Battery

[WFM]

I think my L3800 is a 2013 or 2014 I remember I bought it right before the new models came with all that smog crap.
This morning like yesterday morning it was -6*F here and I was expecting a delivery so I plugged it in for an hour or so at 9am and started it about 10 am to warm up for 30 minutes before shutting it off and waiting for the truck to show up.
I know factory batteries always last longer then aftermarket for some reason. And my tractor did start hard both mornings. Any recommendations on aftermarket battery's ?
I dought the dealer offers a new Kubota battery.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

well Kubota don't make batteries...... I've had great luck with Interstate and suprisingly Walmart 'Everstart ?' as well... Buy as big a battery that'll fit the hole, more CCA the better.

 

[Captain13]

I don’t know who makes Autozone batteries but I bought one there when I had to have it on a Sunday and it lasted ten years. Deca makes Napa batteries and they are usually good batteries.

 

[Desert Kubota]

I too always “feel” like the original battery was the best. It seems like I remember there only being like three or four actual manufacturers of vehicle batteries. They just slap a name brand sticker on it matching up to where the batteries (which retail store) are going to be sold.

 

[69 SS]

Had a previous thread on battery for 2015 L 3901, I had to make 2 trips to Oreillys to get the size right for this tractor today . Battery size group ended up being a SSB 34 EXT. originally bought SSB 35 EXT to replace factory battery. Couldn't get the 35 series to fit ,so I had to go back to get the 34 series. Positive Battery Cable was just to short for the 35 . The terminals were further apart than the factory battery. Had to use the little plastic spacer underneath the 34 battery to get it to work. Cold Cranking Amps on 35 was 800. CCA on 34 was 725. Hope this helps someone else to keep from having to do the 2 trip thing. Even took the old factory battery and pics and still got it wrong. Good luck to all on your projects.

 

[Fordtech86]

Check the JIS number on your battery, should be a 75D23R, which crosses to a group 25 battery. A group 24 may fit but measure first.

I was a Mazda tech as well, replacement batteries for them came from the local Interstate dealer, they just have plain black case batteries they stuck Mazda labels on (they also had rolls of labels for other manufacturers as well). If I recall correctly it came up on here before that Kubota replacements come from Interstate as well. But as been mentioned, there are very few companies that actually make the batteries.

 

[Fordtech86]

Had a previous thread on battery for 2015 L 3901, I had to make 2 trips to Oreillys to get the size right for this tractor today . Battery size group ended up being a SSB 34 EXT. originally bought SSB 35 EXT to replace factory battery. Couldn't get the 35 series to fit ,so I had to go back to get the 34 series. Positive Battery Cable was just to short for the 35 . The terminals were further apart than the factory battery. Had to use the little plastic spacer underneath the 34 battery to get it to work. Cold Cranking Amps on 35 was 800. CCA on 34 was 725. Hope this helps someone else to keep from having to do the 2 trip thing. Even took the old factory battery and pics and still got it wrong. Good luck to all on your projects.

Was the spacer needed because the battery was too wide to fit properly in the tray on the tractor?

 

[Nicfin36]

I don’t know who makes Autozone batteries but I bought one there when I had to have it on a Sunday and it lasted ten years. Deca makes Napa batteries and they are usually good batteries.

Duralast is sold at AutoZone. I had a Duralast in my 97 Tacoma when I bought it used. I don't know how old it was when I bought the truck, but I had the truck over 10 years before the battery died. So, I bought another Duralast and also replaced the battery in my car with a Duralast thinking I would get a long life out of them. They're not cheap either. Neither battery lasted 5 years. I have Duracell batteries from Batteries Plus in both vehicles now, and time will tell if they are any good.

I bought an Interstate 1000 amp cranking marine battery for my old John Deere 2030 tractor. It was on sale for $75.00. I don't use the tractor much and it has lasted 3 years so far and cranks the tractor fine.

 

[69 SS]

No the spacer was used to raise the battery up so that the positive battery cable would be at the correct height. Didn't want to have to loosen the factory wiring to lower the positive battery cable, was still a tight fit as far as the as cable length was concerned. Amazing what a 1 inch spacer can do.

 

[Fordtech86]

No the spacer was used to raise the battery up so that the positive battery cable would be at the correct height. Didn't want to have to loosen the factory wiring to lower the positive battery cable, was still a tight fit as far as the as cable length was concerned. Amazing what a 1 inch spacer can do.

Just adding this for OP...

Group 25 and 35 the same size but the positive/negative post are on opposite sides, the offset from turning the 35 around was likely your cable issue.

Difference between the 34 and 24 series is the 24 is about an inch taller (post position is same as group 25)

 

[sheepfarmer]

I think my L3800 is a 2013 or 2014 I remember I bought it right before the new models came with all that smog crap.
This morning like yesterday morning it was -6*F here and I was expecting a delivery so I plugged it in for an hour or so at 9am and started it about 10 am to warm up for 30 minutes before shutting it off and waiting for the truck to show up.
I know factory batteries always last longer then aftermarket for some reason. And my tractor did start hard both mornings. Any recommendations on aftermarket battery's ?
I dought the dealer offers a new Kubota battery.

My 3560 (and original battery) is the same age as yours, but does not have a block heater. It does crank a little slower in the cold. What solves that problem is a battery tender. Usually above 0 before I get out and about though.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

.. Buy as big a battery that'll fit the hole, more CCA the better.

Well, not always. The way they get more CCA in a given group size is to use more plates. That means thinner plates.

This makes the really high CCA batteries more fragile. Probably not an issue in a pavement queen, but on an off-road vehicle or a tractor which has to deal with vibration and uneven terrain, this can mean a shorter life for your battery.

 

[D2Cat]

My 3560 (and original battery) is the same age as yours, but does not have a block heater. It does crank a little slower in the cold. What solves that problem is a battery tender. Usually above 0 before I get out and about though.

Most battery tenders come with battery clamp connections and a pigtail with 1/4" eyes on one end and a plug for the tender on the other. If you connect the eyes to your battery clamp bolt (usually just purchase a pair of nuts that match the clamp bolt and add the eyes to the end) you can let the pigtail be just outside your hood. Then it's easy to connect and disconnect the cord. Connecting the tender whenever the tractor is parked will extend the battery longer then imaginable!

I have a tender that has a magnet on the bottom. I put the tender on the loader tower. The end to the battery reaches easily. The power cord is plugged in all the time. I have to step over the power cord to get on the tractor seat. This assures I never drive off without disconnecting the tender. It's also easy to reach around the front loader arm to disconnect at the battery. I do the same with the zero turn, and my tractor at the farm. Batteries are just too expensive to not use a tender to extend their life.