Battery Failure

[jinman]

Jim, I'm sure there are some different Duralast batteries, but I recently priced batteries (for a neighbor while he was at work) at Walmart and the AutoZone across the street from the Walmart and for batteries with the same 3 year free replacement and prorated after that warranty, the AutoZone battery was about $20 higher.

Bird, I used to buy the cheapest battery possible and still would for some things, but for my diesels, the best battery is more important than price to me. I bought Duralast Gold batteries for my Dodge-Cummins when an Interstate battery exploded. One of the Duralast Gold batteries (Autozone's premium) failed at about 5-1/2 years and I still got a discount of about $15 on a new battery. One of my Duralast Gold batteries is still going strong at over 8 years. That's the kind of service I like in a diesel pickup.

My wife stopped by the Autozone in Decatur to buy a battery. They took the old battery out of her van and replaced it with a new one right there on the spot in front of the Autozone store. I know Walmart has good service, but I don't think it is quite that fast or good. That Autozone store gets a lot of my business just because they know the meaning of service and treat their customers right. I'm probably a little biased because of that.

Of course, I have an Optima in my tractor because I cannot afford to have any acid leakage. All battery worries with the tractor have stopped since I bought the Optima. However, you have to commit to paying about twice as much as a normal battery when you purchase an Optima.

 

[AndyMA]

I've been getting about 8 plus years out of Ford/New Holland oem batteries.
In my 2120 which I pourchased in 1987 I'm on my 3rd battery. Yhis time I've been on a Diehard marine battery for about three years as I happened to have one that I snatched from my boat when the oem battery went dead. Of course many times one of my machines will sit for 3-4 months unattended and start right up when needed. I virtually never have had to charge my batteries.

Andy

 

[Bird]

Jim, Walmart does advertise "free" installation of any battery you buy there, but how fast they'd be or how competent their employees are is something I don't know. And I'm sure AutoZone is like most businesses; it just depends on the employees. I did a lot of business with the AutoZone in Corsicana during the 8 years we lived in the west end of Navarro County and was happy with them. The nearest AutoZone to me now is another matter. I've been in there several times, and bought a few small things, but I have yet to find an employee in there who has any idea what he's doing. Maybe that's the reason you can drive by there almost any time and the parking lot is empty. It appears that they don't have enough business to pay the light bill.

So I can certainly understand why you'd stay with AutoZone and I would, too, in your area.

 

[RoofDawg]

Well, I put a volt meter on her after running her for about an hour (mowing) and she was only registering 'bout 6 volts and would not restart. Also, there is a pro-rated warranty. I'll take it to the dealer and see what they say. Thanks for all your input gentlemen.

 

[Bird]

I virtually never have had to charge my batteries.

The only reason I even have a battery charger is that I bought it for the trolling motor battery in the boat (the engine would charge the starting battery, but not the trolling motor battery), but then I sold the boat.

RoofDawg, did you put a voltmeter on it while it was running to see if the alternator was putting out any current? It's probably a battery that's gone bad instead of the alternator, but that would be one thing to check.

 

[RoofDawg]

I have a better meter coming from my boss and I'm going to check it all. I also have a problem with the emergency flasher fuse, that keeps blowing. I think I may have pinch a wire when I took off the ROPS. I wish the ROPS folded it would make things alot easier. I let you know Bird what I find out.