2007 M9540 and 2010 Bobcat S250 original Batteries - have used battery maintainer when sitting unused for any length of time for last 10 years.
How long did your battery last?
- Thread starter armylifer
- Start date
Bmyers
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Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
Purchased my BX2370 summer 2014 and still using the original battery. Have never used a maintainer and have never had to charge it. Tractor is used year round and has over 800 hrs on it. Also have a 2014 Polaris Sportsman 550 with the original battery and never used a maintainer or charger on it either.
My tractor is approaching 4 years old, I store it in a barn with no electricity so no trickle charger. This winter it turned over weaker than normal. I charged the battery and this spring it seems ok, for now. It’s possibly on borrowed time.
Some years ago I had the same problem - barn with no power. I found a solar powered battery maintainer with a 15w solar panel and controller and installed the solar panel on the roof of my barn. It has kept the battery on my Miller welder topped off...looked at it the other day and the date I installed the battery was September of 2014. Still starts the welder just fine.
Of course, this is Nevada and the sun shines 345 days of the year. Might not work as well in your location!
Hmm. I put a battery maintainer on my L3901, and it seems to make the tractor throw codes. If I clear the code and leave the maintainer off, the code stays off. It is definitely the maintainer causing the code. Do I have a bad battery, or a bad maintainer ? Advice appreciated.
armylifer
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BX1860, FEL, RCK54P MMM, BB1548 Box Scraper, Quick Hitch, Piranha Bar, BX6315
That seems really strange. Have you tried another battery maintainer to see if the tractor still has codes on it?
armylifer
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BX1860, FEL, RCK54P MMM, BB1548 Box Scraper, Quick Hitch, Piranha Bar, BX6315
I've forgotten, and apparently didn't write it down. (I looked). I seem to remember it was a 'P05 something', which I interpreted as something like "battery overvoltage". Hasn't reoccured since I haven't put the maintainer back on. I did use the same maintainer on a bobcat welder, without problems.
armylifer
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Equipment
BX1860, FEL, RCK54P MMM, BB1548 Box Scraper, Quick Hitch, Piranha Bar, BX6315
It sounds to me like the maintainer was not shutting off when the battery reached full charge voltage. Conversely, the tractor ECU may be seeing the voltage that the battery reached on the maintainer as being too high. That still leaves the question as to whether the tractor will set the same codes using a different maintainer.
Some maintainers (such as NOCO) use a high-voltage desulfate pulse (~25V) that pops sulfur off the plates and into solution; this messes with the electronics of some vehicles, and I've read the manufacturer says to remove the battery before putting on the maintainer. Also note NOCO and other brands state they change specifications without notice so your mileage may vary. (For instance, I was looking at a model with temperature compensation, they advertised it as such but had removed it 2 years prior, so the model I was looking at could overcharge/undercharge batteries)
A battery maintainer that desulfates can recover a battery other maintainers cannot. I use a high-end BatteryMinder originally designed for aircraft use (harmonic desulfate instead of voltage) and it recovered many batteries others could not, so in my case worth the money.
A friend with 3 consumer grade BatteryMinder units (no temperature compensation) said all the boiled off his batteries in the unheated/uncooled garage, cheap Schneider units worked better. We have a NOCO on the indoor propane forklift at work (that battery should be replaced...) and it works great. Different units regardless of brand function differently, some work better than others depending on the need.
Blue2Orange
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Equipment
BX2380 with LA344S & QH05. SB1051. SG0554. BB1248. RB0560, Vassar dirt bucket
Too many variable that effect battery life. Just purchased the BX. On the NH I replaced the lead acid with the Optima Yellow top on day one back in 2001. IIRC, replaced it ~2015. Load tested it a year or two ago. Still ok, but not ideal for our cold winter mornings. Found one on sale and also purchased a battery charger, maintainer. Of course now I go trade in the NH for a Kubota. Dealer was fine with me swapping batteries, but I think the group 51 sized Optima is a bit too tall to fit.