"panabiker" wrote in message
...
I have a TroyBilt (MTD made) riding mower and the battery is dead
after only 4 summers. I figured I used it no more than once a week for
no more than 25 weeks a year. If I start engine twice each time I cut
the lawn, that's 50 times a year and 200 times in 4 years. Compared to
a car, it's about 3 and a half months of worth of starter usage. My
question: which is the main cause of very short battery life?

1. Lawn mower batteries are not nearly as well made (1yr warranty vs
6-8 yrs for auto batt.), or
2. The mowers don't charge batteries properly, or
3. Lack of use in winter drains and damages the battery, or
4. Something else?

1 & 3. Remove the battery and keep it in a moderate temperature dry place.
Keep it charged with a trickle charger.

Remember that batteries work from a chemical reaction. Use is a factor, but
time counts too as the reaction is on going even in periods of non use. For
the type of battery, four years is pretty good. The short battery life is
your opinion but in reality, you've done OK with it.