Iplayfarmer
Super Member
Warning: This is a rant. There is no useful information in this post.
I must be doing something wrong because I go through batteries faster than anyone I know. I'm sure I must just bump some switch or lever on occasion that puts a gradual draw on the battery until it's dead and stays that way for a week destroying the battery. On my last tractor I replaced the battery just about every winter. Luckily, I had a good relationship with the guy at the parts place, and I could get it warrantied every other year.
I had hoped that with my new tractor I wouldn't have the same problem. Not so. A few weeks ago, I went to start it and the battery was dead. This battery was new with the tractor in March of 2008. Not only was the battery dead (No voltage), but when I hooked up the charger, It tells me the battery is all charged. It must have a dead cell or something. I know I must have left the ignition on somehow even though I know I have a problem with that and check it every time. My hour meter went from about 540 hours to 920 during the time the tractor was sitting before I found the dead battery.
I put the battery from the old tractor in the new one (it was only a year old since I'd just replaced it the winter before) and the tractor worked fine for a month or so. This past Saturday I started the tractor and ran it for a while to plow mine and my neighboors' driveways. This morning (three days later) I got up early to plow again and the battery was once again dead as dead. Once again, I pulled it out and the charger again says that it's fully charged.
I know the charger is good because I do use it occasionally to charge other batteries and it works.
I'm taking the newest battery (the one that came with the new tractor) to the John Deere dealership today since it's a John Deere battery. I hope they'll warranty it since it's only 8 months old. Then I'm going to get a battery shut off switch and maybe even an onboard battery maintainer.
I must be doing something wrong because I go through batteries faster than anyone I know. I'm sure I must just bump some switch or lever on occasion that puts a gradual draw on the battery until it's dead and stays that way for a week destroying the battery. On my last tractor I replaced the battery just about every winter. Luckily, I had a good relationship with the guy at the parts place, and I could get it warrantied every other year.
I had hoped that with my new tractor I wouldn't have the same problem. Not so. A few weeks ago, I went to start it and the battery was dead. This battery was new with the tractor in March of 2008. Not only was the battery dead (No voltage), but when I hooked up the charger, It tells me the battery is all charged. It must have a dead cell or something. I know I must have left the ignition on somehow even though I know I have a problem with that and check it every time. My hour meter went from about 540 hours to 920 during the time the tractor was sitting before I found the dead battery.
I put the battery from the old tractor in the new one (it was only a year old since I'd just replaced it the winter before) and the tractor worked fine for a month or so. This past Saturday I started the tractor and ran it for a while to plow mine and my neighboors' driveways. This morning (three days later) I got up early to plow again and the battery was once again dead as dead. Once again, I pulled it out and the charger again says that it's fully charged.
I know the charger is good because I do use it occasionally to charge other batteries and it works.
I'm taking the newest battery (the one that came with the new tractor) to the John Deere dealership today since it's a John Deere battery. I hope they'll warranty it since it's only 8 months old. Then I'm going to get a battery shut off switch and maybe even an onboard battery maintainer.