Battery doesn't charge

[Farmerford]

If it is like my 1980's John Deere 455D the alternator is not very powerful on the assumption (I assume) that the machine will run for quite a while between starts. So when it is running it does not charge very rapidly.

A couple of years ago I bought two small solar panels when they were on sale at Northern Tool for I thing about $20 each. They are the small size so no regulator/controller is needed.

The 455D has been sitting out in a field since early spring without being started, but with the two solar panels hooked up and just lying on the hood. Yesterday I checked the voltage on the batteries (two size 26 I think) and it was 13.2 volts, which is just about the correct float voltage. The starter turned the engine over rapidly and it caught and started in a couple of seconds.

I did the same thing on a Cat D3B and got the same results. I am convinced the $40 worth of solar chargers for each machine saved me several times that much in new batteries, to say nothing avoiding the hassle of jumping them off with another machine and then letting them sit running at 2,000 rpm for a couple of hours or more to charge the batteries.

 

[fried1765]

Thank you for the tester idea... just ordered one.

I'm pretty sure I'll need a new battery too.... I'll hobble along until it verifies it for me. Maybe then with a new battery it can point out something else at issue.

That "Ancel" battery tester is an amazing little device!
It is so good, it might even analyze the condition of your electric coffee maker (not really, of course).