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I have a Toro MX5060, Kawasaki 23.5 hp. I went to check the battery after this cold spell. It wouldn't turn the motor over. I put battery charger on to charge as it read 9%. Battery is several years old. It kept clicking back to the "Check" red light. I fooled around with it awhile as the voltage was changing all over the place. Finally got it to quit changing voltage and left it on charge an hour or two. Tried starting again and got some rapid clicking sounds - I think that was from the relay switch next to the battery. I kicked up the amps to 8. It started reading 95% on the charger. I doubted that but the rapid clicking went away. Tried starting and it turned over only once. Then back to the rapid clicking. I don't want to buy new relay if its not necessary. Does anyone know from my description is it just time for a new battery? I don't want to buy a battery when it might be the relay. I don't know, thats why Im asking. I guess I could hook up a jumper cable from the truck to the mower and see if it started with that but not sure if thats kosher either.

It's the Battery, you can use jumper cables to prove it but 2 yrs old battery with Cold temps - this is the culprit

I think you are right Bertrr. I will check around for a new batter, That battery was about 6-7 years old anyway. And yes, the cold was severe. It was 10 degrees here in Alabama for 3 days. So that probably did it in. Thank you.

You can have auto parts load test it Free, but that old & the cold. battery Time.

7394 said:

You can have auto parts load test it Free, but that old & the cold. battery Time.

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Yep, since the Christmas freeze here in Texas i've replaced 8 lawn tractor batteries. and a few automotive batteries too.

That freeze was a bad one here in TN also, a few neighbors down the way had water pipes freeze in their homes.

Well here's the final report on this battery. Before I went and spent $50-70 on a battery I had it tested at an auto parts store. They said it was good; just needed charging. That made no sense as I'd charged and charged it. So I made one last stab at this and cleaned off the cables with a wire brush and sandpaper EVEN THOUGH there was no corrosion or rusting, etc. With the battery cables disconnected I charged it on 2 amp till it reached 100%. It started....so I guess the issue was just not making good enough contact. Its been in the mower since 2016. Anyway, after brushing and sanding the cable contacts its all good now.

Well, cool. I would still think that battery by mow season could stand to be replaced.

After cleaning or installing any battery - I always spray with an anti corrosion spray - it coats all the connections and seems to help - rare to have a battery last as long as yours has - unless they "load tested" I'm betting its bad still -
HFT sells a load tester for about 20$ I think - might want to get one for later issues.

Bertrrr said:

After cleaning or installing any battery - I always spray with an anti corrosion spray - it coats all the connections and seems to help - rare to have a battery last as long as yours has - unless they "load tested" I'm betting its bad still -
HFT sells a load tester for about 20$ I think - might want to get one for later issues.

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Bertrr, I was wondering about that coating. I have some of that in the shop [battery protector, the red stuff]. Let me ask you a question about it. Should it be sprayed on there before you tighten down everything? I'm thinking probably not - instead, spray it on after its all tightened down. I really doubt they did a load test on it. This was done at the local auto parts store and the people in this store are not real energetic. You're probably right, but I'll just ride it out as long as it will go.

Spray on after everything is cleaned up and tight with good contact

I don't coat mine till all is connected. But everyone has their own way,.

Bertrrr said:

Spray on after everything is cleaned up and tight with good contact

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Thanks Bertrrr, will do. My last post said the battery ended up being good and charged up to 100%. It did crank ......but, I tried to crank it yesterday and zip. Dead. So my last post was accurate (at the time). But its time for a new one. Thank you all.

You got a long run outta that battery, hope the next lasts ya as long, or longer. I use a Minder on my stuff when not in use.

Volts, but no amps.. Neighbors had same deal.

7394 Lawn Addict, I've been thinking about a battery tender or something like that. Yes, 6 1/2 years was a long run on that battery. Got a question for you. (1) I keep the mower inside a workshop. I have a Schumacher battery charger (probably 8-10 yrs old) that puts out 2, 8, and 12 amp charges. I'm wondering if I kept it at 2 amp setting all the time on the mower would that be the same thing as a tender or minder? And, would the charger cut on if the battery drops down and then cut off? I've never thought about this before as I just have used it to charge the boat battery or the rare occasion a car battery goes down. (2) I've also thought about one of those solar powered battery tenders. For that I would need to add about another 20-- 25 ft of wiring for the solar cell to reach outside; so I don't know if adding that much wiring on such a low powered device would even work. If the charger I have will do the trick that might be the best option.

You can leave it on full time if you choose but it's not going to make the battery last any longer than it normally wood. Pretty sure it will only generate a charge when the battery tells it to.
One thing to note if it's constantly hooked up to a charging system you'll need to keep an eye on the water level on the cells as it will tend to evaporate faster. I've not had any lawn tractor battery last more than a couple of seasons anyway.

jcworks said:

I have a Schumacher battery charger (probably 8-10 yrs old) that puts out 2, 8, and 12 amp charges. I'm wondering if I kept it at 2 amp setting all the time on the mower would that be the same thing as a tender or minder? And, would the charger cut on if the battery drops down and then cut off? I

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I think I have the same charger. Haven't used it in a decade. Not the same, It will run constant. Not good.

I use Battery MINDers, 1.5 Amp, (referred to as smart chargers) when they reach full charge, they go into 'float mode' & hold the amps around 13.4.
And if it needs any the smart minder will give it just enough.

Mine have temperature compensators on them, so in winter they will float a bit higher & summer lower. I have one on my Panel truck now, been one for a month. My Z I put on for 1 day a week.

I got 11 years outta my original battery for my truck.