All lead-acid batteries lose 5%-30% per month of their charge. All depends on the metals in the battery AND how big it is. The more antimony used inside the battery, the faster it goes dead. Just because it starts a tractor after sitting, doesn't mean it's not partially discharged.
Antimony is added to the lead plates in batteries to make them more vibration resistant. So, the more HD a battery is, the faster it will self-discharge - and more it might need to be run more, or stuck on a maintainer.
AGM batteries (like Optimas), don't use a lot of antimony in the plates since the glass-matts help with vibration resistance. So, AGMs typically only lose 5%-10% per month.
In theory, a battery can last much longer if never left in a state of discharge. A battery can be near dead at 12 volts and still crank a tractor pretty well. 12 volts means a battery is 80% discharged. A fully charged battery is 12.9 volts. Most 12 volt systems crank at 9 volts.
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Today's Featured Article - Tuning-Up Your Tractor: Plugs & Compression Testing - by Curtis Von Fange. The engine seems to run rough. In the exhaust you can hear an occasion 'poofing' sound like somethings not firing on all cylinders. Under loaded conditions the tractor seems to lack power and it belches black smoke out of the exhaust. For some reason it just doesn't want to start up without cranking and cranking the starter. All these conditions can be signals that your unit is in need of a tune up. Ok, so what is involved in a tune up? You say, swap plugs and file the points....now tha
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