# Tractor batteries



## lewbest

Hey gang

Anyone got any opinion on the best batteries to buy? I bought a new one 2 years ago this month for one of my Ford diesels (the 4000); don't want to take enough charge now to spin it nearly fast enough to start it seems. IIRC this one (NAPA built by Exide) was about 150 bux. The one on the 9600 wouldn't quite spin it fast enough either (got a little white smoke but wouldn't start) so it's on the charger now. Of course in the summer both started easily; maybe they will when it warms up (in the 40's today; sposta be near 60 tomorrow). Hope I can avoid replacing them but if I do have to I'd like to know what brands yall have gotten good life out of.

Any insight appreciated!

Lew


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## OkhayBallr

As far as im concerned the battery's that come in JD tractors cant be beat. I have to jumpstart everything on the place but the tractors. I prolly just jinxed myself.


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## lewbest

Thanks; I'll check their prices. They both use a 4DLT; heavy to change out & expensive to just last 2 years.

Lew


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## joe2955

We run a lot of interstate and O'Riley batteries. We never had much luck with the JD batteries but that could have just been a fluke. I know that the 2 batteries in out 2955 are super starts from from O'riley's and they have been there 5 years and show no signs of dying. They spun it over last week when it was below 0.


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## swmnhay

lewbest said:


> Hey gang
> 
> Anyone got any opinion on the best batteries to buy? I bought a new one 2 years ago this month for one of my Ford diesels (the 4000); don't want to take enough charge now to spin it nearly fast enough to start it seems. IIRC this one (NAPA built by Exide) was about 150 bux. The one on the 9600 wouldn't quite spin it fast enough either (got a little white smoke but wouldn't start) so it's on the charger now. Of course in the summer both started easily; maybe they will when it warms up (in the 40's today; sposta be near 60 tomorrow). Hope I can avoid replacing them but if I do have to I'd like to know what brands yall have gotten good life out of.
> 
> Any insight appreciated!
> 
> Lew


If it is only 2 yrs old it should have warranty left.It probably has a bad cell.Check each cell to see if they are all ok.Or take it in and have them check it.

$150 OUCH.Sounds a bit high.Last fall 900 amp 12V battery here were around $100 for Die Hard.


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## river rat

I think I kept Exide stock boosted for quite a few yrs single handedly until I took a friends advise and switched to Interstate. What a difference between the two brands. Interstate batteries last and last.


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## mlappin

Always had good luck with Deka.

Something I've had in the past and always keep the tops cleaned off after figuring it out. If a layer of dirt, dust, chaff or whatever is on top of the battery and it has any moisture at all, it will allow a small current to flow and the battery will discharge.

Figured this out after getting our last rotary combine, while in use it was fine, but if it sat for a week while waiting for the weather to clear up, it would barely start. Took a voltmeter and set it to the most sensitive setting, placed one probe on the negative and the other in the dirt on the battery, got a reading of up to half a volt 6-8 inches away from the other terminal, cleaned em off and it would still discharge after a week or so, flipped the plastic cover clear over and it had a ton of crud stuck to he underside of it as well, cleaned it off and end of problem. The plastic cover sits directly on the batteries.


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## mlappin

Something else I failed to mention, I've been converting most all of our 'stuff' to stud post terminals, seems we have a lot less problems with bad connections using the stud type connections compared to the clamp style.


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## Vol

In 1990 I bought a John Deere 2355 new. The batteries lasted 12 years. Replaced with Deka batteries. One lasted 4 1/2 years and the other lasted 9 years.I replaced the one Deka that went bad after 4 1/2 years with a Co-op battery(mistake). I went back to the John Deere "strongbox batteries" last week after the 9 year old Deka and the 4 1/2 year old Co-op battery bit the dust. I personally feel that JD batteries are very good and you do get what you pay for. Regards, Mike


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## MIGHTY BLESSED

OkhayBallr said:


> As far as im concerned the battery's that come in JD tractors cant be beat. I have to jumpstart everything on the place but the tractors. I prolly just jinxed myself.


No kidding. Last week I replaced a seven year old battery that came new in my JD. Not bad! After pricing one the JD house for $175, I replaced it with an $89 EXIDE. Wish I had read this post first.


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## Toyes Hill Angus

As far as I am concerned mlappin is right on the money. That slight voltage across the top of the battery case is called "surface discharge" and it is a killer on seasonally used machinery that drain down and will then freeze in the winter because the acid losses concentration and turns to water the flatter the battery gets, this causes the plates in the battery to short out from the expansion. Stud connections are by far the best in my opinion, I put a little smear of die-electric grease on and under the lugs to prevent oxidization (but this collects more dust, which... damned if you do...). But I can't say that I have ever seen a 4D in a stud connection, they could be made, I haven't seen them. I also never seem to come out ahead when it comes to replacing one battery in a multiple battery setup, the new one is only as good as the old one will allow it to be. The key to it all is to keep them clean, fully charged, and if it is something not used for months on end either unhook it or put a battery tender on it if you like.
4D batteries are expensive, and because they are the old flooded style battery they take some maintenance. I like to change them out for 2 or 3 group 31 truck batteries hooked is series instead. They are cheaper and LIGHTER. I suppose it depends on their use, 4D's are deep cycle batteries and truck batteries are starting batteries only so they will not stand up to constant discharge and then charge cycles like the 4D. When I am forced into using one of these giant boat anchors I use a CAT, they are expensive, but I've never had to change the same one twice...yet. And that is what I know about batteries.


