I need to purchase a new battery for my super hydraulic, Wood-mizer wants $186.00 plus shipping. In your experience what is the best battery to use?
I've had two Carquests (forget who makes them) and no complaints. Store is nearby, no shipping charge, and got rid of the old battery at the same time. Also can spend any savings while you're there in the store.
ps. These batteries were the same specifications of the wood-mizer battery, Carquest 31HDP30, $163 incl tax 2/5/2009
This is a Deka battery. Mine is a 42Hp diesel, LT40super.
Dont cheap out when buying a battery.
The more reserve you have the better your hydraulics work.
I have found that anything over 1000 CCA (cold cranking amps, how they rate batteries) works best.
Be sure you take your old one to compare for size. Some of them batteries are bigger and taller and will not fit in the box.
If they are too tall, when you put the lid on you could short across the battery posts.
You may also want to check you altenator at the same time.
Sawdust has a sneaky way of creeping into the air cooling holes and messing with the brushes.
I used compressed air to blow out the altenator every day. Kept it running cool. As we all know, heat is the number one enemy to all electrical components.
Auto Zone Duralast for me. Very good service and warranty.
not sure of the brand, but i have one of those 12 volt batteries off of a wheel chair, or maybe one of those scooters. anyway it fits in the space on my norwood and its a gel cell, no maintenence type. i have left my key on twice since i installed this battery and drained it. just a simple recharge was all it took. this was intalled in 04 when the mill was new. havent messed with it other than that.
people with the scooters or wheelchairs change those batteries out every year or so. and you can usually get one cheep once you find the source. generally there is nothing wrong with them.
I replaced the battery in my LT40HDG24 last spring.
The first thing I did was measure the battery box and then go to Walmart and look for the battery with the highest CCA, and would still fit inside the battery box.
As far as I'm concerned, get the biggest one that will fit in the box and has the highest CCA.
Hello,
Battery specs for a LT40HDD42 super is
Group 31
1131XPMF Deka, if you dont have a Deka battery store close others may work. Less expensive is not always the best.
1000 Cranking performance
185 Reserve Cap
52 lb
13"
6 3/4"
9 1/2"
Wood-Mizer does not ship battery. We may have it in stock here at PA. We are a Deka Dealer, most customers purchase local if needed.
Less cap batterys do not last very long and may make the hydraulic pump motors fail prematurly.
Hope this helps.
Marty
When chasing an issue on our new mill, we were told to replace the battery. I think that we ended up with a CarQuest, which was the same Deka battery as WM specs for our mill.
I have been changing out my batteries on every thing as needed with Optima batteries . I use red tops in the smaller gas burners and yellow tops in the diesels. They are the only batteries that can take the pounding of rough and tumble farm life . I have one set that is on 15 years of service. Purchased them for my Diamond T pickup and have been buying them ever since.
I've been considering an Optima battery for my dump trailer. Thanks for your input and experience Don. Now I'll have to start hunting for place that sells them cheap.
I use Deep cycle marine battery first one lasted 3 1/2 years 2nd one still going strong. Debarker,setworks, motor gear reduction that runs the up n down of sawhead and the starter is the demand for it. Its a Durafast from Auto zone 160.00
One good thing about the AutoZone marine deep cycle battery is the warranty. They have a nationwide computer system and if you are away from home and the battery gives up you can still go to an AZ and get it replaced.
We have four "BatteriesPlus" stores here in Memphis. They have 440 stores Nation Wide. I purchased two for my 3500 Ram @ less than half what the dealership had them for. The ones I bought had a much higher CCA than the Mopar Label. They also carry lawn tractor, cell phone, cordless phone, some lap top and other type batteries in store. They rebuilt two Dewalt batteries with higher battery amp and for less than I could buy one new battery from the box stores.
I agree with Don that Optima gel batteries are the best batteries on the market I believe. I bought the red top at Sam's Club for $30 cheaper that anyone else. Tonto.
Quote from: Chris Burchfield on January 25, 2011, 10:36:22 AM
We have four "BatteriesPlus" stores here in Memphis. They have 440 stores Nation Wide. I purchased two for my 3500 Ram @ less than half what the dealership had them for. The ones I bought had a much higher CCA than the Mopar Label. They also carry lawn tractor, cell phone, cordless phone, some lap top and other type batteries in store. They rebuilt two Dewalt batteries with higher battery amp and for less than I could buy one new battery from the box stores.
They must have been DanG cheap. In December I paid $237 out the door with CT tax for two Mopar batteries for my diesel.
