Re: Battery for an H

Posted by Bob M on April 07, 2003 at 06:22:30 from (165.170.128.66):

In Reply to: Battery for an H posted by Mark (PA) on April 07, 2003 at 05:34:41:

Mark - Others may express different opinions - but here's mine!

An 8 volt battery WILL make your H crank faster and probably start easier. However if the electrical system is properly maintained (healthy starter, properly sized battery cables, generator working correctly, ignition system in good shape, engine in tune, etc) 6 volts will spin and start an H just fine.

And 8 volt batteries have several downsides:
- They cost more than an equivalent 6 volt (or 12 volt) battery. 8 volt batteries also are more difficult to find.
- Unless you run your tractor mostly at high RPM, or swap out the generator/regulator, the stock charging system will have trouble keeping an 8 volt battery properly charged. Extended idling and low speed operation will tend to drain an 8 volt battery after a while - even if you tweak the existing cutout or regulator to cut-in at a higher voltage.
- If your tractor has lights, bulb life will be shortened somewhat when operated on 8 volts. (However the lights will be noticeably brighter until they burn out!)
- Unless you have a charger with an 8 volt setting, it's difficult to externally charge an 8 volt battery. The 6 volt setting will charge very slowly - or not at all. And the 12 volt setting will overload the charger and may overcharge the battery unless a series ballast resistor is used.

Bottom line is I regard an 8 volt battery as a "band aid" approach to temporarily deal with other underlying electrical and/or engine problems. Better to find/fix the underlying problem than to spend $$ on an 8 volt battery. But that's just my opinion! ...Bob M

PS - I've had good luck with 6 volt batteries from Sam's Club. Last one I got (Sept 02) was $35, with $5 back for the old one.

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