Battery in b48 420
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Could be the battery or you have a small parasitic drain on the electrical system. My 214 has a Johnson Controls made Walmart battery in it and the battery is date coded 2004. Maybe just lucky? Roger
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I use a cheap Benny's battery in mine, been good for 4 years now. Last one I had in 2004 lasted 7 years or so
wonder if your over charging it, testing with a meter while running can help figure that out
wonder if your over charging it, testing with a meter while running can help figure that out
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Had awful luck with Deere Strongbox batteries. Great luck with any Johnson Controls battery (IE Wal-mart, Advance Auto Parts, tons of others).
Currently, Im on 3 years and counting. I use mine year-round too, but sometimes it will sit for a couple months without issue.
Currently, Im on 3 years and counting. I use mine year-round too, but sometimes it will sit for a couple months without issue.
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916 Posts
I have an Interstate battery in my 318 that is now over 11 years old and still going strong. It sits in the cold (unheated shed) all Wisconsin winter and always starts fine in the spring time.
I have Interstate batteries in everything, and get good service from them. My 318 came with a new Strongbox that only lasted a couple of years. Failure mode was that it would not charge above 13.2 volts, and spewed electrolyte all over everything. Replaced with an Interstate MT-26 that has run 5 years so far. My tractors sit about 4 months in an unheated shed, though the 318 gets run a few times in winter, and always start right up in March.
The only maintenance I do on them is to make sure they are fully charged before storing in fall, and top them off with a trickle charge (typically 4-8 hours at 1.5A) in spring. These are all flooded, not sealed, batteries. Fully charged with current battery technology is specific gravity, measured with a hydrometer, 1.250-1.260.
That is lower than was standard 50+ years ago because of changes to battery technology.
Check your charging voltage on the 420 with a good battery, fully charged. Should be between 14.2 and 14.5. Higher, and you are overcharging.
Only "fix" I know of for that is to replace the regulator.
Hank
The only maintenance I do on them is to make sure they are fully charged before storing in fall, and top them off with a trickle charge (typically 4-8 hours at 1.5A) in spring. These are all flooded, not sealed, batteries. Fully charged with current battery technology is specific gravity, measured with a hydrometer, 1.250-1.260.
That is lower than was standard 50+ years ago because of changes to battery technology.
Check your charging voltage on the 420 with a good battery, fully charged. Should be between 14.2 and 14.5. Higher, and you are overcharging.
Only "fix" I know of for that is to replace the regulator.
Hank
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610 Posts
I bought an auto battery 5-6 years ago that I can put in my wifes subaru brat and the JD 318, Keep a 20.00 schumaker battery tender on it all the time, and it is still going strong. I did switch the battery terminals on the 318 to match the battery though.
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what voltage do you have when running at full RPM?
when was last time you ran the tractor for an hour?
when was last time you ran the tractor for an hour?
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new batteries are not fully charged, they can site on a shelf for a year or more before you buy it
I use a trickle charger on my new batteries, well a 10 amp charger with a tail light in series with it to limit it to less than 2 amps. once light is no longer on, then it is charged. My dad has been charging batteries like this for 40 something years. they don't heat up either or bubble as much. great way to charge a motorcycle battery too
I use a trickle charger on my new batteries, well a 10 amp charger with a tail light in series with it to limit it to less than 2 amps. once light is no longer on, then it is charged. My dad has been charging batteries like this for 40 something years. they don't heat up either or bubble as much. great way to charge a motorcycle battery too
Glenn, Knottyrope brings up a good point when he says that a "new, off the shelf" battery is most likely not fully charged. You can "zap" one with a 10-amp or higher rate for an hour and see the terminal voltage go above 14.5, but that doesn't condition the plate chemistry completely.
"Slow but steady" is what is needed to get below the surface charge on the plates and get good chemical change penetration.
The little Sears charger I use, which is not a day over 45 years old, has three charge rates, a timer, and a built-in voltmeter. The three rates are 10A, 1.5A, and .38A. When the timer turns off, the charger continues at the .38A rate.
When I want to "top off" a battery, I'll start at the 10A rate, and switch down to the 1.5A rate when I see 14.5 volts. Terminal voltage will go down to around 13.5V, and I'll set the timer for 4 hours. With a half-charged battery, the terminal voltage generally goes down some, indicating that the charge current is penetrating into the plates. I'll reset the timer to 8-12 hours if voltage goes down significantly, and go about my other business. A rise above 14.5 volts indicates "near full charge." If voltage is still down after 8-12 hours, I'll let the timer switch off to the 380 ma rate for 12-24 hours, and switch it on to the 1.5A rate for another few hours.
On a big battery, like the group 49 92AH battery used on Mercedes cars, this cycling can go on for several days. Even on those batteries, which are whoppers compared to garden tractor batteries, switching to 10A can show nearly 15 volts, while going back to 1.5A goes back to around 13.5, indicating that the battery is not yet completely charged.
I have swapped notes with a genuine battery design engineer, who confirms my observations that an open battery that doesn't come up above
14.5 volts at a 1-2 amp charge rate either is still accepting a charge or has a cell problem.
Voltage drop while charging at a low rate following a quick higher-rate charge is normal, sez he.
Hank
"Slow but steady" is what is needed to get below the surface charge on the plates and get good chemical change penetration.
The little Sears charger I use, which is not a day over 45 years old, has three charge rates, a timer, and a built-in voltmeter. The three rates are 10A, 1.5A, and .38A. When the timer turns off, the charger continues at the .38A rate.
When I want to "top off" a battery, I'll start at the 10A rate, and switch down to the 1.5A rate when I see 14.5 volts. Terminal voltage will go down to around 13.5V, and I'll set the timer for 4 hours. With a half-charged battery, the terminal voltage generally goes down some, indicating that the charge current is penetrating into the plates. I'll reset the timer to 8-12 hours if voltage goes down significantly, and go about my other business. A rise above 14.5 volts indicates "near full charge." If voltage is still down after 8-12 hours, I'll let the timer switch off to the 380 ma rate for 12-24 hours, and switch it on to the 1.5A rate for another few hours.
On a big battery, like the group 49 92AH battery used on Mercedes cars, this cycling can go on for several days. Even on those batteries, which are whoppers compared to garden tractor batteries, switching to 10A can show nearly 15 volts, while going back to 1.5A goes back to around 13.5, indicating that the battery is not yet completely charged.
I have swapped notes with a genuine battery design engineer, who confirms my observations that an open battery that doesn't come up above
14.5 volts at a 1-2 amp charge rate either is still accepting a charge or has a cell problem.
Voltage drop while charging at a low rate following a quick higher-rate charge is normal, sez he.
Hank
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10,704 Posts
Replace the stator or the voltage regulator. One or the other or both are bad. Should be almost 14 volts at WOT. I have also seen a bad ignition switch make this happen. You need to look at a JD or Onan manual to find the way and order to test the electrical system. It will get very expensive to throw parts at. Roger
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