Another Battery!

[Gregster613]

I went out to use the tractor and move some wood chips around. Turned the key and nada, zilch, no clicking, no lights on dash, nothing. 5 years and 21 days on the Legend from Napa. I was sort of surprised because ever since I put that Legend in on 8-01-2019 it's had a BatteryMinder 1500 hooked up and plugged in.

I was hoping that would get me 10-15 years of life from the battery, but nope! So I'm not sure if the battery just had a specific lifespan or if my BatteryMinder Chargers are just not up to snuff; or I was expecting/hoping for to much! Probably the last!

I guess I'll just have to stick with a 5 year lifespan on batteries. I know that's what a lot of you have all said but I was sort of hoping to beat the odds and get a battery to last for a really long time! I ran down to Napa and got another one and I'm still "hoping" for a "long" lifespan but I'm not going to hold my breath!!

$110.00 in 2019 and $224.00 in 2024, $114.00 difference for the same darn item - that "probably" won't even last 5 years this time! Go figure!!
Oh well, I need my beast to fire up at any moment that I have the need so that's what it takes. It's just sorta hard to accept that big of a change in cost for the same darn thing!!

 

[Tpondel]

My experience with car batteries is they last three years. And yes, the prices are nuts!

 

[oosik]

Time was - I unhooked every battery and brought them into the spare bedroom in the winter. Except for my pickup. Then I got Battery Tenders for all the batteries. Much easier.

My batteries tend to last 9 to 12 years. I replaced the OEM battery in my Kubota with an Odyssey. Going on eleven years and still strong as an ox. Yes - it was expensive - $400 - but with a mile long driveway I would be stuck if we ever again get much snow.

 

[SteveS42240]

A good battery well maintained will last 4 to 5 years. I had one make it to 6 years, but that is about the limit of a wet cell battery.

 

[grsthegreat]

the bouncing and rough abuse most tractor batteries take a toll on them. but even a good, solid battery in the generators i service will easily get 5 years under constant maintainer, but seldom reach 7 years.

 

[Cycledude]

12 volt Walmart battery in my 8N Ford tractor lasted an unbelievable 18 years ! Naturally when it failed I replaced it with another Walmart battery, that was about 5 years ago.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

My lithium battery in my motorcycle is on its TENTH year

 

[KennyG]

Batteries are kind of a crap shoot, but my recent experience is that they now last a good while. The original battery in my tractor gave up in less than 5 years, but the replacement lasted 8 years. I put a couple of layers of foam underneath in hopes it will cut down on the vibration.

I replaced my current car battery after 9 years just on principle, but I'm using the original one as a spare around the shop. My original equipment truck battery seems to be doing fine after more than 7 years but it's an AGM so I guess it will last pretty well.

I try to keep them clean and give them a booster trickle charge several times a year.

 

[Paystar]

I agree with KennyG....crap shoot. The original battery in my Kubota B2620 lasted 11 years. I replaced it with a new battery 2 years ago with, after lots of research here, made by Johnson Controls with high CCA's and after two years it sounds so sickly cranking over you sometimes wonder if it's even going to start.
Not sure what I'm going to buy next.

 

[JCoastie]

I've had more batteries fail that have been left on battery tenders (several brands) than not.

 

[DarkBlack]

My experience with car batteries is they last three years. And yes, the prices are nuts!

My 12 year old truck still has the original battery.
I just changed the original battery in my 16 year old tractor a couple months ago

 

[workinonit]

I personally think these battery tenders are not very good for battery life. They keep one charged that may otherwise go dead such as my Polaris. I bet I've put 5 batteries in that thing. They go dead in the garage because I don't use it enough. This last one has lasted a coupe of years I think. I tend to have really good service out of my batteries.

 

[rScotty]

Batteries seem to be a crapshoot the last few years. We've also had trouble with battery cables and connectors corroding. I ordered some nice looking brass battery connectors from Amazon. Although they looked nice, they formed a hard corrosion between the connector and battery post inside of a month. In spite of the red/green pads and sealed AGM batteries.

Finally found some vintage 1950's truck battery cables made out of stranded copper, with old fashioned soft lead battery post connectors. They work great, but I can't find anything like them for sale new.
Let me know if you find good copper cables and lead connectors.

rScotty

 

[grsthegreat]

Napa sells the copper and led ends

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MPB781126

 

[rScotty]

Napa sells the copper and led ends

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/MPB781126

Thanks. I'll check them out.

 

[DarkBlack]

Thanks. I'll check them out.

Those are most likely not solid lead connectors like almost every other cable. Even advertised lead connectors are currently only lead “alloys”. Pure lead is too soft.
As far as looking for stranded copper, all battery cables should be stranded copper.
Amazon has many cheap stranded copper battery post cables, but they are either with zinc or tin plated cast copper connectors. Copper is a better conductor than lead. You might want to go with a standard cable and figure out what’s causing your corrosion. It shouldn’t be bad from a lead terminal to a zinc, or tin plated copper connector

 

[Thomas]

Some are lucky getting what they pay for,lately you pay more getting less for your $$$'s.

 

[dstig1]

Lately I have been having amazingly weirdly good luck on batteries. Wife's car is over 8 years old and still cranks like new. Tractor is over 11 and is showing signs of "the end is near", but where it is parked is easy to pull the charger/jumper over to start it if(OK, when) it finally gives out. Mower is like 6 or so now. I don't use maintainers constantly but will put the mower on one as spring approaches, and the tractor needs some help if it sits too long (no surprise given the age). My old truck had a slow drain that made it die when it sat, which it often did in recent years but just got replaced with a new truck a year ago, so we'll see how far that one goes...

 

[Gregster613]

My 12 year old truck still has the original battery.
I just changed the original battery in my 16 year old tractor a couple months ago

Darkblack, I read about people like you and I hope to someday achieve that goal but so far it seems unobtainable for me. I will keep trying but as I stated - even with a "smart" charger hooked up it seems to evade me!! Just not as lucky as you are I guess. Thanks for your input though - it gives me continued "hope" that I may "someday" be one of the lucky ones.

 

[alexpops]

For Cables/Posts, I've taken to making my own from welding cable and closed end copper lugs with heat shrink. For Post clamps, either soft lead marine terminals or milspec terminals. You do need to invest in a decent hydraulic crimper to crimp the lugs to the cable. All available on amazon.