One thing to be aware of concerning Optima batteries - if they ever drain all of the way down and stay that way for a few weeks, odd are that they won't come back.
I had a pair in an old truck, and when they were around 26 months old one of my farm hands left the lights on and they went dead. It was a couple of weeks before I discovered it, and by then it was too late.
Their warranty was great for the first two years, and after that it stipulated something like a 50% or greater reduction in the replacement value.
I've never had that problem with a lead acid battery - just the Optima's.
You need a special charger for the gell cell batteries . Or you can hook up a regular battery that is low in series with the optima and charge at a SLOW rate till you get a full charge.
Maybe i missed it but I looked through the Optima listings and didn't see a commercial battery equivalent to the one in my LT40 super, 1000 cca at 0 degrees and 1190 at 32 degrees.
Optima batteries are good for rock crawlers and mud boggers where there is a TON of jumping and jostling around and tipping sideways and upside down. Other than that, there is little reason to buy them. For one, like was said before, they are tricky to properly charge with a lot of chargers and, if not done properly, they are shot.
One thing that you will learn about ALL "maintenance free" batteries (like the Optima, or a number of batteries from other manufacturers) is that there is no such thing. They are only "maintenance impossible."
The problem with deep cycle batteries is that they are designed for long slow drains from electrical appliances. They are designed to get nearly discharged before recharging and often display a sort of charge memory. They lose capacity quickly if not discharged and charged properly and do not last as long on a mill or vehicle like a truck. They are not optimized for heavy quick loads such as starting a diesel engine. Sometimes they can work okay, but that is often more of the exception than the rule.
While a lot of batteries will work, my personal favorite that I have used successfully for years (like some others on here) is the Duralast Gold batteries from AutoZone. They are bulletproof, and, when they are not, they have the best no-questions asked warranties in the business. (3 years free replacement and 8 or 9 years pro-rated) I personally like the Duralast Gold Group 34DT batteries. I use them in my diesel truck, my car, and my dump trailer and numerous other vehicles over the past twenty years or so. Most of the sizes have 1000 cranking amps, 118(?) minutes reserve capacity, and dual terminals that make it easy to use screw in posts on the side so that you can hook the mill up to one set of terminals and use the other set for charging or jumping, or, if one set goes bad for some reason, you still have a back up set of terminals.
Put a good battery hold down kit or strap it down good and you will not have to worry about a little jostling from pulling the mill down the trail in the woods. Just occasionally check the water level and charge it or them (if you run two batteries for big diesel mills) and you should not have to worry about much.
Gel batteries are not "supposed" to be charged with a voltage above roughly14.1V. The alternators on the WM machines (and most others) typically charge around 14.5-14.7. This doesn't seem like much and may not be a huge detriment to the battery, but it is above what the battery MFG's of gel cells recommend. If you really want a killer battery (expensive though), look into Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries. Deka makes a 8A31DTM AGM battery that is a direct replacement but there are others on the market as well (look for group 31 size batteries). AGM batteries are safe to transport (they do not spu gases), they have a much quicker recharge time (huge advantage when considering "recharge time" is the time between hydraulic functions), they have a much better shelf life, and when taken to their knees (seriously discharged) they will come back to life dozens, perhaps hundreds of times, as opposed to flooded cells that can only do this once or twice and then their done. For those who go through batteries often, do some research on these AGM's. They rock!
I have experienced the same favorable results as Stephen with the Duralast Gold batteries from AutoZone. I see no need to experiment with an "exotic" battery when these batteries perform well and are readily available.
BTW, I'm actually using a group 27 battery. That is the size that was in the sawmill when I bought it, and 9 years later, that's what I'm still using.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/2410/DSCN0809.JPG)
I replaced this one with a Duralast Gold after 34 months of use. I never realized that there was room for a group 31 battery.
Yeah, the problem with the marine battery is that it is not optimized (designed) for the sort of usage the sawmill puts it through. That is part of the reason that it only lasted 34 months. The other problem is that it does not carry as good of a warranty. So, if a Duralast Gold went bad after 34 months, then you just go back in to AutoZone and pick up a brand new one for free. Know another good thing about AutoZone? Usually, the way that they do the warranty info on the computer, not only do you NOT need to bring back the receipt to obtain the warranty (unlike other stores), but the warranty period usually starts all over again with the new warranty battery! That happens whenever they do the return in such a way that they give you a credit or your money back for the defective battery under warranty, then replace it with another battery and log it into the computer as if you just bought a new battery.
