I have a 42 CC lawn tractor that I keep in an unseated shed for the winter.
Should the battery be on a tender from now until spring or do I use the tender just three or four weeks before I’m ready to use it again in the spring?
Thanks
Disconnect battery ground cable first & apply Silicone Dielectric Grease to both cables & posts. This will keep weather elements from starting corrosion. Wear Safety Glasses & remove battery caps covering cells, make sure acid levels are 1" below top of each cell & replace caps. Battery tender can stay connected through Winter.
If it were me I would remove the battery from the unit and store it in the garage or basement. Rest it on a piece of wood, not concrete, and fully charge it. Then I would recharge it about every two months until I was ready to reinstall it.
Disconnect battery ground cable first & apply Silicone Dielectric Grease to both cables & posts. This will keep weather elements from starting corrosion. Wear Safety Glasses & remove battery caps covering cells, make sure acid levels are 1" below top of each cell & replace caps. Battery tender can stay connected through Winter.
Personally I would recommend using No-OX paste as it is conductive where the dielectric grease is non-conductive. It is the same product electricians use your electrical service boxes prevent bad connections from corrosion and oxidation.
Also the battery or equipment moved to an areas where there is no freezing temps as if the battery electrolyte freezes it will damage the internal plates.
Pull the battery and move it indoors. Leaving it to freeze outside even in a garage will decrease its life. Use a real deal battery tender all winter with zero issues. If you want max life from said battery pay attention here.
#6
Hammermechanicman
Fully charged battery freezes around -80 degrees F. Discharged battery around 25 degrees F.
Best case is to bring battery into a place that does not get below freezing and put a float charger on it. If you can't do that and it will be stored where it gets below freezing disconnect the negative and be sure battery is fully charged and put a float charger on it all off season. Storing modern plastic case batteries on a concrete floor will not cause a problem. A battery kept fully charged won't freeze.
#7
7394
I put my battery minders w/temperature compensators on, for 1 week, then 1 week off. Mine are inside. But that's what I do.
I'm a big believer in Battery Tenders. Through the Winter, all my mowers with batteries, my ATV, and my convertible are on Battery Tenders 24/7. A Battery Tender won't overcharge. I have much less problems in the Spring when I go to start things.
