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gas powered riding mower battery

#1

T

TLloyd

Hello,

My Craftsman T150 46 inch riding mower uses a U1R battery. I'm guessing the only thing that battery does is crank the mower. I'm guessing the stator keeps the battery charged.

I think I read these batteries are good for about 1000 cranks. We have 3 1/2 acres. The mower seat has switch that stops engine if you leave the seat. I often stop to move fallen limbs or trash.

The current battery will not hold a charge. Charged it one afternoon to just over 12 volts. The next morning it was 9 volts. I'm guessing I need to replace it. Not sure if it's one or two years old.

How long do these type batteries typically last?

Thank you for your time.

Lloyd


#2

S

slomo

You've never read mower batteries offer 1000 cranks. If so it was a battery commercial.

Typically last from 3 minutes to roughly 3 years. Nothing set in stone.

Most people leave them outside in sub freezing weather over winter. No Battery Tender applied.

Best in the winter, pull the battery and take indoors. Hook at a Battery Tender. Come spring install in mower.

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#3

S

slomo

If under cranking the battery falls under 10.5 volts DC, she either needs charged or replaced. Assuming terminals/cables are clean and tight.

Load test the battery for free at any local auto parts store.


#4

A

Auto Doc's

Yep, the battery is toast. When you put the new battery in check the charging system with a meter. At idle it will show a very low charge from the machine, but as you raise the throttle so should the charge voltage. If it is not charging, let us know because there is still a wiring connection or bad ignition switch issue happening.

Something that also helps:

A few years ago, I found out that if I attach a solar panel charger on my battery it keeps the electrolyte active at a very low charge rate. By doing this it prevents battery sulfation which is what kills battery cells when the battery is left sitting for long periods.

I started this "battery life experiment" with my large Generac 15KW standby/ portable generator and that battery is now 4 years old.... Believe me, No One wants a dead battery on a generator when a power outage occurs. I run my generator once a month for an hour and the battery shows no signs of losing cranking amperage since I added the solar charger.

Since then, I have added a solar panel maintainer for use with my rider mowers and other equipment that require batteries. It has saved me a lot of money on annual or seasonal battery replacements. Most of my equipment is outdoors year-round, so sunlight is not a problem.

For my motorcycle, I use a 2A battery tender during the winter months when it is stored inside.


#5

Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

TLloyd said:
Hello,

My Craftsman T150 46 inch riding mower uses a U1R battery. I'm guessing the only thing that battery does is crank the mower. I'm guessing the stator keeps the battery charged.

I think I read these batteries are good for about 1000 cranks. We have 3 1/2 acres. The mower seat has switch that stops engine if you leave the seat. I often stop to move fallen limbs or trash.

The current battery will not hold a charge. Charged it one afternoon to just over 12 volts. The next morning it was 9 volts. I'm guessing I need to replace it. Not sure if it's one or two years old.

How long do these type batteries typically last?

Thank you for your time.

Lloyd
Click to expand...

Because of vibration, and lack of sufficient charging, the average life cycle of a mower battery is three years. When you are running your mower for the short time each week during mowing season, that is the only time it is literally trickle charging. If you trickle charge battery throughout the year about once a month until it is full, you can roughly double the life of battery. Hardly anyone ever trickle charges their mower, car, or any other battery. We take batteries for granted for what they do. Buy a 300 or more, cold cranking battery for mower. Not the cheapo 230 CCA battery that will not last as long.


#6

M

MParr

Buy a battery tender and keep it hooked up whenever the mower is not in use. Buy a 300 CCA battery.


