rScotty
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2001
- Messages
- 9,528
- Location
- Rural mountains - Colorado
- Tractor
- Kubota M59, JD530, JD310SG. Restoring Yanmar YM165D
This was interesting, but... Would anybody care to actually give the brand and type of battery 55B24L(s)-MF replacement you use?
I think that the reason we don't give a specific battery part number is because there are so many, they are somewhat interchangeable, and the specifications for batteries have changed over the years. But the common batteries are all lead & sulphuric acid types. So the variation is in physical size and electrical capacity. As long as the battery is big enough to crank the tractor in cold weather, everything else about the electricals of the battery DO NOT MATTER.
There is no way to avoid looking at battery specs. I wish there were. If you will put the number of the battery you have now and how you like it then I'm sure someone will be kind enough to make up a few recommendations.
What matters is:
1. physically does it fit? The battery "group designation" gives a rough place to start with dimensions. Be sure to include height.
2. Configuration of terminals - get the same configuration so that your existing battery cables & terminals will fit.
3. Electrical: Get at least the same Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) as original; more is always better. CCA in a lead acid battery is basically how much lead has been used for the plates. Although some plate configurations are more energy dense than others - and more expensive to manufacture - the difference is not large. Generally the more CCA the longer the battery will crank before going dead. And the more it weighs.
4. Your tractor can use and charge either a wet cell or AGM type battery and you will never know a difference.
5. Most of us "battery guys" have some sort of science background and more or less agree on these points.
And we have all been leaning heavily toward AGM or "ventless" type batteries in our vehicles over the traditional "wet cells" type that have the caps on the top.
In batteries you pretty much get what you pay for. Good AGMs cost twice what wet cell types do, and last about twice as long. And AGMs don't corrode the terminals.
Good Luck,
rScotty