Marine Battery For Tractor?

eastexan · Jan 18, 2010

The battery in my Ford 3000 is getting weak so I've been doing some looking around for the best deal on a high amp battery.

I noticed in the paper yesterday that Academy Sports has a marine battery they sell all the time for $59. It's 1000A/800CCA.
Will marine batteries work ok in farm tractors? I've never known one to be used in a tractor, so I assume there must be a reason.

Ronnie

Dean · Jan 18, 2010

It will work fine if it is a marine starting battery.

It will work but not nearly as well if it is a marine deep cycle battery.

Dean

D.B. in Mi. · Jan 18, 2010

A battery is a battery to me, just differant CCA's. The deep cycle ones will last longer when they sit for a long time. I have a car battery in my boat and it works fine.

pete black · Jan 18, 2010

you may have to modify the cable connections. if
memory serves me correctly, marine batteries
utilizes a wing nut and closed loop for the
connection.

Too Far Gone · Jan 18, 2010

I used one in my 74 chevy pickup.Just had to get the adapter battery cable ends

g mccool · Jan 18, 2010

This is not going to go over well with everyone elses comments (BUT). I sold batteries for most of my life & Marine batteries a designed to be ran down & recharged repeatedly while car batteries are designed to have nearly a full charge at all times. If you run a car battery down repeatedly & recharge it it will shorten its life (shorten not ruin it).If you use a marine battery in a car or tractor & it maintaines a full or nearly full charge all the time it will shorten its life ( shorten not ruin it). Yes it has been done a thousand times & you will get the guy that says he does it all the time & it works well for him. Just keep in mind when buying a battery there is a BIG differance between cranking amps & cold cranking amps. Gerald

John T · Jan 18, 2010

YES it will work HOWEVER deep cycle RV and Marine batteries are designed different then regular car n truck batteries.

A Deep Cycle is more for long term slower deep discharge such as say a boat trolling motor. To the contrary, a regular battery is designed to deliver a short term high current discharge to start a car.

SURE either will work BUT THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR A MORE SPECIFIC USE and an RV Marine Deep Cycle is not necessarily best for a car starting battery

Now take that info and use whichever you please but my advice is to use a regular car/truck/tractor battery versus a Marine RV Deep Cycle

Thats my story n IMa stickin to it

John T

JMOR · Jan 18, 2010

(quoted from post at 15:29:05 01/18/10) YES it will work HOWEVER deep cycle RV and Marine batteries are designed different then regular car n truck batteries.

A Deep Cycle is more for long term slower deep discharge such as say a boat trolling motor. To the contrary, a regular battery is designed to deliver a short term high current discharge to start a car.

SURE either will work BUT THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR A MORE SPECIFIC USE and an RV Marine Deep Cycle is not necessarily best for a car starting battery

Now take that info and use whichever you please but my advice is to use a regular car/truck/tractor battery versus a Marine RV Deep Cycle

Thats my story n IMa stickin to it

John T

"Thats my story n IMa stickin to it"

I would, too, John!

greenbeanman in Kansas · Jan 18, 2010

Bingo, we have the correct response--in my opinion.

I used one of the marine combo batteries for several years in my compact diesel tractor and it worked well.

After using the tractor doing field work or other I would pull the tractor up beside my little farm cabin and power my computer with the battery hooked to an inverter. Worked well---as long as I had work for the tractor each day during which the battery was then recharged. At times I would instead hook to my truck battery after having driven it instead to town (where I live) and back while running errands. Fun to camp out in a cabin rather than drive back and forth each day.

MeanGene1 · Jan 18, 2010

Yep, they are designed for different purposes. In my boat I have 2 batteries, a deep-cycle main, and I can runs lights, depthfinder, stereo, all that stuff all night fishing, and the second is an auto battery, isolated by a master switch, so in the morning I have a jumper battery to start it. Leave them connected while the boat's running so they both charge, when you stop, isolate the backup so it stays fully charged while you draw on the deep-cycle

bc · Jan 18, 2010

Interesting question. I just looked at them over at Academy sports. They sell stowaway brand and exide. I suspect the stowaways are made by exide.

