Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/93583
1 + Get the best bang for your battery buck without shooting yourself in the foot By Allan Tarvid B atteries. You don't think much about them until they die. An avid outdoors- man and life-long pickup owner, I've had my share of those instances, as I'm sure many professional contractors and landscap- ers have over the years. Pickup batteries are a crucial part to our lives and livelihood. That's why we panic when they fail, rushing to replace them with ones that will fair better under the demand- ing conditions of road construction, pit and landscaping fi eld work. We rely on our instincts and past experi- ence in making that purchase decision. But with battery technology changing and new vehicle demands placed on them ever increasing, it's diffi cult to know exactly what to look for in a new battery. I've been writing about batteries for more than 20 years yet I still fi nd an occasional gap in my battery knowledge. So I consulted with two experts to make sure the information you are about to read is hole-free: Interstate Batteries' 18 PROPICKUP February 2012 Gale Kimbrough and EnerSys' Kalyan Jana. If you start a business selling Interstate bat- teries, Kimbrough will probably be the man behind the training that enables you to match customers with just the right battery. And if you are looking for someone to help you build batteries or any other stored energy solution, you can't go wrong turning to Jana, development support manager for Enersys, the manufacturer of Odyssey batteries. These guys know batteries – and what's important when it comes to batteries in work pickups. BATTERY LIFE Too many variables prevent pinpointing a "normal" battery lifespan. But personal ex- perience, owner/dealer feedback, and in- put from experts such as Kimbrough and Jana indicate a battery should last between three and four years in a hard-working truck. But the length of a traditional pickup battery's working life in heavy construction, landscaping, utilities, DOT and municipal- ity applications depends on many factors: geography (extremely hot and cold climates reduce battery life); engine type (diesels are BUSTING BATTERY MYTHS Kim- brough says it was true 50-60 years ago when battery cases were made of hard rubber but it's no longer a worry with today's Polypropylene plastic cases. The experts were divided on this topic; while manufacturers still recommend replenishing cells with distilled or de-ionized water only, Kimbrough said that good drinking water will work in a pinch. Jana suggested that tap water is never recommended and sticking with distilled or de-ionized water is your safest course. Not true says Kimbrough. Never discharge a deep-cycle battery below 50%. Kimbrough says all you get is a slight chemical reaction that doesn't help. Aspirin cures headaches, not bad batteries. If the battery is bad, replace it. Another dud. A lead-acid battery can neither create nor retain a discharge/charge memory.