Batteries

[Autocar]

Anybody else buying batteries it seems like I am buying one once a month this winter.

[HiTech]

Not this winter but I was buying them regularly. Then I switched places where I bought them. Haven't bought another one since. A national brand parts store is where I used to buy them. I won't mention the name but everyone probably has one near you and you buy many parts there. Well I found their batteries to be junk. I started buying them elsewhere and problem solved.

[wfcjr]

Had to replace the battery on our JD 5095M in November.  Battery was 4 years old & had served well.
Put new battery in..... Fast forward to Jan-Feb.... had to jump start or re-charge battery 5 times once the cold set in.  Called dealer & got a replacement under warranty.  Has been a tough winter for us for batteries.

At the same time, I have had no problem with either of our diesel vehicles, (GMC Sierra Duramax 2500, Jeep Cherokee Eco Diesel). Both of these start right up.  They sit outside, yet the tractor is in a barn... go figure.

[Polish Hammer]

you get what you pay for in a battery I was also buying quality N>>> baterys and they are terrible coundnt get one season out of them. switched out a set with brand new full charged set and they froze over night. battery disconnect off no draw. put in another set called canada batterys and no issues. swiched all the batteries to other brand now.

[snowstorm]

bought 8 of them last fall

[Firewoodjoe]

We have great luck buying them from cat. Don't know if there actually cat brand but they last.

[pineywoods]

Batteries from Cat may be actually build by cat. They bought into a new startup company that has some new heavy duty battery technology. Last I heard, cat was reserving all the production for their own use. Don't remember the name, but I'll try to find it

FWIW, I heard that all batteries manufactured in the usa are now built with imported or recycled lead. EPA shut down the last lead smelter in the country.

update, not unusual, a little research shows I'm all wet. The startup went bankrupt and the assets were bought up by some investment firm...

[luvmexfood]

I'v run ito the same thing with batteries from the discount autoparts stores. They just don't hold up but convient. Open long hours and weekends. In this rural community no one stocks larger Interstate batteries but next go around that is the road I think I will take.

[lopet]

Not many issues here. Keep in mind that the batteries have to be fully charged, or they don't take that kinda cold. If you park equipment just for a few days or a weekend disconnect the batteries, if you don't have a master switch. If you just have a little bit of draw with this kind off weather, they just don't take that.
I always pull them out off the stuff, what's going to be parked during the cold months. It seems I get more years out of them. 

[clww]

I have not personally bought any, but the outfit I work for has had ten of them stolen out of various CAT machines since the beginning of October. >:( All of the excavators have four each.

[Jhenderson]

For the last several years I've had the best luck with Deka batteries. They are the manufacturer and have a warehouse and sales desk about 20 miles from me . I had trouble with several Interstate batteries that were less than 1 year old. I got warranted ok but I've got better things to do than replace new batteries.

[Holmes]

I bought 8 last year. Switched to Exide from TS.  If they are not going to last I do not want to pay a lot. 2 in lawn mower, 2 in F450, 1 30 hp tractor ,1 36hp excavator, 1 golf cart, 1 gmc van, 1 in Volvo.. OK 9  :D

[Corley5]

  I haven't had good luck with Interstates lately.  I haven't bought anymore because of it.  Car Quest batteries aren't much good either.  If you look at the cases Die Hard and Wal Mart batteries are the same just different stickers and colors.  Not much luck with them either.  Exide batteries from TSC don't seem too bad but the jury's still out on them here.  I've got a couple Dekas that are being judged too.  They just don't make them like they used to  :(

[ScottAR]

There's only 2-3 battery makers out there anymore.  East penn makes the dekas and several other brands.
Johnson controls makes exides and interstates; probably several others.

Most of the brands are only a decal. 

[luvmexfood]

Exide has or had a battery plant near here in Bristol. New a guy that worked there. They have to wear a lead moniter and once they receive there lifetime exposure limit for lead they are let go. Or at least that's the way he explained it. Could get your lifetime limit in just a couple of years.

