Now electric issue

[TomIre]

Not my weekend! Ran the tractor pretty hard Saturday with lots of stop/starts moving and cutting up a huge hickory tree that came down in a recent storm.
At the end of the day, when I went to start it, I heard a rapid clicking sound and the nothing. Nothing shows on the panel when I turn the key. Totally dead. My inexpensive float charger says the battery is taking a charge but with no lights, etc I really doubt it's the battery.
I assume the fuses are in the case on top of the battery? I'll check them next but any other ideas?

 

[EddieWalker]

I would try jumping it from a running vehicle and see if fires up. Could be that your alternator or regulator isn't functioning and not charging your battery. Is the belt tight? Most of the auto parts stores will check the battery for you for free, but you have to bring it in to them. How old is the battery?

 

[TomIre]

New tractor so under warranty. 150 hours and about a year old. Was going to try jumping it soon. Belt is right.

 

[mwayne]

Another thing to check is the contact (or lack of adequate contact) between the battery posts and the battery cable connectors. Do you have a multimeter to check for voltage drop between the posts and connectors?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

If you were stopping and starting it a bunch of times in quick succession, it could just be that your alternator never got the chance to charge the battery, especially if you kept using the glow plugs (or letting the glow plugs cycle on at each startup). Doesn't take long to kill a battery that way.

My OEM Interstate wet cell battery died at less than 1 year old on my Branson. It was the winter cold that killed mine. It was -30F that morning, and "click-dead". I put in an Optima AGM battery, and it's been a solid battery ever since. Never a problem starting up at -40F.

Take your OEM battery to a battery shop or service station and have it charged on a proper charger, then load tested. It may be just fine. But if not, put in an AGM battery and never look back.

I doubt there's anything wrong with your electrical sys on your tractor.

 

[TomIre]

If I can jump start the tractor, I'll check the battery at the store. I sort of doubt anything major is wrong too. The battery posts/connectors are clean, dry and right.

 

[EddieWalker]

Another thing to check is the contact (or lack of adequate contact) between the battery posts and the battery cable connectors. Do you have a multimeter to check for voltage drop between the posts and connectors?

Good point. I replaced both of my cables and had some corrosion where the ground cable attaches to the frame. Had a similar problem with my mower. Somehow the positive cable had become loose where the wire was clamped to the cable. I cut of an inch of the cable, stripped it, sanded the clamp real good and crimped it back on. Problem solved.

 

[TomIre]

But if not, put in an AGM battery and never look back."

Do you mind telling me what AGM battery you put in?

Tried jumping it with my truck and got the clicking. Tried charging the battery and got nothing. The charger even had a 50 amp "emergency starting" setting and nothing with that either, no clicking or apparent power to the panel. Battery was dated 4/17.

I wanted to get the tractor out of the field and into my barn to work on it. Not to be. I pulled it and I'm off to get the battery tested now.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

The brand name battery I put in is an Optima battery. The Red Top battery fits in the smaller battery box on the Branson (at least in the 25 series), and drops right in with no problems. I did put a small cut off piece of 2x4 scrap lumber in the gap left in the side of the battery, just to keep it from moving side to side in the battery box.

At least up here in ND, Interstate battery is a carrier of Optima brand AGM batteries. Since my Branson came OEM equipped with an Interstate battery, they warranty replaced the original OEM battery, and I only had to pay the difference in cost of the Optima Red Top battery for replacement purposes.

 

[TomIre]

Was talking to my wife last night about my "angst" on these minor tractor issues. I nursed a 66 year old Ford 8n for several years before getting a brand new, modern Branson. I think that scarred me for life. Tractor problems were expected. Now, in a can't stand prosperity sort of way, I keep expecting the Branson to let me down like the 8n did!
Took the battery to the parts store and they put their tester on it. Dead as a door nail. Aha, I thought, at least that's easy to fix and has a five year Interstate warranty. Then he starts grinding on the post with the tester's alligator clips and got a good battery reading! No visible residue but must have been enough. Sanded the terminals and battery clamps, reinstalled and it started right up.
All that over relearning a lesson I first learned 40 years ago with a used 1974 Honda Civic. No telling how much baking soda paste I put on that old battery.
Oh well, all's well that ends well.