My battery is on it's last legs. I'm running a single batt right now with the intention of upgrading to duals -- and I know it's gonna hurt the wallet. I did a search and I know it must have been discussed before. So if you can point me to it that's be good as well. I don't want to go rehashing a common issue. Thanks in advance. r
I'm running a single (in Alabama) AGM from Wally World for a year or so now. Been real good. Biggest AGM type they have. Recommend.
Yeah, but the battery market does change around on a regular basis. East Penn Manufacturing probably makes the best in North America. They have multiple brands. DEKA is their high end. They make Caterpillar batteries and even some of the high end Walmart batteries like the Everstartmaxx. For, the money and availability. You can laugh, but the East Penn built Walmart battery is damn good. Not all of them are built by East Penn. In your local, they should be. But, today you realy only have three choices: They are all built to a price point, but I’m convinced Exide is junk. Your mileage may vary. Clarios ( JCI) Exide East Penn
I recently returned an EVERMAX (non AGM) to Walmart for the core that was 12 years old and in use that whole time off a tractor. Best I've ever done with a battery on anything.
When I purchased my 675E, I had to replace the batteries in the first month. I got mine from advance auto for $130 each. I believe they are around $200 now. I am not recommending advance. I am actually not a fan of the place, just stating what I did. The group 31 is a very common truck battery, with studs. I like this style of battery. My machine is a factory 2 battery machine. Many on here are plenty happy with a single battery. My batteries are going on 5 years now, without any problems. I do keep a maintainer on them a lot of the time tho, and this extends the life. The factory setup has a standoff for the positive located on the passenger side. You can see the red cover over the standoff in the pic. The negative cables from the batteries go to the cutoff switch found on the passenger side under the engine cover. I do not have a pic, but there is a tray that is bolted in between the batteries which sit directly on top of each other. The battery in the pic is sitting on that tray. If you wanted to go with a stock setup, it looks like the major parts are available, but, OMG, the cost! New Holland #85804308 SUPPORT SUPPORT www.messicks.com New Holland #85804309 INSULATOR INSULATOR www.messicks.com New Holland #85804311 SHIELD SHIELD www.messicks.com Group Size 31T, 950 CCA
That is good service! I still have the original battery in my 2008 Yamaha grizzly 700. Also in my 2014 Polaris Ranger. Both are on a maintainer at all times when not in use.
I was buying a battery for my ride-on mower every year at a battery supply house. i questioned what the heck. The guy shrugged and said that is how it is with these little batteries. Never went back. Went to Walmart and bought it. Lasts 3 to 4 years, and cost less. Not sure who made them, but they held up well. I just went there for my Ford Focus, and the only battery they had for it was a 2 year battery. I passed.
It’s fun to complain about Walmart, but they are convenient. Batteries are an often difficult item to purchase in AK because of the logistics. NAPA Exide, but they are barely adequate. Drive to Anchorage or Fairbanks for a Caterpillar. Kenworth/Freightliner/Pete for whatever commodity Group31 they may have. Need a battery somewhere the road don’t go? Holy cow. You can ship an AGM group31 as non-hazmat.
We avoided the hazmat issues with dry batteries, back in the day. Especially, with group 4D/8D. Fill them as needed. But, that’s not an option anymore. Pre- pandemic, I was in Dutch Harbor and needed a group 31 in a hurry. I told this story before. My stories are getting old. With the core charge, the NAPA invoice was almost $400 bucks. Plus, the battery was almost 5-years old. lol. I ordered a dozen batts and a new constant volt after that.
In the mid 1980s I worked for Good Year. All of the batteries were shipped dry. When we sold a battery we would fill it from our 500 gallon tank of acid. Ruined a lot of clothes in those days. Don't miss that. AGM seems to be the stuff these days. Surely clean. Expensive tho! My new Ford Maverick has a factory AGM battery. Was surprised by that. Ford has a recall on some. Seems ford was getting them from a substandard manufacturer in China and labeling them Motorcraft
Panasonic batteries are found in many of the Japanese brands as OEM and they are maybe the best battery produced today. Unavailable in the aftermarket.
If you have a single battery set up like me, switching to 2 batteries will cover up the hydraulic cooler even more. I would stick with the single. I’ve thought about switching mine but it just doesn’t make sense to cover that up even more to the point it will get no air to it.
The advantage of dual batteries is when colder out and a heavy crank.Not saying it will fit on yours. With duals the volts and crank speed stay a bit higher, not so hard on the battery plates as each battery is discharged less. The Alternator does need to recharge after though. A battery tender is a good idea to prevent finding 2 dead ones. I have redone a few backhoe battery boxes with master disconnect and like the group 31 Batteries with stud posts. Easy to hook up new cables to. Simon C
The DEKA SLI31AGMDP X2Power Premium AGM 1150CCA BCI Group 31T Heavy Duty Battery is a beast. Especially for a Kenworth with two batteries under the passenger seat because the after- treatment is taking up all the frame rail space. My cost is $480 each. Wow. It’s nuts.
