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This may be a dumb question but has anyone ever put a horn on their riding mower? I searched but didn't find anything. I pretty much know how to wire it but am I going to have any battery issues?

JoeNoble said:

This may be a dumb question but has anyone ever put a horn on their riding mower? I searched but didn't find anything. I pretty much know how to wire it but am I going to have any battery issues?

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The battery issue would depend on how much you are going to use it. Maybe like taking it to a wedding you are going kill the battery.

Na I'm just gonna use it from time to time to get the attention of my kids in case I come across somethin in the yard rather than try to yell to them over the mower.

Problem solved, just use your head :banana:

Should I wire that through a relay like you would on a car or just through a fuse and button?

JoeNoble said:

Should I wire that through a relay like you would on a car or just through a fuse and button?

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Yes

Ok thanks for the advice

JoeNoble said:

Should I wire that through a relay like you would on a car or just through a fuse and button?

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Just a 4 wire relay. + and - to the relay coil and the two wires to the relay switch. This way you can use the negative to blow the horn.

JoeNoble said:

Ok thanks for the advice

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Your welcome....... What's a relay?

reynoldston said:

Just a 4 wire relay. + and - to the relay coil and the two wires to the relay switch. This way you can use the negative to blow the horn.

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Soooo.... Like this except move the switch to the neg wire? Would that drain my battery when the mower isn't in use?

RobertBrown said:

Your welcome....... What's a relay?

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That'd be an electronic device for people that prefer not to do more harm than good when wiring electronic items on a motorized vehicle.

JoeNoble said:

That'd be an electronic device for people that prefer not to do more harm than good when wiring electronic items on a motorized vehicle.

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Thanks.....for relaying that to me. :thumbsup:
good luck with the horn, I think the kids would like the one pictured in post #4

Never thought of putting a horn on a riding mower, but now I can see me adding one of these when I get my country place and a tractor -

Buy Wolo Air Horn Bad Boy 419 at Advance Auto Parts

JoeNoble said:

Soooo.... Like this except move the switch to the neg wire? Would that drain my battery when the mower isn't in use?

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I will try to tell you how to hook up the relay? Number 86 and 85 are the coil terminals and 30 and 87 are the switch terminals. Run 86 and 30 to a fused positive + source like the battery or ignition switch. Number 87 would go to the horn terminal and the horn would mount to a good grounded place on the chassis. You will need a horn switch with two terminals. number 85 would go to one of the horn switch terminals and the other terminal would go to a good chassis ground.

... and the roadrunner goes beep beep ...

So the only real difference is the switch is on the ground rather than + wire? Do I really need to go through a relay cuz the headlights don't seem to have a relay and there's only 1 fuse on the whole mower.

JoeNoble said:

So the only real difference is the switch is on the ground rather than + wire? Do I really need to go through a relay cuz the headlights don't seem to have a relay and there's only 1 fuse on the whole mower.

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I really don't have a answer on that other then the relay is a heavy duty switch. Why not try it without a relay because the most it can do is burn up the points inside a cheap horn button switch and if it doesn't work out for you its no big thing to add the relay afterwords. The only difference is you would run a positive wires to the horn button. What ever way you do it make sure you install a fuse for it, very cheap insurance.

What do you think like a 10A?

JoeNoble said:

What do you think like a 10A?

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I don't know how many amps a horn draws but I would think you would want to the smallest is a 20 Amp fuse.

Just had a duh moment lol I could look on the car I took the horn off of

A relay is kinda like a solenoid if you do not use a relay you will need to use thick wire and I am thinking a 30 amp fuse if you use a relay you only need about a 15 amp fuse.

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The relay does not replace the fuse or reduce the load. Properly wired, the fuse will blow to protect the circuit from a short circuit. If the horn draws 15 amps (and I think that's high) you need a 20 amp fuse. The fuse should be in the power wire (use an in-line fuse holder) before the relay. I have seen unfused circuits cause vehicle fires and a lawn mower battery has enough power to start a fire.

Grass ala Mowed said:

The relay does not replace the fuse or reduce the load. Properly wired, the fuse will blow to protect the circuit from a short circuit. If the horn draws 15 amps (and I think that's high) you need a 20 amp fuse. The fuse should be in the power wire (use an in-line fuse holder) before the relay. I have seen unfused circuits cause vehicle fires and a lawn mower battery has enough power to start a fire.

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I won't wire anything without a fuse.... EVER! I'm just trying to figure out if the relay is actually necessary or not. But what your saying is that it should require the same fuse with or without a relay?

Since the relay requires a small amount of power to operate, it will increase the draw slightly, on the order of 1/4-1/2 amp. The relay allows use of smaller wiring to the horn button and a smaller button. But look at the horn rating and the button rating, we may be making much ado about nothing.

Grass ala Mowed said:

Since the relay requires a small amount of power to operate, it will increase the draw slightly, on the order of 1/4-1/2 amp. The relay allows use of smaller wiring to the horn button and a smaller button. But look at the horn rating and the button rating, we may be making much ado about nothing.

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Like said before the most its going to do is burn up the points in the horn button without the relay. If that happens would be the time to add the relay if you want to try it without. The relay can't be that expensive and what little bit more wireing why would you not want to use a relay and be done with it. Relay or not I would still use a 20A fuse.

Yeah may as well just use the relay I suppose but theoretically wouldn't it blow the fuse rather than burn up the switch? I'll probably wire it up tonight and let you guys know what happens.

If the fuse is rated higher than the switch, technically a no-no, the switch could burn out without blowing the fuse. In household wiring codes, admittedly not really applicable here, the wiring, switches, and outlets must all be rated the same or higher than the fuse or circuit breaker. The fuse or circuit breaker are to protect the wiring and prevent fires from overheated wiring.

Grab a battery charger connect the charger to the horn temporarily and read the charge rate that will tell you pretty close what the amp pull is going to be. The horn may even be stamped with that kind of data. Just use the relay it will shorten up the power circuit to the horn and yoiu will not need the heavier gauge wire to the horn switch.

Didn't get to do any wiring but here are some pics of mounting ideas.

Horn button



Here are pics of two horns mounted though I'll probably only use one.

You could do the relay,that would probably be a better way to do it, or you could be simple and just have the horn direct to the battery with a push switch. Don't worry about battery issues, you'll be fine. Doesn't draw much power.

My thinking is if you really have to put this much thinking into a horn then maybe your better off just not messing with it Every thing that comes with a horn has a relay for the horn it's easy after I read this I told my son to put a horn on his go cart took him 30 mins he is 13

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Carscw said:

My thinking is if you really have to put this much thinking into a horn then maybe your better off just not messing with it Every thing that comes with a horn has a relay for the horn it's easy after I read this I told my son to put a horn on his go cart took him 30 mins he is 13

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Yes anyone can take a horn some wire and a switch and figure it out but I wanted to gather as much info as possible and do it right.

K so I wired up both horns and I think the neighbors aren't gonna like it to much lol. I hope this link works.

Let's try this one. http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i58/JosephNoble/mower stuff/9ea65f8f.mp4

It does go beep-beep! Speaking of that, I was out today and saw a 1970 Superbird, the winged Roadrunner that Plymouth built when Richard Petty started driving either a Ford or Pontiac (can't remember which) because Chrysler wouldn't give him a Daytona (winged Charger).

I'm thinkin' the oogah might be too technical ! Perhaps a whistle on a chain ??

hey whats up I know that no one has been on in two years lol but im installing a Dixie horn on my ariens riding mower sounds real good hope to get some new replies to a lost and forgotten topic