My tractor is going on 7 years old now. Still starts but with winter almost here I might change it out . What’s the general life of a battery . Our winters are fairly harsh.
Batteries
- Thread starter OlFerguson
- Start date
What I find helpful is to have critical batteries changed every 5 years. I then use those batteries in other non critical applications like for my ATV where I have a marine battery box on the front rack. On my garden tractors, I put marine battery boxes on the front.
When the ATV will no longer start, the battery has served me well and never seriously inconvenienced me.
Going out in the middle of a snow storm and finding your tractor wont start is a big hassle. Boosting and then letting the alternator deal with a dying battery is hard on the alternator too.
Most re-built alternators come with a caution to not let it have to deal with a near dead battery.
Dave
When the ATV will no longer start, the battery has served me well and never seriously inconvenienced me.
Going out in the middle of a snow storm and finding your tractor wont start is a big hassle. Boosting and then letting the alternator deal with a dying battery is hard on the alternator too.
Most re-built alternators come with a caution to not let it have to deal with a near dead battery.
Dave
Iv e had batteries that were new, and only lasted one year, I've also had a battery in a Bobcat skid steer that lasted an amazing 19 years. No difference in how I maintained either of the two extremes, so I can only say that some manufacturers make better batteries than others. Oh, and the 19 year old battery was an AC Delco, made in CHINA go figure.
You can take your battery to a dealer and have it load tested. That will give you an idea of how much more life remains. I'm not sure harsh winters are as rough on batteries as hot summers. In any case, as you've learned there is no hard and fast rule for a battery's life.
I don't think that is accurate. I know the Delco battery plant in Olathe, Ks. did not close until 2005. Johnson Controls began purchasing any battery production plant for sale! If a Delco battery was made out of the US to was probably Mexico. I don't think they ever had production in China.
Here's a bit of history. http://www.delcoremyhistory.com/theplants.htm
The original DEKA battery in my 2005 BX made it until last November.
It would still start it, but it was cranking pretty slowly.
It would still start it, but it was cranking pretty slowly.
JeepinMaxx
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Timely post! My BX battery is 8 years old and I'm thinking of proactively replacing it. Its a Group 26R. I'd like to replace it with a AGM type battery like I run in my Jeeps. Can't seem to find an AGM in that size though...
I got 10 years on the small 51R battery on my B3200. I looked around and found one from Carquest that has 600CCA. Starts well and spins fast.
Well, I am wrong as can be! Delco sure never put any information about manufacturing in China on their website, that I could find. Does your battery have a label showing it's mfg. date?
In about 1985 if anyone pulled into a Delco (or GM or Ford) plant with a foreign car they would be keyed, or sometimes tipped over. They eventually had signs that stated no foreign cars allowed in the parking lots.
I wonder what those guys would say about the "New Delco"?
There are only a few battery mfr’s around anymore and those often contract-out batteries to be made to specification.
The lifetime of any battery is mostly influenced by the health and accuracy of the charging system than any other factor. If the battery is overcharged (cheap regulator) it will “boil” and lost plate surface-area. If undercharged, or re-charged too rapidly it will suffer longevity. If the charging system cannot determine the charge-level (sometimes not due to cheap/inaccurate system) but due to faulty connections or parasitic loads, the battery will also have a short life.
The lifetime of any battery is mostly influenced by the health and accuracy of the charging system than any other factor. If the battery is overcharged (cheap regulator) it will “boil” and lost plate surface-area. If undercharged, or re-charged too rapidly it will suffer longevity. If the charging system cannot determine the charge-level (sometimes not due to cheap/inaccurate system) but due to faulty connections or parasitic loads, the battery will also have a short life.
Since you asked, yes I do. If I used the correct procedure i believe this battery was manufactured in the year 2000. The information I found on the internet indicated that the dating recycles every ten years. Since I bought the Bobcat in 2003 or 2004, and I never changed the battery until April of this year, my calculations say the battery was 19 years old.
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The Yuhasa in my M9 went 5 years and I replaced with a Delphi Group 31, 1200cca. That one is going on 3 years now. Heat kills a battery, not cold. A fully charged acid tub will stay viable to -75 (f). The CCA rating will be about half of one at 60 degrees however so if you run in the wimter like I do. always get the most CCA you can buy..........
My Grand L-40 uses a 26R I had it load tested but it seemed to crank slow. Took it somewhere else that had a checker that looks at each cell waveform, it failed. It was 8 years old.
I crossed it to a group 24-6 so the posts were the same orientation.
Went to Costco and saw a Interstate group 34, 800 cca for $88 and 3 year warranty.
Bought it.
FYI Kubota dealer batteries Interstate and Kubota website claims: quote, Negative Plate Paste Expander, Reduce damage caused by high temperatures, while increasing the overall number of starts
Sodium Sulfate Additive, Improves rechargeable capabilities when the battery has not been used for an extended period.quote
But I doubt Interstate makes a special run of batteries for Kubota?
My application priced $134 from dealer with 1 year warranty and then prorated.
The interstate group 34 is not a tall as a 26R but at 800 cca it works fine.
I crossed it to a group 24-6 so the posts were the same orientation.
Went to Costco and saw a Interstate group 34, 800 cca for $88 and 3 year warranty.
Bought it.
FYI Kubota dealer batteries Interstate and Kubota website claims: quote, Negative Plate Paste Expander, Reduce damage caused by high temperatures, while increasing the overall number of starts
Sodium Sulfate Additive, Improves rechargeable capabilities when the battery has not been used for an extended period.quote
But I doubt Interstate makes a special run of batteries for Kubota?
My application priced $134 from dealer with 1 year warranty and then prorated.
The interstate group 34 is not a tall as a 26R but at 800 cca it works fine.
Last edited:
Pau7220
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L3650 GST, Landpride TL250 FEL w/ Piranha, 6' King Kutter, GM1084R Finish
D2
I am an AC Delco retailer and have those batteries in stock. Depending on size or warranty, they state either made in Korea or Vietnam, almost everything else is China. AC Delco is nothing more than a marketing company today. Almost everything is reboxed or relabeled with the logo, and is just riding on the coattails of General Motors.
Sad but true......