Buying a New Battery

[Antiquated 3]

My C-145 has needed a new battery for a couple months but I've just been jump starting it. I was browsing at K-Mart today and saw a no name lawn tractor battery on sale for $25. It was rated at 190 CCA. I'm not too concerned with cold crank because I plan on keeping the battery indoors all winter unless I need it to push snow and then I'll pull it out again when finished. Does that sound like an okay deal? Would the battery even work on my WH? What do you aficionados run as far as batteries are concerned?

[leeave96 487]

Personally, I wouldn't buy it. I typically get a 420ish CCA battery for all my tractors. Around $50ish at TSC.

[GlenPettit 1,714]

I agree with 'leeave96', go for a much higher CCA, above 300 anyway.  You have a 30+ year old tractor/engine that may be getting stiff.  

I'm just guessing, but the more higher CCA battery may also have a longer life, both in amps and years.  

I have been very happy with the Walmart batteries (and TSC), and have not noticed any difference with these and 'Interstate' batteries.  Keeping  all  connections clean is a big factor.

Edited November 25, 2013 by GlenPettit

[WH nut 553]

My experience with the $25 batteries is you WILL replace them every couple of years

[wrightorchid 261]

Almost all of the non automotive batteries will have a short warranty, often as short as 3 months.   It pays to keep a battery tender, and if not using, hopefully in a reasonable temperature, as heat and cold are bad, and shorten the life.  They don't make them like they used to.

[ARK 9]

Just a thought,  based on lots of experience.

As said a cheap ($25) battery will need frequent replacing.  At that cost the battery is cheaply made, the bottom for holding spent lead is minimal or not there, the side insulation body is flimsy, the cell accessibility is minimal, the cells are small thus the low CCA, the terminals are small and weak, tightening does often break them.  These batteries do not meet any known standard, thus vibration will break them down.  You plan to remove and install when you use the tractor, the battery will not withstand the constant move about the different temperatures and you will surely bust the terminal connections.

 

A lot of junk comes out of other countries…batteries being the worst, if the warranty is low in months, so is the quality of that battery.,

 

A note on charging.

A battery tender is OK, but it must manage time of charge based on state of charge, if not charging a battery,  lead acid battery for long unattended times at low current actually kills the battery as the electrolyte chemically and electrically becomes more of an insulator and less of a conductor.  Lead acid batteries for automotive like a steady higher amperage charge and every so often do even better with an equalization charge.  That is a high amperage timed charge with the voltage being tested to verify things are going the right way as the voltage increases and all this changes the electrolyte to a very good conductor.

 

A simpler method is to fully charge the battery at 2A then when indicated full, by a light or test of voltage, undue the leads and let sit off a cement floor and then charge it gain in about a month or when the static voltage reading drops below 12.7V.D.C.

 

In this way the battery will go from approximately 12.7-13.8 V WITH NO LOAD.  Then in Spring fully charge the equalize before putting in service.

 

A fairly good battery will last 8-10 years if maintained and the wiring, cables, connections and devices in a car, truck or a tractor are also checked 2x a year.

Edited November 26, 2013 by ARK

[JackC 616]

Personally, I wouldn't buy it. I typically get a 420ish CCA battery for all my tractors. Around $50ish at TSC.

Same here.  Just bought two 420 CCA Husky batteries at TSC during their recent 10% off everything sale.  I like having strong batteries to facilitate starting.  They seem to last longer also.

[wrightorchid 261]

Thanks for your input ARK.  I'll give it a shot, since I seem to be getting a short life span.  I do agree that the higher CCA batteries do last longer.

[ARK 9]

Batteries are categorized for automobile, (trucks, buses, motorcycles, tractors) and deep cycle, (solar systems, electric cars, golf carts, electric lift trucks).  Both these types have similarities and major differences, as an example, deep cell can be discharged to 80% and automobile to 20% and the rate of charging is different.  Auto batteries discharge great amouts of amps and take on great amount of amps but deep cycle batteries for their size deliver small amounts for a large length of time and generally receive their charge in lower amps for longer times.

