Battery suggestions for MEP 803A

[Islandfarmer]

Got my 2012 803A with 6 hours on it.
It has the original but dead Optima RedTop.
I've read the now available Optima's are not anymore what they used be after they've been produced in Mexico.

Which make batteries should I get now?

 

[Light in the Dark]

In Florida you can run pretty much any Group 34/78 in that machine and be fine, it doesnt need the large CCA for cold weather starting like we need up here. I often also put the smaller 51R batteries in these machines (what the 802s take) as they fit fine, are a bit smaller so they are further away from the engine block, and turn them over just fine.

 

[csheath]

I went through a couple iterations of batteries and solar maintainers until I realized I had a draw with the dead crank switch left on. The maintainer would keep up with it for a while then next thing I knew the batteries were dead. Turn the dead crank to off after every use and problem solved.

For the last few years I have had the small 230CCA Walmart lawn tractor batteries in mine. As long as I turn the dead crank switch off after use or testing they are ready to go the next time I start it. <jinx>Note the date on my current batteries is 3 years old now and working fine. </jinx>

Larger batteries may encounter some clearance issues with the unused engine mount tab on the block.

I just opened the top mount terminals and ran a bolt though the tabs on the lawn tractor batteries. Edit: I drill the holes out to 5/16" on the battery tabs.

I don't bother having any kind of charge maintainer on the batteries anymore. I do run my unit under load for an hour every month to make sure it's ready when I need it and to keep the batteries charged.