Battery for CK35 HST

   / Battery for CK35 HST #1  

CenTex Chris

Silver Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
108
Tractor
2009 Kioti CK35 HST and 1947 Ford 2N
Kioti service manual specifies a batt. cranking 630 amps at 0 deg. F.

Wish I had read that *before* i went to AutoZone today. They sold me a batt. rated 575 amps, and 715 amps at 32 deg. F.

Wanted to ask you kind folks if you think that's enough batt. or should I exchange it. Haven't installed it yet; still in the truck.

Weather here very rarely drops to 0 deg. and if it ever does, I doubt I'll be out on the tractor.

Makes me sound like a lightweight to you Yankees but keep in mind they close the interstates down here whenever someone spills a glass of ice cubes.

I don't mind going back into town to get a fatter batt. but thought I'd check with y'all to see if I really need to.

Thanks in advance,

Chris
 
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   / Battery for CK35 HST #2  
I would consider exchanging it while it's still unused. I went all out with an AGM (absorbant glassmat materiel) simply because they are immune to freezing. Albeit, quite a bit heavier and more $$$.
 
   / Battery for CK35 HST #3  
I went with an optima red top, Amazon.com: Optima Batteries 8002-002 34 RedTop Starting Battery: Automotive
800 cold cranking amps much more than my original and also no worries of dumping acid all over the place like my old one did. Only have about 170 hrs and already the battery area is starting to rust from the acid dripping out of the battery. Only usually happens on warm days bush hogging my rough field.
 
   / Battery for CK35 HST #4  
I doubt 630 vs 575 CCA will be significant as long as the batteries are the same dimensions. But battery type could matter to you. I bought my 2006 DK45s in 2009, almost certainly with the OE battery which I'm still using today. That was a NAPA AGM battery. It died once (after sitting a long time) but a recharge brought it back to life. Optima (gel) had a great reputation at first but I have heard rumors (no real data) that quality has slipped. AGM and gel batteries cost significantly more than flooded batteries. Battery quality (and pure top-up water for flooded batteries) is critical to long life but quality tends to be unpredictable. For example, a battery brand/model that is great in one size could be crap in a different size and one that is great this year could be poor next year. ADDED: If you can find who actually makes a battery (e.g. Johnson Controls) that is more meaningful than the trade name (e.g. Diehard); there are actually very few battery manufacturers in the US.

A regular "flooded" battery (the kind with liquid inside) is as good as AGM or gel in theory except...
  • Flooded batteries self-discharge much faster than AGM or gel; deep discharge and chronic undercharge is what kills them.
  • Flooded batteries are more vulnerable to mechanical shock and vibration.
  • Flooded batteries are more likely to leak acid that corrodes battery trays and cables.
For a healthy every-day-driver car, self-discharge is not a problem but it is for a tractor that may sit for weeks (or months) during the off season. You can also solve self-discharge with a little Battery Tender maintenance charger if you have power where you park the tractor.
 
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   / Battery for CK35 HST
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Many thanks for the replies.

I replaced the 575 with a 660 CCA (manual recommends 630 minimum). I agree that 575 was probably enough but I prefer to "go by the book" when possible.

The replacement batt. has a height of 200mm ( 7 & 7/8"), not quite as tall as the original. And that's a good thing. Installation is easier that way with greater clearance between the top of the batt. and the air cleaner assembly just above it. And the posts are more accessible with that extra room.

However I am annoyed with the workshop manual, which instructs one to "orient the battery so that the posts are toward the rear of the tractor."

THAT could be the WRONG thing to do. A much better method is to orient the battery so that the positive post is to the left and the negative post is to the right, as seen from the driver's seat. Because that's how the cables & clamps are positioned. With some batts that might mean posts to the rear, with others (such as mine) it means posts to the front. At any rate on my CK35 HST the positive cable clamp is on the near side (left side for those of you who don't own horses).

Thanks again,

Chris
 
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   / Battery for CK35 HST #6  
Good time to clean up any corrosion while you are in there. My Bobcat (Kioti) has all sorts of corrosion when I replaced the battery within the first year.

Those optima batteries are hard to beat as they won't spit acid water out the top.
 
   / Battery for CK35 HST #7  
Chris sounds like you got the group 34 with the reversed terminals.
 
   / Battery for CK35 HST
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Indeed -- I had not realized that there was such a thing!
 
   / Battery for CK35 HST #9  
Battery Group specifies the physical outside dimensions and terminal arrangement. When the group size ends in an "R: it means the terminals are reversed from normal. Within a group size, CCA can vary; you get more CCA by using more, thinner electrodes and thinner separators between the "plates" (electrodes). This increases the active surface area which will deliver more amps but it also makes the battery more "fragile." Beyond that, inherent battery life depends on the quality of the active materials, specifically the electrode metallurgy and purity. In use, battery life is reduced by higher temperatures and deep discharge, especially if the battery is not recharged promptly.
 
   / Battery for CK35 HST #10  
I bought a new battery today for my 2012 Kioti DK40 se.It was a Napa battery group#34.From my understanding from checking with Michigan Iron the interstate brand battery number is MTP#24.for the DK40 se model.I wonder its the same for a CK35 ??
 
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