[Holmes]

 I found an old list 2012  saying there are 3 battery manufacturers    Delphi, Exide, and Johnson Controls.   Johnson controls has bought up many companies

[LAZERDAN]

I have to agree, Bought a new batt for the pick up in Nov. Drive it daily, Sunday morning i turn it over, Nothing.  Put the jumper pack on . It started, so I'll put the charger on it, I thought i'll look to see how the water is.  Frozen that's how the water is !   3 months old, driven daily.   Junk      LD 

[kensfarm]

I've had good luck w/ the gel cells holding charge during winter..  have a yellow top in one tractor.. keeps it's charge even after long periods of unuse.  Had to jump start the tractor w/ the regular acid battery yesterday.  Batteries do get old.. can't keep the same one forever. 

[Autocar]

The one's I bought for the pickup cost $108.27 each If thats a cheap battery I would hate to see what a good one cost. But pretty sure there are others that cost alot more.

[luvmexfood]

Here is a battery related question. Does pulling the battery down to a deap discharge shorten the life of the battery? I run my HF 12,000# winch off of the truck battery. Lately I have been killing the battery if I don't remember to start the truck ocassionaly while winching. Didn't have to do that back in the fall. Charges right back up after restarting the truck.

I run my heavy duty booster cables back to the winch from the truck battery. Easy enough to pull the tractor around and unhook winch and use tractor to boost off truck just aggravating. Of course, always happens when your trying to beat the rain or getting close to time when I have to pullout to get to the log yard before it closes.

[Ianab]

Does pulling the battery down to a deap discharge shorten the life of the battery?

Yes.
Starting batteries are designed to give high current for a short time. They don't like being fully discharged.

Deep cycle batteries are the opposite. They can only provide a lower current, but they can take being fully discharged and recharged better.

If you are doing sustained winching then having the engine running is a good idea. It both takes some of the drain off the battery, and part recharges in the breaks between loads. It should be better for the winch too as the battery + alternator means you can keep full voltage on the winch better.

[lumberjack48]

The thing is most batteries can't take the pounding they get. The plates break apart and short out. I had real good luck with maintain-less free batteries or gel batteries with the highest cranking amps.
I was thinking about going with a air starter. My jumper would be a compressor with a AC inverter on the pickup. I watched a guy starting a old Mack way out in a junk yard. He had a gas powered compressor, aired up the air tank on the truck. When he hit that started, that ole Mack shuck all over, smoke rolled, and it came to life, this really in pressed me.
I had real good luck with a gel Midland Silver Bullet, 1000 cranking amps, $100. 35 yrs ago.

[John Mc]

Does pulling the battery down to a deap discharge shorten the life of the battery?

Yes.
Starting batteries are designed to give high current for a short time. They don't like being fully discharged.

Deep cycle batteries are the opposite. They can only provide a lower current, but they can take being fully discharged and recharged better.

Deep cycle batteries can take the cycling better, but even their lives are dramatically affected by being deep cycled. The shallower the cycle, the longer life a battery will have. Also, the sooner you get it charged back up after being drained (even partially), the longer life it will have.

One thing you can do to extend the life of a lead acid battery (whether it's a flooded, AGM, or gel type battery) is to use a desulfating battery charger on them. VDC electronics makes one of the better lines of these. You can find them at www.batteryminders.com. The model 1500 or 1510 is relatively inexpensive, and can be left connected full-time without damaging or overcharging the battery. Some of their more expensive models offer additional features (higher charging rates, customized charging profiles for Flooded, AGM, or gel batteries). I own three of their units... one of them is an aviation specific model (when you are spending hundreds of dollars for a battery, you take care of them).

Also remember that for a 12 V lead acid battery, "fully discharged" does not mean "run it down to 0 volts. That will seriously shorten the batteries life. A healthy, fully charged 12 volt battery should actually measure about 12.7 volts (after charging fully, then allowing it to "rest" a couple of days to remove the "surface charge") AGM and Gel cells should measure slightly higher (12.8-12.9). If you drain the battery down to about 11.9 or 12.0 volts, that's considered "fully discharged". (Note that after a heavy load, the battery may drop below that number, but it will recover if allowed to "rest" a bit. It's that resting voltage you are concerned with.)

[Puffergas]

About 5 years ago I had an electric golf cart with new bats from N$$$. Well, before the third year I gave up on it because of the cost of replacing new bats all the time. And I babied those dang things. Needless to say the cart went to the auction.

[tj240]

from my previous employers i have found the n??? batteries are junk from the get go. cat batteries are real good but spendy. john deere batts are the same ,good but spendy. i have interstate batts in my tj 240 and they have been in it for 5 years, no jumps yet.i would stay away from n??? batteries. just my 2 cents.