Dimitrios Paskoudniakis wrote:
I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702, just over
two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly to maintain
the charge. I let that go for about the last month, and now the engine
won't turn over. If I switch the headlight switch on, there are no lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual says
don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V. Dumb question -
is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump the tractor battery with a car
battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to 10 Amps
for 1 hour.



you can jump start from a car (it is 12V) or a cheap charger from your
FLAPS will work too.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702, just over
two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly to maintain
the charge. I let that go for about the last month, and now the engine
won't turn over. If I switch the headlight switch on, there are no lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual says
don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V. Dumb question -
is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump the tractor battery with a car
battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to 10 Amps
for 1 hour.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual says
don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V.

The reason the manual states to use a 12 volt source is because many
automotive battery chargers are not 12 volts. They are as high as 19
volts and may fry the electronics or starter of the mower.

Best bet it to use your car battery to jump or use a light or medium
duty charger that measures with no load less than 15 volts.

on 11/11/2007 3:26 PM Dimitrios Paskoudniakis said the following:
I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702, just over
two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly to maintain
the charge. I let that go for about the last month, and now the engine
won't turn over. If I switch the headlight switch on, there are no lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual says
don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V. Dumb question -
is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump the tractor battery with a car
battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to 10 Amps
for 1 hour.
I used to keep my tractor, with snowblower attachment, in an unheated
shed. When below freezing, the throttle and choke cables would freeze
up, requiring that I try to heat up the cables with a propane torch.
Many times the battery went dead before I could get it started in the
winter. I often jump started it from my truck battery.


--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:26:58 -0500, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:

I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702, just over
two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly to maintain
the charge. I let that go for about the last month, and now the engine
won't turn over. If I switch the headlight switch on, there are no lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual says
don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V. Dumb question -
is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump the tractor battery with a car
battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to 10 Amps
for 1 hour.


Jump it with the vehicle and cables. Most important, IMO replace
battery - if it wont hold a charge. Bad cell in the battery....?

Skip buying a charger, for the moment. My WAG is the battery failed.

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
Dimitrios Paskoudniakis wrote:
I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702, just
over two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly to
maintain the charge. I let that go for about the last month, and now the
engine won't turn over. If I switch the headlight switch on, there are
no lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual
says don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V. Dumb
question - is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump the tractor battery
with a car battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to 10 Amps
for 1 hour.

you can jump start from a car (it is 12V) or a cheap charger from your
FLAPS will work too.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

I took my jumper cables, connected my car battery negative, then positive,
then tractor positive. As soon as I took the last negative lead and placed
on a ground source on the tractor, it sparked and produced a puff of smoke.
I immediately removed the cables and believe it or not, I then tried to
start the tractor, and it started.

On Nov 11, 3:26 pm, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:
I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702, just over
two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly to maintain
the charge. I let that go for about the last month, and now the engine
won't turn over. If I switch the headlight switch on, there are no lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual says
don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V. Dumb question -
is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump the tractor battery with a car
battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to 10 Amps
for 1 hour.

Consider buying one of these...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=39954

It's much easier to take this to the tractor or a car that needs a
jump than using your vehicle and jumper cables. Plus you get a
somewhat useful air compressor, a flashlight and a 12 volt power
supply. (I rigged mine to $2.00 flasher unit to flash the lights on my
trailer on Halloween night.)

In addition, with the sophisticated electronics in cars/and truck
these days, I'm reluctant to use my car to jump another vehicle.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:43:16 -0800, DerbyDad03
wrote:

In addition, with the sophisticated electronics in cars/and truck
these days, I'm reluctant to use my car to jump another vehicle.

As early as thirty years; is was suggested to pull the plug on the
backside of the alternator (jump vehicle), before a jump.