They list the battery you mention as a Stowaway Marine Starting Battery for engines over 150 hp. It has 1000 marine cranking amps and 800 cold cranking amps. The pos and neg both have dual posts.

It doesn't really say anything about deep cycle so it appears to be a regular starting battery more than deep cycle. Doesn't appear to be made for trolling motors.

You can buy a high CCA battery about anywhere with 800 or more CCA depending upon size. The stowaway is comparable in price though. I'd look for a warranty and easy warranty replacement like wallyworld.

Todd Hovick · Jan 18, 2010

I have used an Interstate SRM-24 marine battery in my truck for the past 10 years, operating an electric over hydraulic plow. The plow would wear down a normal starting battery quickly even with normal charging. This is the second battery.

JDemaris · Jan 18, 2010

It doesn't make any difference if it's a marine cranking, marine dual-purpose hybrid deep cycle, medium golf-cart type deep cycle, or true deep cycle. They can all work fine for cranking batteries. Only thing to be careful of is when using true deep cycle batteries for cranking. They have to be derated down to 80%. Easy rule-of-thumb for a FLA (flooded lead acid battery) is, if your normal cranking battery weighs 60 lbs., then figure a true deep cycle needs to be around 75 lbs. That not an exact calculator, but it usually comes pretty close. All the major companies that build deep cycle batteries provide specs when used as cranking batteries. Exide, Rolls-Surrette, Trojan, Deka-Power Battery, etc.

Chances are, you never even going to come across at true deep-cycle battery. Many that are sold as "deep cycle" are actually hybrids.

RodinNS · Jan 18, 2010

Nobody has hit this yet.... but the bottom line with a Ford 3000 is that there is ONE battery that will fit while providing 800 CCA. That's the 4DLT.
While you can often get by with a smaller battery, and indeed the gasoline powered models did have a smaller battery... the 4DLT was spec'd for the diesel tractors.
All others of a similar capacity are too tall to fit under the hood. I'd also suggest to you that teh 4DLT is little enough to start one if you have to start it COLD.
I'd suggest you go with a Delco or perhaps East Penn/Deka. Just steer clear of Exide if at all possible.

Rod

El Toro · Jan 18, 2010

Check with Walmart to see they have a battery to fit your battery box. They have have a 3 year free replacement and warranted for 9 years. I have 3 in use and they're 8 years old. Hope they all don't fail at once. Cost now about $76.00 with exchange. Hal

guido · Jan 18, 2010

Hello eastexan,
Marine batteies are rated @32 Degress F CA.
Automotive batteries are rated @0 degrees F.CCA.
That is the main rason why a marine battery CCA will be less. Battery voltage is lower as the temperature goes down.
Most batteries, regardless of their construction,
should not be disharged more the 20% of capacity for longe battery life.
Guido.

Guido. · Jan 18, 2010

Hello
The 20% is the charge left on the battery. So the battery (DEEP CYCLE) can be discharged down to 80% of the total capacity. The recommended practice, for long battery life, is to discharge the battery only 1/2 the capacity.
The other difference between a deep cycle battery and a regular battery is the plate construction. Regular battery has sponge lead plates, while deep cycle are solid and tickher plates.
Guido.

Guido. · Jan 18, 2010

Hello
The 20% is the charge left on the battery. So the battery (DEEP CYCLE) can be discharged down to 80% of the total capacity. The recommended practice, for long battery life, is to discharge the battery only 1/2 the capacity.
The other difference between a deep cycle battery and a regular battery is the plate construction. Regular battery has sponge lead plates, while deep cycle are solid and tickher plates.
Guido.

hoosier boy · Jan 18, 2010

Yes, I have used marine deep cycle batteries for years. The boat gets them first for a couple of years then they go to a tractor. The 2940 has 2 of em now.

hoosier boy · Jan 18, 2010

Yes, I have used marine deep cycle batteries for years. The boat gets them first for a couple of years then they go to a tractor. The 2940 has 2 of em now.

Marine Battery For Tractor?

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