Deep Cycle Battery for Tractor ?

[Stocker Steve]

Any downside to using a 12V deep cycle battery for starting a summer only haying tractor? They seem to be more common and more competitively priced, but sometimes a shorter warranty, compared to a official tractor battery.

 

[jltrent]

Deep cycles are designed to deliver a small number of amperes for long periods of time. They are not designed to deliver a high starting current which can be several hundred amperes. I would stick with a traditional starting battery.

 

[pricefarm]

I have a deep cycle battery on a New Holland 3930. It started good all winter.

 

[jltrent]

I have a deep cycle battery on a New Holland 3930. It started good all winter.

I have never tried a deep cycle on a diesel engine.
I have an Interstate 4DLT (very large battery) on my Ford 3600 and when it gets below 20 degrees it is either use ether or turn the key to the left and let the engine heater run for 30 seconds or plug up the engine block heater to get it stated. My wife's brother has a 3910 and it does seem to start better than my 3600.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Most of my haying tractors had two batteries initially. I think 500 CCA was pretty common back in the day. So a higher end deep cycle battery actually has more cranking amps than the original equipment.

Seems like having a tractor pictured on the battery sticker increases the price. :???:

 

[Texasmark]

I expelled the "myth" about deep cycles (straight deep cycle, not combos) not capable of starting engines. I bought a 30+ year old JD 4010 (70 hp or so diesel tractor) with a really dirty size 27 deep cycle battery and judging from the dirt and grime on it it had been on the tractor for several years and apparently worked ok as the previous owner was still using the tractor.

I had no problem starting that diesel engine, year round, here in N. Tx. for several more years. For folks not familiar with the tractor, diesels have to spin up fast enough, and have enough compression to get the compression temperature hot enough to explode the diesel mist when injected. The engine was around 350 cu inch or so. Assume the CCA requirement to be in the 300 amp for 30 seconds range to start that machine.

 

[callmefence]

Cheap batteries and tires will shorten your life.

 

[pricefarm]

I have a deep cycle battery on a New Holland 3930. It started good all winter.

I have never tried a deep cycle on a diesel engine.
I have an Interstate 4DLT (very large battery) on my Ford 3600 and when it gets below 20 degrees it is either use ether or turn the key to the left and let the engine heater run for 30 seconds or plug up the engine block heater to get it stated. My wife's brother has a 3910 and it does seem to start better than my 3600.

I think it depends on the tractor. My 6610 will not start when it’s cold unless you plug it up. The 3930 has always been easy to start

 

[hurleyjd]

I have a deep cycle battery on a New Holland 3930. It started good all winter.

I have never tried a deep cycle on a diesel engine.
I have an Interstate 4DLT (very large battery) on my Ford 3600 and when it gets below 20 degrees it is either use ether or turn the key to the left and let the engine heater run for 30 seconds or plug up the engine block heater to get it stated. My wife's brother has a 3910 and it does seem to start better than my 3600.

Here in East Texas it never really gets cold enough to need a block heater. I had two tractors one a 4530 and a 4610 that did not like to start even with the temp about 48 degrees. Both starters were not in good shape. i have no idea the part number but my mechanic put some starters on that turn the engine much faster. I can start them now in a matter of seconds. Moral of story buy a good high speed starter and good battery and a lot of your starting woes will be over.

 

[M.Magis]

As long as it has the required CCA it'll work fine.

 

[Bigfoot]

Personally, I wouldn’t put one on a tractor. I’d go for the most cold cranking amps I could find. It might be a hay tractor, but that’s the way I would go.

 

[Ky hills]

I have a deep cycle battery on a New Holland 3930. It started good all winter.

I have never tried a deep cycle on a diesel engine.
I have an Interstate 4DLT (very large battery) on my Ford 3600 and when it gets below 20 degrees it is either use ether or turn the key to the left and let the engine heater run for 30 seconds or plug up the engine block heater to get it stated. My wife's brother has a 3910 and it does seem to start better than my 3600.

Here in East Texas it never really gets cold enough to need a block heater. I had two tractors one a 4530 and a 4610 that did not like to start even with the temp about 48 degrees. Both starters were not in good shape. i have no idea the part number but my mechanic put some starters on that turn the engine much faster. I can start them now in a matter of seconds. Moral of story buy a good high speed starter and good battery and a lot of your starting woes will be over.

Have a Ford 7710 and a 3000 around 40 degrees have to turn the key and hold it for a bit. Much below 40 both need plugging up. My Case C70 will start down to around 20 degrees if it’s in a barn, but it’s a newer model than the others. I’ve always tried to put pretty good batteries on them and still some of them don’t last long.

 

[Nesikep]

More CCA's will often mean shorter lifespans, the plates are thinner, but there's more of them.. they're more prone to cracking, etc
I have a combo deep cycle on my 93 dodge diesel.. cranks and starts fine all winter even if it isn't plugged in

 

[Texasmark]

I have a deep cycle battery on a New Holland 3930. It started good all winter.

I have never tried a deep cycle on a diesel engine.
I have an Interstate 4DLT (very large battery) on my Ford 3600 and when it gets below 20 degrees it is either use ether or turn the key to the left and let the engine heater run for 30 seconds or plug up the engine block heater to get it stated. My wife's brother has a 3910 and it does seem to start better than my 3600.

I think it depends on the tractor. My 6610 will not start when it’s cold unless you plug it up. The 3930 has always been easy to start

My 2018 purchase of a 1988 3910 with 900 hours is the same way. No starting aids, regardless of the season, hit the starter and in a couple of seconds or less that baby is online ready for my instructions. :banana:

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Makes me laugh when I hear guys in warm climates talking about "cold" starting a diesel "regardless of season" without any starting aids. Your guys "cold" weather is a pleasant summer evening for some of us. Lol

 

[Silver]

Makes me laugh when I hear guys in warm climates talking about "cold" starting a diesel "regardless of season" without any starting aids. Your guys "cold" weather is a pleasant summer evening for some of us. Lol

Ummm.... yup lol

 

[SmokinM]

Hey it get cold down here in the south land too. I mind the time we had snow on the ground for darn near a week and we had frost just the other night!

 

[greggy]

Prob not as long as it has the cranking capacity.

What they call deep cycle is prob a decent cca rating too, a real deep cycle would be a poor cranker.

In other words, you need to know a lot to know what your really buying.

 

[Texasmark]

Makes me laugh when I hear guys in warm climates talking about "cold" starting a diesel "regardless of season" without any starting aids. Your guys "cold" weather is a pleasant summer evening for some of us. Lol

Seeing that I was mowing pasture all day yesterday and Dish Channel 215 was showing a blizzard in Colorado and adjacent states, yes you have a point. However, I "Lusted in my Heart" (Jimmy Carter) for a Ford 3000. One day in April, in N. Texas, temp was at least in the 60's, I laid eyes on one and my heart skipped a beat. Stopping by, with check book in hand, the seller had to give it a shot of ether to get it to get it to light off.

Being my first diesel, and overcome with "lust" I gave him $3750 for it....dumbass dumbass dumbass.....fast forward. After spending several hundred bucks, trying to prove to myself that it didn't really need an overhaul including new battery, new 00 battery servicing wiring, upgrading the starter to a 5" diameter required in diesel engines.....I finally got it through my thick skull that what it needed was enough compression to light off the diesel mist since everything else is up to snuff. I did an inframe to the tune of $1000 in parts and machine work, I did the rest. Finally got one that lit off without starting aids.....in April, in Texas.