Batteries.

[kantuckid]

Typically the old 6 volt batteries would give you a warning but no so with 12 volt batteries.  You sometime get one warning and if you are not paying attention, your second chance is "dead in the water".  

I guess that referring to 6 volt batteries is seriously dating "my" battery.  :

Actually my 2015 F-150 gave me warnings. It sits much of the time in retirement and thus it's battery lingers between charging while driving cycles. It got to a place where it would crank the 5.0 V-8 slower than normal but still start. Then it got to a point where I had a few no starts if it hadn't been driven in a few days, then it died! and I bought another one-free installation at wally while shopping. Chipmunks eat my cold weather pkg battery blanket so I place poison pellets on the engine for their dining pleasure. ;D

[Maine Miller]

I had a Kioti tractor I bought new in 2005 that came with an Interstate Battery. Just sold the tractor this spring and it still had the original battery in it. This was not a tractor that was stored in a heated garage either. It was outdoors year round in temps as low as -25 F.

[mike_belben]

For machinery and big trucks i use the cheapest group 31 bigrig battery from the fleet maintenance place. Always 3/8 stud top.  I hate lead clamps.  For the longest time a no name group 31 was $99 for 950cca.


For everything else i buy marine deep cycle cheapos at walmart or rural king, cheaper than a conventional non marine.  Theyre designed to go dead and come back many many times.  I dont understand why anyone bothers buying regular lead acid.  2 or 3 deep discharges and a conventional is on its deathbed.

[K-Guy]

Well, all I know is my eyes roll really hard, like teenage daughter hard, when I hear YH talking about the weather getting cold

I was thinking more along the lines of " What the heck, does he know about cold" :D

[WDH]

Oh, we know cold all right.  It is that nasty stuff up there in the glaciated North  .  

[barbender]

I have given Minnesota winter tours to South'ners before, Danny, come on up some January!😁 We took some folks from Middle Georgia out ice fishing once, I still wouldn't know the one gal if I met her on the street because all I saw of her was her eyes. She was bundled!😂 It was truly cold, cold enough I actually would never have went ice fishing of my own volition on a day like that but we had Georgia folks that we needed to show how tough we were up here😁

[maple flats]

I just 40 minutes ago had to jump my son's 2019 Subaru, and I've had to jump it at least 10x since he got it new. The first time was in March of 2020, after he started working on his computer from home 3 weeks earlier. I jumped it and suggested he start it every week, and had him use my battery charger to get it to full charge. Since then as I say, I've had to jump it at least a total of 10x.
I think the issue is that so much is still drawing on the battery even when the car is shut off, not just a clock like the older cars.

[richhiway]

The battery is the "cushion" in the electrical system. You will avoid a lot of electrical issues by keeping a good battery. Weak or shorted batteries put a constant load on your alternator. Also if you have a bad alternator always make sure the battery is good or you will burn up the replacement alternator in no time. Weak batteries also cause voltage spikes that will fry your electrical parts.Low voltage is hard on the starter motor.

I keep an eye on equipment batteries after 2 years and car batteries around five years. 
In the old days when I was a young mechanic 2 or 3 years was the average battery life.
If you are not using your equipment unhook the battery so it doesn't drain it.
In the winter I bring them in and charge then monthly.
Batteries that are less then fully charged are eating themselves up.
Heat is just has hard on batteries as cold.

[WV Sawmiller]

  A pox upon you Jake!  >:(

 I got out there about noon and noticed my hydraulics were slow so I tried to crank the mill and nada! Just a mild grinding. At the local Advance Auto it read 157 cca's vs the 800 it is supposed to have. Even with my discount you just cost me $95.39. Everything would have been okay if you'd just stuck to selling your turnips down at the intersection of the dirt and paved road and never said anything about a battery.

[richhiway]

I just 40 minutes ago had to jump my son's 2019 Subaru, and I've had to jump it at least 10x since he got it new. The first time was in March of 2020, after he started working on his computer from home 3 weeks earlier. I jumped it and suggested he start it every week, and had him use my battery charger to get it to full charge. Since then as I say, I've had to jump it at least a total of 10x.
I think the issue is that so much is still drawing on the battery even when the car is shut off, not just a clock like the older cars.

Should get that battery checked. New ones can go bad.Every time you jump it you are taking a chance of a voltage spike. Turn on the headlights before you remove the jumper cable. Each time a battery goes dead it takes a lot of life out of it. That is why they make deep cycle batteries, they can handle being pulled down and recharged repeatedly. 

[Sixacresand]

The worst scenario is the remote having just enough power to turn on tv and stuck on the channel showing the view.  

[Tom the Sawyer]

Some time ago my wife asked what we were doing when I pulled into Advanced Auto. I told her I was picking up a battery, her reply was "again?".  I explained that batteries usually last about 4 years but, when I counted off the batteries we used at that point (15), I figured buying 3 or 4 a year (sometimes 2 at a time) was just simple math.

[customsawyer]

I have actually found one of the cheapest batteries around here is at Home Depot. I don't use them myself due to the fact that a good friend has a starter, alternator, radiator shop and he lives about 8 miles down the road from me. I happen to be on his way home so if I need one it is a simple text and it will be delivered that evening.
WV, believe it or not this isn't the first time I was blamed for something I had nothing to do with. Probably won't be the last.

[WDH]

Turnip Salesman  :D :D :D.

[Southside]

They only sell turnips to Florida mountain men, everyone else gets the greens.  :D

[Magicman]

I have actually found one of the cheapest batteries around here is at Home Depot.

Our Home Depot sells Exide batteries which is one of the better quality batteries.

[samandothers]

You guys use a battery minder/tender for your equipment when not in use if it is going to be setting?  I have recently purchased some for use on some of the equipment that sits.

[K-Guy]

WV, believe it or not this isn't the first time I was blamed for something I had nothing to do with. Probably won't be the last.

I find it easy to believe a lot of people curse you with or without a reason!! smiley_blue_bounce    smiley_whacko

[mike_belben]

You guys use a battery minder/tender for your equipment when not in use if it is going to be setting?  I have recently purchased some for use on some of the equipment that sits.

I rotate a solar charger with alligator clips as part of my chores. 

[jb616]

Youtube Farm Project is my go to for product testing. He does a great job every time. Here is one on batteries:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7rTcBanpMk