Battery size
 

Hello. Still working on the 100. Just about needing a battery for it. I've got an old battery sitting around but it is only putting out 12.23 volts. Is this enough to start this tractor? If not, is there a particular size battery I should purchase?
Thanks
Dave

Is your battery fully charged?
If so, you should be good to go.
If you buy new, the L&G size is correct, just get the biggest CCA available and be sure the terminals are towards the rear as the hold down will short out the + post.
And make sure all connections are bright & tight.

Good Luck!

It ain't the volts,, it is the amps that will start the Cub,,

You gotta charge the battery,, then give it a try,,
if the voltage falls while trying to start,, THEN,, go battery shopping,,,:bigthink:

Charge it and it should read 12.65 after sitting 12 or more hours.
Usually they are shorter lived than a vehicle battery.
4 years is considered good.
I've had some last 7, others didn't make 3 years,
Usually you can get a 300 CCa
near $35.00 @ tractor supply or Family Farm & Home.
A 10 hp isn't all that hard to turn over.

IH Cub Cadet 100s had 2 different style battery boxes. The difference is in the size of the battery box. Somewhere around serial number 89000 (guess) IH went to a smaller battery box. The 100s before 89000 did not have a compression release in the engine. The non compression release engines had a smaller pulley on the starter.

Since i no longer have the battery that was in this, I know it was just a car/truck type battery. So should any car/truck battery work?

No you need a U1 Lawn and Garden battery. Like has been said...get the highest cca they sell. It will cost more but will last much longer.

So, riddle me this...in 1963-64 when this tractor was built were there really lawn and garden batteries? I had always assumed that it was just a car battery. Is there something special about lawn and garden batteries on the way they cycle?
Just trying to learn here!

Look at your battery cable ends, do you think they will clamp on a car/truck battery? Measure the size of your battery box, do you think a car/truck battery will fit?

There were LG batteries when these were new. Nothing special about how they work. Just less cold cranking amps than a car. In other words less capacity.

It looks like the 100 has regular battery cables on it. Battery tray is 10.5"w x 6.5" deep x looks like 9.5" tall.

here is a pic.

Well gonna chime here, I'm in the process of a restore of a 100 at present. I'm gonna use a battery that fits the box if it is a car battery or a lawn battery. Makes no difference to me. If it works?? what can I say?

Stock battery box with U1 battery.

Looks Good Bill, But my 100 has the car battery connections on it, Now maybe the PO changed them. Anyway I'm ordering a new wiring for it, so if it comes with that type of terminal, that is what I will use. Thanks for the pic.

Here's the specs on a NAPA 8223 battery


Battery BCI #: U1
Battery Cold Cranking Amps @ 0 Degrees F: 230
Battery Cranking Amps @ 32 Degrees F: 285
Battery Electrolyte Composition: Acid
Battery Posts Type: Top Post
Battery Voltage: 12
Battery Weight: 15.5 lbs
CA @ 32 Degrees Fahrenheit: 285
CCA @ 0 Degrees Fahrenheit: 230
Height: 7 1/4 in.
Length: 7 3/4 in.
Polarity: Left Positive

Here's a NAPA 7581R for a 1992 Mazda Miata

Battery BCI #: 46A24L
Battery Cold Cranking Amps @ 0 Degrees F: 320
Battery Cranking Amps @ 32 Degrees F: 400
Battery Electrolyte Composition: Glass Mat
Battery Posts Type: Top Post
Battery Reserve Capacity (Minutes): 45
Battery Weight: 25 lbs
Height: 7 1/4 in.
Length: 7 3/4 in.

There are manufacturers that make higher CCA L&G batteries.

FOr an example sears makes one thats 340 CCA
Actually. Im positive sears does not make this as there are only a few batteries manufacturers in the US and sears is not one of them. Anyway, yiu can get larger capacity L&G batteries is the point.

DieHard Sealed 340 amps Lawn and Garden BatteryItem no. 8367336 | LG-3
Read 1 Review|Write Review
$64.99

NAPA also carries a higher U1 battery.
8227
Battery BCI # U1
Battery Cold Cranking Amps @ 0 Degrees F 350
Battery Cranking Amps @ 32 Degrees F 430
Battery Electrolyte Composition Acid
Battery Posts Type Top Post
Battery Voltage 12
Battery Warranty in Months 12
Battery Weight 19 lbs
CA @ 32 Degrees Fahrenheit 430
CCA @ 0 Degrees Fahrenheit 350
Contents (1) Battery Assembly
Freight Class 65
Hazardous Material Yes
Height 7 1/4 in.
Length 7 3/4 in.

Battery in my early 100 has the same size battery as yours.

What is the serial number of your 100?

My 100 serial is 84XXX. It has a big battery with round post on it.