Also, if you bring a battery back in from one vehicle and they process the warranty like I described above, they will allow you to transfer the warranty from one vehicle to another. For instance, say you first bought the DG battery for an old truck that you subsequently sold or quit running. Then, you take the good DG battery out and put it into another vehicle, then when you need to get a replacement, just give the info for the old truck along with your phone number to start with for them to look up your warranty, then give them the new vehicle information for the new warranty that starts all over again.
Magicman,
To my knowledge, all 97 and newer Supers and LT70's took a group 31 battery. The non-supers took a smaller battery. Although the dimensions can vary slightly from different MFG's, a group 31's dimensions should be roughly 13"L x 6 3/4"W x 9 1/2"H.
Quote from: Magic Smoke on January 26, 2011, 01:04:57 PM
To my knowledge, all 97 and newer Supers and LT70's took a group 31 battery.
I know now, but the previous owner had replaced the original with a 27, and I assumed that it was correct. The space can be seen in the above picture, so I know that the 31 will fit.
Stephen, notice in the text below the picture, that I did replace the above battery with a Duralast Gold.
Quote from: Magicman on January 26, 2011, 01:45:59 PM
Quote from: Magic Smoke on January 26, 2011, 01:04:57 PM
To my knowledge, all 97 and newer Supers and LT70's took a group 31 battery.
I know now, but the previous owner had replaced the original with a 27, and I assumed that it was correct. The space can be seen in the above picture, so I know that the 31 will fit.
Stephen, notice in the text below the picture, that I did replace the above battery with a Duralast Gold.
Yeah, MagicMan, I saw that and realized that you replaced the battery with a Duralast Gold. My comments were just general in nature, not aimed at you particularly. I was basically agreeing with you and think you made the best choice.
I disagree with much of what has been said about Optima batteries. I have been using them since January 1999. The pair I bought then is still in service. Since then I have bought six more. So far, I have never had an Optima battery go bad, except for the two I ruined when my truck was totaled. How many other battery brands will last twelve years in Indiana weather, starting a diesel pickup?
I use these batteries primarily in my Dodge diesel pickups, but when any vehicle or piece of equipment needs a battery, I pull the pair out of the Dodge and use one of the Optimas for the "lower priority" vehicle. I then buy two new ones for the Dodge. So far, I have Optimas installed in one Dodge diesel pickup (the other Dodge still has the factory batteries), an old Toyota pickup, a 66 horsepower diesel farm tractor, and a travel trailer. I'll install these Optimas in the sawmill and the pressure washer when they need batteries, but for now the factory batteries are still good.
Optima makes two types of batteries, starting and deep-cycle. I buy their deep-cycle batteries exclusively, because that's what they recommended for diesel trucks when I bought the first ones. The deep-cycle Optimas are either yellow or blue-tops, with the difference being in the type of connectors provided. Generally, the yellow-tops have standard posts plus side connectors, while the blue-tops have standard posts plus threaded studs on top for RV or marine cables. I have NEVER had a problem starting any engine with an Optima deep-cycle battery.
On a couple of occasions I have completely drained the RV batteries. They recovered completely by simply charging them. I have never intentionally left any of my batteries completely discharged for a really long time, although I did leave the lights on in one of the trucks for about three or four days once. Those batteries also came back after a complete charge. Once, several years ago, I charged one of my Optimas at too high a rate. It got warm and the vent was hissing. That battery is still in service. It's true that they are "maintenance impossible". You can't add water. After twelve years of service, I haven't needed to. One more benefit: You will never get that white crud building up on your battery terminals again with Optima batteries. (Don't ask me why; it just works that way.)
Quinn commented that he wants to find someplace that sells them cheap. Quinn, you won't. These batteries are expensive to buy, but they aren't expensive if you take into account how long they last. The best price I've seen on them has been at Sam's Club. The blue-tops sell for about $165.
Yes, I do take care of them. I have a top-quality charger, and I use it occasionally. The batteries mounted in the trucks don't see the charger often, maybe once a year. The RV and tractor batteries get charged a bit more often. My charger supports the new "desulphation" technology. I don't know if that has made a difference in battery life, but whatever I'm doing seems to be working.
The only other battery I will consider is an Odyssey. That's based on comments in other forums and a recommendation from my brother, an electrical engineer. If you think Optima batteries are expensive, price a couple of Odysseys. A group 31 Odyssey battery is about $350. It would have to last much longer than a "regular" wet-cell battery to justify that cost, which is not to say that it won't.
Optima batteries are gel cells. Odyssey batteries are AGM. "Regular" batteries are wet cells. They are ALL lead-acid batteries.
All in all, my experience with Optima batteries has been that they are among the best in the world and are worth the premium price they command.
