6 volt battery maintenance in winter
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Topic: 6 volt battery maintenance in winter
Posted By: fleeter allis fan
Subject: 6 volt battery maintenance in winter
Date Posted: 16 Nov 2020 at 10:15pm
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Hi. With winter coming, I am wondering what is the best approach to keep the 6 volt batteries in my antique tractors healthy. I live in Southern Ontario and it gets cold here - not Winnipeg cold, but plenty cold enough. My "working" tractors don't get any special treatment really. The batteries stay in place and are expected to start the tractors during cold weather if needed. I have been in the habit of removing the batteries from my lawn and garden equipment in the fall, and storing them in the basement where it is warm. But all of the above are 12 volt. The "antiques" with 6 volt batteries will probably not run again until spring. I don't like the idea of leaving the batteries to sit until then. So, do I leave the batteries in the tractors with a maintainer for the winter, or remove them and store them in the basement? I am a bit nervous about having all of that lead and acid in the basement, but I am not keen on buying new batteries every couple of years. ------------- I'm a man...and I can change...if I have to... I guess. '44 B, '46 WF, '49 G, 810GT, 916H, 620 |
Replies:
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 5:51am
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I'm just 'up the road,NW of Hamilton, and I've got a shelf in the garage (unheated at night) where there's 10-13 batteries. Once a month, more or less, I toss each onto the charger to 'top up'. That way I don't need a 'maintainer' for EACH battery !! ( $$$$$$ ). Reminds me I need to rearrange the garage and get the D-14 batteries in today.... ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: ac45dave
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 5:55am
I leave the batteries in my tractors.A fully charged battery will do just fine through the winter.Every thing fires right up in the spring.What I do is put the charger on them in November to top them off.I use an old Schauer 10 amp automatic model that cuts off when fully charged.I use the automatic standard setting.The last 6 volt I replaced in my wd45 was an 8 year old deka.These old tractors don't have the electronics that pull on a battery over time like cars and trucks these days, so not much need for charging through the winter, in my experience. This the type charger, was dads, passed on to me.  ------------- 54 wd-45gas ; 56 wd-45d N/F w/fact p/s ; 63 d-17 sIII N/F gas ; 60 D14 N/F ; 67 d-17 sIV N/F gas ; 63D15 sII W/F; 39rc#667 ; 2021 massey 4710 fwa ; gravely 2 wheel tractors |
Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 6:27am
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If you have two 6 volt batteries and a 12 volt maintainer, just connect the 6 volt batteries in a series and use the 12 volt maintainer on them. ------------- If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere. Real pullers don't have speed limits. If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 8:38am
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Dont need to take the batteries out of the tractor.. Just get one maintainer and move it around from tractor to tractor once a week or two.. Depending on how many tractors you have.. Batteries should stay good, but putting a maintainer on them gets the "electrons moving inside" ... better than just setting forever. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 8:40am
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Since all my battery chargers are 12 volt and I have several tractors with 6 volt, I invested in a Schumacher smart charger that does both 6 and 12 volt batteries. It automatically shuts off and turns back on as the battery needs charging. I put it on a tractor for a few days, then move it to the next one. No overcharging ("boiling") batteries. I really like it. (Link is a little long....) https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SC1280-Charger-Automotive-Batteries/dp/B0797KK3N2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Battery+Chargers&qid=1605623540&refinements=p_89%3ASchumacher&s=automotive&sr=1-1-spons&ts_id=15707061&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE0VTFaT1RVT0gxNVgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMTI4NTUyMFFPSVBBVVFITDZZJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NDMzMjcxRjdDS01TRlFCWERXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==" rel="nofollow - https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SC1280-Charger-Automotive-Batteries/dp/B0797KK3N2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Battery+Chargers&qid=1605623540&refinements=p_89%3ASchumacher&s=automotive&sr=1-1-spons&ts_id=15707061&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE0VTFaT1RVT0gxNVgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMTI4NTUyMFFPSVBBVVFITDZZJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NDMzMjcxRjdDS01TRlFCWERXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
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Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 5:24pm
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The thing with all Batteries in the Winter months is freezing. Freezing can destroy a Battery. A Battery case can also crack depending on how cold it gets and do damage to whatever it's in with acid leaking out. I always tell our customer's to bring their 6V or 12V Batteries in where its warmer, and occasionally connect a Battery Tender to them (depending on how many you have) With only three cells, its pretty easy for a 6 volter to freeze especially if you haven't been using distilled water in them. If you don't use your Tractor's in the Winter, I would suggest bringing the Batteries into where its warmer and they're out of the wind chill. Some folks may use their Tractors in the Winter especially if its equipped with a loader for removing snow. In that case, I would leave the Battery in the Tractor, (depending on the area you live in for temps) and put the charger on the Battery every couple weeks putting a slow charge into it to keep it topped off and "active". Keep in mind, when the temps drop below 32 degrees, you start to loose some of your amperage. (CCA's) Add to it an engine that has motor oil in it equivilent to roofing tar due to the low temps and you have a possible no start or a slooooow cranking engine. Winters are a good test for Starter Motors... LOL! HTH Steve@B&B ------------- 39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife |
Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 7:45pm
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I live in SE MI and just disconnect the negative cable from the battery. Never had a problem. That'd be the negative cable on a negative ground system. ------------- D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446 |
Posted By: EPALLIS
Date Posted: 17 Nov 2020 at 9:20pm
| I have always, disconnected the Pos and Negative cables and brought them inside to a warmer area and then reinstalled in the spring. As I get older, the batteries don't get any lighter to lug around though. If just disconnecting the neg cable and leaving them for the winter works, I just might do that this time around and see what happens.... |
Posted By: BigGuy1000
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2020 at 4:57pm
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Use your air hose and a small old dry paint brush to brush off dust and dirt from the top of the battery and from the connections. This will help a lot, since dust will attract moisture and cause a small current leak over winter. A very small current leak over several months will completely discharge the battery. Also can install a solar powered 6 volt maintainer for about $35, see this post for detail: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/solar-6-or-12v-battery-maintainer_topic163793_post1369822.html?KW=#1369822" rel="nofollow - https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/solar-6-or-12v-battery-maintainer_topic163793_post1369822.html?KW=#1369822 |
Posted By: fleeter allis fan
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2020 at 10:15am
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I can see that I am not the only guy thinking about this problem. As BigGuy1000 says, it is important that everything be clean. Dirt and certainly moisture can cause a high resistance ground fault in any electrical circuit. With regard to chargers, I find that 6 volt can be the problem. I have a nice, fairly expensive charger, but unfortunately, it only works on 12 volt. Putting two 6 volt batteries in series is the only option with that charger. I also have an old charger similar to ac45dave's Schauer unit that will do 6 or 12 volt. I also have a Black and Decker BM3BCA maintainer that is one of the only dual voltage maintainers that I could find. I think I will take steve(ill)'s advice and just leave the batteries in the tractors and move the maintainer around occasionally. ------------- I'm a man...and I can change...if I have to... I guess. '44 B, '46 WF, '49 G, 810GT, 916H, 620 |
Posted By: HudCo
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2020 at 10:19am
| how many people still believe a battery sitting on concrete or not on a block of wood will discharge |