tractor battery charge question

[Kenneth S]

As long as the battery is in good shape 4 to 6 weeks shouldn't be a problem. If it's kind of hard to start when cold with a good battery (like my 743B Bobcat with the Kubota V1702 engine), giving a little boost with jumper cables before starting it would help some.

 

[pat32rf]

I would run a set of cables from your battery out to where you could clip the booster cables to them, then just hook up the boosters when/if you need them.
On my tractor and two trucks I have installed a heavy duty tow truck plug which mates to my booster cables so I don't have to lift any hoods to get or give a boost.

 

[skyhook]

geez guys, thanks for so many answers!! really, i am lazy. don't want to go the the trouble of uninstalling tractor battery in winter cause i may randomly use tractor say once monthly, but also want residual full charge of battery sitting idle in winter. have decided not to start tractor to simply charge battery for personal reasons listed in another thread. so my question is simply: 1) will a good battery reasonably hold a full charge when left idle in winter say for 6 wks? 2) can a person use a redneck method of hooking up jumpers described above just to maintain it throughout winter?. in other words, why not use another motor other than tractor to charge battery? really, it's an electrical automotive charging question. hey thanks!

Your battery "will" loose charge, faster in cold weather also, although it will not or should not loose enough that your machine won't start.

Hooking your truck up to it, "at idle" will charge your tractor battery, it will in fact "wake it up"...
they say when a battery is cold and weak upon starting, the best way (if stranded) is to turn on your headlights, this "wakes up " the battery and produces a stronger start.

So in my opinion, your redneck method will work.