Battery question.

[simple_gifts]

I have a 12V garden tractor battery that is reading 10.4 - 10.5 volts. (battery is disconnected from tractor) Is this an indication of a shorted cell?

The guys @ autozone have a battery tester but apparently no skill to interpret the results. All they told me is "it is bad" but couldn't explain why.

I'm not sure if I care why, but the whole conversation didn't instill a lot of confidence in their evaluation.

Any input would be appreciated.

 

[andyd]

uhhmn, 10.5 V is prolly a bad cell. A healthy 12v battery is should be ~ 12.5 volts Auto zone in general doesnt impress me, though my local 1 has a pretty good crew in it. Between WM and AZ you should be able to get a new GT battery for about 20$. The last one I got from AZ just started failing on me this summer. After 5yrs of abuse, I cant really complain.

 

[JAYCEE]

I've discovered a secret trick to making lawn batts last much longer: always use jumper cables to start the tractor.

Jump the lawn tractor off any car batt when starting and it will last much longer. (Hot restarts not included.)

I was going through 1 batt per year until I started doing this.

 

[cousincletus]

Sounds like the battery in my Seadoo. The original only lasted through one season. Seems like those little batteries just don't last long (compared to a regular car battery).

 

[michaelc80]

quote:

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I was going through 1 batt per year until I started doing this.

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Holey Smokes! Sounds more like a problem with the equipment or battery quality. I've had the same battery (Interstate) in my John Deere tractor for about 3 years now, and had a battery in another tractor for about 7 years. Never had to jump them from another vehicle even in the dead of winter (the JD used to have a snowblower on it).

 

[andyd]

I always thought the problem with the little batteries was cheap construction. The plates cant handle the excessive vibration. The above mentioned battery is the 1st small battery, I have had direct experience with. Amortized @ 4 $ per yr, I'm not gonna worry about jump starting. If the battery life is extended by that, then it would seem to me that the tractor's charging system isnt up to snuff. Maybe that is the trouble with my BIL's John Deere He goes through batteries on a regular basis. It has had constant electrical problems. Generally not impressed with the line. My '77 IH Cadet 80 seems to require less maintenance

 

[Bror Jace]

The battery in our Honda 4518 (18hp, 2-cyl, liquid cooled tractor) has lasted from 1996 until now ... but it's on its last legs. I'm not sure if it will work well enough to be used during the 2006 summer mowing season.

Part of why I think the OEM battery lasted so long is that the one time I bought one for a 3-wheeler, the guy pulled it off the shelf, mixed up the electrolyte while I stood there, poured it in and then I took the battery home.

Can't get any fresher than that.

--- Bror Jace

 

[-Clayton-]

I use to run a gt battery in my 85 (i think)dodge charger 2.2 Started every time. Oh the good old days. LOL