I'm on my second set of battery's since 2004. I always buy 2 of the biggest deep cycle battery's that will fit. Always bought deep cycle battery's for my dump truck as well average 12 to 15 yrs. life span.
It would help to know what your battery is, I haven't seen that mentioned here. As for CCA, hard to beat a group 31. And all we know is that it's a TLB, most TLB's have a 4 cylinder engine. Unless you live in far north cold climate a single group 31 with good 2/0 cables should crank that engine fine, especially with the gear reduction starters that are being used now days.
Panasonic batteries are very good. We were getting Panasonic batteries for our UPS‘s from our supplier. AGM batteries are usually made with new lead (before I retired) as apposed to flooded batteries that are often made with recycled lead. We went away from flooded batteries for our standby generators because of the safety aspect..no more acid to ruin pants or get into your eyes.
We've been using a lot of Napa Commercial batteries lately. Ran a lot of Exide years back. Ran quite a few Durastart from Runnings and MagnaPower from Case, but they don't seem to be worth a damn the last 3-5 years. I know most lead acid batteries aren't supposed to tolerate going dead, but the Napa ones seem to hold up ok to more than one, the East Penn ones you might as well throw in the trash if a light gets left on.
And that's another thing, dead battery. With lead acid batteries, if it's dead and below freezing weather, the electrolyte in the battery will freeze and destroy the battery, whereas the electrolyte in a charged battery will not freeze. Keep your batteries charged during winter months. Idle machines, use a battery tender.
Napa no longer carries the Exides around here. My go to is the "Everstart" Deka from Napa. I can't recall the last time I had a failed Deka within 5 years.
Wow! Thanks for all the replies. I'll start looking around for ones you've recommended. Duals ,may not be necessary, but a couple of other items might be: 1. A battery tender 2. Some new cables and reconnect the battery disconnect. Not that it's necessary. I just like the stock set-up. This was a rental and it was prolly changed so that the renters didn't have to deal with lifting the side cover. Thanks again.
Seems like everyone is going to have used what ever was convenient at the time as opposed to what might be the best. When I replaced my backhoe cables I also switched to a group 31 battery with studs made by Intestate. I think I bought the lower price option in that size. It is 4 years old and hanging on so far. One thing I like about it is it has a vent tube nipple so you can route any gasses that might occur from charging under the machine rather than through the radiators. I recently replaced the Durolast AGM battery in my Wife's car. It was in the car when we bought it used. I don't remember it's age but it didn't last any longer than a typical lead acid battery. I bought a EverStart MAXX from Walmart for it. I put the same in my granddaughter's car last year and buy the EverStart batteries for all my lawn equipment. I even use the lawn equipment size batteries on my gate opener and in my diesel generator. Those are cheap and I get 3 to 5 years out of them. When I replaced the battery in my John Deere tractor I got a deal through Pep Boys on a Bosch AGM. It too has a vent tube nipple. This is an important feature on anything with a battery in front of a radiator.
Well... While I've been shopping for batteries, i took the time to remove the one in the beast and put it on a charger for a couple of days. Got it up to a full charge and disconnected it. Measured it the next day and it was holding at about 12.45. Again the next day and it was still at 12,45. In the meantime I researched here on winter storage about block heaters and such. I noticed someone had simply used two of the magnetic heaters on the oil pan. I had one that I use for my tractor and decided it was worth a try. Left i on overnight, put the old battery back in and viola - it started immediately. There isn't an emoji with a bag over its head or I would've used that one. The heater is back on the pan and I'll go out later and see if it starts again, but I'm not holding my breath. I just wanted to put a bow on this thread Thank you all again.
If it makes you feel any better I'm having trouble with my 4YO Interstate battery. Last couple of times I started mine I had to connect jumper cables to a marine deep cycle battery to help it go. It spins right over with the second battery connected.
I have 2 Wally world batts in my backhoe and all my trucks/cars. Usually $30 to $40 cheaper than comparable auto parts stores and seem to outlast the rest so far. And Wally is everywhere if you need a replacement on the road. Joe H
As much as I like to deprive the mafia of my money, they are quite handy but they still suck. Lol
f you're looking for a solid option, I've had good luck with EverStart Maxx from Walmart. Decent price and warranty .Duals will definitely cost more upfront, but the reliability might be worth it.
I've had really good luck with reconditioned batteries from a shop here. Shortest life span was 7 years. 10 years is the norm. I'm trying some group 31 batteries made in the Philippines that were $100 with a core. That said my 2015 F150 is still on the original battery and recently started the truck at -25C without being plugged in. It's a Motorcraft AGM. Also of note is that a few years ago it went dead twice while I was in the hospital for a few month's at a time. Truck has the auto start/stop feature too. If the battery is a little low the truck won't shut off. By far the best OEM battery I've ever had! The dealers keep texting me to get a new battery. Not until I have an issue with it. I now carry a lithium jump pack just in case but haven't needed it for the truck. I used an old 6 amp battery charger to charge the battery when it went dead. I think I will replace it with another OEM AGM battery when the time comes. Certainly can't complain about 10 years where winters go to -40C and summer can be above 30C.