Hello, just got myself a 1997 new holland lx885 skid steer. 1st time skid steer owner with zero experience. Previous owner said The battery is weak and will need to replace soon. what type of battery should I get? Will a standard car battery worK? How can I find the right size battery? Is there an online cross reference by tractor's year/model? Thanks in advance for your help.
Welcome to HEF mountaintractor. :drinkup I must admit I'm not familiar with the components of a NH LX885, but a 4 cylinder diesel with a 12 volt system, most likely uses a choice of either a group 31, group 24, or maybe a group 78 battery, and that's just a guess. But not likely a standard car battery. If you have a battery distributor in your area, not an auto parts store, but a battery distributor, they should be able to tell you what group battery that machine uses.
G'day, Willie is without a doubt right. My less technical experience tells me get the biggest cranking amps possible with a no maintenance battery but with a physical size that will fit without having contortionist lessons and lots of first aid kits handy. I have had many batteries over the years. Lucky with some not with others. If you can get some advice on good battery manufacturers over there and then choose bang for buck form them. I chose a 'marine' battery as it would last better over the periods of down time being just personal operator and take the bumps better on a tractor. So far good. And while I dont want to Jonah myself I bought a Mitsu Exc ex Japan in 2010 and the battery was second hand then and is still good - it will probably break down now. I put those small solar chargers on everything to keep the batteries topped up - seems to help. Good luck! Regards, MX45.
Thanks for the quick responses. I should add that the machine will be mainly use for snow removal in the winter months. Definitely need something perform well in very cold weather. Other times will be very seldom use. It could sit for months. Anyone one with similar machine? What type of battery do you have? How difficult it is to remove battery on a new holland? Is it a good idea to install a cut-off switch? Will it mess up any electronic memory if I completely disconnect battery? Thanks
Even a new battery will self discharge over the summer if not kept charged. You can charge one up and it will hold the charge over the winter here, but not the summer because of the higher temps. A trickle charger or battery maintainer is a good investment. If you want maximum cold cranking amps, CCA, then stay away from marine combination batteries, they're built half way between a high amp starting battery and a deep cycle that's made for very low amp draw. Sitting discharged is never good for a battery, deep cycle or starting.
Lift the loader all the way up on your New Holland and set the boom lock located at the back of the cab on the right side for safety. After lifting the rear engine top hatch and locking it open you can lift off the engine side covers. You will find the battery in the lower right side. If not modified from factory it will have bolt on terminals, not clamps. Your battery supplier will be able to look up and insure you get the correct amp rating for your machine. Bigger is always better. We install disconnects on all the machines. On the New Hollands we install the disconnect on the top right corner of the engine bay below the top cover. That way it is locked in if you lock the engine back gate with a padlock. Helps to keep the honest folk out.
It should have a group 31 in there. Every single truck shop in your town will have them for sale, cheapest most common battery you can buy. I get them from KW dealer for $70. Use them on everything and if something doesn't use them I'll convert it if possible. Lift boom up and lock it, remove right side panel, battery will be right there.
Thanks old-iron-habit. A really dumb question... I'm not able to set the boom lock. Not able to turn the lever to the left side according to the diagram. After I raise the boom all the way up. Is there anything else I need to do in Order to set the lock?
My boom lock is behind me on my right side when sitting in the seat. The handle is pointed up and I push it toward the outside of the machine sliding the pins out and under the boom. When you set the boom lock you will be able to see the pins protrude out and under the lifted loader arms. The boom will rest on them if it tries to lower. They may need a tap and a shot of spray lube on them . If they have never been used before they may be a little stuck wih rust. The boom lock should always be used before crawling out with the boom up.
And before you stick yourself inside the engine compartment to do repairs as well. If the boom lock doesn't work for whatever reason, make it a priority to fix it to work proper.
Excellent point. I should have pointed that out.
Just making sure all the important bases are covered. And this is important stuff, make sure the boom lock works. If it don't, fix it. :drinkup