Gel type battery from wheelchair for tractor

[danbike]

I have found that REMY Battery (remybattery.com) has a gel battery of the U1 type that Deere uses on the X series tractors. It is designed for wheelchair use, but will fit a Deere. Does anyone have any knowledge of using these wheelchair batteries in a tractor?

Dan

 

[neverenough]

Well, I'm surely no expert on batteries, but, I would guess a wheel chair battery is much like a marine battery or a battery for your cordless drill (deep cycle), where it is meant to be drained then recharged unlike a starting battery that should be kept fully charged at all times.

 

[danbike]

Well, I'm surely no expert on batteries, but, I would guess a wheel chair battery is much like a marine battery or a battery for your cordless drill (deep cycle), where it is meant to be drained then recharged unlike a starting battery that should be kept fully charged at all times.

I never realized that point you have made. Thanks for pointing out an obvious reason to keep in mind.

 

[IslandManMitch]

I would think that was long as the voltage is correct and have enough cold cranking amps they should work.

 

[danbike]

I had my eyes opened to the fact that a wheelchair battery is designed to be used in deep draw cycles and not continuously recharged, like with a charging system on a motor. The suggestion was to not go this route. Just wanted to let the rest of you learn what I found out.

 

[Ductape]

I will add that i had a yellow-top optima in my 'burb (with zero problems), which is also a deep cycle battery. I would think that as long as the deep cycle battery has enough cold cranking amps for whatever cold weather starting you have in your area..... you would be fine. I would suspect that if you have your CCA requirements covered, it would be a bonus to have the gel battery...... plus they can be mounted in any position.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Some gel cells are made for dual applications, like the Optima Yellow top. They have both the crank amp capability and deep discharge. In addition, the batteries need to be vibration resistant, another big plus for the yellow top. Too bad Optima is having so much trouble.

 

[Willl]

Too bad Optima is having so much trouble.

What trouble ?

 

[Rob-D]

Deep cycle batteries are rated in how many times they can be charged and depleted. If you discharge to, say, 50% then you get less charges out of the battery then if you charge to 75% for instance. I don't see any reason why a gel battery should have a problem in that category if it is not depleted. That is, it is kept at full charge constantly.

The problem is that different batteries have different charging characteristics. Lead/acid batteries and AGM (Absorbent Glass) have different charging voltages and peak charge point when the charging cycle stops and the battery is removed from the charging source.

Solar system chargers usually have selector switches to allow for the difference that our tractors don't have.

How much of a difference it makes is hard to predict. You may lose some life from your gel cell battery but it may not be enough to worry about.

I would say if it meets the criteria for CC you're probably going to be fine just check your battery to make sure it's not getting hot on you from over charging.

Rob

 

[flyngti]

What trouble ?

I have heard in other (automotive) forums about Optima batteries having an unusually high rate of failed cells. Maybe it was a bad batch a while back -- don't know if it's a problem now. I had a red-top Optima 10 years ago and it lasted probably 6 years.