6Tl Battery advice please

[tobyS]

batteries

Here are the O'reilly (Super Start) 1425 CCA batteries I put in my 923. They are made by Deka, their people tell me. I had to remove the wood underneath, go to 3/8" to keep them out of the seat bottom and to be sure, I insulated them well. List at $355 each but got a (near) price match at $199.50. Core only $18, unlike $60 for most this size. Those are copy of the receipts taped to the top. Until I have a NATO slave male plug, that's disconnected.

edit: The wood from under the other batteries, about 1 1/2" thick, makes perfect side and between battery spacing boards so they stay in position.

 

[cranetruck]

Nice, now make sure they stay charged at all times and they'll last a long time.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Be careful with those chargers. Overcharging a battery is just as bad as undercharging, and greatly shortens life.

Newer, better quality chargers are controlled so they don't cause problems with overcharging, but older ones can cook a battery.

 

[tobyS]

Now what do I have to do to make sure it starts in cold weather? Block heater first I guess to plug into 120v. Anyone have a diesel intake heater? How about 120v intake heater?

 

[o1951]

I've got Hawkers in mine. Same size as the 6TL's so no battery box mods needed. One is an 03' and the other is an 04'. I've killed them down to 0.3 volts 4 or 5 times by leaving stuff on. They were so low that I'd have to trick my battery charger by wiring in a 9V battery to make it think that it was connected to even attempt to charge them. Each time it worked, each time they took a full charge and they are still in the truck to this day.

10 years! Shows you are doing something right!

 

[SEAFIRE]

We use Optima Blue top Gel Cell batteries in both of our M35A2's for over 5 years now. We use the threaded post model.

We were having horrible problems with the original military batteries, then the commercial replacement batteries we purchased. We were told the batteries were failing because of the trucks going off road all the time. We had one battery blow up, two others broke open on the bottoms, etc. So far the Optima Gel Cells are working out great.

We also got the Optima Military Battery Tray Adapters, the guy at the local Interstate Battery place hooked us up with them. That way the smaller Optima batteries fit exactly without having to use straps, blocks of wood, etc.

Quick advice For you FD's / people who run 12V from the "first" of the two batteries in your MV to run a radio, siren, emergency lights, cell phone charger, etc, get a 24V to 12V converter.

 

[Scar59]

I have two red top Optimas w/ the adapters in my M35 . Starts like a champ every time. Replaced the dying Interstate work -alcoholics in my M813 with 2 tractor batteries from Tractor Supply. $139 a piece. Perfect fit for the 2battery boxes, cranks that250 right up.

 

[Valence]

Valence- can you give us more specifics on those NAPA batteries like part #, price?

Thanks!

NAPA Number: 7235
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...-Automotive-Commercial/_/R-NBE7235_0399064651

I recall I paid around $320 - $330 for the pair (including taxes), minus core charge ($18.00 x 2) as I had two bad batteries to trade in. Only one of my 6LTs were bad though, I just had another, second, bad battery to trade in as well, which was a better use of the battery than $0.12/lb the local recycling place would give me.

Yes, I was too lazy to pull my battery box out of my truck for a better picture. It was late and I wanted sleep.

 

[Deuce007]

I need new batteries also. I am still using the same ones that came in it when I got it in 2011 and recently the batteries would not hold a charge so I cleaned them up and removed any corrosion, charged them each separately and put them back in the truck and sure enough it still wouldn't crank so I jumped it off of another truck and drove it for about 30 mins and shut it off. I came back a few hours later and just wanted to see if it would crank and I turned the switch to on and BOOOOOOM!!!! It sounded like a gunshot when one of the batteries blew up! It blew out 4 of the 6 plugs and cracked the case in half! Now I need new batteries and to remove the stain in the drivers seat

 

[VPed]

Just add some more colors to make the seat camo.

 

[o1951]

Use dog and pet odor remover for smell.

 

[Dipstick]

The batteries in my truck now just barely turn my engine over. I have a solargizer installed too. I'm picking up a pair of 6TL batteries from Napa on Friday. The part number is 7256 if anyone is interested. The cost is $214 each without the core charge.

 

[sandcobra164]

10 years! Shows you are doing something right!

Sir,
I was actually trying to give a thumbs up to how good I think Hawker 6TAGM's are. If you'd read again, I've left stuff on and killed them a few times. Lucky for me, they are not your typical lead acid with vents but rather an Absorbed Glass Mat battery that does not seem to suffer the sulfation issues nowhere near as quick as a traditional lead acid battery. I've been horrible in my opinion of maintaining them but they keep on getting the job done. I never had the problem of leaving stuff on until I installed a push button light switch. With the 3 lever, there's nothing to go wrong so long as the top lever is straight up. With the push button, you have to press a few times to get stuff shut off and you better make sure the lights go off. I know that now and I've gotten better.

 

[JasonS]

For what it's worth, in looking at batteries for off grid systems, the flooded batteries have longer lives than AGM. Either way, long life depends on proper maintenance.

 

[3dAngus]

For $200, I go with the Optima yellow top, diesel with massive electronics based batteries.

I have even used them in my golf cart for 48vdc power. Replaced the Trojans in it. Fantastic batteries.

There are several different yellow top series part numbers but I don't have the right one with me right now. Be sure it says for "diesel engines starting with extra electronics". They are dual purpose batteries, used for starting, combined with slow discharge for electronics. Isn't newer technology grand!