Bigger Battery… is it worth it?

So… 20 degrees yesterday and WL wouldn’t start without a jump. I’m currently running a 300 cca battery and 10w30 conventional oil. I’m going to be switching to synthetic 5w30 shortly to try and help this here but I was also toying with upgrading to a 350 cca battery. I know 50a isn’t that much of a difference but it is the biggest I can find that will fit. Thoughts? Should I just save my money and leave the battery on a trickle charge?

Run a Honda 51 series if you have room (it's fairly small), about 550CCA and you'll  never have an issue! Lol. Your battery is probably toast, I had the same problem with my Bolens and replaced it with a brand new Die Hard 10u1L (left side positive) rated at 340CCA and it turns my 10hp Tec over no problem even below 0°F, I do run 5w30 in the winter

Didn't you get a new batt in the past couple years?  Curious what brand?  I got one last June and it is already dead.  Tractor Supply Battery.  Not the first to do this from them.  I have a walmart battery 6yrs old that still works.

Brianator wrote:

Run a Honda 51 series if you have room (it's fairly small), about 550CCA and you'll  never have an issue! Lol. Your battery is probably toast, I had the same problem with my Bolens and replaced it with a brand new Die Hard 10u1L (left side positive) rated at 340CCA and it turns my 10hp Tec over no problem even below 0°F, I do run 5w30 in the winter

I’ll look into the Honda battery. The one I have in there now is just shy of 2 years old. And I have a 20hp twin so yeah I’m asking that lil battery of quite a lot.

Edit: found a battery and it seems that it’s 1 3/8 inches longer and 2” taller. Tight squeeze in your Bolens?

MightyRaze wrote:

Didn't you get a new batt in the past couple years?  Curious what brand?  I got one last June and it is already dead.  Tractor Supply Battery.  Not the first to do this from them.  I have a walmart battery 6yrs old that still works.

Yep new battery. Napa. Was the biggest 8x5 they sell apparently. I’ve had good luck in the summertime though.

And apologies for the multipost, I’ve tried the multiquote function and I can’t figure it out. I’m not a terribly bright bulb lol

20hp twin?! Ya the Honda battery will be your best bet then, when I got The Warhorse the guy had been using a car battery and I installed a Honda 51 series on it and never had a single issue. There's 51 and 51R, 51R is right side positive

Dude I multi quote old school style by quoting one person, copying the text, delete the message then quote the second person, paste the copied quote from the first person in and then answer both. Lol. The multiquote threw me for a loop too! Lol. And don't be sorry, this is YOUR thread you created do whatever the heck you want (within reason).

The little battery maintainers are cheap. Also, I just got a battery disconnect switch for the Rat Rod and the JeepTor. Again, well worth it. With a disconnect, there is zero chance of a parasitic drain.

About 6 bucks from Amazon.

So I found that group 51 battery from $90 upwards. Tight squeeze though looks like, if it fits. I’ll measure tomorrow. And I’ll have to change cable clamps but I’ve been needing to do that anyway. Actually maybe I should go and do new starter wiring all through. Looks kinda non skookum and a little crispy in a couple places (which probably isn’t helping either)

I did however find a $60 350 cca battery. Not much of a difference but it’s the same size as current. What say ye?

And I think I’m going to change the oil type first but do you guys see the battery as being an equally big player here?

Do you have the 51 group dimensions or do you want me to measure mine for you? 

Hard to say because you have a twin, that is alot extra fight for it in the cold. The 5w30 helps but I wouldnt rely on it being your savior. I will say my 340cca turns my single a little slower than normal when it's cold out which is to be expected but I've always got it started without an issue.

I think the fact yours is a twin is the biggest factor, ive even noticed a slightly weak battery in the summer will struggle to start some twins

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

MightyRaze wrote:

Didn't you get a new batt in the past couple years?  Curious what brand?  I got one last June and it is already dead.  Tractor Supply Battery.  Not the first to do this from them.  I have a walmart battery 6yrs old that still works.

Yep new battery. Napa. Was the biggest 8x5 they sell apparently. I’ve had good luck in the summertime  though.

And apologies for the multipost, I’ve tried the multiquote function and I can’t figure it out. I’m not a terribly bright bulb lol

 No problems. You click the multi.  It turns red.  Then when you have all the posts you want to quote, you hit the post reply at the bottom.  It will put all the new quotes in the new message.

