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Cat battery

nowing75

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2009
Messages
898
Location
coatesville indiana
Was wondering if the cat battery is worth the extra money. Have had good luck with them in the past,got 10 years out of them in a 315b. Just wondering if others have as good of luck

Jason
 

bobin35

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
183
Location
indiana
I think they are worth the money i also have had very good luck with them ive seen 15 years out of them.
 

tbone1471

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
207
Location
southeast pa
There are only about five companies that make the automotive style of battery. I think East Penn (Deka) makes cat batteries. I have had good luck with interstate optima batteries.
 

firetruck dvr.

Active Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
36
Location
Little Rock, AR
Occupation
Full time firefighter engineer, and part time heav
What Overworked stated X2! 11 years on one in a D4C. It was replaced with another from Cat. Not that much more than the others.
 

RobVG

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Seattle WA
Occupation
17 excavators and a stewpot of other stuff
What are you guys paying for a group 24?
 

bill5362

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Messages
353
Location
Indiana
Occupation
I own a excavation company and a rolloff container
I use Deka in everything, and they are excellent batteries. I do believe they make batteries for cat, I don't think they are that much more from the dealer.
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
6,605
Location
LaGrangeville, N.Y.
My 2000 skid steer still has the original battery and still started it on the coldest days up until the engine blew, the battery outlasted the engine lol!
 

Komatsu 150

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
Messages
673
Location
Northern Illinois
I've had same experience as most. whoever makes them, really excellent service especially in our track loaders which were always very hard on batteries (all the shake and vibration from the tracks).
 

surfer-joe

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
1,403
Location
Arizona
Can't beat a Cat battery in construction equipment in 4D/8D sizes. The Optima's are bulletproof in badly vibrating machinery. (like lightplants)
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
Not a big believer in name brand stuff, cat doesn't make any batteries, they are sub'd out and bought from a supplier, thus someone else makes them, like all manufacturers do no matter who they are, I've had good and bad batteries from all the major companies, to me the cat logo on the side means very little, they buy from whoever is the cheapest that meets their specs, not the highest priced, the cheapest, so if they put it out to all five battery companies the one with the lowest price gets cats business till the next bid letting. Its business and they all do it.
 

rsherril

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
264
Location
Far West Colorado
Occupation
Geologist, Retired from teaching sciences
Battery maintainence

I put $30 bucks into a solar trickle charger for a Kubota tractor with a cheap battery that gets used once a month. I've been running that battery for ten years now and the charger for three. Seems to have improved the starting, however the terminal contacts deterioate faster than before. Added one to my JD 570 along with a main disconnect to try and preserve the battery life. So far so good as my starts this time of year are at twenty degrees F or less. No battery post issues here as I have the corrision inhibitors on these.
 

RobVG

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2009
Messages
1,028
Location
Seattle WA
Occupation
17 excavators and a stewpot of other stuff
Hey Wrench-one, $100.66. That's about 25% more than a Napa battery but If it lasts for 10/15 years it's worth it. I find it hard to imagine a battery lasting that long with the beating they take in heavy equipment.

Maybe just better maintenance. I just read rsherril's post. I bet that trickle charger helps alot.
 

bobin35

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
183
Location
indiana
I think cat has whoever builds their batteries to there specs,i have never seen any other battery last as long as cat batteries!!
 

rino1494

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Messages
831
Location
NEPA
They are worth every penny. We have used other batteries and the Cat ones hands down will out last and out start any other.
 

khp-mech

Member
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
7
Location
Washington
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Instructor
The CAT batteries seem to hold up better. When CAT has a battery manufacturer build a battery for CAT they give them the specs and the manufacturer builds it that way. It like the CAT tapered roller bearing's. Timken or whoever will make the bearings with the CAT part number on and then Timken can make an interchange bearing but it can't be exactly the same. If you compare the larger CAT tapered bearings to the Timken replacement bearing the finish is different and the CAT has more one roller ( smaller ones but one more)
 

motrack

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2003
Messages
332
Location
Ingalls Indiana
Occupation
field service tech
Cat batteries are good as are Deere batteries and batteries sold by CNH.... all made by Deka to specific specs. I find most guys who complain about short battery life fail to install their battery hold downs.

Nothing kills a battery faster than no hold downs or over charging.
 

headwrench

Active Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2008
Messages
31
Location
ellington connecticut
Occupation
mechanic for agriscape golf course construction
cat doesnt make bateeries neither does deere maintain ur batteries at pm services prepare for cold weather and it dont matter what it says on the battery
 
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