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Nov 11, 3:26 pm, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:
I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702, just
over
two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly to
maintain
the charge. I let that go for about the last month, and now the engine
won't turn over. If I switch the headlight switch on, there are no
lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The manual
says
don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is 12V. Dumb
question -
is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump the tractor battery with a car
battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to 10 Amps
for 1 hour.

Consider buying one of these...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=39954

It's much easier to take this to the tractor or a car that needs a
jump than using your vehicle and jumper cables. Plus you get a
somewhat useful air compressor, a flashlight and a 12 volt power
supply. (I rigged mine to $2.00 flasher unit to flash the lights on my
trailer on Halloween night.)

In addition, with the sophisticated electronics in cars/and truck
these days, I'm reluctant to use my car to jump another vehicle.


I use these little jump starters all the time. I have a bunch of tractors
and several jump starters. I buy them on sale locally - a couple from
Sears, 1 from Target and I can't remember where my red one came from. I have
separate compressors - the kind that plug into cigarette lighters. The jump
boxes all have cigarette lighter recepticales. I also plug a 12 volt fan in
when using a Kerosun heater in a workshop in the winter. And a 12 volt
tramp cord / light.

"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote:

I took my jumper cables, connected my car battery negative,
then positive, then tractor positive. As soon as I took
the last negative lead and placed on a ground source on the
tractor, it sparked and produced a puff of smoke. I
immediately removed the cables and believe it or not, I
then tried to start the tractor, and it started.

You are damn lucky the battery did not explode.

I stopped to help a woman whose car stalled out after
driving through a flooded underpass. Two men in another
car had stopped also, but they did not have cables. I
made the mistake of connecting both cables to her battery
while one of the other men hooked them to his car. It
was raining and he could see clearly. After he connected
the cables, I walked around the front of her car and
motioned for her to start it. Her battery exploded and
spewed plastic all over the inside of the hood and in
the area where I had been standing. Not bright!

Dick

"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote in message
...
I have a 24 hp 48" deck Craftsman lawn tractor, model 917.275702,
just over two years old.

I have always (until this past month) started it at least weekly
to maintain the charge. I let that go for about the last month,
and now the engine won't turn over. If I switch the headlight
switch on, there are no lights.

My guess (but not certain) is the battery is now undercharged.

If that's the problem, I need to recharge it or replace it. The
manual says don't jump start the 12V battery unless your source is
12V. Dumb question - is a regular car battery 12V? Can I jump
the tractor battery with a car battery?
Should I buy a charger? The manual instructs to recharge at 6 to
10 Amps for 1 hour.

First of all, your mower headlights are not run off the battery.
There is a separate generator for them, so the engine has to be
running before headlights will work. (At least this is the way it
works on most mowers I have seen.)

Second, instead of starting your mower to charge the battery, I
suggerst buying a battery charger - a very cheap one will do fine.
Then, once a month, attach the charger to maintain a full charge all
winter. After the battery is initially fully charged, it should
take less than five or ten minutes to top it off, using the lowest
setting on the charger (trickle charge). A battery charger will
save $$ over the gasoline it takes to run the engine just to charge
the battery.

I do this summer and winter and my batteries last a long time. I am
still on the original battery on my tractor which is 11 years old.
I have a trolling motor battery that will be fifteen years old next
spring and still works, although not as peppy as when it was a teen
ager.

Bob-tx

"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote:

I took my jumper cables, connected my car battery negative,
then positive, then tractor positive. As soon as I took
the last negative lead and placed on a ground source on the
tractor, it sparked and produced a puff of smoke. I
immediately removed the cables and believe it or not, I
then tried to start the tractor, and it started.

You are damn lucky the battery did not explode.

Why? Did I do something wrong? I followed basic jump start procedure. Is
there something in the steps above I did wrong? I'd like to know for future
reference. By the way, the car was already on and running for a few minutes
before I hooked up the cables. You're supposed to do that, not connect
cables then start the car with the good battery.

By the way, 24 hours later, the tractor started right up.