– Loren
As Marty said earlier you want a group 31 battery their whats used in ambulances and many emergency vehicles.A good rule of thumb with lead acid batteries is the heavier the better.You want to play you gotta pay. Frank C.
No one has anything to say about Interstate batteries? I have had very good luck with them. The one in my Ford tractor lasted 5 or 6 years before being replaced this Fall.. with another Interstate.
A little aside,before I retired I was the fire dept. mechanic for a wealthy town west of Boston.Had a $ 750.00 dollar battery tester it would flat out tell you everything about a battery condition, % of life left.The town had a recycing center to die for [not dump anymore] at least 25% of the batteries there were good just needed a good charge.I have one group 31 battery that cranks and starts a JD two cylinder diesel tractor,its hard going over the hump. Frank C.
Also check out your local heavy duty truck store, they have group 31 batterys on sale for good prices sometimes. Steve
Magic Smoke is correct the glass mat battery we use on our LT70DCS mills are very durable. We tested this battery on 1 supper mill and 1 LT70. They are now over 3 years on the mill and going strong. As Magic said they are expensive and we sell them for 192.83 and we can ship these batteries.
Terrifictimbers is also correct that Carquest sell a battery and their battery is made by East Penn who make the Deka battery we use. Compare price and if the glassmat is within $50.00 of the Carquest one then I would go the glass mat.
You can not just go by the rating. You can buy a car battery with the same rating as the Deka 31 group but the plate size will not be big enough to give you any durability.
Quote from: bandmiller2 on February 25, 2011, 06:57:45 AM
... A good rule of thumb with lead acid batteries is the heavier the better. Frank C.
I agree with Frank's rule. If a battery weighs more, it's got more lead. As Martha would say, "That's a good thing."
-- Loren
Hay all,I see you talkin about makes of batteries.I have two harleys and both have deka batteries in them.One is 3 years old the other is two years old.Both are the gma,gel type cause as everyone knows the older harleys are the worst for it.Love them and have never had any trouble from either one.I have a pic of my hardtail in my album.Good luck on your sellecion.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/24712/3303/2010_02254-10-2010Fundraiser-0004.JPG)
If a battery will hold up to this it has to be good 8) 8)
For many years the group 27 battery with 1000 cca was the most powerfull battery made. About 10 years ago the manufacturers started making them with less cca. From 1000 to 950 to 850 and now only 750 cca.
The group 31 and the group 31s batteries with 1000 cca is a choice you can't go wrong on today. Be certain on the cca when you buy one, because they do make them at lower than 1000cca.
Leon.
That is one hella nice scoot! Hardtail though, that bike is hard on more than just the battery. ;D
shhh dont tell but look under the back of the seat,Those are not just springs. :D :D :D 8)
Many thanks to all that have contributed to this string. Based upon the general consensus, I just bought a pair of Duralast Gold's to go in my camper. At 89 bucks each, I was able to get a pair with an 8 year warranty for less $ that I would have spent on a single AGM type battery.
I've bought two Carquest batteries in the past 4 years - one for my sawmill and one for the diesel pump. The sawmill battery went bad after 14 months or so. The diesel battery (which has had a battery minder on it since new) went bad at 4 years of age, after not having the charger plugged in for a couple of months).
The one optima that I still have is hanging in there, but I keep it on a pulse charger. Some of the Deka's that I had also went bad after 4 years (in a small dozer).
I had an old gel cell on a standby generator - got over 10 years out of that battery. The replacement, an high end Delco, died after 4 years (also on a pulse charger).
Sometimes it's hard to figure out which one is the best compromise between cost and longevity.
I have had the best service out of the Duralast Gold.
I.ve been told there are only a couple of co.'s in the states that make lead acid batteries. They private label and I'am sure there are different grades and price points. Frank C.
Found an article on the subject: Best Batteries for Diesel Trucks in 2018 - Top 5 Select (https://4wdlife.com/best-batteries-for-trucks)
After I read it I stopped on these variants:
- Optima vs XS
- XS Power D6500
Which one is better in your opinion? Can this article be trusted?
Best battery for what?
Have not read all the other post. I bought my AGM battery from Woodmizer for my LT70 7 years ago this coming May and it is still going strong . Would not even consider buying any other type battery.
I bought my first AGM battery from WM a couple weeks ago, Deka Intimidator 8A31DTM $240 plus about $20 for shipping. High hopes.
Solved problems I was having with a 2 yr old NAPA 7235 battery which the dealer told me was still good but it wasn't running my hydraulics good.
Terrific that is the same battery I have