Batteries; Your Thoughts?

[JoeM 7,608]

Walked past my old battery pile the other day and started thinking about what brand is the best.

There seemed to be almost all the most popular brands. Most, but not all came from the 12 or so machines I try to keep running.

Interstate, Deka, AutoCraft, NAPA, Everstart, Rural King, Ultra Power, and I am sure there is others I have tried.

I'm almost to the point of price and convenience when choosing a battery. I am just not making a connection between brand and battery life.

I will admit, I'm not a maintenance fanatic when it comes to batteries. I do keep the terminals clean and the important machines on a tender. That's about it.

[ebinmaine 62,953]

2 minutes ago, OILUJ52 said:

keep the terminals clean and the important machines on a tender.

I think that's the most important thing right there.

 

15 or 25 years ago I probably would have told you that ACDelco was the best brand and I wouldn't have been able to argue that with anybody for any reason. I had had great luck with them.

 

Motorcraft at that point was also very good. Back in the late 90s when I was working for Parts America which then became Advance Auto Parts there was the same company making ACDelco that was making the store brand for them. Exactly the same battery case and everything.

 

I've been out of that industry now for eight or nine years I guess.

 

I don't have any particular brand loyalty anymore. I shop for price and then keep them maintained as they should be.

 

 

 

[cschannuth 3,795]

 Up until a couple of years ago Johnson Controls Inc. made just about every brand of battery that was available. That included OEM and store brands.  I would say by the best battery you can afford, keep your tractors inside when you can, and use a trickle charger and they will last for years. 

[peter lena 8,035]

I have been using the wally world ,ever start batteries , I need cca because of winter use , usually  about 375-400 . I dielectric grease all my contact points , and wire in a battery tender quick plug in to the choke cable , between battery tray and engine. allowing me to regularly touch up my battery with ease. I periodically check the water and top up with distilled as needed. for the 30-40 bucks it cost I have no complaints whit them, pete   

[wallfish 15,907]

Try getting yourself a good jump box and just swap it in and out for the machines which don't see regular use. Just keep batteries in the regular use machines. You can use the jump box to help for starting to get an extra year out the old batteries too.

[pfrederi 17,125]

John Deere...  Sorry but my GT235 purchased new in 2001 is still on its original battery...but this may be the last year...

[953 nut 51,510]

10 hours ago, cschannuth said:

until a couple of years ago Johnson Controls Inc. made just about every brand of battery that was available. That included OEM and store brands.

I agree with Craig on the single source situation. It seems that a lot of products are all made by one supplier and sold under several names. I have been buying a new 400 CCA battery or two in the spring when they are on sale. Last year's battery goes into the pleasure driving tractors and the new ones go to the 310-8 and 418-C that I mow with. Everything is under roof and in winter the snow plow tractors are in the shop.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,369]

Probably the best battery I had was the OEM YUSA that the Anniversary 520H came with new, next was Interstate, and now I'm having good luck with the Duralast from AutoZone...

[JC 1965 1,528]

My last two batteries came from Wally world. I use a battery tender on them when their not in use and they are several years old.

[rjg854 10,708]

I get mine from a store that happens to sell Interstate, they came in the Ford Rangers I've had,  they have always been good batteries, and seem to last.

[Sarge 3,462]

I've been avoiding any batteries built by Johnson Controls and instead using East Penn manufactured units - both in L&G sizes and automotive types, no regrets. They can cost a bit more, but the quality sure seems a lot better. I will say this - the factory batteries that JD is using for some reason are a far better OEM specification than anyone else I've seen, they last forever. Now, whether or not a replacement from JD is as good - the jury is still out on that one.

I know since putting the automotive sized unit in the big D it's made a big difference - that heavy twin opposed engine whips over like nothing in sub-zero weather and the charging system has had no issues keeping it fully charged despite using the lights a lot at night in super cold weather. Best upgrade I've done to the old animal.

 

Sarge

[lynnmor 6,762]

After a string of problems I am done with the Walmart junk, their buyers must pressure the manufactures to squeeze every penny out of the batteries they market.  Now I use brands produced by East Penn.  Interestingly, Walmart and Sam's Club are the same company, but the Sam's Duracell batteries are made by East Penn, but they sell only the lowest AH for garden tractors.  I buy from Battery Warehouse in Lancaster, no, the York store is not affiliated and sells different stuff.

[oliver2-44 8,834]

What the OEM or Seller (Walmart etc) specified to the battery manufacture is the game today.  Most automotive batteries last 4 years in the hot Texas climate.  But I had a 2010 Toyota OEM battery New with the car last 8 years.  I talked to one of the dealer technicians and he said he saw lots of 2010 batteries last longer like that, but not other year Toyota batteries.  In the South the summer heat takes it toll on batteries. At the power plants the large industrial batteries are designed for 77 deg F.  We had some plants with battery rooms located way back in the dam were it was always cool and one located on a outer hot West wall.  The ones in the cool really lasted a lot longer, required less makeup water, less terminal corrosion, etc. The plants bought all there batteries from a European manufacture.  The American made industrial batteries had a hard time passing a discharge test the engineers specified     A friend that lives up in the Colorado Rockies says everyone there gets 6-8 years out of car batteries.  

I get about 2 years out of lawn tractor batteries and that’s with using a trickle charger and keeping them serviced, 

So add “Keeping them cool” when possible to the extended life list

 

[Elkskin's mower junkyard 1,117]

I use everstart mainly. Key to getting a battery to last is regular use even in winter we had a couple last over 5 years. Just like in a car you use it everyday and look how they last. Not saying you have to run your tractors everyday at least once a week. One of the batterys that lasted 5 years was stored outside and my dad never done any maintenance to it.

[pacer 3,159]

"My last two batteries came from Wally world. I use a battery tender on them when their not in use and they are several years old."

Another wally world everstart user here. I have them in 3 'Big D's' and a comparable MF garden tractor and one is going into its 5th year another around 4yrs ..... Of the 10 or so Ive bought in the 5-6 yrs Ive used them had 2 early failures and wally just says "put that old one over there and go get another"

[Zeek 2,284]

I've been using Wally World batteries for the past couple of tractors. I peel off the decals and keep them on maintainers and out of freezing weather and the few I have, have lasted for years.

 

I think Consumer Reports did a test on the common name batteries in the car version a few years back. More money doesn't necessarily mean a better battery as I recall. 

[Elkskin's mower junkyard 1,117]

I just had a everstart quit on me last night. But it wasn't batterys fault had a short in tractor and battery got cooked