Best battery

[aspg4]

I have a 55 hp TYM that has an Interstate battery that has lasted little over 7 years. (pretty good). I realize that there are only a few companies that make batteries and they just put the various name brand on the different batteries. Just wondering which battery seems to be holding up the best. Walmart has best price and warranty...

 

[Monster5601]

The battery that is on sale is the best battery. I have not observed any difference in lifetime versus brand name versus the actual battery manufacture. I seem to get from 7 to 12 years of use from a battery.

 

[m1garand762]

Get the best deal and don’t be afraid to ask if they have a return or blemish in the back. When I need a battery my first call is the local interstate warehouse because they sell blemishes for $30 I have never had an issue with one but the drawback is the warranty is only 90 days. The battery in my wife’s car is a blemish and it’s going on 6 years 3 of my tractors have them and my boat

 

[Thomas]

I purchase heavy duty battery with best cranking amps at the time...Delco,Interstate etc.they last 8+ years.

 

[5030]

Couple things to keep in mind when buying a flooded cell battery...

1. Never buy a battery from a retailer without first looking at it. If it's dusty on top, don't buy it. Flooded cell batteries (and AGM's) begin their useful life when the electrolyte is added at the factory so the longer they sit waiting for you to purchase it, the LESS time the battery has before it fails (usually from sulfation of the plates and shorts out internally).

2. Lift the battery before buying it. The heavier it is, the more lead alloy it contains and the more lead alloy, the better.

3. Always TRICKLE charge a new battery before installing it at less than 2 amps, preferably at one amp, at least overnight. Batteries like to be fully charged before using and a batter sitting on a shelf waiting to be purchased will always discharge while sitting.

4. Always clean the terminals on the battery with a terminal cleaner (Harbor Freight sells a nice one for about 3 bucks) and brighten the cable clamps too inside before installing. After installing and tightening the clamps, apply an anti corrosion to both terminals (I use di-electric grease myself).

If you can see inside the cells, make sure they are full and if not, top up with DISTILLED WATER, not tap water. Tap water contains minerals that will cause internal shorts.

One thing I do and that is, if the tractor sits for a long time unused, I disconnect the battery from the electrical circuit, using a battery disconnect knife switch on the NEGATIVE terminal of the battery. If you remove the battery from the circuit, the internal discharge rate is very small and it won't freeze in the winter anyway. A fully charged battery is good to minus 30 (f).

 

[WranglerX]

Best battery I have had over the years has been ODYSSEY AGM batteries... Believe one in Jeep is about 8-9 years old and Jeep start like magic every time...

Odyssey Battery

Welcome to OdysseyBattery.com - the official manufacturer's website for the revolutionary ODYSSEY® battery. It has twice the power and triple the life of conventional lead acid batteries, and is ideal for car, truck and powersports vehicles, as well as marine and heavy duty applications.

www.odysseybattery.com

 

[5030]

I have a Hawker in my dual sport. Good battery but not cheap.

 

[ultrarunner]

For years the dealership sold Interstate and good value.

Somewhere along the line it changed? We were getting more claims where previous near zero.

By far the most amazing battery I’ve owned is my OEM Kubota BX23.

2004 to 2022… how is this even possible?

I learned through TBN my battery is made by Deka which does not seem to have much of a presence on the West coast.

Second best is OEM Delco green eye… I would have to do the math but 12+ years and never failed but cranking slower.

 

[5030]

In reality even a top brand flooded cell battery is only good for a maximum of 5 years. While it may seem just fine, with a heavy amperage demand load on it, it will not deliver. reason being is the plates are shedding lead oxide with every charge-discharge (which is a fact of the chemical reaction taking place) and that lead oxide will decrease the amperage delivered and eventually short out the plates.

The Yuhasa group 31 I had in my one Kubota M9, lasted 7 years as well but It was never placed under a heavy load situation either.

My rule of thumb is, I renew every 5 years now, especially in the tractor that does wintertime snow removal. I buy all my starting batteries for a local big truck dealer that also has a repair facility and they go through a lot of batteries so their stock is always fresh and recently charged with electrolyte.

I pay little or no attention to what brand I use. I do pay attention to how new the battery is however. Something I don't have to be concerned with because of their rapid turnover. Big trucks demand a high CCA rating as well so the 31's I buy have a high CCA rating.

