[AT] Battery Life?

[Rob Gray]

I find that new batteries on my 8N (12 volt converted system) only last 
about 2 years. I just had to buy a new battery yesterday, and they ain't 
cheap. Does anyone have any things they do to make their tractor 
batteries last longer, or if not, does two years seem too short? I'm 
thinking that the fact that the tractor is only run every few weeks in 
the summer months and rarely at all in the winter might make the 
battery  life shorter. I was thinking some of the following might help, 
but was not sure:

    * Re-Charge the battery occasionally with a battery charger,
      especially in the winter?
    * Disconnect the battery from the cables in the down months (maybe I
      have a slight short draining the battery?)
    * Maybe store the battery inside in winter (the probelm is I
      occasionally use the tractor for snow removal in winter so this
      would be a little inconvenient)

Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions or comments on the ideas 
above.

Rob
NE PA USA