Optima Time

jinman · Jul 30, 2006

My 5-1/2 yr old OEM battery just gave up this weekend. I went out to start the tractor yesterday morning and the instrument panel lights were so dim I could hardly see them. I temporarily replaced the OEM battery with my trolling motor battery since I now have a battery box because I made that mod about 2-1/2 years ago. Next week I'll compare prices at Sams and Autozone and buy the new battery.

I think 5-1/2 years on a OEM battery is pretty good. I can't complain about longevity. My only complaint is the mess the seeping OEM battery made in the front of my tractor. My battery box seems to have cured that problem.

Doc_Bob · Jul 30, 2006

jinman said:
I think 5-1/2 years on a OEM battery is pretty good. I can't complain about longevity. My only complaint is the mess the seeping OEM battery made in the front of my tractor. My battery box seems to have cured that problem.

5 1/2 is a good life span. let us know what you find in price and selection.
Bob

Bird · Jul 30, 2006

Next week I'll compare prices at Sams and Autozone

It'll be interesting to see how they compare. A few years ago, I had to buy a battery for a Cub Cadet riding mower and there was 3 cents difference in Walmart's and AutoZone's prices.

Gator6x4 · Jul 30, 2006

I have never seen the Optima battery at the local Sam's. I went with a friend recently to Costco to purchase a replacement battery for a late model buick. He purchased a regular battery for $50- $51 dollars. The optima if memory serves was $150.00.

MikePA · Jul 30, 2006

Might want to consider a dry cell like an Odyssey. Working well for me for 2 years now.

Hooked_on_HP · Jul 30, 2006

I've seen a lot of post about going to optima batteries. I hope they work better in tractors than race cars. We have had so many problems with them our Interstate dealer will try to talk you out of getting one.It may be because we put such a drain on them that they fail but thats what they were made for. In my tractor and pickup I run Walmart batteries.If I have a problem I can get it replaced 24-7 without spending $130.

PineRidge · Jul 30, 2006

Jim sounds to me like you got your moneys worth out of the original battery.

You might also check with your local Auto Zone stores as I've seen Optima batteries offered there also.

Does this mean you'll be retiring the old battery box too.

daTeacha · Jul 30, 2006

I had a Deka in my old Kubota for the years I owned it. I thought it was getting weak at about 5 years and had it checked, and it ran the meter up as good as a new one. I just had some very bad connections at the starter. This battery, BTW, had to start the tractor via the old slow-glo plugs and in temps down near -20 F. I'll get a Deka when I need a new one.

jinman · Jul 31, 2006

MikePA said:
Might want to consider a dry cell like an Odyssey. Working well for me for 2 years now.

Mike, I would sure consider the Odyssey if they were sold in local stores, and I had the ability to do a warranty return if needed. I just don't know anyone who sells them any other way than mail order. The Optima batteries are sold at lots of locations now. I will probably buy one from the closest AutoZone store to my house. I've bought batteries for my truck, my wife's car, and two tractor batteries for other tractors from AutoZone. The folks working in this store have treated me and my wife very well on returns and adjustments, plus they cleaned the terminals and installed the battery in my wife's van at no extra charge.

PineRidge, as you can tell by my response, AutoZone is "in my crosshairs" for my battery source. I'm going to leave the battery box in my tractor because it makes it so easy to swap batteries. Also, my battery can be any case configuration as long as it sits inside the box. I can't see any downside to leaving that box in place.

have_blue · Jul 31, 2006

Not bad! Mine lasted just under 2 years. With the luxurious, velvet-smooth, boulevard ride of the TC's, those batteries should last 10 years.

I took another route. Not wanting to fight the acid, modify my bracket, or pay through the snoot for a battery, I went with a standard maintenance-free car battery. It bolted right up in my standard bracket, and has a vent hose that drops down low enough to clear everything safely. It was really cheap. If it lasts 2 years, it will cost ~$20 per year, and that should have >= the economy of the original or the Optima. Anything over 2 years is gravy. The price was great, but my favorite thing is NO MORE ACID REFLUX!