A 31 is a large battery, probably too large dimensionally for most of the tractors on this site.

 

[ultrarunner]

How to explain the remarkable longevity of my OEM BX23 battery...

I'm simply baffled.

Tractor stored in door to daylight basement and temp is very consistent 55-60 year round... end of season small battery tender used for a couple of months straight.

Diesel are said to tax batteries but what gives?

If I found the holy grail I would jump on it because of the 40 or so automotive batteries I have in use...

 

[5030]

it's the ambient temperature constant. I remember back years ago, Union Carbide had a facility near where I used to live in Cleveland, Ohio and used flooded cell batteries and large inverters for communications backup and they never changed the batteries, just kept them topped off and trickle charged but they were sequestered in a constant temperature controlled room.

 

[ultrarunner]

Makes sense... temp is similar to a wine cellar with 3 sides below grade...

Are you up for a personal question?

I'm curious as to your background as broad as it is.

Engineer with Farming in the mix?

 

[oosik]

I have a HD Odyssey battery in the M6040. I got it because of the high CCA. Eight years and still going strong. I keep a battery maintainer on it in the winter.

 

[coobie]

DEKA..

 

[skipmarcy]

In reality even a top brand flooded cell battery is only good for a maximum of 5 years. While it may seem just fine, with a heavy amperage demand load on it, it will not deliver. reason being is the plates are shedding lead oxide with every charge-discharge (which is a fact of the chemical reaction taking place) and that lead oxide will decrease the amperage delivered and eventually short out the plates.

The Yuhasa group 31 I had in my one Kubota M9, lasted 7 years as well but It was never placed under a heavy load situation either.

My rule of thumb is, I renew every 5 years now, especially in the tractor that does wintertime snow removal. I buy all my starting batteries for a local big truck dealer that also has a repair facility and they go through a lot of batteries so their stock is always fresh and recently charged with electrolyte.

I pay little or no attention to what brand I use. I do pay attention to how new the battery is however. Something I don't have to be concerned with because of their rapid turnover. Big trucks demand a high CCA rating as well so the 31's I buy have a high CCA rating.

A 31 is a large battery, probably too large dimensionally for most of the tractors on this site.

My 4110 Mahindra came with a 31 series battery and I have used an Interstate 31MHP since the original died. I'm only on my second one in 20 years now, 3159 hrs. My tractor has lived outside it's whole life and has never had a battery charger hooked to it ever. I don't operate any electrical other than the draw from the PTO solenoid and very rarely the 4-way flashers if on the road. During very cold weather I have to cycle the glow plugs but I only use the tractor sparingly in winter. My little 20a alternator has always kept the battery up for starting down to 0F. Still on the original glow plugs too.

 

[hornett22]

I've had an RK for a couple years. Seems fine but I use my tractor almost every day. Wal mart batteries are actually pretty good. At least they used to be. Not sure if anything has changed recently.

 

[5030]

DEKA..

Crown ain't bad either and Crown is pretty local too.

 

[FERLING]

I've had an RK for a couple years. Seems fine but I use my tractor almost every day. Wal mart batteries are actually pretty good. At least they used to be. Not sure if anything has changed recently.

I just recently had dealings with a Walmart battery less than a year old! Two gentlemen working in auto department said Walmart doesn't sell batteries for tractors and if any battery they sell is installed in a tractor then it voids the warranty. Needless to say I am done with buying a battery from Walmart!
If this isn't fact then two employees in King, NC need re-training.

 

[5030]

I just recently had dealings with a Walmart battery less than a year old! Two gentlemen working in auto department said Walmart doesn't sell batteries for tractors and if any battery they sell is installed in a tractor then it voids the warranty. Needless to say I am done with buying a battery from Walmart!
If this isn't fact then two employees in King, NC need re-training.

Why would you tell them what the end use was anyway? Don't get that at all. You buy by group size and terminal location, not by end use. really none of their business to know anyway.

 

[5030]

Makes sense... temp is similar to a wine cellar with 3 sides below grade...

Are you up for a personal question?

I'm curious as to your background as broad as it is.

Engineer with Farming in the mix?

30 years working as a tech at a local heavy duty truck dealership and hauling their oversized equipment loads for them as well. Been away from it since I was 58 and I'm 72 now but I still remember a lot of aspects and I still own all the acquired tools.