Stupid, Stupid, Stupid Battery Troubles

[john_bud]

That is weird. My Kubota has the factory battery in it from 1999 - tractor bought in 2000. The old ford has a battery in it with the punch hole from the 80's if I recall correctly. They both spin over fine even at -10 to -20F.

I did have to replace the batt in the lawn mower after 8 years and did the diesel truck after 5 years. The truck was more insurance than battery failure and I am using the pair for other things now with no issues.

I would get an amp meter and hook it up to the battery. Then see what the draw is and pull fuses to see which circuit. Then trouble shoot down from there with a schematic. Might be a worn wire or mouse chew.

jb

 

[Taylortractornut]

JB try draining the battery and putting in distilled ater and charging it a few hours, then rinse it out and add new electrolite. I used to work for a man that did this on his tractors. They just sulfide up and the plates short out. He has one from 89 on his 4000 Ford They also make a desulfiding trickle charger to.

 

[wwalkersd]

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.

380 hours? So it was sitting with the ignition on for 15 days? Wow!

I would try to get yourself into the habit of removing the key when you shut off the tractor. I'm presuming your key can only be removed in the "off" position, of course. If you want to keep it with the tractor, attach it with a coiled keychain or a piece of wire or something, but pull it out of the switch!

As for the rest of the time, as diamondpilot said, put a meter on it and see if you've got a draw when it IS shut off.

If you regularly (irregularly?) use it that rarely, you might want to think about leaving it hooked up to a smart trickle charger, like a Battery Tender. But of course, you'll have to remember to hook it up and plug it in when you get off the tractor.

Hmm. Is your blond wife jealous of the time you spend with the tractor? Could she be turning the key one when you're not looking?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

380 hours? So it was sitting with the ignition on for 15 days? Wow!

That sounds about right. It was at least two weeks. It may have been longer than that, but the battery could have run so far down that it wouldn't even run the hour meter. It was during that "in-between" time in the fall when I didn't have anything to mow or till, but I didn't have any snow to plow either. I know it wasn't more than a month because I try to start everything and run it at least once a month.

I would try to get yourself into the habit of removing the key when you shut off the tractor. I'm presuming your key can only be removed in the "off" position, of course. If you want to keep it with the tractor, attach it with a coiled keychain or a piece of wire or something, but pull it out of the switch!

That would solve the hour meter issue, but it wouldn't have helped me this last time. The lights, blinkers, and flashers all can be turned on with the key in the "off" position. I think that this time I turned the blinker on somehow when I was putting the tarp over it.

Hmm. Is your blond wife jealous of the time you spend with the tractor? Could she be turning the key one when you're not looking?

She IS a beautiful blonde, but she's very grateful for the clean driveway that happens when my tractor is running. I don't suspect her for sabotaging me. My 5-year-old son, on the other hand; he may be getting a little sit down talk/interrogation this evening after work.

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

Hey Iplayfarmer,

On Batteries, the very first thing I do to all
my vehicles is hard wire a connection for a
quick disconect for a charger. I use 1.5 amp auto
chargers. When a vehicle is parked I hookup the
charger, I leave them on year round.

Then when you start a vehicle the battery is fully
charged so the system does not have to over charge
that battery to get her back up to full charge. You
will find that you don't have to add water to your
batteries everyear. I take all my connectors off and
clean them fully and check the water every year
before winter. Add only distilled water to the battery.
Clean the top of your battery with WD-40, it will clean
off the old acid and dirt and will not short out.

You will find that you have a longer battery life also.
Hope this helps.

 

[JoeL4330]

haven't had battery problems, myself, but if I had yours I would consider a disconnect switch (unless you have some fancy electronics) for example, HELLA BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH - Battery Switches by Discount Marine Supplies

and, if you park near a convenient outlet, I would permanently install a "battery tender" or equivalent Batterytender.com - Home of All Your Charging Needs (I have them on all my vehicles) ...or a solar charger, for example, Northern Industrial Solar-Powered Battery Maintainer — 1.8 Watt | Amorphus Solar Panels | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[2manyrocks]

My battery wasn't this bad, but it did discharge because the insulation on the hot cable from the battery had rubbed off against the frame. Put on a new cable and took care of it.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I fully intend to install some kind of a battery shut off switch. I've proven to myself that any kind of "be sure and check everything when you're done with the tractor" kind of I'm hoping to get some guidance from first hand experiences, though.

Harbor freight has one for $4 that looks for all the world to be just like everyone else's switch... Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Anyone actually installed these? What kind of tricks make it easier to install or use?

Where my negative battery cable is right now is a little hard to access. I'd have to pull the side panel of the tractor to get to it every time I wanted to run the tractor. Would it be a good idea to re-locate the negative terminal to make this switch easier to get to?

 

[Taylortractornut]

Most construction equipment have these Master switches that you turn off every night. that saves from arcing at night if the cables short. And help when you work on one some one doesnt hop on and take off. They also save on battery drain. They usually go on the hot cable. On one without a key just a handle you unscrew the keep screw and drill a hole in a bracket insert and put on the retaining ring and the switch with the retaining screw and attach you cables When katrina hit there was a bulletin issued that we might want to disable out spare rolloff trucks to stop theft every night Id go around and switch them off for safe keeping.

 

[OKnewguy]

I have one of those HF cut off switches. It is on a boat, which sits for loooong periods of time with out use. It does help. On this boat, you can leave all sorts of things on just like a tractor, so it is good to make sure that Everything is off. I also recommend some kind of battery maintainer or trickle charger.
I really had a bad time with lawn mower and atv batteries, it bought a bunch of the cheap trickle chargers from HF, I then put in some 2 prong connectors similar to a four prong trailer plug, when your done you just plug it in. No need to get to the battery or anything.
Good luck, Dave