 

These batteries are maintained differently because the cost of a big deep cycle battery is expensive and lifespan if looked after is 20 years.  But the things done to a deep cycle battery can be applied to an auto battery but size, time must be realized.

 

As long as the battery has accessible cells, they must be examined for electrolyte and state of charge by using a hydrometer, they must be kept clean, terminals must be clean and tight.

 

With auto batteries the industry does make a hybrid battery that is somewhat like a deep cycle: thick walls, robust outer package, large cells, accessible cells able to be discharged more…but all this costs money, so they are more expensive but if looked after the lifespan can be extended.

 

If you live where the ambient temperature gets below freezing, never let a discharged battery sit in the cold…it will freeze up and possibly destroy the battery.  

Never jump start the battery by connecting the jumper cables to both terminals, use ground not -, on standard negative grounded batteries.

When jumping a dead battery from a car truck or machine with an engine, SHUT OFF that engine and use only the fully charged battery installed in that vehicle, when the dead vehicle starts, let it idle a short time then remove the - negative, isolate it, then remove the + positive and isolate it NEVER SHORT THE JUMPER CABLES when the other end is still connected to the good battery.

 

When a battery was dead, and now jumped to run the engine, let that engine idle at least 5-10 minutes to put some electrons in the liquid electrolyte, if temperatures are cold let idle at least 30 minutes before revving.

 

Cold and hot are not a battery's best ambient, like us battery ideal is the same for humans.

 

Never run your engine with the battery removed.

 

Alternators and generators if good have a variable amount of amperage to charge a battery, that amount is determined by RPM of the alternator and that depends on pulley sizes.  Diodes are ski-conductors that can short or open and 1 diode in a set of a full wave rectifier can play havoc with the charging and discharging of a battery.  Regulators are similar depending if regulation is via a dumping to ground of electrons or cutting the field and slowing or stopping the flow of electrons.  Most alternators are 3 phase rotating machines because they are most efficient compared to single phase or DC generators.  There are a lot of things that could go wrong with alternators but a very simple check of the voltage at the battery terminals with the alternator running  should be higher than 12.5 Volts.

[boovuc 1,090]

I'll just make this brief and to the point.

 

Don't buy WalMart tractor batteries.

[buckrancher 2,675]

interstate or sears die hard

[Fishroe 261]

I agree with the sears.  had one in craftsman lawn tractor  lasted 6 years  went and bought another one

[Terry M-(Moderator) 2,126]

         I've bought the menards Exide batteries for my lawn rangers (290CCA) at the price of $19.95 . so far they work well. I guess I'd rather just buy the cheap ones because of the tecumseh's unregulated charging system. if I ever buy a tractor with a better charging system, then I would opt for the better batteries.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Terry M

[gregg'shorses 77]

I'll just make this brief and to the point.

 

Don't buy WalMart tractor batteries.

They are BUILT CHEAP to sell cheap.

[Coadster32 793]

I second the wal-mart battery...cheap. I spend my dough on a higher CCA interstate battery, and not worry about it for a long time.

You get your money back pretty quickly with a lot less aggravation.

[Kelly 1,028]

Even the cheap TSC batt's are not very good, I have a couple Briggs and stratton batt's I got from TSC and love them, I also picked up a couple Exide ones from Menards last year on sale $12 each so far they are pretty good, but most often you get what you pay for, and if it's under $50 more than likely you will be buying another in 2 years.  

[oaktown1987 82]

Johnson controls groups make most mopar Walmart interstate optima among others

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[oaktown1987 82]

Rural king battery's I've had good luck with

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[rick 216]

NAPA #8229 is my choice, when properly cared for they last a long time. The warranty is 12 months.

[Terry M-(Moderator) 2,126]

Even the cheap TSC batt's are not very good, I have a couple Briggs and stratton batt's I got from TSC and love them, I also picked up a couple Exide ones from Menards last year on sale $12 each so far they are pretty good, but most often you get what you pay for, and if it's under $50 more than likely you will be buying another in 2 years.  

Kelly, If that $12 Menards battery Last two years , that isn't all that bad of a deal…is it ?