Bad battery or charging system problem? CV25S type 69511

[Bleach]

I am a stickler for clean connections. It drives me nuts when I get any sort of corrosion on the terminals. The positive terminal on the current battery kept getting corrosion no matter how clean I tried to keep them clean.
I believe there is a good reason for the amp requirement. The last thing I want to do is fry the starter. It's still original and works fine.

 

[Bleach]

It's not the battery

It's not the battery. I bought a new battery and I nearly cooked it. It started OK but quit after a few seconds of running. The voltage dropped quickly and the battery started smoking. Both cable were super hot. There's something shorting out. Where to start checking? I've never had anything happen like this on a car so I haven't a clue what is the problem. It doesn't seem like the starter solenoid is sticking.

 

[cpurvis]

Starter. Pull it off and take it to a starter/alternator shop and have them test it. Some auto supply stores can test them, too.

The starter is the only thing on the mower that has heavy-gauge wire running to it. Anything else would have been cooked long before your battery cables smoked. They probably should be replaced now, too.

 

[Bleach]

The starter seemed to work fine. It didn't run on after the engine started. I had a volt meter hooked up on the battery and it didn't start dropping until the engine ran and then the voltage dropped fast and the cables and battery got super hot. I disconnected the cables almost immediately. I hope I didn't kill the new battery.
If it's now a bad starter. I wonder what else is going to crap out next? I've rebuilt a head to cure a bad oil burning issue. The governor quit working. I had to pull the transaxle just to refill it. Now this. All of this has happened in the last two months.
No I'm not going to buy another tractor. I can't afford a new one I would need and I don't want to buy someone else's headache.
I have plans on moving next summer and I won't need any kind of tractor where I planning on moving to.

 

[cpurvis]

Of course you can't buy another tractor now. That would be admitting defeat!

This is now a quest. A quest to make this mower, and no other, mow the yard.

 

[Bleach]

That's why I won't let this thing defeat me. I've got to fix this thing. But right now I wouldn't mind seeing it melt into a smoldering blob like a plastic toy.

 

[Homer1]

Wonder if one of these would be sufficient?

https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_17907_SHURiKEN-SK-BT20.html

I use the Kinetic brand small form factor car batteries in all my vehicles. They have some serious power, but they will die quicker than a standard battery. They put up with total abuse though.

 

[Bleach]

Not in my situation. It's not a battery problem.

 

[ILENGINE]

You have a high amp short. It would say that you have a dead short some place between the battery and the starter solenoid. Either the positive battery cable has a bare spot against the frame, or the starter solenoid is shorting straight to ground after you crank the engine. Anyplace else in the system would just melt the insulation and burn the small wires in two very quickly, and wouldn't heat up the battery very much doing it.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The starter seemed to work fine. It didn't run on after the engine started. I had a volt meter hooked up on the battery and it didn't start dropping until the engine ran and then the voltage dropped fast and the cables and battery got super hot. I disconnected the cables almost immediately. I hope I didn't kill the new battery.
If it's now a bad starter. I wonder what else is going to crap out next? I've rebuilt a head to cure a bad oil burning issue. The governor quit working. I had to pull the transaxle just to refill it. Now this. All of this has happened in the last two months.
No I'm not going to buy another tractor. I can't afford a new one I would need and I don't want to buy someone else's headache.
I have plans on moving next summer and I won't need any kind of tractor where I planning on moving to.

Says it all.
Problem with the charging circuit.
Common on old dynamo powered motorcycles where the dynamo would reverse polarise when not used for long periods.