Let's talk batteries

grandpa Love

Well-known Member
Bought 4 tractors at auction. Dead,12 volt batteries in all of them. Put the charger on one last night. After 12 hours the needle on charger has moved up to 5.....out of 20. How long should it take if battery is any good? How can I tell if they ain't good and won't take a charge?
 
How many amps per haour were you throwing at ti? 5, 10, 30? Charge it at 10 amps until it shows not taking any more. Monitor the water levels. Then take it to best shop in town and have it load tested.
 
If you can see inside any of them, look for the stratification onto the lead plates, that is what does them in. For me, typically, I'll charge and inspect inside if they have removable caps. The meter/tester I have is an older U.S. made type, analog gauge and it has a 6V/12V switch and a momentary contact toggle switch, (spring loaded toggle) and that is for load testing. Harbor freight had these for under $50 if I recall. When you load test, you'll see whether the needle drops or stays in the good range and the vented element will disperse the heat. I know there are other ways etc. but this is a simple way to determine if a battery is good or won't take a load and or hold a charge if you test it say 24 hours later after a good charge.

One battery story for you. My JD lawn tractor has an '11 vintage JD strongbox battery in it. One of the connections was getting bad on one terminal this year and oxidizing the heck out of it, white powder etc. I cleaned that up, replaced the connection bolt and nut, cleaned the post, put it back together nice and tight. Well the battery did discharge, but no stratification ! I added distilled water to top it off, charge the heck out of it and it tested like a new one, been going all season ! I think this one will last a lot longer too. I do try to charge this one and others that don't get much use throughout the year to insure they stay maintained, I do need to look into a maintainer though, would be better.
 
I picked up a batch of batteries at an auction. If you peel the stickers off the top of the battery you will find that you can pop open the caps.
 
If sitting for a year discharged they are likely worth 10 bucks each at a battery store that sells you new ones. Check the electrolyte level if you can. A 10 amp manual charger for long enough to see that it is charging, then an automatic charge for 24 hours should prove them OK or dead. Modern (new) chargers often refuse to even recognize a dead battery, so that is why the manual charger is needed to initialize them. Be safe, keep them on the ground away from stuff, and at the length of the charger leads. They can explode. Hook and unhook with the charger disconnected. Charged for 24hrs they should indicate 12.6 volts. if less, they are likely dead or unserviceable. Jim
 
I have bought used batteries from a towing company that have come out of wrecked cars, look at the date and the size you can use, usually ten bucks exchange and if no good take it back and exchange for a different one.

Pete
 
Gp
Wouldn't take but a few
cvphoto102244.jpg

Seconds if you have the right tools.
I carry this tool in truck.
Also have a carbon load tester in pole barn.
Never use the carbon tester.
This tool is more than a voltmeter.
 
If you can find a date (via writing, or punch hole stickers), and find that the batteries are 3 or 3+ years old, they quit possibly need replaced.
Seller most likely didn't put new batteries in tractors they gonna sell, unless they absolutely had to, to sell a running tractor.
Check fluid level inside, if possible. Some modern batteries don't have easily removable caps like they did years ago.
Charge over a 12 to 24 hr period. I personally am not a believer in the trickle charge BS. I only use trickle charge to possibly get a charge started on a completely dead battery, and then switch to regular charge. The CORRECT POLICE on here will probly shoot me for saying that. But some folks just don't have all week to get a battery charged up. And I think its all BS anyways. There is no trickle charging going on if you were to jump start something.
Then if it fails to fully charge, it probly no good. And if it does fully charge, at a battery selling outlet, (such as my local carquest), they can load test a fully charged battery. If it fails that test, it is no good.
 
I with George TH on this one- for the amount of batteries and tractors you deal with, I'd get a battery load tester. Charge a battery and test it. The more sophisticated tester you get, probably the quicker you can determine the weather a battery is good and if it will last. Mark.
 
10 amps is way too much unless it automatically tapers down. Fortunately I don't believe you will find a charger that doesn't.
 
Grampa love,

That sounds about right. It may stay at five amps even longer. Amps is how much the battery is taking a charge.

Check the voltage while it is charging 14 to 14.5 volts is good. @15+ volts you should be charging around 2 amps.

Check the battery temperature, stop charging if it's hot to the touch.
A battery is considered fully charged when the is 12.6 volts @ 80 degree F.

Voltage is how much charge it is retaining. Check the voltage of a battery you know is good, then check the one you are charging.

Both batteries should be at rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

I could keep going, but this hopefully is enough.
Let me know...




Guido.
 
Took the batteries to the parts store. They are DEAD. I figured they would be. From what I could gather the tractor collection was sitting idle for a minimum of 5 years........ Batteries hooked up and gas in tanks.
 
Grampa love,

Sometime they survive, not in your case.
Next time you doubt a battery just compare with a good one,

Guido.
 
harbor frieght has a good load testing hand held that works great I have used my for some time now and not any issues. box about size of cookie box, jumper cable ends that you attach to the appropriate terminal. That will give you the volt reading and amps as well I believe. Then you push the toggle switch and it creates a load on the battery telling you if it will have what it takes to start anything. Hope this helps.
 

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