garden tractor battery

[bgosh]

When purchasing a battery is there some way you can tell if it is a fresh one? How long ago has it been made? Thank You Stan

[messmaker]

They are only going to last 2-3 years so I would not worry about it a bunch.
Don't buy the heavy duty and you are only out about $7 a year.

[Admiral]

I bought a cheap one and it blew up and ruined the circuit board on my JD. Cheap is cheap, and expensive in the long run.

[Herb G]

I bought a Diehard Gold about 5 years ago & it's still going strong. Knock on wood. It sits in a unheated garage the whole winter, but at least it's not out in the weather.
The new battery should have a date sticker on it to indicate when it was made.

[Robert Adams]

The manufacture date is heat stamped into the case. Often it's on the bottom and sometimes it's a code depending on the battery brand. Most all batteries are made by exide the rest are made by Johnson controls and a few are made by delphi. So it really doesn't matter what you buy.

Buy the cheapest one as getting 2 to 3 seasons out of a battery is about parking for the course. I have a small solar charger hooked to mine and it works well. Never had to charge it at all in the winter.

Also if you live in a hot climate battery life is much shorter than in cold climates.

[mad_planter]

All the garden tractor sized ones I've bought all come with the acid in a separate container. I think as long as the acid hasn't been added they last quite a while with no ill effects.

[A Squared]

mad_planter said:

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All the garden tractor sized ones I've bought all come with the acid in a separate container. I think as long as the acid hasn't been added they last quite a while with no ill effects.

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Yep. Clock starts ticking when the electrolyte is added. Until then it's just a collection of lead sheet metal in a plastic box, which isn't doing much.

[Robert Adams]

A Squared said:

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[blockquote]mad_planter said:

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All the garden tractor sized ones I've bought all come with the acid in a separate container. I think as long as the acid hasn't been added they last quite a while with no ill effects.

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Yep. Clock starts ticking when the electrolyte is added. Until then it's just a collection of lead sheet metal in a plastic box, which isn't doing much.

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I haven't seen a battery like that for a mower in many years. All the ones now are regular sealed or capped just like a car battery. The smaller motorcycle batteries are still add acid type.

Also it's a very good idea to get sealed maintenence free batteries for mowers. Any that have caps will leak acid so every bump you hit it slashes and acid can leak out. Saw lots of them in my friends mower shop years ago. Even mine looses some because the yard is so rough due to the pocket gophers.

[mad_planter]

The one I bought last summer to put in my wife's atv was like that. I've not noticed a problem with acid leaking with it and its been a year. Not saying it couldn't happen, just that it hasn't yet.

[rlnguy]

FWIW, I used to repair power wheelchairs and scooters. They all use 2 12 volt gel batteries. Typically, one battery will fail after a year or 2. They always get replaced in pairs, so one is usually good. (there are good reasons to replace both) I put one of the "good" ones in my old mower, and it lasted for 13 years. It did die, after sitting in storage for 2 years, though. I did nothing to the charging system, or anything.
It might be worth checking into. New gel batteries run a hundred bucks or more, so if you can find a used one, that is going to be scrapped, you might pick it up real cheap. If the open circuit voltage is 12 volts or above, chances are the battery is good.
Good luck