Farmall Cub

Got my third battery from Tractor Supply yesterday in three years. I got ten months on the last one and eleven the one before. They have a free one year replacement. My luck has been on my side so far, $85.00 if not under warranty. This is on my snow pushing tractor so it is has been used about every week or so. This year has been the coldest it has very got inside my garage. They just don't make batteries like they use to.
Ron in Mid Missouri

That's probably true. These sub-zero temps we've been getting overnight are really hard on batteries.

I've got mine on a trickle charger which has helped out greatly. Do you have yours on a trickle charger?

Ron, are you sure your tractor is charging the battery? Most of my Cub batteries are 3-6 years old.

Most will not believe me but its fact, we have had our 1955 CUB since 1974 and have never got less than 14 years out of the battery, the first battery we thought it was a fluke, then the second battery lasted 15 years, I was talking to a old mechanic he claimed it was because the tractor is a positive ground he said anything that use to be 6 volt and positive ground the batteries lasted for ever.


I get a great life out of batteries on everything I own, tractors, automobiles, RV's ATV's but
I have a 1amp 6-12 volt battery charger that I put on each battery over night every 2-3 weeks regardless of how much the machine is used, I do this on daily drivers also, I have been doing this for about 30 years now.

Also I was taught by another mechanic to charge all new batteries over night before use.

I bought one of them fancy charger maintainers for my RV and its four deep cycle batteries its a BatteryMINDer Battery Charger / Maintainer with Desulfator — 12 Volt 2/4/8 Amp, Model# 12248
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200326706 my deep cycle batteries are 6 years old and work like new, I take the RV on 4-6 week trips where I primitive camp in the desert so the batteries get a good work out.

Check your battery voltage with the engine off then check your battery voltage with the engine running at full throttle see what the voltage difference is, the next few times you use your CUB record the engine off battery voltage before you start using your tractor and after you get done to see if its keeping the battery up.

I got my last 6 volt battery at Farm And Fleet just bought the cheapest 6 volt they had at the time.

I had one of the tractor supply batteries fail pretty quickly in my 200. I thought it was probably just not enough cranking power and replaced it with a Deka. It probably was not a cranking power issue though. I have had cranking problems even with the more powerful Deka. I suspect it is time to rebuild the starter. I have a tractor supply battery in my 56 Cub. Plenty of cranking power for the Cub and so far so good. The good thing here in my area is that the tractor supply battery is only around $40-$45. That makes it just too good to pass up even if they fail occasionally.

Xperimental wrote:just not enough cranking power

maybe your battery cables or ground connection aren't up to snuff?

Eoghan wrote:

Xperimental wrote:just not enough cranking power

maybe your battery cables or ground connection aren't up to snuff?

Thanks for pointing that out. I will make sure about the cables before pulling the starter. It would be great if that were the problem. I will try some big cables to see if it cranks OK with improved conductivity.

My experience with 6 volt batteries is that they have much shorter life than 12 volt. Back in the 1950s, 2 years was considered good battery life. And 5 years is the best I ever got from a 6 volt. I had one 12 volt that got a bit over 13 years and 3 others with a full 10 years.
Batteries degrade while sitting on the shelf waiting to be sold.

My shop is well insulated and four four feet in the ground on the west and east. Have bucket close to the doors just to watch to see if it will freeze. It hasn't since it was built in 06. At the last cub fest the generator was working. I have been checking the voltage off and on all summer and it has always been 6.5 volts. The last snow it would not start. Jump started and check the voltage that night and it was 6.5. As soon as you pulled the starter the battery would drop to 2 volts. Took it in to the store it showed 6.2 on there meter. Put a load on it and down to the 2 volts. Load off in about a minutes it was back over 6 volt. I'll look and see if I can find a 6 volt maintainer.

This is what I use on my tractors. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/s ... -10005Just hook to proper battery posts and plug in to wall outlet. Does not care what voltage your battey is. It's all automatic. Watch for sale at TSC for $19.99.

you could convert it to 12 volts...that would help.... a lot......I say this at the risk of starting another 6 vs 12 debate.

Still shows $14.97 and free in store pick up....

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=81731

I hard wired the adapter to my LoBoy battery, no need to take the cover off to hook up and have the other clip adapter to use on other batteries. (is for 6 or 12 volt).

Good luck,

The battery expert at our local battery store told me that a lot of the batteries that come in have been overfilled by adding distilled water all the way to the caps. He said that's bad because it can cause the acid to overflow and cause a loss in capacity. I just thought I'd throw that out there because if the voltages are looking good prior to starting, but the capacity drops like Bill Clinton's pants in a sorority house, perhaps you have lost much of the acid due to overfilling?

Has anyone out there experienced that issue?

alfreema wrote:The battery expert at our local battery store told me that a lot of the batteries that come in have been overfilled by adding distilled water all the way to the caps. He said that's bad because it can cause the acid to overflow and cause a loss in capacity. I just thought I'd throw that out there because if the voltages are looking good prior to starting, but the capacity drops like Bill Clinton's pants in a sorority house, perhaps you have lost much of the acid due to overfilling?

Has anyone out there experienced that issue?

That could be true. I believe I overfilled my 6V battery last winter when I brought it inside. I popped the caps and it appeared they needed some distilled water, so added some. Then put the battery tender on it and the next morning found water/acid had bubbled out on top of the battery. Also wouldn't hold a charge.

dgrapes59 wrote:Still shows $14.97 and free in store pick up....

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=81731

I hard wired the adapter to my LoBoy battery, no need to take the cover off to hook up and have the other clip adapter to use on other batteries. (is for 6 or 12 volt).

Good luck,

I use the same one from Walmart. Seems to work very well on both 6V and 12V. I made the copper tabs per George Willer's post for my active Cub and have it hooked up all the time during winter. George's post here: viewtopic.php?f=140&t=16548&p=117475&hilit=jumper+tabs#p117475

Ordered two last night and ready for pickup after 10:00 this morning, I'll spend some of my holiday today picking them up. Thanks Dave for the reminder.
Ron