Putting one 12V battery in a 706D

I tried to do my homework. I went to the archives to see what had been said in the past. To be honest the comments were so varied, some pro, some con. I left totally confused.

The two 6 volts in my 706 are shot. The local Interstate battery dealer and I got to talking. I want a totally trouble free start come winter. The battery dealer was trying to talk me into two 12v. truck batteries. He said he could warranty them as truck batteries. I would have to adapt the battery trays to hold them.

But why not just one large 12v, heavy duty battery? Fewer cables and connections with just one battery.

This tractor is just used for "city farming" nowdays. I sold my cows, so dont need it for hay hauling.

I hate to stir this subject up again.

Gene

Its fairly common (Ive done it often) to replace the older twin 6 volt series battery system with a single heavy duty 12 volt battery. Id use the absolute biggest heaviest highest CCA (say 1000 or more) and/or reserve rated 12 volt battery that will physically fit in the compartment. Of course, if you want to use dual 12 volt in paralell that increases your available current for starting butttttttt that may be overkill and require a box modification?? Now if it were at extreme cold temps and the tractor MUST start un assisted, I may rig her with two twelves in paralell. When you use 2 batteries have them the same brand and type and size and age etc I recommend

Id prob go with a single heay duty big old honkin 12 volt with a highhhhhhhhh CCA if my tractor and be sure to secure the battery so it cant slop and slide around remember.

John T

I would use the two heavy duty 6 volt batteries a lot more amperage for cold winter starting.
Walt

I've tried it both ways on my Oliver 550 diesel- it's supposed to have two 6 volts in series, but I can't see any difference when I use one 12. As John T said, get the biggest 12 that will fit in the tray.

Gene BTDT and one big 12 volt battery if it has enough CCA will work just fine. My 1963 Diamond T road tractor was set up at one time for 2-6 volt battery's and I always used one big 12 volt one and it worked just fine for decades

Go with a biggest single 12 volt you can fit into the available space. Th original owner of my MM built a box and bolted it to the engine side rails when he installed a cab. Really no good way to check batteries otherwise. Battery access with the cab went from poor to terrible. Removed the cab for a new clutch and engine rebuild Had the cab sand blasted and repainted but never reinstalled. Although sans cab that "aftermarket" battery box really made servicing a lot easier. Shortly afterward the alternator went bad which ruined the batteries and I installed two of the biggest spirl wound batteries that were available. Really was overkill because I never start her when the temp is below 40 degrees. So although have room for two, should have installed one and that is what I recommend.

But Walt, dont forget, two six volt batteries in series DOES NOT ADD ANYMORE CRANKING AMPERAGE THEN EITHER OF THE BATTERIES ACTING ALONE. i.e. If one battery has say a 500 CCA rating, two of them in series still only has 500 CCA. In series the voltage is additive butttttttttttttt the current is NOT additive.

HOWEVER for two batteries in paralell, the voltage stays the same buttttttttt the current is indeed additive. If theres two 1000 CCA 12 volt batteries in paralell, theres theoretically 2 x 1000 or 2000 CCA avaialble for starting wooooo hooooo

A battery is an electrochemical energy storage device and for a conventional flodded lead acid battery basically the more lead n acid n plates (corresponds to more weight) you have the more energy that can be stored. Sooooooooo two sixes in series adds the voltage to 12 volts and theres indeed twice as much stored energy versus only one battery, buttttttttt the amperage that can be supplied is still only that which one of the batterys alone buttttttttt with two batteries you can supply it for say twice the time.

The thing is back in the thirties n forties n later batteries werent quite the same as today so they went with the twin 6 volt series arrangement in many applications, where today with a high rated 12 volt battery available thats the preferred system.

Yall take care now

John T

gene, i think i remember something i read on the internet that that 706d is sometimes possessed by gremlins and venomous yard gnomes. prolly be better off if i sent a truck down with a couple hunderd dollars and take that tractor off your hands for you, you know, just looking out for your saftey and well being !!!!! glenn

(maybe i can get kruser out of the house and away from the air condition and get an honest days work out of him !!)

Neighbor has a 706D, installed one large 12V battery and has had no problems with winter starting with the glow plugs. If it were mine, I'd just install a single large 12V. My $.02.

I made a bracket and put a 31 class big truck battery on my 656 Diesel, with nice new cables which are only 2 ft long. starts wonderful now.

If you want 12 volt batteries and still use the original battery holders you can use two batteries like the one used with gas engines. the advantage there is that you can use separate cables from the battery to the starter to get less voltage drop.

I have a 706 with a 310 ger. I put a 12 volt in it 10 yrs ago and just replaced it last yr. This tractor is started 3-4 times a week in the winter to put out round bales and never have a problem . I layed a ix4 in the battery tray and it lets the battery set on the tray and hang over a bit , couple of bunges and good to go . Watch you dont get one to tall or it will rub the fuel tank .

After putting several sets of the flat 6v batts in my 756D, last winter I made two new boxes to house the group 30 12v batts like in most semi's. Hooked inparallel. It sat all winter for months and fired right up, spins like crazy. I like to keep things original, so I made the boxes to fit with out any modification to the tractor and kept the old ones for future restoration. True, they're boxy and stick out, but when its cold it beats running around with the charger. I've never had good luck with the life of those flat 6v batts and they're pricey.

I've had a one 12 volt battery on my 826 for longer than I can remember, at least 20 years. It starts every day in the winter even the below zero mornings we had last winter. But I also use a single wire alternator on all of my tractors with good results, so what do I know. :lol:

I used one large 12 v battery on my 806 d. It worked just fine for years. I used this tractor every day to feed cattle in SD winters. If i remember right it was a 4DLT battery for a 9700 Ford tractor.

My $.02 worth is do the math. If you can fit one large 12V truck battery in it that has more CCA that 2 smaller 12V batteries, that's how I'd do it. Whatever gets the most CCA. Don't overlook the cables. If they're in poor shape, not going to help much to have new batteries.

I have owned numerous 06-56 series IH tractors and one 1000 CCA 12V battery is the only way to fly. It will start any of them summer or winter.Two 6 volt batteries are a joke.

OK, I think I am gonna cut a 1X4 to fit in the bottom of the existing box, then make an angle iron tray, bolted to the 1X4, so I dont have to alter the original tray. Then as many have said buy the biggest 12V battery I can find and bunge it in.

I have some very heavy duty welder type cable I am going to make new ones with.

Also in the winter, I almost always plug in the block heater several hours before I need it.
It is the german diesel and doesn't start well if it's below 35 or 40 degrees.

Thanks so much for the advise, and no glennster, you can't have it. Maybe when I die, but not before.

Gene