New Battery???

[RoosterR]

Wondering if you guys get polaris batteries for your 4 wheelers or if you can get another brand. I priced a polaris one and it is just over 80 dollars, anything cheaper? I have a 2005 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. thats in need of a new battery.

Thanks

[jeffreyd]

you know i have two polaris quads, i actually put an artic cat battery in once which was cheaper but now just go to the battery store and use theirs, they do not last any less thent he polaris. the problem we have here is the heat kills the battery so fast, if i get a year out of one we are doing great

[rundrave]

My Polaris 500 is an 04. I just replaced the stock battery this last fall.

I have a Deka AGM (absorbed glass matt) which is what they come stock with. It hasnt given me any trouble. Started right up in the cold temps this morning when I went to plow. The maintenance free design and the AGM format is far stronger and more powerfull than the drycell.

The biggest problem with an AGM battery is recharging them. If the charging voltage is too high, over 14 to 14.5 volts, it will fry the battery. The battery should be charged at a rate of .75 to 1.5 amps on an auto shut off battery charger. If it's a 15 amp hr battery and is dead, it should be charged at 1.5 amps or less for 10 hrs. Put it on a 6 amp charger and it will charge it toooo fast and kill it.

I am quite sure that the Polaris brand maintenance free are supplied by Deka. They have the same look and model number but from polaris they are a little more pricey!

FYI you can get them at other places, they are the same exact thing, just in a different box. Just look for ETX15 or ETX16

[dougger222]

Getting ready to drop the fourth battery in the 06 800EFI Sportsman. Going to also have a battery kill switch installed, hope this is the last battery it will need.

Other people I know with EFI's have to replace batteries every year or two.

[Dozer]

Dont cheap out and buy a crappy battery. You will regret it latter! There is a difference between a good one and a cheap one.

[dougger222]

BTW, so far the two replacements have been from Polaris. More than likely third replacement will also be from Polaris. Don't recall what they charge. The one that was replaced last year a friend bought for using the machine.

They tell me they fail because I only use it for ice fishing then it sits from April-November.

[BobT]

Quote:

They tell me they fail because I only use it for ice fishing then it sits from April-November.

If you actually don't use it during for that length of time, I'd agree with them. Heat and batteries don't mix well and so a battery left through the summer heat without being used will lose charge. You need to put it on a charger periodically to maintain it and watch your electorlite level.

[Larson15]

Buy a Yuasa atv battery. This is the brand that most dealers carry. Also you need to be using a trickle charger for sure. Go to walmart or fleetfarm and make the $20 investment

[Dave S]

Battery Tender is what you need to maintain the battery. I will never go back to using a stock battery again. I've replaced batteries in ATVs with the Odyssey brand and they've been as durable as any other battery I've seen.

[jltimm]

Other people I know with EFI's have to replace batteries every year or two.

I have a 2005 Suzuki Kingquad 700 Fuel Injected and I'm on the original battery.

[Larson15]

Thats really strange that you are still on your first battery! Everyone I know that had or has kingquads had battery issues. When I had mine I had issues. Then started using a trickle and never a problem again.

[aczr2k]

I've had good luck with Interstate replacements, not the cheapest but seem to last more than a year. Yuasa that used to come in Hondas has got to be the longest lasting batteries ever. We traded off a 14 yr old 300 in 2004 and it still had the original battery. The 2004 sportsman battery lasted only lasted 2 years.

[BobT]

I don't understand why so many have problems with batteries. I have a 1999 Kawaski Prairie 300. I had to put in a new battery when I got it in 2004 and I'm still using that same battery.

This past summer I traded my 2001 Ford F150, which I actually bought new in the fall of 2000. That truck still had the same original battery.

This past summer I discovered I had a bad battery in my Allis Chalmers 190XT III tractor. The other battery was still good (it has two batteries). The date stamp on those batteries was November, 2001.

I just finished my 5th year on the deep cycle battery in my boat and the forth year on the starting battery. At least I think it was a new one when I bought the boat. It might be older than four years.

I'm currently on the sixth year on my Vexilar and it still has the same original battery.

[Larson15]

BobT, you dont have fuel injection and/or other electrical components on that old 300 you got. Thats why

[Macgyver55]

The secret to long battery life is regular use more than anything!

My 02 Foreman still has the original battery and it will be 7 years old this Christmas. I ride a lot and I plow quite a bit, (10 driveways sometimes more) all while running hand warmers & thumb warmer.

While trail riding I normally plug in my GPS and 2 way radio and sometimes auxiliary lights at night. I have also run a 110 power inverter to run a circular saw to build deer stands more than a few times.

As far as EFI goes, it shouldnt affect battery life any more than any other power accessory unless the charging system is inadequate to keep up with it and other accessories. The battery doesnt know what is drawing on it, it only knows if it isnt being charged enough or being charged too much.

[jltimm]

I think alot of peoples battery problems are from two things-wheeler sitting for days at a time and improper setup of the battery from the battery/atv dealer. I think my battery is on it's last leg, but cold will tell!

[BobT]

BobT, you dont have fuel injection and/or other electrical components on that old 300 you got. Thats why

I did on my truck.

[Larson15]

A truck and a 4 wheeler are 2 different things. You cant compare your 300 to other peoples atvs regarding this issue.

Fuel injection along with all of the electrical components that are now on them are relatively new compared to automobiles. It is my understanding that most of these problems are related to FI, computer memory systems that continually draw power, and poor design in wiring. Anyone who has a motorcycle knows that a trickle is necessary especially when its not being used for periods of time. ATV's are the same way.

The best thing to do is USE YOUR WHEELER and spend the $15 on a trickle.

[bak2MN]

My 03 yamaha bruin still on original battery. My 05 500 sportsman is original but getting weak.

[BobT]

How efficiently the charging system works to maintain the battery will have an effect on battery life. How well the battery is maintained physically (e.g. maintaining electrolyte in wet cells, maintaining good electrical connection, subjection to vibration and abuse, etc.) will have an impact on battery life. Over-using a battery by applying excessive loads will affect battery life. Under-use will affect battery life as they will discharge over time and batteries stored in a low power state are prone to fail. Operating conditions such as temperature will affect battery life.

Whether a battery is used in a car, boat, ATV, or lawn mower, the above applies the same.

[Fredd]

Use or maintenance charge are key for atvs. I just got a two year sealed battery from Batts Plus for the same price as the vented, dealer, 3 month warranty battery. They hooked this 210 CCA battery on the tester and it tested at 399 CCAs. They also had a one year sealed battery for five dollars less and a vented six month battery for 15 less at $65. They have always been good to me.