y'all are a lot smarter than I. Albeit, I am taking extra precautions on storage and maintenance of my Li ion batteries and equipment.

I don't know what garbage fires due to rechargeable D, C , A and AA /AAA batteries improperly disposed of has to do with lead acid flooded, gel or AGM batteries used in vehicles. I seriously doubt anyone is tossing full size vehicle batteries into garbage cans . Some of those garbage truck fires could also have been caused by old alkaline batteries tossed with some charge still in them and shorting to metal and igniting paper.. If a Lithium ion battery is shorted out it can quickly overheat and burst into flame itself and start a fire , but like the others it's because people are just tossing them into the garbage improperly.

Hillsborough County’s ( That is Tampa , Florida) solid waste department began tracking an uptick in garbage fires in 2023, when seven trucks erupted in flames and burned to a crisp. The next year, that number climbed to 10 fires. And last year, 13 trucks went up in thick, chemical smoke. In almost every case fire marshals have investigated, one tiny culprit was to blame: rechargeable batteries. They’re found in phones and laptops, lawnmowers and cars, disposable vapes and toothbrushes — even birthday cards that sing. When drivers suspect they’re carrying a “hot load,” they have to move quickly to find an unpopulated spot where they can dump the smoldering heap. Sometimes it’s a parking lot. Other times, it’s the side of the highway. In a best-case scenario, the trash is dumped before flames consume the truck. Hillsborough does not own a fleet of garbage collection trucks and instead contracts out to three companies, according to the county. Trucks can cost businesses up to $500,000 each. Across Florida, 80% of garbage truck fires are started by rechargeable batteries, said Keyna Cory, a lobbyist for the National Waste and Recycling Association’s state chapter. Cory said the total number of garbage truck fires across the state is unknown, but she said one company alone had more than 170 last year.

Great morning QC !! Ride day today !!

You know I never thought much about it for Foreman or Mr Always Ready.. Geico insures my Sand Rail...liability. Good point.

Trial & Error on what works