The Combine Forum banner

Battery life

4.9K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  MF cowboy  
#1 ·
Changed the battery in my 524 JCB telehander yesterday.

162752

The marketing spin on AGM Advanced Glass Mat is up to 3 times the life of flooded plates.
Ok.
Just turned 67.
An AGM battery should last until lm 109.
Should be the last required battery.

13 year old telehandler. Original battery!
Huge battery for a 4 cylinder/75 hp engine.
Group 31A 1000 CCA.

You know a battery is old when it does even have a handle.
 
#3 ·
Most batteries don't die - they are killed. Even two or three "deep" discharges will dramatically shorten the life of any lead acid battery (which includes AGMs). Most people don't realize that they are deep discharging.a battery. At 12V a resting battery is more or less fully discharged. If you want your batteries to live a long life they should never be discharged below 50% which for rough figures is 12.2 volts resting.
 
#8 ·
If we get 4 to 5 years on a battery here it's a miracle. Heat kills them faster than anything. Master disconnect helps but isn't a guarantee you'll get longer life out of them. That's buying good quality batteries like Interstate or any OEM battery. Wonder if the new batteries are getting recycled lead and they don't last as long? Don't know if recycled lead would do that but it seems that batteries used to last a lot longer.
 
#10 ·
This sounds almost unbelievable but I have a 1980 Peterbuilt, which I've owned from new, that still has a couple of batteries in it of a set of 4 that are from the second set ever in the truck. It came with Delco batteries which is what I replaced the first set with. But the truck always started first flip and can be left over winter and still start come spring with no charge or boost. So it kind of fits with what BON says about not running the batteries dead and not less cycling means longer life. Also have an 08 chev farm truck I've had from new with original Delco battery still in it. Never unhook batteries and it always starts good. Never charged or boosted it but it has boosted plenty of other machines.

Whenever possible I've been switching machines, vehicles and even grain augers over to group 31 900-1000 amp truck style batteries. Usually can get them for around $100 and places like Ft Garry move a lot of them so they are guaranteed fresh.