Storing tractor for couple of months

[crbr]

Hello All (Happy Thanksgiving) Sadley I beleive I am about done w/ the tractor for the season. I dont plow with it yet and by the time I get home every night its pitch dark and my next few weekends are booked. I am at 45 hrs. on my new B2620. My dealer has a winter special from Nov. through Feb. free pick up and delivery and 10% off parts, so I plan on having the 50 hr. service done sometime before then probably around mid Feb.

What things should I do to the tractor from now till mid Feb. to keep it in its best possible condition? It is stored in a barn. I beleive I should remove the battery for a while and stabalize the fuel, anything else? As mentioned I dont want to do to much as I will be getting a complete full service at the time of service. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

BatteryTender. Done deal.

Battery Tender Plus 12 Volt 1.25 Amp Battery Charger: BatteryMart.com

(Buy the 25' extension while you're at it)

I have 7 of them in my garage and this is the best peace of mind that $45 can buy. I use them year-round.

Constant trickles and warm storage are a myth for battery life, although better than cold and nothing at all (battery depletion).

 

[RalphVa]

That looks exactly like the one I bought locally at our oldest battery place in town. About the same price. It's in operation now on the battery serving my generator.

Ralph

 

[john_bud]

I know some like to remove the batteries from in storage vehicles -> unless the store time is 12 months or more, I feel it is best to leave the battery in the vehicle.

If there is no drain from a short, the battery will hold the charge and won't mind the cold weather. Batteries are affected by freezing when they are drained flat. They are much more affected by heat. If you want to save your battery the effort cost vs benefit would be greater to remove batteries from cars in the summer and store them in a cool location.

But, as with every question, there is not just one perfect answer. In or out, as long as it's charged, it is ok. By the way, my tractors typically don't get touched from October thru May. Once in a while, I will use an FEL to pile snow for the kids snow hill. They have always started, even at -20 to -30F. The Kubota has a 9 year old battery and it still kicks it over fine. Just charged in place (by operation or charger) in the fall and do as outlined above.

But, that's just what I do. YMMV

jb

 

[jmfox]

Put a float charger on the battery like this one from Harbor Freight.

jmf

 

[kennyd]

Put a float charger on the battery like this one from Harbor Freight.

jmf

My neighbor bought the Horrible Freight one for his genny, and the battery was cooked dry in a month...he replaced it with a Battery Tender. There is a reason they are $6.99 and the BT's are $40.00.

 

[Builder]

Hey, you asked why I preferred to remove the battery, I responded. We don't have to agree. It's all good. I don't remove the batteries from the two I use in winter; just the two I don't.

There ya go.

 

[flusher]

Hello All (Happy Thanksgiving) Sadley I beleive I am about done w/ the tractor for the season. I dont plow with it yet and by the time I get home every night its pitch dark and my next few weekends are booked. I am at 45 hrs. on my new B2620. My dealer has a winter special from Nov. through Feb. free pick up and delivery and 10% off parts, so I plan on having the 50 hr. service done sometime before then probably around mid Feb.

What things should I do to the tractor from now till mid Feb. to keep it in its best possible condition? It is stored in a barn. I beleive I should remove the battery for a while and stabalize the fuel, anything else? As mentioned I dont want to do to much as I will be getting a complete full service at the time of service. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Stabilize the fuel. If the rears have drum brakes, put chocks under the wheels and release the parking brake. I once forgot to do that on a pickup I owned, let it set in freezing weather for 6 weeks with the parking brake set and got a warped drum. I'd just charge the battery with the engine and keep it in the tractor.

 

[Boulter]

hi:

I always ruin my batteries. The ones I left alone, the charge drains away and then freezing gets them. The ones I leave on a trickle charger, they get more charge than needed, so all the water goes off. On a 1.8 watt solar panel on the dash, same a trickle charger.

What is needed is a charger that shuts off when the battery voltage hits the full charge level. It also must be temperature compensated, otherwise will work in the summer, but still fry the battery due to over charging in the winter.

This has been my experience. Is my understanding of the situation accurate? Does this battery tender product do what I have suggested is required of a long term battery maintenance product, or will it just fry batteries too?

I don't have time to babysit batteries, I'd sure like to find a reliable unattended solution.

Boulter

 

[john_bud]

hi:

I always ruin my batteries. The ones I left alone, the charge drains away and then freezing gets them. The ones I leave on a trickle charger, they get more charge than needed, so all the water goes off. On a 1.8 watt solar panel on the dash, same a trickle charger.

What is needed is a charger that shuts off when the battery voltage hits the full charge level. It also must be temperature compensated, otherwise will work in the summer, but still fry the battery due to over charging in the winter.

This has been my experience. Is my understanding of the situation accurate? Does this battery tender product do what I have suggested is required of a long term battery maintenance product, or will it just fry batteries too?

I don't have time to babysit batteries, I'd sure like to find a reliable unattended solution.

Boulter

Buy a cable end battery disconnect switch and use it on the ground side. Battery can't go flat if you disconnect it. Then when you have time, locate and correct the short that is draining the battery.

jb

 

[JMER817]

I used to do a lot of the things mentioned when storing my equipment for a few months. I found over the years that if I just go fire everything up a couple times during this period (days when it unseasonably warm)and let it warm up to normal operating temperatures I had no problems. My dad never did any prep work and he used an old 600 Ford and Farmall cub for 40yrs with no problems. I think all this bull about battery chargers and fuel additives are just a bunch of marketing ploys.