I'll also throw out there... when was the last time you did a valve adjustment?

Interstate Harley sportster batteries are the way to go. they are compact, sealed so it wouldn’t spill on an angle and capable of a lot of cold cranking amp‘s if they’re meant to turn over a Harley engine. I am running a knock off version from Amazon of the same group size. I had a legit interstate one in old red it was the best battery.

Duralast Gold 435CA for $60 with core SKU#21706
https://www.autozone.com/miscellaneous-non-automotive/lawn-garden-battery/p/duralast-gold-u1-3-group-u1-lawn-garden-battery/21706_0_0

Have had 3 survive more then 4 years in winching and plowing tractors. Even ran my 2.3L ranger on one when the battery gave out from winching 8 tractors in 1 day.

Side note cranking amp testers on these often show 450ca or better. One other addition cca rating on all lawn tractor batteries is pure made up once you get bellow 20F. Something in them is different then a car battery. Booster pack it let it come up to temp and go for it.

I put a car size battery in my tractor last year, forget the size but it was whatever cheap $55 battery Walmart had that was the same size as my Pathfinder. Wasnt too much bigger than a regular L&G.

Look up Caltric, they are a powersport supply and brand their own AGM batteries, I put one in my motorcycle and it was only like $35 on ebay. Works well.

If you can, add on an SAE connector so you can use a battery tender on it if its gonna sit for any good length of time.

MightyRaze wrote:

I'll also throw out there... when was the last time you did a valve adjustment?

Thst was my train of thought as well. Set .004 and .006 and the valve noise got a lot better but still is tricky starting. She’s a shaft drive hydro so the starter also has to spin over that big Eaton. And it looks like you taught this ol dog a new trick so thank you!

Crazy_Carl wrote:

Interstate Harley sportster batteries are the way to go.  they are compact, sealed so it wouldn’t spill on an angle and capable of a lot of cold cranking amp‘s if they’re meant to turn over a Harley engine.  I am running a knock off version from Amazon of the same group size.  I had a legit interstate one in old red it was the best battery.

I looked into this and I had a hard time finding consistent results. Is there a group size in particular? Though this might be the way to go because they are small enough I could probably double them up like on the semis.

RCG wrote:

Duralast Gold 435CA for $60 with core SKU#21706
https://www.autozone.com/miscellaneous-non-automotive/lawn-garden-battery/p/duralast-gold-u1-3-group-u1-lawn-garden-battery/21706_0_0

Have had 3 survive more then 4 years in winching and plowing tractors. Even ran my 2.3L ranger on one when the battery gave out from winching 8 tractors in 1 day.

Side note cranking amp testers on these often show 450ca or better. One other addition cca rating on all lawn tractor batteries is pure made up once you get bellow 20F. Something in them is different then a car battery. Booster pack it let it come up to temp and go for it.

That was the battery I’ve been looking at actually. And good to know on the cca hogwash. What are you running in your white? Any issues in the cold weather? I think the hydro makes the process a lot more challenging than normal.

@Doug I think I’m going to set up a trickle charger here on out and probably check for parasitic draw.

On the trickle charger idea this is the one I run. Because its already made to bolt in line and has an 8ft cord. So the plug in part is inside the garage and line run to machine outside.
https://amzn.to/3JRD5C2

The White got stored for the winter do to a skip in the hydro I noticed on days below 40. Better to store it and save it to rebuild then push it and kill it in a snow storm. I plow with my 6 speed GT6000 because I can clutch it for cold starts cause -10 is not out of the question in snow storms for me.

On a side note I have heard of hydro owners doing in the past is wrapped on heat pads on the hydro to preheat in the winter. Then remove in the summer.

@Rustbucket Garage P/N 12B-BS mine is a Chromebattery brand

Besides what all these other guys said, if your engine is notoriously tough to start in the cold, you can put a drop light (incandesent blub not LED bulb) under your hood right next to the engine or close to the carb either overnight or for a few hours ect. The warmth will help it start a lot easier. Or if you have one of those small electric heaters, you can have that blowing on it for half and hour or so and that'll help too. Slightly off topic but just sayin. I've done that with my dad's PAIN IN THE BUTT honda 4 wheeler and my motorcycle before.

There are also small ‘block’ heaters. Most are magnetic, but could work on a mower. I have one for my tractor that is maybe 6” square and an inch thick or so. Meant to heat the oil/engine and they work very well.