BATTERY TIPS

xtruckerbob · Oct 7, 2014

Here is a quick tip that may help someone. I went to Wal-Mart last week to get a battery for one of our Kubotas and was floored when I saw the price. Nearly $100. Since it is so late in the year I thought I would boost it till spring but we are still mowing nearly 10 acres weekly and digging a pond. Too much trouble. So I took the battery out of the tractor (only because it was full and I had to drain1/2 of the acid out otherwise not necessary to remove it plus I could have used a turkey baster). I mixed a 1/4 cup of Epsom Salt in a pint of water and let it dissolve then poured it in the battery to refill to proper level. With the battery out of the tractor I shook it to mix the solution but this may not be necessary either. I put the battery back in boosted it off and mowed for a 1 hour to charge it. Now when I turn the key it cranks just like a new battery. DISCLAIMER THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS: If you do have to drain the acid out of your battery be careful acid will burn your skin and eat holes in your clothes. You may want to wear a pair of gloves, eye protection and have a bowl of baking soda mixed with water in case you get it on you or on your clothes. It has been over 40 years since I did this before yesterday and don't remember how long it lasted but I think it was over a year.

Rocky Hoffler · Oct 7, 2014

When I was about 12 back in the sixties my brother n law was home on leave from marines battery went dead in his old car took it out dumped it washed out with water hose and refilled with acid put a slow charge on it reinstalled and they drove it back to N.C. he didn't have the money to replace it. only time I have ever seen this done.

The Fred · Oct 7, 2014

Playing with fire is not recommended.

Anytime a battery is low or dying it the low voltage causes issues with any electronics involved on your machine. Example if it has less than 9 volts cranking it really screws with electronic components. Maybe your machine is older but I will tell you from experience if your bad battery takes out a node on most newer vehicles the cost gets expensive very quickly, usually over $1000 dollars depending on the damage. Not to mention the hydrogen and the chance of having the battery explode in your face.

Last time I went to the eye doctor to have a piece of steel removed from my eye the cost was over $600. Hardly worth the cost of the snowmobile skags I was trying to sharpen and not replace. Yup even with safety glasses on.

Replace the battery and be done with it! Don't recommend sketchy fixes as the chance of a forum member hurting themselves fooling with battery acid wouldn't be nice.

Regards, Fred

k0ua · Oct 7, 2014

I have done similar with motorcycle batteries. Wash them out to get the sponge lead out of the bottom that is shorting out what remains of the plates. Yes it does work, and can get you by for a short while.. On a clear motorcycle battery it is easy to see what has happened, the lead has fell down off of the plates and builds up on the bottom and shorts them out. But don't think you have a "new" battery because it now works. What you have is a very reduced capacity battery with the proper voltage again. Yes it will likely get you by for a while, but it is still on its way to eventual battery death. But I think that was your goal in the beginning, to get by for a season.

yomax4 · Oct 7, 2014

I have hit the batteries with a 100 amp jump start charger for 10 seconds,( as per directions ) Dumped out some of the acid and put in this concoction from JC Whitney. I don't recall the name of the product but it's in with the battery stuff. I got more than a year out of 3 batteries I did this to. 1 on my tractor and the 2 in my plow truck. The stuff may just be regular battery acid, not sure. Good Luck.

Coyote machine · Oct 7, 2014

The Fred said:
Playing with fire is not recommended.

Anytime a battery is low or dying it the low voltage causes issues with any electronics involved on your machine. Example if it has less than 9 volts cranking it really screws with electronic components. Maybe your machine is older but I will tell you from experience if your bad battery takes out a node on most newer vehicles the cost gets expensive very quickly, usually over $1000 dollars depending on the damage. Not to mention the hydrogen and the chance of having the battery explode in your face.

Last time I went to the eye doctor to have a piece of steel removed from my eye the cost was over $600. Hardly worth the cost of the snowmobile skags I was trying to sharpen and not replace. Yup even with safety glasses on.

Replace the battery and be done with it! Don't recommend sketchy fixes as the chance of a forum member hurting themselves fooling with battery acid wouldn't be nice.

Regards, Fred

2nd the above advice. Blindness or worse is NOT worth the risk. Playing with battery acid is not a risk that should be undertaken, especially since ALL batteries warn to NEVER add acid, only water.

TJP89 · Oct 7, 2014

Coyote machine said:
2nd the above advice. Blindness or worse is NOT worth the risk. Playing with battery acid is not a risk that should be undertaken, especially since ALL batteries warn to NEVER add acid, only water.

And a 3rd. I work in the chemical industry and have seen what misused acids can do. Concentrated acids are not something to play around with, they will burn through cloth in a flash and seriously burn your skin. Hydrogen can be released and that can and will explode. Proper care must be used when mixing because drops of acid may be thrown out of the container. The balance in the battery will be messed up making the battery dangerous to use. It will never be the same again. You can get away with it, but it is dangerous and will get you eventually. Unless there is no way you can afford it, just replace the battery. You will have to do anyway, and the little extra life you may get out of it is not worth, IMO, the danger to self, family, and property. If you must work with the acid, always wear chemical resistant gloves, eye protection, a protective apron or something, and work in a ventilated area away from other people and objects.

xtruckerbob · Oct 7, 2014

OK Fred and Coyote we all know there are risks in ever thing. I posted this cause it may help some one who does not have time to get a new battery or maybe a little short till payday. But keep in mind you could get acid on you from changing a battery, cause a spark hooking in up wrong who knows maybe even start a fire it could happen. Or you could drop it on your foot, maybe you could have a wreck going to get a battery. We know the risks I even posted be careful. This site is full of members showing projects, building and designing stuff at home then giving the idea to other members that may or may not have the knowledge of design, a safe place or correct tools to do the same. Every thing has a risk we all must be careful when messing with batteries or anything you do with a tractor or any other project we decide to do on our on.

The Fred · Oct 7, 2014

xtruckerbob said:
OK Fred and Coyote we all know there are risks in ever thing. I posted this cause it may help some one who does not have time to get a new battery or maybe a little short till payday. But keep in mind you could get acid on you from changing a battery, cause a spark hooking in up wrong who knows maybe even start a fire it could happen. Or you could drop it on your foot, maybe you could have a wreck going to get a battery. We know the risks I even posted be careful. This site is full of members showing projects, building and designing stuff at home then giving the idea to other members that may or may not have the knowledge of design, a safe place or correct tools to do the same. Every thing has a risk we all must be careful when messing with batteries or anything you do with a tractor or any other project we decide to do on our on.

No malice intended sir.

Years ago batteries came dry charged and we had to fill with acid. I had to laugh but this college professor had a VW bug and needed a new battery, iirc it was 1976. He had the bright idea to fill it with hydrochloric acid, I don't know why. He sourced it through the college where he worked (probably stole it) and brought it over.
I remember my dad filled it and within a few minutes it ate through the plastic case and started foaming the concrete floor in the shop. Too funny.

One of the guys who worked here at the time told me his dad worked on tractors most of his professional life; said that during WW2 you could not get battery acid so they made their own with hydrochloric (I think) poured in a glass bottle then add pieces of lead and when the lead was eaten up it was safe to use in batteries.

Regards, Fred

ultrarunner · Oct 7, 2014

I have a couple of dry charge batteries at home with boxed acid.

When I worked at the auto parts store in my early teens one of my jobs was to fill the dry charged batteries with acid, charge and then record the hygrometer readings...

Probably wouldn't have a 13 year doing that today.