What brand and size CCA battery does everyone use? Does anyone with a gas motor run duals? Dual alternators?<br>I run a Deka 1100 CCA maint. free battery. I have been using them about 5 years, in both my trucks. They seem to last 2 - 3 years, but with plowing and towing, I can't complain. The price is nice at about $60 each. They come with top mounts, and side mounts on all of them. Makes installing easier, and installing accessories as well. Now you can run the plow right to the battery, instead of sandwiching it under the terminal bolts.<br>I see Champion has a dual mount battery as well. i like them. My 77 has side mounts, and my 80 has top mounts. this way, I can interchange batteries at any time. They crank long and hard too, at 1100CCA. A 700 CCA would be enough for my V 8, and plow.<p>~Chuck<p>----------<br>Chuck's Chevy Truck Pages - Snowplowing Central<br>http://members.aol.com/csmith669/plowcentral.html
With snowplowing its the reserve capacity of the battery thats important, not so much cca. Just about any engine (gas) will start fine with a 700 cca battery, but even a 1100 cca will leave you hanging if it has a low reserve, with electric pump going, lights, heater, etc.<p>I have a RAE commercial battery, 800-some odd cca but 180 min reserve capacity. I plow all night and day and never worry about shutting the truck off and having it start back up.<p>Bill
Chuck,<p>When we ran electric plow pumps, we installed a 2nd battery in all those trucks. I think they were 900 CCA's each. I don't think we paid much attention to the brand, we used Interstate, I guess.<p>We did replace both batteries every year in November.
All my trucks have electic pumps, i have replaced the battery on my 2 95s. I have always used just the factory battery, and when i replaced the ones in the 95s this fall, i just had the ford dealer put in the same motorcraft one that was there before. On my trucks my "light show" is kept to a one or two strobes, back up lights, and work lights on the spreaders.<p>The 93 got a new battery last fall, just a motorcraft replacement. The guy who owned this truck had it serviced at the ford dealer every service interval. It really is in great shape i guess it only plowed the guys driveway, which is something i would never usually believe. Only this truck was in great shape, and the guy was retired, and always had owned a 250 HD with a 8' fisher plow, i guess he didn't want to change his ways and at 74 didn't want to spend much time plowing.<p>Geoff
I got my truck in '93, and dropped a nautilus 1K cca in it. Started plowing in '94, and added a 110amp alt. That battery lasted until '98 when I replaced it w/a interstate 1Kcca.I like the idea of a reserve, but my rig stays outside all year...so I keep the cca high, and rely on the alt. to replenish at a good rate. The interstate was spendy, about $125, but the warranty is excellent. The nautlis 1K is a very good batt. for the money. I have marine terminals w/wing nuts...this I find VERY convenient.Somedays I run from 8 to 16 hrs, when it is really comming down and I had to do the fireouse. Also, from 32F on down, cca can be affected by as much as a 1/3 loss in cca. Some batteries are rated at room temp, not at 32F. Depending on cold factors in your area, checking the cca at 32F is a good idea. Most battery stores do have cold cca rating charts. If I had a 800cca battery at room temp, and the temp slamed to zero, the battery may have a real cca of 550cca. <br>
