Stock battery is dragging after only 11 years

[Beaux Duke]

All this talk about batteries got me in maintenance mode. After checking all my vehicles I discovered my wife's 2007 has the OEM Chrysler battery. (I can't rely on my memory any more. I have to go look.)

I sold Interstate for a while when I was running a service station and attending college and I'll admit they had a good product. Their name just never pops into my head now when I think about a battery so I'll have to give them a look see.

Back in my glory days a battery lasted about 3 years and cost about $36 so a buck a month wasn't too bad. With the red tops running $150 and up I'd like to see a 10 year service life.

When I get good service I like to stick with what works but being semi retired now means price is a consideration. Since the Kubota worked well I want to give it some consideration.

Thanks for all the comments. I'll be thinking on this for a while or at least as long as the weather stays warm and the tractor keeps starting

 

[zmansmac]

My original Kubota battery lasted 11 years also. Sounds like a trend average. I replaced it with one from TSC, don't recall the brand. But the terminals were opposite the original and so I had to do a little rerouting of the positive cable to make it work. The negative side had enough slack though.

 

[dstig1]

I sold my old tractor to a friend from work a couple years back. I think it was a 2007 (L3130), but it is hard to know the year on a tractor... I bought it used, but pretty sure it had the OEM battery in it. He had to replace it this past fall as it would not hold a charge. So 8-9 yrs. It does appear they are lasting longer in the tractors around TBN, but probably just due to the intermittent use most SCUT/CUT tractors get.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have always looked at batteries as a dollars per year issue. For personal use, I have had good cost effectiveness from buying the top of the line ones from what used to be Kragen and is now O'Reilly auto parts. That is what is in my John Deere right now, and has been for the past 5 years or so.

Of course, if it goes bad, I can usually walk home and go get another one.

The two exceptions are my wife's car and my hunting rig, where I put a big value on reliability. I am a crusty old fart and if my car breaks down by the side of the road I can wait for help, but I don't want DW to have that happen. And I take the hunting rig places where walking home might take a few days. Interstate there.

 

[Garandman]

I have Optima Red Top in two cars. Put one in my WRX because it is 12 lbs lighter than OEM.

They are AGM batteries. If weight is not a factor I've found Odyssey AGM to be more robust. They are also sold as Sears DieHard Platinum. Expensive, worth it for us.
ODYSSEY battery - Performance Batteries

We buy AGM replacements almost exclusively. But you don't have to worry about cold cranking.

 

[wpabx2230]

I had to replace the battery in my BX2230 last week. Next month would have been 12 years. It was a Deka. I replaced it with the same battery.
I would be amazed if I get 12 years out of this one.

 

[ultrarunner]

Deka is not a name I'm familiar with in California...

 

[number two]

Deka/East Penn:most NAPA batteries,Parts Plus,Carquest Group 31 and larger.
Decent product.

 

[mjym]

hi i ha a 2005 bx1830 with 560hr and still have the same battery i check it with a tester and it still test full every monts i put a battery charger and when my battery will be dead i wil put the same kind of battery that kubota have

 

[newbury]

With twelve machines that take batteries... I'll keep buying the Wallyworld Everstarts and plan on replacements. I finally bought a battery tester and the first instance of trouble & they test as weak .... they're gone as a core charge.

hi i ha a 2005 bx1830 with 560hr and still have the same battery i check it with a tester and it still test full every monts i put a battery charger and when my battery will be dead i wil put the same kind of battery that kubota have

What do you guys use a a battery tester? I'm getting enough older vehicles that I'd like a decent tester.