Posted by Geo-TH,In on January 09, 2015 at 13:36:26 from (50.104.121.187):
There has been a lot of chatter about batteries. On 12-30-14 I posted a pic of how I take care of my batteries using a batteryminder and testing with a battery conductivity tester. Well this morning the batteryminder finished desulfating 5 batteries and it went in to maintenance mode. When that happens, I move it to a different battery.
I purchased the charger and conductivity tester 4 years ago. I have over 20 batteries total in tractors, car, truck, riding mowers, pressure washer, kaw mule, dump trailer, implement trailer.
So far in 4 years, I've only lost one battery, the large marine style battery in dump trailer, 5 years old. RIP.
I could tell about 6 months ago the marine battery was on it's way out when I used a sears charger. The next morning, the charger didn't shut off, battery was hot and had gas, sulfur gas. The battery conductivity tester was showing it couldn't hold a charge, it's CCA was on the decline daily, and finally the conductivity tester said, DEAD CELL. Which I confirmed with a hydrometer.
If you don't want to buy an expensive charger and expensive conductivity, just take your battery to NAPA or any auto parts store. They will charge it and test it for free. Test your alternator too, free.
BTW, I was able to charge 5 batteries in parallel at the same time, 4 mower and one motorcycle, took 10 days. All batteries took a charge. They are in a cold barn. They all produce a CCA about 10% under the CCA rating stamped on the battery. Oldest one is a 2008. Newest is 2011.
I learned, if you have a battery with a dead cell, the charger can't help you and you can't charge a battery with a dead cell in parallel with a good battery. You can charge batteries in parallel, providing all the batteries are healthy.
I never leave a trickle charger on a battery. There is no need unless you have a parasitic load. A good battery will hold a charge. I top off all my batteries year around with the batteryminder, especially in winter.
BTW, I since 2007 I only buy cheap excide batteries from Rural King. I take care of them, they last for me. The dump trailer battery came with the trailer, it wasn't excide.
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Today's Featured Article - Grain Threshing in the Early 40's - by Jerry D. Coleman. How many of you can sit there and say that you have plowed with a mule? Well I would say not many, but maybe a few. This story is about the day my Grandfather Brown (true name) decided along with my parents to purchase a new Ford tractor. It wasn't really new except to us. The year was about 1967 and my father found a good used Ford 601 tractor to use on the farm instead of "Bob", our old mule. Now my grandfather had had this mule since the mid 40's and he was getting some age on him. S
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