I have replaced the battery and added water to it. Hooked up to trickle charger and tried to start. Starter makes a groaning noise but won't turn over fast enough.

Lets start at a basic level, you do not add water to a new battery. Was it sold dry with a box of acid or was it sold fully wet? Hope was the tractor doing starting drior to the new battery?

I received the new battery with no water. I added distilled water to the new battery and placed it on 12 volt, 2 amp charge for a couple of hours using my trickle charger. Tried to start and the starter would just barely turn over. Switched the charger to "Start" mode and tried to start. Starter would turn over but just barely.

I hope that you really did not put in distilled water into a bone dry battery. You add distilled water to top off a battery that is low but a new, dry battery is supposed to be filled with acid. Did they supply the container of water with the battery. The battery you describe is called a dry lead/a cid battery.

The battery came with no instructions what so ever. I did notice that there was a fill line indicator and I assumed I needed to add distilled water. Does this mean that I completely ruined the new battery. Do I have any recourse in getting this new battery replaced? I did notice also that the container the battery came in was partially opened when I received it.

I guess the final question here would be, can I empty out the distilled water in the battery and replace it with acid? In other words, has the battery been damaged when I added the distilled water?

Thanks for your help.

You should be able to dump the water and add the electrolyte. The battery supplier should have supplied electrolyte with the right amount of acid and water.

Once the electrolyte is added, you have a fully charged battery.

You need to ask for it.

See: Lead-acid battery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KISS is a bit right and a bit wrong, just in my mind. When you buy a dry lead/acid battery I don't see why you have to ask for acid vbut in some places you must. I'm not disagreeing with KISS, I disagree with places that sell you something that won't work unless you happen to have your own electrolyte laying in the garage. You should be OK with the correct electrolyte, ask them if it wasn't inckuded in the sales price.

Bb:
That's essentially what I thought I said. What I say sometimes is easily misinterpreted.
You said it more completely. Meaning, if you don't have it, you have to ask for it because it wasn't included.

It needs to be included in the sales price. Usually the retailer adds the electrolyte just before giving you the battery. Occaisionally there is a bag of electrolyte included.

Yep, that's what I'm used to , a bag inside a cardborad box.

And with the box being partially opened, sounds as though someone else needed some acid. A word to the wise, if there is only an opened box available, go through the contents at the register before leaving with the opened box, and read the contents listed on the side of the box. Only take an opened box in the case of it being the only one available. It is your money and you have the right to an undamaged package.