How old are your batteries and how to keep them in good shape?

2720wes · Mar 12, 2012

The battery in my 2000 Toyota Tundra is 12 years old, The JD GT225 battery is 11 years old, the JD 2720 only 3 1/2 years. All are outside or in the unheated barn. Don't do anything special to them, just check the fluid. The 2 JDs get some winter use but not much.

Just wish I could find a good battery for my rototiller that lasts more than 2 years

DieselMonk · Mar 13, 2012

Up here in N.S. there is not much of batteries to chose from. I can't even buy an Optima. Closest I come to something like that would be from Canadian Tire called Eliminator. Personally I try to stay away from any battery that I cannot open up. I found with these they have power like crazy for it's size, but are toast the fastest as well. Maybe the Calcium in it? I don't know. Next to these, the Energizer brand from Walmart. Those are junk. Those sulphate even with a quality maintenance charger hooked up to it.

Is actually anyone using actually using an AGM like Optima in their tractors? I wonder how those stand up.

For now I am back into trying to refresh my old batteries and reverse the sulfating process. As long the battery hasn't had any physical damage or shorted or open cell, it should work. I am still a little new at this as I just started 7 months ago with "desulfators" with quite a bit of success.

I heard all kinds of methods like Battery Minder, EPSOM salts, EDTA, and a few "spikers" like electric fence energizer or other little devices. Is anyone using such electronic devices, to revive your old battery?

buickanddeere · Mar 15, 2012

Temps above 77F, vibration, over charging, under charging, deep cycling and tightening the clamps with one wrench will ruin batteries

Turbys_1700 · Mar 15, 2012

I replaced my tractor battery last year with one from Tractor Supply...
I made sure that I got a fresh one...
The one in front was 11 months old but the one behind it was only 2 months old...
I just replaced both batteries in my Powerstroke...
I got 7-1/2 years out of my old ones...
They did a good job...
I typically like to keep a trickle charger on my tractor in the winter but unhook it in the spring...
That seems to help keep the battery fully charged and last longer...

jonyyuma · Mar 15, 2012

Buick, I have to agree with you...We still don't have good service with the big D-8 batterys and they don't even get shook? Some of the best chargers available. But that starting current is a dooseeey?

Danno1 · Mar 15, 2012

DieselMonk said:
Is actually anyone using actually using an AGM like Optima in their tractors? I wonder how those stand up.

I've had a Sears Die Hard AGM batt in my tractor since 2005/2006.

.

Oaktree · Mar 15, 2012

A couple years ago I replaced the battery in my old JD750, someone had written 1997 on the side of it. Can't complain about 13 years!

OTOH, I've never gotten more than a couple years (at best) from a lawnmower/ATV battery, and the 2nd year usually requires liberal use of a charger.

Ford tractor · Mar 15, 2012

Oaktree said:
A couple years ago I replaced the battery in my old JD750, someone had written 1997 on the side of it. Can't complain about 13 years!

OTOH, I've never gotten more than a couple years (at best) from a lawnmower/ATV battery, and the 2nd year usually requires liberal use of a charger.

The mowers have 2 whammies on them. 1) the batteries are HOT all the time. 2) the charging circuits often over voltage them (as do some ATV's).

DieselMonk · Mar 16, 2012

Funny... talking about this... but my dad has the best luck with a lawnmower battery. His battery is 10 years old, never went dead and it and the 2 cyl Briggs just keep on chugging. My big batteries just last a few years and they need to desulphated again. What gives? He lives around the corner and stores the lawnmower in a unheated attched garage. He doesn't even unhook the battery cables. Dunno... what I am doing wrong.