My 13 year old Kubota battery finally died :-(

[Darrellq]

The battery in my L3700 has been a beast. It was a NS70MF and was made in Japan by Yuhasa or something like that. I went to the Kubota dealership hoping to get another just like it but now they only sell Interstate as the replacement. Bought it and hoping it is of better quality than the Interstate batteries I have bought from Costco which typically last only 3-4 years.

 

[stevem5215]

I had a 12 year old Walmart battery that I replaced in January of this year in my Steiner 420. Some batteries just last and last. Of course I bought another Walmart battery to replace it !

 

[scootr]

The battery in my L3700 has been a beast. It was a NS70MF and was made in Japan by Yuhasa or something like that. I went to the Kubota dealership hoping to get another just like it but now they only sell Interstate as the replacement. Bought it and hoping it is of better quality than the Interstate batteries I have bought from Costco which typically last only 3-4 years.

They just don't make em like they used to.

 

[Cycledude]

Had a Walmart battery in my 8N ford that lasted an unbelievable 18 years, it finally failed in 2018 so I bought another one, it’s now 5 years old and still working like new.

You never really know when a battery might fail, I highly recommend occasionally using a charger with a built in desulfator.

 

[rScotty]

The battery in my L3700 has been a beast. It was a NS70MF and was made in Japan by Yuhasa or something like that. I went to the Kubota dealership hoping to get another just like it but now they only sell Interstate as the replacement. Bought it and hoping it is of better quality than the Interstate batteries I have bought from Costco which typically last only 3-4 years.

The Interstate batteries I've bought all seem to be better than average. We have about a dozen in service between tractors and trucks. Their AGM type batteries are way better than their wet cell type batteries & are a direct replacement.

FWIW, Interstate makes the OEM replacement batteries for Sprinter delivery vans here - using MB factory battery cases and decals.

rScotty

 

[buckeyefarmer]

The battery in my L3700 has been a beast. It was a NS70MF and was made in Japan by Yuhasa or something like that. I went to the Kubota dealership hoping to get another just like it but now they only sell Interstate as the replacement. Bought it and hoping it is of better quality than the Interstate batteries I have bought from Costco which typically last only 3-4 years.

Mine just died after 13 years also. I was hoping to get another factory one, but dealers don't carry them. I got the Costco Interstate one.

 

[John_Mc]

In a few months I'll hit 8 years on my Optima Yellow Top AGM battery. I've been very happy with it. When just sitting idle, it holds a charge for longer than the conventional lead-acid batteries I used to use. I'll occasionally put it on a desulfating battery maintainer - especially if I haven't used the tractor in a while. I was getting 3 or 4 years on the flooded lead-acid batteries I used to use.

The price has gone up 75% from when I bought it, but I guess that's not as bad as it sound: that only amounts to a little over 7%/year for 8 years.

 

[rScotty]

In a few months I'll hit 8 years on my Optima Yellow Top AGM battery. I've been very happy with it. When just sitting idle, it holds a charge for longer than the conventional lead-acid batteries I used to use. I'll occasionally put it on a desulfating battery maintainer - especially if I haven't used the tractor in a while. I was getting 3 or 4 years on the flooded lead-acid batteries I used to use.

The price has gone up 75% from when I bought it, but I guess that's not as bad as it sound: that only amounts to a little over 7%/year for 8 years.

For years those Optima round cell batteries were my favorites too. They are an AGM type. We've still got an old Optima marine blue top that gets swapped around.
Since the company was sold the last time the quality is lower. I got burnt by that, and recommend that you discuss Optima's peculiar warranty requirements with the battery seller. Nobody around here has the test equipment to meet Optima's warranty requirements, so they do not honor any warranty. Very disappointing.
rScotty

 

[kozal01]

Optima isn't what they used to be that's for sure, had a crazy expensive yellow top in my dune truck that was the worst battery I ever had, only lasted a year and a half. Had it replaced once under warranty, after a year it crapped out again and they wouldn't replace it again. Replaced it with a Duralast gold from Autozone and it lasted 8 years, no maintainer and the truck sat 90% of the time. There is only like 2 or 3 battery MFG's in north America, just get one with the best warranty and rock it out. The Japanese batteries are top notch though, I used to get my motorcycle batteries for my Harley and for my John Deere riding lawn mower from the local Yamaha dealership, those things did last forever.

 

[woody]

The one in my B26 is 14 years old and it is getting real slow but still works.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I probably shouldn't even think about it loudly, but the OE battery in my M6040 is now 14 years old.

Never been on a maintainer, but does have a permanently hooked up Canadus desulfator on it.

 

[workinonit]

That's a fledgling of a battery. Question is have you ever gotten a free battery from a 10 year old one before? Give me a 10 year old battery any day. That gets you a new one every time. Up to you to figure out how that works.

 

[deserteagle71]

Years ago I put a Walmart battery in my old John Deere 2020 diesel. It lasted 13 years before losing power. I replaced it with another Walmart battery; noticed the other day when fueling the tractor that this one was installed in 2012 so it has been in there for 11 years.

 

[nyone]

I had a 12 year old Walmart battery that I replaced in January of this year in my Steiner 420. Some batteries just last and last. Of course I bought another Walmart battery to replace it !

I have also got really long life out of walmart batteries. Next best in a jam is the exide from home depot.

 

[rScotty]

I have also got really long life out of walmart batteries. Next best in a jam is the exide from home depot.

My original Kubota battery went 13 years, but needed one cable and two sets of battery terminal clamps in that time. they just corroded away from the fumes.

From the stories here, it seems like batteries last 12 to 14 years - or else go bad in less than two. They all look similar, so I wonder why?

rScotty

 

[Too many Kubotas]

From the stories here, it seems like batteries last 12 to 14 years - or else go bad in less than two. They all look similar, so I wonder why?

rScotty

There's only a few places that make batteries, and whatever the customer specifies is what goes into them. Some are built with quality, some not.

As a general rule, the heavier a battery is for a given size, the better. But that still doesn't mean it's built to the best standards.