4410 Battery leakage

[Dave4410]

Today I fell victim to the dreaded battery acid leakage plague. Has any one had any recent success in getting their dealer to provide a permanent fix for the problem, such as providing a battery without the old-style caps? I have marine, deep cycle batteries that are sealed, in my boats. I wonder why Deere doesn't use the same type. My dealer is taking my machine on Monday for a backhoe leak-down repair and the 50 hour service. I mentioned to him about the battery problem and he responded as if it was the first time he had heard of the problem...

 

[rockyridgefarm]

That was Optima D51R...

 

[Dave4410]

Are you saying that your dealer provided the Optima battery as a replacement for the original? If that's true and you found it to be a good fix for the problem, I will propose that solution to my dealer.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

No, i paid for it, but I felt that was actually cheaper than dealing with the warranty fixes, transportation, or replacing the radiator myself....

 

[Dave4410]

I can imagine the radiator would eventually sustain some damage. Did yours? I'll check mine out before it goes in to the dealer. I'm getting complimentary transportation this time because they've got to take it in at their expense for the backhoe repair. The tractor had 5 hrs. when they had it in last time for the eHydro problem and didn't have the valve kit to repair the boom/bucket leak-down problem on the hoe. It now has 45 hrs. and will easily be at 50 by the time it is picked up Monday. They'll do the 50 hr. service while it's there. The only maintenance I've done was to grease all the fittings on the tractor, loader and backhoe at about 35 hours. None of them took very much and the ones by my feet seemed to have come with white lithium grease. What type of grease do you use Rocky Ridge? Do you use the same grease everywhere?

 

[mhalla]

<font color="green">I have had battery leakage on my JD 2210. Tried to find a marine battery box for a group 51 battery as one solution to the problem but without success. Looked around for a plastic battery tray too but again couldn't find one for a group 51 battery.

I am ordering an Optima battery today and doing some repainting on my tractor tomorrow where corrosion from the battery affected the paint. Wouldn't have had the paint problem if John Deere had provided a plastic tray under the battery.

You can spend $2000 for a Sears lawn and garden tractor that comes with a tray under the battery. Spend $10,000 for a John Deere 2210 and it comes with no tray under the battery. Do any of the CUTS in whatever color have trays under their batteries?

I have very little flat ground that I mow with my 2210 so I wonder if people without hills have less problems with battery acid leakage from the caps. Much of my mowing is up and down hills.

Mike</font>

 

[bigpete]

Every battery I have had in every (real) tractor I have ever owned caused some type of corrosion in the metal tray or battery area. I had a lawn tractor for a few years that had a little, teenie battery in a plastic box under the seat that did not cause any problems. I think I replaced in every two years, or so, though.

After my experiences and having read about the Optima, I put the D51 in my 4110 before I even reached 50 hours (The 4110 takes the D51, not the D51R). Some of you guys might think that's a waste, but there was no corrosion when I put it in and I never expect I will post a battery damage complaint at TBN. At just over $100 delivered, it was a little insurance policy.

Anybody from Deere marketing out there listening to all this? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[mhalla]

<font color="green">Ordered my Optima D51 from Remy Battery this morning. Should arrive by next week Tuesday according to the UPS tracking information I just received.

By coincidence, Remy is located in Milwaukee, in the neighborhood in which I grew up.

Now to figure out what to do with the old battery from my John Deere 2210 that is not really all that old.

Mike </font>

 

[bigpete]

Mike,

I've got my Strongbox holding down a board in one corner of my garage. I charged it up a few weeks ago just to keep up its life in case I don't need to use it to hold down that board any more.

 

[Dave4410]

From what I'm learning, you've found something more useful to do with your Strongbox than leaving it to contaminate your tractor. It's ridiculous that these batteries are being installed in Deere tractors after all these years. Deere should be having batteries manufactured to their specs at this point.