Battery Condition

[Jim Nelson]

What happened to the old fashioned way of using a battery hydrometer to check condition? I had a NAPA battery with one bad cell a couple of years ago and charged it over night with a slow charger then checked them all with a hydrometer and found one low cell, took it in and they checked it with a new fangled electronic tester and it said it was fine. I ended up having to buy a new hydrometer from them to prove my case and the owner, another old guy, said "He's right, give him a new battery."

I realize that with a lot of the new batteries being sealed this isn't possible but I'm careful when buying them and have pretty good luck with the old way.

 

[jpm]

A new battery is less than $150. How much aggravation will you have in the middle of winter when it fully dies in a snow storm. After 5 years or so your on overtime with battery's

 

[John_Mc]

If you still have problems after checking all battery connections and the main ground connection, I'd suggest hooking the battery up to a desulfating battery charger/maintainer. As long as a cell is not shorted, such a maintainer can often recover a weak battery. (If a cell is shorted, you might be able to charge it up to ~12.6 volts, but if you disconnect and let it sit overnight it will not stay there.)

 

[fried1765]

A new battery is less than $150. How much aggravation will you have in the middle of winter when it fully dies in a snow storm. After 5 years or so your on overtime with battery's

Using a battery Battery Tender, Battery Minder, Noco Genius, or similar, I often get 8+ years from a battery.
That said: In a Northern climate, you should expect trouble any day, if you keep a battery beyond 5 years.

 

[mini14]

I think it’s time for a new starter. Or rebuild the old one.

 

[CobyRupert]

What happened to the old fashioned way of using a battery hydrometer to check condition? I had a NAPA battery with one bad cell a couple of years ago and charged it over night with a slow charger then checked them all with a hydrometer and found one low cell, took it in and they checked it with a new fangled electronic tester and it said it was fine. I ended up having to buy a new hydrometer from them to prove my case and the owner, another old guy, said "He's right, give him a new battery."

I realize that with a lot of the new batteries being sealed this isn't possible but I'm careful when buying them and have pretty good luck with the old way.

My understanding is a cell's specific gravity, as measured by the hydrometer, directly correlates to that cells voltage. Thus if the specific gravity is low, cell's voltage is low, and the battery's total voltage will also be low (as measured by voltmeter from post to post).
Ideally each cell should hold 2.1 volts (x 6 cells) = 12.6 voltage. So if you only get 12.1V or something less than 12.6, yes a hydrometer can tell you which cell is bad, or if all cells aren't fully charged. But I guess my question is: So what?

 

[oosik]

I went the simple route. Last year the OEM battery on my 2009 Kubota was nine years old. I replaced it with an Odyssey. The OEM battery has been moved into a standby category.

I DO NOT need the hassles of a weak battery.

 

[Gary Fowler]

With a battery that is 7 or 8 years old, I wouldn't waste time checking anything. Just buy a new battery. You certainly got the good from that one. My Kubota B26 started turning over weakly but still starting at about 7 years of age. Then one day when it started getting colder and required more preheat, it just wouldn't start. A new battery got it going again.

Now if you had this same problem with a fairly new battery, then testing would be in order. Battery voltage is not a good indication of a good voltage, load testing the amperage tells you the battery's ability to rebound from a load which gives you the condition of the battery's plates.

 

[Oldoak]

I think it’s time for a new starter. Or rebuild the old one.

Hey, now there's a good suggestion. New starters do come with new tractors.

 

[Gary Fowler]

What happened to the old fashioned way of using a battery hydrometer to check condition? I had a NAPA battery with one bad cell a couple of years ago and charged it over night with a slow charger then checked them all with a hydrometer and found one low cell, took it in and they checked it with a new fangled electronic tester and it said it was fine. I ended up having to buy a new hydrometer from them to prove my case and the owner, another old guy, said "He's right, give him a new battery."

I realize that with a lot of the new batteries being sealed this isn't possible but I'm careful when buying them and have pretty good luck with the old way.

How do you check a sealed top battery with a hydrometer? Load test after a full charge cycle is the only way to verify the condition of a battery.