On Nov 12, 6:52 pm, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:
"Dick Adams" wrote in message

... "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote:

I took my jumper cables, connected my car battery negative,
then positive, then tractor positive. As soon as I took
the last negative lead and placed on a ground source on the
tractor, it sparked and produced a puff of smoke. I
immediately removed the cables and believe it or not, I
then tried to start the tractor, and it started.

You are damn lucky the battery did not explode.

Why? Did I do something wrong? I followed basic jump start procedure. Is
there something in the steps above I did wrong? I'd like to know for future
reference. By the way, the car was already on and running for a few minutes
before I hooked up the cables. You're supposed to do that, not connect
cables then start the car with the good battery.

By the way, 24 hours later, the tractor started right up.

Did I do something wrong?

Yes, you did.

I followed basic jump start procedure

No, you didn't.

Compare the instructions here to what you did:

http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/saf...carbattery.htm

"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote in message
. ..

"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote:

I took my jumper cables, connected my car battery negative,
then positive, then tractor positive. As soon as I took
the last negative lead and placed on a ground source on the
tractor, it sparked and produced a puff of smoke. I
immediately removed the cables and believe it or not, I
then tried to start the tractor, and it started.

You are damn lucky the battery did not explode.

Why? Did I do something wrong? I followed basic jump start procedure.
Is there something in the steps above I did wrong? I'd like to know for
future reference. By the way, the car was already on and running for a
few minutes before I hooked up the cables. You're supposed to do that,
not connect cables then start the car with the good battery.

By the way, 24 hours later, the tractor started right up.

You probably need to clean the battery terminals and the leads after
disconnecting them. When you get them shiny then bolt back together. Be
careful not to get a metal tool touching both terminals at once.

You are suppossed to make your last jumper cable connection with the
negative cable at the running vehicle, preferably at some heavy metal part
of the car. This is so you will not be near either battery in case something
goes wrong and a battery explodes. That is rare, but it can and does
sometimes happen. The dead battery is more likely to explode than the good
charged one. Exploding acid is not something you want to be near.

Don Young

On Nov 12, 9:59 pm, "Don Young" wrote:
"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote in message

. ..





"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
"Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" wrote:

I took my jumper cables, connected my car battery negative,
then positive, then tractor positive. As soon as I took
the last negative lead and placed on a ground source on the
tractor, it sparked and produced a puff of smoke. I
immediately removed the cables and believe it or not, I
then tried to start the tractor, and it started.

You are damn lucky the battery did not explode.

Why? Did I do something wrong? I followed basic jump start procedure.
Is there something in the steps above I did wrong? I'd like to know for
future reference. By the way, the car was already on and running for a
few minutes before I hooked up the cables. You're supposed to do that,
not connect cables then start the car with the good battery.

By the way, 24 hours later, the tractor started right up.

You probably need to clean the battery terminals and the leads after
disconnecting them. When you get them shiny then bolt back together. Be
careful not to get a metal tool touching both terminals at once.

You are suppossed to make your last jumper cable connection with the
negative cable at the running vehicle, preferably at some heavy metal part
of the car. This is so you will not be near either battery in case something
goes wrong and a battery explodes. That is rare, but it can and does
sometimes happen. The dead battery is more likely to explode than the good
charged one. Exploding acid is not something you want to be near.

Don Young- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This is so you will not be near either battery in case something
goes wrong and a battery explodes

I guess that depends on your definition of "near".

Most instructions say something like "Connect the other end of the
negative cable to metal on the engine block on the car with the dead
battery."

You really can't get to far away from either battery when connecting
that last clip. I don't know how far an exploding battery spews acid
and shrapnel, but I'm guessing the difference from being right next to
the battery vs. a few feet away is minimal. Best case is that you
won't be directly facing the exploding battery, which will at least
prevent a direct hit to your mug. It's still gonna hurt like hell.

I believe the reason you don't connect the last clip to the battery is
to move the sparks away from the battery thus preventing the explosion
in the first place.