Found a picture of my 100 with a big battery:

Battery box on my 100:

My 100 8 years after restoration:

I just want to throw this out there, be careful buying the Traveller U1-300 battery from tractor supply. Brand new it only was putting out 109cca. I exchanged it a month later hoping they got some new ones in, and it was exactly the same. You may not be getting what you pay for... it does fit nice in my 127 though!

IDK who did it, or when/ but to put a car battery type terminals in Merk's tractor, as pictured.... but someone along the way has changed cables and it has one of those universal cable ends on the cable on the left, looking at the tractor from the vantage point of "as pictured".

I avoid that style cable end, or at least as designed. I do this all the time on car battery cables especially today's stamped steel ones that rot away within a few years. These are crimped to the cable, not just peeled back like an ear of corn with all the open strands open to air/battery gases (esp. when charging) to corrode away. In the case of the original style GT cable leave the eye terminal on the cable as manufactured. Screw THAT to one of the ears on the universal terminal. The cable will be less likely to eat itself away and if you do go back to the original size battery with U1 style posts all you gotta do is remove 1 bolt from the terminal. DON'T just put it under the band that spans the 2 bolts like you would if you stripped the cable bare. Put the bolt from the ear thru the eyelet in the terminal.

I have seen so many no starts caused from corrosion in the cable strands from these universal terminals, and the corrosion also eventually insulates the cable from the terminal. Cars AND tractors alike.

Have to agree about the stamp steel cables. This 100 was finish in April of 2007. The battery and terminal ends are still the same ones when I installed everything in 2007 with no corrosion issues. I wanted a cable like the one on the right side of the battery.....This one was made by me (ends-wire).

Even the earlier Cub Cadet 1961-1963 used the small battery with bolt and nut cable ends.
I don't know anything about the large battery 100's. I'm guessing a dealer installed option.

You need to read-reread post #5 on this topic.

The earlier IH Cub Cadet 100 did not have a compression release. The earlier 100s had a 2 piece cam that retarded the timing so the engine could spin over easier/faster. Long story short-it didn't work. The bigger battery had higher cold crank numbers to help make starting easier.

Thanks for all the replies. Serial number on my 100 is 67043. I'm sure these are not the original battery cables but somewhere I do have the negative cable that was yellow and it had the round over the post style connector on it. So based on all that has been shared here, a U series L&G battery will work with the right post on it, or it looks like a car battery will work as well.
Any more info on this or ideas, I'd sure like to hear. Thanks Dave

Merk, my battery box is the same dimension as the one you posted pics of in your earlier post with the tape measure. Thanks

Actually what Merk is saying is. The early 100's didnt have a compression release. That translates to needing more power to crank engine. My 100 is prior to the split Merk discussed however i think mine has the smaller battery box. I aslo dont recall the LG batterie being an issue to start. I think my battery box is original as well as the engine.

Boulder. A larger car battery will not hurt anything. If it fits, use it if you want. They are a few more dollars than a LG but i bet it will crank nicer in the cold. Anyway, your tractor uour money.. enjoy:beerchug:

I kinda like the car battery referenced earlier in the thread, like Tim Taylor more power
When talking batteries and cranking power that will never hurt if you need your tractor in the winter. As in anything electrical it doesn't matter how many amps are available, it will only ever use what it needs. But in the cold a battery isn't as strong as when warm. Add thicker oil and a likewise cold engine,

Glad I was some help.
The battery in 100 is a NAPA Legend battery.
Specs are
cold crank amps @ 0 degrees-580
cold crank amps @ 32 degrees-725
Napa part number-7558 N

It looks like you need a similar battery that my Gravely uses,,
I made the hold down,,, a piece of all-thread and a piece of rod,,,

https://beta-static.photobucket.com/...ps5bff237a.jpg

What group battery is that cad?

That may be a Group 34,, I use a lot of those,,,
the trick is to get a battery that fits in the box,, and the posts are on the correct side,,

AND, actually, that is a bigger battery than the Gravely 5665 calls for,,
but, that big battery and tractor is a nice self propelled "jump cart",,
so i put the biggest battery in that would fit,,,

That battery can jump anything I own, including the diesels,,, :biggrin2:

One of my Ariens gt's came with a group 51 battery in it, but it was ancient, over 10 years old, this tractor had sat in the weeds abandoned for a long time before I got it. So it was shot and unsaveable by then. A group 51 used to be used in alot of Honduh cars (NOT a fan of that brand in the least, nother story) also a woman that I know who raises, boards, and shows horses has a newer NH CUT with the same size battery as stock.
But a 51 is only slightly bigger than a U1 and as a car battery, can be had with more CCA than a U1. Another possibility.

So this is what I went with. Thanks to all for your responses.

Sorry, I forgot the picture

Boulder is that a group 22F?

The battery and receipt both say MT-26