What does a battery's cold cranking amps tell me?

[oakford4]

Hello,

I've noticed that the several garden tractors I am comparing have different CCA (cold-cranking amps) values for the same 12V power. What can this tell me in comparing, perhaps, the power differences between different garden tractors? For example, the three tractors I am looking at have substantially different CCA values:

Cub Cadet GT2554: 12V battery w/ 275 CCA
John Deere X340: 12 V battery w/ 160 CCA
Simplicity Conquest: 12 V battery w/ 340 CCA

Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Bird]

To quote from this site "CCA is the discharge load in amps which a battery can sustain for 30 seconds at 0 degrees F. and not fall below 1.2 volts per cell (7.2V on 12V battery). This battery rating measures a burst of energy that a car needs to start on a cold morning." I think that's as good an explanation as you'll find.

What can this tell me in comparing, perhaps, the power differences between different garden tractors?

Actually, I think it tells you very little in the way of useful information. A bigger engine with higher compression might require more battery power or a more powerful starter to get going. The higher CCA battery, having greater capacity, might last longer. But whether the one with the highest capacity battery is the most powerful engine is not guaranteed. Maybe one with a smaller engine is just giving you a better battery.

Just my opinion, only, of course since I'm no engineer or electrician.

 

[DieselPower]

Bird's description is very good. The only thing I would add is don't compare engines by battery size. Compare engines by HP rating. Different manufacturers using the same engine may use different battery sizes for a couple of reasons. Size constraints and quality could be a couple of reasons.

 

[doc_cottom]

Bird's description is accurate, but for the most part CCA is an advertising tool. Basically, the CCA rating of your battery should equal 3 X engine displacement as a general rule of thumb.