Kubota L2501 gear tractor with loader & backhoe 150 hrs. No Start . 7 years old

[Gus1957]

Using as backhoe only yesterday digging slowly around an old house site looking for artifacts for 4 hours. Dig a little , get off and switch key off from standing on ground, remove rocks and pick up items, only moved machine 2x with hoe - tractor in neutral. Turn the key from ground and repeat.

At end of day turned key and absolutely nothing electrical. No lights on dash and wouldn't turn over. Went and got M6800 to jump it. Removed battery clamps and checked & brushed clean - but weren't dirty.
Let M6800 run on it 15 minutes and then a little battery power to run dash lights, but wouldn't even try and start.

Brought battery back to barn to put on slow charge for the night.

Going back out now to put battery back in and try it. Maybe a bad cell in battery? No indications of any prior slow starting.

This is a warm weather tractor and sits in the barn all winter, so few hours are only backhoe use.

Ive read other L2501 threads that seem to be mostly HST tractors or PTO switch issues with starting problems.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Sounds like a 'bad' battery, easy to understand. Sits for months(probably without a maintainer on it), used for 4hrs, low RPMs won't charge a battery, if a cell is bad ,'jumping' is a bad thing to do.
You should REMOVE battery, put on bench,check terminal voltage. If 10 or less, buy new battery. If over, try a 24hr recharge. If you can 'pop the caps', check acid level, top up with distilled water if needed.
battery could be 'sulphated'. Newer battery 'rechargers' have the option to 'desulphate' BEFORE recharging. use that if you can.
Any battery left for weeks ,let alone months, should be fully recharged THEN a 'maintainer' connected to it or remove from unit, store in warm place and 'top up' recharge once a month.

 

[fried1765]

Using as backhoe only yesterday digging slowly around an old house site looking for artifacts for 4 hours. Dig a little , get off and switch key off from standing on ground, remove rocks and pick up items, only moved machine 2x with hoe - tractor in neutral. Turn the key from ground and repeat.

At end of day turned key and absolutely nothing electrical. No lights on dash and wouldn't turn over. Went and got M6800 to jump it. Removed battery clamps and checked & brushed clean - but weren't dirty.
Let M6800 run on it 15 minutes and then a little battery power to run dash lights, but wouldn't even try and start.

Brought battery back to barn to put on slow charge for the night.

Going back out now to put battery back in and try it. Maybe a bad cell in battery? No indications of any prior slow starting.

This is a warm weather tractor and sits in the barn all winter, so few hours are only backhoe use.

Ive read other L2501 threads that seem to be mostly HST tractors or PTO switch issues with starting problems.

 

[Gus1957]

Sounds like a 'bad' battery, easy to understand. Sits for months(probably without a maintainer on it), used for 4hrs, low RPMs won't charge a battery, if a cell is bad ,'jumping' is a bad thing to do.
You should REMOVE battery, put on bench,check terminal voltage. If 10 or less, buy new battery. If over, try a 24hr recharge. If you can 'pop the caps', check acid level, top up with distilled water if needed.
battery could be 'sulphated'. Newer battery 'rechargers' have the option to 'desulphate' BEFORE recharging. use that if you can.
Any battery left for weeks ,let alone months, should be fully recharged THEN a 'maintainer' connected to it or remove from unit, store in warm place and 'top up' recharge once a month.

Thank you for the response !
Yup a bad cell. Didn't take a good charge overnight.
Took it to NAPA in Cobleskill NY at 9am when they opened and their tester said Dead Cell'

New battery was $157 with tax .

Started right up and stayed on it to 6pm when it started raining again.

Really appreciate this forum and contributors.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

glad you're 'up and running' !
Miss the days of buying Interstate batteries for $35......

yeah, I'm THAT old......