#7

grumpyunk

grumpyunk

Given the quality control level present in most factories, it is difficult to predict battery life. I have had the term vary from 2 years to 7 years. Allowing the battery charge to go low when stored will decrease battery life. If nothing else, put a charger on at least once a month during the off season. Doing that will help extend the life of the battery.
A fully charged flooded lead acid battery will read 12.6V. 2.1V per cell, 6 cells. When checked after being charged you will get a 'float' voltage possibly over 13v. That will go away very quickly as it is on the surface of the plates, not embedded into the paste, and a new measure will likely show closer to 12.6.
From my viewpoint, spending a lot on a battery will not pay off. The higher priced batteries have the same warranty as the lower, and may or may not last longer. I cannot justify spending 2-4X the low price battery on a brand name that is warranted for such a short period. One day afte 90, and you are done if it fails. Your choice.
tom


#8

G

Gym123

TLloyd said:
Hello,

My Craftsman T150 46 inch riding mower uses a U1R battery. I'm guessing the only thing that battery does is crank the mower. I'm guessing the stator keeps the battery charged.

I think I read these batteries are good for about 1000 cranks. We have 3 1/2 acres. The mower seat has switch that stops engine if you leave the seat. I often stop to move fallen limbs or trash.

The current battery will not hold a charge. Charged it one afternoon to just over 12 volts. The next morning it was 9 volts. I'm guessing I need to replace it. Not sure if it's one or two years old.

How long do these type batteries typically last?

Thank you for your time.

Lloyd
Click to expand...
Charge it fully and disconnect the wires- if it loses charge, it's bad, if it stays at the full voltage, you need to do a test for current without starting the engine. If the test shows more than about .15Amperes, the stator or rectifier is a likely culprit. Also, measure voltage while the engine is running at mid-RPM and if it's lower than about 13.5V, it could be the battery or stator/regulator.

Agree- have the battery tested.


#9

F

farmerdave1954

I have seen very few batteries for lawn mowers with more than a 6-month "warranty". There's a reason they don't give a longer warranty, because most won't make it more than 1 season plus 1 winter in storage. Several years ago I bought a bunch of Battery Tender brand trickle chargers, one for my mower, one for each of 3 ATV/UTV vehicles, one for my Harley motorcycle, one for each of of my 2 tractors, and one for my pickup. My cars are driven daily and don't need one. In that time, those chargers have saved me many times the purchase price by not having to replace batteries in those machines more than a couple of times, and one of those times was when it was still under warranty and was replaced for free. I'm a huge fan of Battery Tender brand maintainers. Caution, stay away from the cheap $9.99 "deluxe" one from your neighborhood popular discount tool store that borrowed it's name from a waterfront dock. Those will likely cook your battery, not tend to it. Ignore your battery and it will leave you hanging. Keep a tender on it and it will pay for itself with one skipped battery replacement.


#10

R

rhkraft

Auto Doc's said:
Yep, the battery is toast. When you put the new battery in check the charging system with a meter. At idle it will show a very low charge from the machine, but as you raise the throttle so should the charge voltage. If it is not charging, let us know because there is still a wiring connection or bad ignition switch issue happening.

Something that also helps:

A few years ago, I found out that if I attach a solar panel charger on my battery it keeps the electrolyte active at a very low charge rate. By doing this it prevents battery sulfation which is what kills battery cells when the battery is left sitting for long periods.

I started this "battery life experiment" with my large Generac 15KW standby/ portable generator and that battery is now 4 years old.... Believe me, No One wants a dead battery on a generator when a power outage occurs. I run my generator once a month for an hour and the battery shows no signs of losing cranking amperage since I added the solar charger.

Since then, I have added a solar panel maintainer for use with my rider mowers and other equipment that require batteries. It has saved me a lot of money on annual or seasonal battery replacements. Most of my equipment is outdoors year-round, so sunlight is not a problem.

For my motorcycle, I use a 2A battery tender during the winter months when it is stored inside.
Click to expand...
Doesn't your generator have a constant trickle charge from your house current, mine does.


#11

A

Auto Doc's

Hello rhkraft,

You missed the part about it being the Generac 15KW "portable". They do not have a constant trickle charger like the stationary standby generators.


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