J
Do I truly need a dual battery set up, just to plow with a winch. I'm told If I don't it will cause my clutches to fail. Thoughts??
Neohio
Beast of the East
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Your transmissions is very voltage sensitive. Running your battery down while winching will affect shifting.
Now, plowing snow you wouldn't think is a huge draw on your battery, but the constant use up and down will draw just as much as pulling your machine out of a hole.
Not only will your trans suffer, your machine will shut down your EPS as well.
Adding a second battery is an expense, not going to sugar coat it. Get a decent battery. I originally went with the mighty max last year. Right now it won't hold a charge over 11volts. I plan to order a higher end battery this weekend.
Now, plowing snow you wouldn't think is a huge draw on your battery, but the constant use up and down will draw just as much as pulling your machine out of a hole.
Not only will your trans suffer, your machine will shut down your EPS as well.
Adding a second battery is an expense, not going to sugar coat it. Get a decent battery. I originally went with the mighty max last year. Right now it won't hold a charge over 11volts. I plan to order a higher end battery this weekend.
J
NEOhio, thanks for the quick reply. Stinks cause now I'll be plowing without a windshield due to the fact I have to spend 270 on a dual battery kit!! Oh well I have plenty of coats!
Eltobgi
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@Joe1 sounds like you need to make one for about $20. This is what I used...
https://www.marinevinylfabric.com/products/clear-marine-vinyl?variant=26970937862
https://www.marinevinylfabric.com/products/clear-marine-vinyl?variant=26970937862
Cuoutdoors
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Well s*** this would've been good to know 2 weeks ago when I decided to try a mighty max
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Neohio
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It dropped a cell I believe. It won't go over 11volts with the engine running. I have an odyssey on the way right now. Others have had success with their Mighty Maxx batteries, mine might just be a fluke.
D
Dasmoeturhead
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On the other side of the coin, I've been using my plow/winch for 3 winters with the stock single battery set-up, and I have had no problems. I also use the plow to grade our very steep gravel driveway to redistribute the gravel after big rains. Due to Hurricane Flo I'll be at it again very soon, and the Old workhorse P3 I'm sure will not let me down. Typically I'm usually done either plowing or grading in under 1.5 hrs. My driveway is only 1/8 of a mile. I guess I've been lucky. A 2 battery setup would be ideal.
Cuoutdoors
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I dont know what you're buying but you can get a mighty max battery and 2 cables for like $60-70. You dont HAVE to have an isolator and all the other crap.
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"We would strongly discourage anyone from connecting batteries in series or parallel applications, if the batteries are not identical in age, size and type. It sounds like your batteries are different in each of those ways. Different brands of batteries can have different charging and discharging characteristics, with some accepting a charge or delivering current faster than others. That can be true even if the batteries are the same size. Different types of batteries (flooded or AGM) also can have different charge/discharge characteristics. When you connect two or more batteries that don't charge and discharge at the same rate, one battery will probably end up overcharged and/or one battery will end up undercharged. Neither is a scenario you want to have happen to your batteries, as it will probably shorten the lifespan of both and could create a potentially create a dangerous situation, if one battery gets severely overcharged.
The same is also true of batteries that are identical in every way, except that one battery is older than the other. As batteries age (or get used), their charge/discharge profile changes. As such, they essentially charge and discharge at a different rate a year later, than they did when they were brand-new. That means you shouldn't connect batteries together that aren't the same age or haven't been used in the same application since they were new, even if they are the exact same make and model.
Unfortunately, that means when one battery in a bank of two or more batteries needs to be replaced, they should all be replaced at the same time. That doesn't mean the other functioning batteries should be discarded entirely, but they should not be used in an application that has batteries that differ in age, size or type. For some marine and RV applications that use a lot of batteries, it may make sense to isolate a larger bank of nine batteries into three smaller banks of three batteries, instead of connecting them all together. That way, if one battery goes bad, far fewer batteries need to be replaced."
source: Can I Connect Dissimilar Batteries in Parallel?
Ya pay your money and take your chances... most would say use an isolator or switch.
HTH!
FredD
Cuoutdoors
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There are rules for everything and I would certainly expect a battery manufacturer (optima in this case) to take a very strict approach to this issue. They just want to sell more batteries. Even if all batteries were brand new and exactly the same they will age differently. They will begin to charge/discharge differently and one will fail. Ask anyone with an electric golf cart if their batteries all died at the same time.... nope! That is because they will age differently. Once the aging begins you've got 6 batteries in 6 different stages of life. Not really any different than my 2 little atv batteries. If we are taking the manufacturers hard line approach we should test our batteries regularly and replace as soon as there are slight differences. Or we can put isolators and voltage controls on every single one. It's just not realistic or necessary. Even using the typical Stinger isolator/solenoid it does not prevent the over charge/under charge issues mentioned above. The only thing it will do is prevent your factory battery from dropping below 12 volts.
I don't believe there is anyone on this forum with 2 identical batteries on their machine. They range from cheap mighty max batteries up to Odyssey batteries and even Optima batteries under the seat. Some guys have installed a low voltage isolator but outside of that they are all getting the same charge, without issue. I had a factory battery and an Odyssey battery together in series for 2 years without issue. Having 2 batteries helps the machine start faster, ensures better clutch function, and provides more power for winching and other accessories. I've ran 2 batteries for over 2 years with no issues whatsoever. I guess I'll keep taking my chances.
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BWAF
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I have two factory batteries .I figured like all our dual battery diesels I would keep cca as close as I could so they would play well together, but that does seem pretty strict
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I am an electrical engineer by trade and tend to overkill on most things. I just pasted the manufacturers info so people can see what they say, we are all adults here and can make up our own minds on what makes sense for us. In my case I chose a deep discharge battery for my winch and add on electrical needs and the original battery for all original circuits. Very different batteries. A suitable dual bank charger is also installed. The charger has auto selection for battery type and charge/condition regimen based on battery type.
As I said... you pay your money and take your chances. No worries.
FredD
As I said... you pay your money and take your chances. No worries.
FredD
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I have plowed with mine for 2 winters w/o dual batteries, no problem here
Awesome! I have not taken that plunge because I have a blade for my tractor... is it worth the investment? Do you keep your buggy battery on a charger/manager?
Thanks,
FredD
Not sure of your question but I have a Kubota tractor also but plowing with the Pioneer is much faster and EZer. I plow 6 driveways in the neighborhood and yes in the winter I use a charger/maintainer
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