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## Rodney R

Last group 31's we got were around $30 and had the CAT symbol ground off of them, bought them at the Deka factory store. Not sure who makes the JD batteries - is it Johnson Controls? I know I heard some talk about them.

Rodney


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## mlappin

Toyes Hill Angus also made a very good point. When changing battery's in a multiple battery set up, _ALWAYS_ change _all_ of them. Take the one(s) you think are still good and use em elsewhere in a single battery app.

Disconnect em when not in use, extreme heat or cold will even let something like the memory on your radio drain em low enough that they will soon be completely flat. This is another example of when stud post batteries really shine.


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## NDVA HAYMAN

Marty, What do you mean by a stud post? I guess you are not talking about the top post batteries. Are you talking about the side post that require a studded cable to screw into ? Mike


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## mlappin

Close but no cigar, go here and the 1231MF is a stud post battery. Instead of a lead terminal sticking out of the top, they use a 3/8" stud about 5/8" of a inch tall.


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## NDVA HAYMAN

That's a new one on me! Cool


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## mlappin

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> That's a new one on me! Cool


Yup, they work _very_ well. Can be cleaned over and over as well without wearing them out. The proper ends can be bought and crimped/soldered onto the ends of your cables, I've also used heavy terminals for welding cable as well.

We've been converting all our equipment to stud post as needed. Once converted that's usually the end of bad connections.


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## lewbest

A little update. I charged the one in the 9600 (age unknown; was in the tractor when I bought it back in the summer) for about 24 hours & it started right up today (of course it was about 15 degrees F warmer today) and bought a new charger (bigger plus my old charger meter didn't work so u had to guess whether you had a good contact) so we'll see what the 2 yr old battery in the 4000 does tomorrow after charging overnight. I noticed those Deka batteries in the link have a 30 month warranty; I think NAPA batteries just have 12 month warranty? does anyone know?

Lew


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## Ridgerunner

I have had very good luck with Optima Yellow Top batteries in my JD4020. Optima makes a narrow (maybe 5") battery that will barely fit in the original battery box. These batteries never leak acid and handle vibrations very well.


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## NDVA HAYMAN

Ridgerunner, I always cut a double piece of innertube to put under my batteries to help dampen the vibration. I will be going to these stud batteries in the future. I have a Deka outlet several miles from me. Thanks for the info Marty and guys. Mike


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## lewbest

Another update; the NAPA has 30 month warranty; replacement would be 137 bux (outright I think he said 174?). Stopped in Sam's Club; Interstate is 114. I'm gonna re-check all connections tomorrow then may well be headed to Sam's.

Lew


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## lewbest

Well, an update. I took the battery to Sams back in January & they said it tested good. I just let things sit until last week; tried it & it wouldn't turn over fast enough to start. I followed a "gut feeling" that the starter might be "weak"; took it to an "old fashioned starter shop" here & he worked it over (90 bux but still cheaper than a new battery) & it starts right up now without even charging the battery that's been sitting a coupla months without charging it. I just had a feeling that once Joe got the starter "completely right" my problems would be over









Lew


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## Dolphin

8) cool, I like it when you get to the bottom of something like this.


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## lewbest

thanks Dolphin; yeah lots better than buying a new battery needlessly & finding out later that the problem still existed! Might have worked a while with a red hot new battery but then acted up again.

Lew


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## mlappin

I had a starter problem as well on our JD401C. Always turned over well enough to start. Except for if you ran it out of fuel or it was colder than you thought and it should have been plugged in, I described this before, after releasing the key the starter would not disengage. Replaced it twice and still had the same problem but the third time must have been the charm. Soon as the last starter was installed a person could tell right away it cranked over much faster and the not disengaging problem is gone.

So, long story short, even if it normally starts okay, doesn't mean the starter is up to factory specs.


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## Toyes Hill Angus

a small not so secrect fact about those older JDs... I beleive they used 2 6 volt batteries in series to get the 12 volts, and a person can very easily install two 12 volt batteries in parrell. This will give twice the avalible amperage for cranking.


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## mlappin

Yah, already had two twelves but I still had that not disengaging problem. If I only had a single battery in it, very possibly it may not have started except on warm days.


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## hayray

I use the stud mount terminals on my 1105, much easier to mount and make new cables for. A huge problem with slow cranking is also bad cables and connections. The heavier the battery the more plates and researve capacity they have and the more dollars they cost.


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