Riding Mower Battery Life
 

If so, you may want to consider putting the battery on a "battery tender"
over the winter, and if it is stored in an area that could freeze, bring it
inside your basement and set it on a board (not so much because "setting a
battery on concrete makes a battery go dead faster" which may or may not be
an old wives' tale, but to protect whatever you set it on from any possible
acid leakage)

There is a bit of "science" behind that "wives tale."

When the battery rests on a cold floor you can end up (especially while
charging) with a significant thermal gradient between the top and the bottom
of the cell.

The effect is nearly the equivalent of putting two batteries in parallel and
keeping one battery some 30F warmer than the other.

One of the two batteries will not be charged correctly and fully or might
end up being overcharged.

Riding Mower Battery Life
 

John Gilmer wrote:
If so, you may want to consider putting the battery on a "battery tender"
over the winter, and if it is stored in an area that could freeze, bring it
inside your basement and set it on a board (not so much because "setting a
battery on concrete makes a battery go dead faster" which may or may not be
an old wives' tale, but to protect whatever you set it on from any possible
acid leakage)

There is a bit of "science" behind that "wives tale."

When the battery rests on a cold floor you can end up (especially while
charging) with a significant thermal gradient between the top and the bottom
of the cell.

The effect is nearly the equivalent of putting two batteries in parallel and
keeping one battery some 30F warmer than the other.

One of the two batteries will not be charged correctly and fully or might
end up being overcharged.




You could probably do a doctoral thesis on how that one gets passed from
generation to generation. I remember storing batteries on planks as a
kid, but had no idea why. Nobody in the family worked in a garage, and I
didn't hang out with gearheads, so no idea where I picked it up,
apparently by osmosis.

--
aem sends...

Riding Mower Battery Life
 

Thanks to all who replied. It seems that not keeping the battery
charged over the winter was the main cause. I initially jumped the
battery using my car and let the engine run for an hour, but I still
couldn't restart it afterward, which led me conclude the battery was
dead. Over the weekend, I used a charger to charge it at 1.5A for 12
hrs and 0.5A for another 12 hours. It does seem to be back to live
now. I'll be more attentive to keep it charged in winter months.

Riding Mower Battery Life
 

On Apr 3, 7:15*pm, panabiker wrote:
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?

Only 50 starts a year, and 6 months unattended is considered NEGLECT.

Batteries perform best when used frequently and kept fully charged.
That's why a car battery lasts so long. It never goes more than 24
hours without being charged back up. Your lawn mower sits 6 months.

If you want longer life, invest in a Deltran Battery Tender and keep
the mower plugged in during the 6 months you don't use it.

Riding Mower Battery Life
 

On Apr 4, 8:27*am, wrote:
On Apr 4, 7:26*am, ransley wrote:





On Apr 3, 6:15*pm, panabiker wrote:

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?

What did you do to maintain the battery in winter, a battery starts to
sulfate the plates as voltage drops just a bit, and permanent damage
occurs with just a small drop below full charge. Ive ruined expensive
boat, car, and tool batteries in one winter by not maintaining them.
This is where a float charger or topping it off regularly can add
years to a battery. Your car is started regularly and the voltage
stays up and in a normal range that keeps them from sulfating, store a
car and its the same thing, the battery will sulfate itself to an
early death fast. *www.batteryuniversity.com*has fairly complete
info on all batteries. On your next battery maintain the voltage when
its not used. But 4 years isnt that bad, ive bought new car batteries
that were duds and lasted 6 months

Yes, I agree with the above and others here who said not keeping the
battery fully charged is a sure way to shorten the life. * Batteries
will slowly discharge by themselves and if you don't use it or
recharge it, the life will be shortened. *Solution is to buy a battery
tender for the winter months.

Also agree that 4 years for a mower battery doesn't sound all that bad.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If I had a Battery Tender I would still have hundreds of dollars in
good batteries, mine died fast and were almost new.

Riding Mower Battery Life
 

On Apr 5, 12:27*pm, panabiker wrote:
Thanks to all who replied. It seems that not keeping the battery
charged over the winter was the main cause. I initially jumped the
battery using my car and let the engine run for an hour, but I still
couldn't restart it afterward, which led me conclude the battery was
dead. Over the weekend, I used a charger to charge it at 1.5A for 12
hrs and 0.5A for another 12 hours. It does seem to be back to live
now. I'll be more attentive to keep it charged in winter months.

Heat is a big killer of batteries as well, many cars now have foam
battery covers for that reason