Battery choice

[Ian Rubie]

As others have said, do try your main dealer.

As for winching - go hydraulic

Ian

 

[Rob]

As for winching - go hydraulic

especially for occasional use

 

[Gav Peter]

But what size battery does a hydraulic winch require Ian...  Sounds like I could do with an immobiliser to go with that...

 

[adrianr]

Hey Gav

I doubt a battery would help with yer hydraulic winch, but it's run well off your power steering pump me thinks.

Unless you are planning on winching for a living would not the standard batteries work? Or are there secret plans for Mux to become WinchMux?

 

[Dave2000]

Every time I read the line, 'i am thinking of buying new batteries' or 'I am fitting a winch' I can hear the sound of a tin of worms opening.

This subject has so many advocates of one system or another ect that it really can be confusing. If you want a dual purpose battery you could do a lot worse than an Optima yellow top. They can crank or slow discharge whatever you likemate.

I am unsure if they will work a hydraulic winch though

regards

Dave

 

[Toby]

I'm sure there's lots of good and bad experiences of Optimas detailed out there on the web, but the HUGE stack of dead ones outside Frog's Island a few years ago told it's own story. IIRC they couldn't get rid of them as they were warranty claims.

Leisure batteries are less suitable for winching than normal starting batteries, if you want the best battery for winching then go for traction batteries but get ready to feel some financial pain. A hydraulic winch with a PTO driven pump would be better, Ian might get around to prototyping this arrangement one day;-)

All the best,
Toby

 

[Dave2000]

I'm sure there's lots of good and bad experiences of Optimas detailed out there on the web, but the HUGE stack of dead ones outside Frog's Island a few years ago told it's own story. IIRC they couldn't get rid of them as they were warranty claims.

All the best,
Toby

They were the early days before Optima as taken over IIRC by an american firm who's name escapes me at the moment but they are rated high in the states. As I said earlier battery choice is always fraught with opinion/options and is a bit of a minefield.

regards

Dave

 

[mike54]

Just searching for battery related info and came across this. I know it's an old post but thought I'd chuck in a view.

Optimas are great batteries, but only really should be used in high stress applications. They do not react well to "basic" use, and to get the best out of them they need to be worked VERY hard. So for general applications in 80's I would not use them, they're expensive overkill really.

 

[Gav Peter]

I never said - I ended up with a pair of Yuasa batteries in there after all of that

No problems with them to date

Cheers

 

[mike54]

Gav, do you happen to know the correct order in terms of disconnection, connection for replacement batteries?

 

[Gav Peter]

No mate, don't ever ask me about elektrickery - its not good... Last time I played with my batteries I nearly welded my leatherman to my truck...

I would say red then black but if I were you, I'd post sommat in the elektrickery section where a magical wizard will offer you some proper advice on this ghoulish stuff...

Now where's that well used dunces hat gone again... Its not in its usual corner...

 

[Andrew Prince]

The batteries are linked in parallel other than when turning the ignition fully, so I doubt the order makes too much difference. I'm not aware of anyone fussing too much about the order of disconnection when working on the front of the truck. I certainly haven't - can't remember making much fuss over it when I fitted new batteries either. Probably did both negatives first and then did the positives at a guess...

 

[Rob]

You could also do one at a time, that way you wont have to reset the time on the clock.

 

[mike54]

Cheers

By the way Rob, read your Mongolia blog, desperate to do it

Looks like 2012 though sadly.

 

[Rob]

Glad I have inspired you

 

[Dave Docwra]

remove both Earths first starting with the right hand (drivers Side) battery & replace in reverse order.

 

[mike54]

Cheers Dave

Gav, in terms of battery protection you might like to take a look at this