This article initially appeared in PS 779 (Oct 17), p. 17.
Operators, it’s no secret that M400W compact-skid loaders have an ongoing problem with battery drain. Most of these vehicles use the yellow-top Optima battery.
Even though Optima batteries are high-quality, they can’t stand the constant drain by the loader’s electrical system. The constant discharge leads to sulfated plates.
Over time, Optima batteries can no longer be charged and have to be replaced. The end result is way too many dead batteries in these skid loaders!
And the cycle continues.
Here are four (4) ways to stop the needless battery replacement:
- Start the skid loader weekly and run it for an hour.
- Every other week, plug a charger into the vehicle’s NATO receptacle and fully charge the battery set. The ProHD, NSN 6130-01-500-3401, is an approved charger that comes with the SATS.
- For long term storage, make sure you disconnect the skid loader’s batteries.
- For skid loaders stored outdoors in the motorpool, use a solar charging system, like the Solar Pulse Monitor System, NSN 6130-01-558-5371. It simply plugs into the NATO receptacle and no modifications are needed.