Battery Life

[slowrev]

Bob,
From the age it is probably the battery, but it could be the tractor draining it as well. You might want to exclude this possibility by disconnecting one battery terminal after charging and seeing if the battery still goes dead.

Ben

 

[SnowRidge]

Standard automotive batteries can last a long, long time if they are provided with proper float voltage when idle and seldom if ever deeply discharged. That said, 5 years is about it for typical use; less if it goes flat a few times. I replace my batteries once they have been in service for five years, instead of waiting for them to fail on me at an inopportune moment.

 

[PILOON]

I have to agree with the 5 year rule of thumb.

I am in the "cold Canadian north" and I always figure that the 5 year replacement costs no more than the eventual cost of a tow truck boosting fee.

At about the 4 1/2 yr aniverseray I keep my eyes peeled for battery sales and figure that I always come out ahead.

Generally I rotate my batteries in that the car gets the new one at about 5 yrs and that battery is donated to the tractor or some other secondary usage application that I can always boost in a pinch from the the primary usage vehicle.

Pays off (LOL $$)in that I get calls from neighbors needing boosts as well as every winter there is always somebody needing a boost in out cold climate.

(ps, I am not that bad a guy. My usual response to a neighbor boosting is "Drop off a bottle of wine if you insist on payement". (CAA fee is about $75.00 here))

 

[skent]

I replaced the battery in my B7300 with an optima. not so much for the battery life (old one was 5 years old and doing fine) but to extend the life of my radiator. I was having a problem with rust and corrosion. The optima solved that problem and the engine cranks much faster. IMO was well worth it!

 

[rdln]

The original battery in my 970 lasted about 7 years. Yuasa brand

 

[Buck]

I bought a Gel battery for my boat; expensive, but supposed to be worth it.

 

[ToadHill]

For years I used 6 volt auto batteries in my Ford 8N and they lasted for 3 or 4 years. The last time I needed a battery I bought one for farm use and it lasted 8 years. It was only about $10 more so it looks like I'll spend the few bucks extra in the future. I guess the auto batterys can't take the pounding over rough ground.

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="blue"> I bought a Gel battery for my boat; expensive, but supposed to be worth it. </font>

Hi, Buck.

Check your charging voltage with that gel cell. Typically, it shouldn't be more than about 14.1 - 14.2 volts. Marine charging systems usually run higher than that. A lot of marine gel cells die from being overcharged.

The battery manufacturer should have published charging specs for your battery. I recommend getting a copy of them, if you don't have one already, and making sure your boat's charging system is compatible with/set up for gel cells.

 

[froggy]

I change out all batteries after three years just so I don't have an irate wife calling and say that she is stranded. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Marlowe]

The one big reason for pre-mature battery failure in a vehicle such as a tractor or a boat that gets intermittent use is allowing the battery to sit in a discharged condition. Keep the battery charged even when it is sitting un-used. Either way, five years is cranking on borrowed time. Like one fellow told me a few years back, "If you stand in a slippery spot long enough, sooner or later you're gonna' fall down".

Tom