wrote:
I bought a Craftsman rechargeable mower (Model 917.386401) in 1998.
Recently it doesn't recharge very well, although it still cuts grass
for about 10 minutes, at lower speed than before. I think it's time to
replace the battery. The service center guy says it costs $150 plus
about $30 shipping. That's still much cheaper than buying a new mower
(about $400). One newsgroup message says the battery model may no
longer be available and a replacement doesn't fit perfectly.

If I want to check the battery with a multimeter, how do I do that? The
owner's manual doesn't say whether or how to check the acid level. Is
it needed? Could other parts such as the electric motor be near their
lifetime? Should I just buy a new mower? Thanks for any advice.

Yong Huang
Email:yong321ATyahoo.com

Yong,
Regarding checking the battery, a 7 year old battery is probably in
need of a replacement. You didn't mention how it was stored, or other
details, but it would not completely be a surprise if it does need
replaced. If it's not holding a charge, then checking it with a
multimeter probably won't help much other than to verify that it is
losing its power.

Searching on www.sears.com, I only get 3 "electic" mower choices and
each of them are corded. It is possible that the expensive cost to
replace the battery is because the product is no longer available.

If you'd like to follow up on the battery itself, one option would be
to call a battery company rather than the service center. Have the
specifications of the battery handy (including dimensions) and see what
they can do.

Another option is that since Craftsman is a Sears brand, you could call
the local store to see if they have any in stock or if you could order
one to pick up.

I would have a hard time paying $180 for just the battery. If nothing
else, if I absolutely had to have an electric mower, I would buy a
corded mower with a long extension cord rather than pay that much for a
battery on a mower that may have other problems in the near future.

Dave