Getting tired of purchasing a new battery every year for 2005 Buck 650 (electric start only - no kick).

Recommendation on replacement battery vendor / type that may last a few years?

In Wisconsin - ATV sits in garage during winter months. I can / do charge them as needed.

Open to suggestions!

 

Go with a sealed AGM battery then keep a battery tender hooked up when your not using. I have leads connected to the battery with a plug, when I put my machine in the barn I just plug in the battery tender and go about my business. A simple pull the plug and go next time. My battery will be 4 yrs old in Jan.

 

MotoBatt, their sold on Amazon.
I always try to select a more powerful one than the stocker.

 

I have had the best luck with walmart brand battery. My battery tender just has the cigarette lighter adapter on it so i just plug it in when done and walk away.

 

I think the key to longer battery life is to keep them charged. If a battery drops below 12v it probably will never fully recharge. Most battery mfgrs recomend to never drop below 12.4 volts unless you have a deep cycle type battery. The battery tender keeps batteries in the proper range thus giving them linger life, especially for those not used often.

 

Not sure about other machines but i find cat cannot keep a battery fully charged especially if you use the winch.. First 2 years i replaced the battery every 6 months with a over priced dealer battery. Then i switched over to a Walmart battery and never had a issue for over a year.. I started to slow down on riding and put tenders on all the machines... I run 2 cats and a import and swapped all the batteries. I also find our local walmart is lazy and never change shelf tags so i usually get em for $20 cheaper

 

My last AGM sealed battery was an 18 ah and was only 44 shipped to my front door. Battery is 4yrs old and still going strong. Stays on a battery tender unless being used.

 

Even if you don't ride in the winter, I find that just simply starting the machine and letting it run a few minutes a couple times a month is better than simply putting the battery on a charger hoping it doesn't go dead. Just start it up, let it warm up and idle for a few minutes with the garage door open and then shut it off. It keeps the gas from getting stale as well.

 

Much better for the engine to run a couple times a month, keeps a good oil coating on everything! You will still find a battery tender will add life to the battery if there is a long period of time between runs. I have nuumerous toys with batteries and they all are on tenders when sitting for more than a week or two.

 

A bit off topic but, Ya gotto make sure that the machine fully warms up when your starting it a few times a month to charge the battery and lube the internals. I run mine until I hear the rad fan come on. It eliminates the carbon build up on the plug....