Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.

In article ,
says...

Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.




I have found it can be anywhere from about 2 to 5 years. They could be
like car batteries, some cost way less than others and hopefully the
more expensive ones will last longer. If you get 3 years out of the
average Walmart battery you are doing good.

If you have one that can be checked, do you look at the water level in
it very often ?

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 14:48:05 -0400, wrote:

Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.

I'm not sure you get a best quality battery in a new lawn tractor. Had
to change mine early, then put in a better battery. YMMV

On Sat, 6 Oct 2018 15:10:19 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.




I have found it can be anywhere from about 2 to 5 years. They could be
like car batteries, some cost way less than others and hopefully the
more expensive ones will last longer. If you get 3 years out of the
average Walmart battery you are doing good.

If you have one that can be checked, do you look at the water level in
it very often ?

Water is good, terminals clean, charging system working OK, zero
current with the key off.
I am guessing it may just be a bad battery. A few minutes on the
charger and it starts, mow a while and it seems to be charged. (amps
go down). Then it is OK for a while.

BTW I am not sure why people trash Walmart batteries. Johnson Controls
makes them, along with a bunch of name brand batteries. The one in my
truck just failed (would not hold a charge for 3 few weeks, as often
as I use the truck), after 7 years.

In article ,
says...

Water is good, terminals clean, charging system working OK, zero
current with the key off.
I am guessing it may just be a bad battery. A few minutes on the
charger and it starts, mow a while and it seems to be charged. (amps
go down). Then it is OK for a while.

BTW I am not sure why people trash Walmart batteries. Johnson Controls
makes them, along with a bunch of name brand batteries. The one in my
truck just failed (would not hold a charge for 3 few weeks, as often
as I use the truck), after 7 years.



Maybe I should have not said Walmart. I really ment that you can get
the same size battery from about $ 25 to almost $ 100. Hopefully the
higher price battery will last longer.

However most of the lawn mower batteries I have bought for the $ 20 to
$ 30 price range usually last about 3 years. The best one I have had
was on a new John Deere and it lasted about 6 or 7 years. That was a
'hone owner' type and not the much better quality lawn tractor.
The transaxal went out on it at about 300 hours. It got where it would
not pull a small hill, but would do ok on flat ground. Gave it to my
son and he is still using it but his yard is very flat.

On 10/6/2018 3:10 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
If you get 3 years out of the
average Walmart battery you are doing good.

Heat, vibration, sulfation and improper charge system voltage/current kill a battery prematurely.

Here in Indiana, I get about 8 years on a Walmart battery installed in an Exmark mower with a smooth-running 28hp Kohler Command Pro engine.Â* I do keep a maintainer type charger on them over winter.

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 16:34:29 -0400, wrote:

Water is good, terminals clean, charging system working OK, zero
current with the key off.
I am guessing it may just be a bad battery. A few minutes on the
charger and it starts, mow a while and it seems to be charged. (amps
go down). Then it is OK for a while.

As to the battery. I bet one single cell that failed.

On 10/6/18 1:48 PM, wrote:
Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.

I'd think it would last a little longer in a warm climate.
You might get a good ATV/motorcycle battery from an
auto parts store of comparable size. $100 or so.
I put our batteries for summer equipment in the basement
over the winter.

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 16:34:29 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 6 Oct 2018 15:10:19 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.




I have found it can be anywhere from about 2 to 5 years. They could be
like car batteries, some cost way less than others and hopefully the
more expensive ones will last longer. If you get 3 years out of the
average Walmart battery you are doing good.

If you have one that can be checked, do you look at the water level in
it very often ?

Water is good, terminals clean, charging system working OK, zero
current with the key off.
I am guessing it may just be a bad battery. A few minutes on the
charger and it starts, mow a while and it seems to be charged. (amps
go down). Then it is OK for a while.

BTW I am not sure why people trash Walmart batteries. Johnson Controls
makes them, along with a bunch of name brand batteries. The one in my
truck just failed (would not hold a charge for 3 few weeks, as often
as I use the truck), after 7 years.


Johnson Controls makes some of the best (and the worst) batteries on
the North American market today.
Lawn tractors are a VISIOUS environment for a battery - lots of
vibration. An AGM batterywithstands the vibration much better and it
MAY be cost effective to go that route.

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 20:14:02 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote:

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 16:34:29 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 6 Oct 2018 15:10:19 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.




I have found it can be anywhere from about 2 to 5 years. They could be
like car batteries, some cost way less than others and hopefully the
more expensive ones will last longer. If you get 3 years out of the
average Walmart battery you are doing good.

If you have one that can be checked, do you look at the water level in
it very often ?

Water is good, terminals clean, charging system working OK, zero
current with the key off.
I am guessing it may just be a bad battery. A few minutes on the
charger and it starts, mow a while and it seems to be charged. (amps
go down). Then it is OK for a while.

BTW I am not sure why people trash Walmart batteries. Johnson Controls
makes them, along with a bunch of name brand batteries. The one in my
truck just failed (would not hold a charge for 3 few weeks, as often
as I use the truck), after 7 years.


Johnson Controls makes some of the best (and the worst) batteries on
the North American market today.
Lawn tractors are a VISIOUS environment for a battery - lots of
vibration. An AGM batterywithstands the vibration much better and it
MAY be cost effective to go that route.

I would blame vibration if I had a cell connector failure or something
but this just acts like an old tired battery. I really suspected that
I had a drain of some kind in the system when it was off but I don't
see anything on a pretty good amp meter. I am going to try it again
next week and if it is good, I may pursue the drain thing more because
I might just have a flaky switch or other contact that is open now.

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 20:37:39 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 20:14:02 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote:

On Sat, 06 Oct 2018 16:34:29 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 6 Oct 2018 15:10:19 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.




I have found it can be anywhere from about 2 to 5 years. They could be
like car batteries, some cost way less than others and hopefully the
more expensive ones will last longer. If you get 3 years out of the
average Walmart battery you are doing good.

If you have one that can be checked, do you look at the water level in
it very often ?

Water is good, terminals clean, charging system working OK, zero
current with the key off.
I am guessing it may just be a bad battery. A few minutes on the
charger and it starts, mow a while and it seems to be charged. (amps
go down). Then it is OK for a while.

BTW I am not sure why people trash Walmart batteries. Johnson Controls
makes them, along with a bunch of name brand batteries. The one in my
truck just failed (would not hold a charge for 3 few weeks, as often
as I use the truck), after 7 years.


Johnson Controls makes some of the best (and the worst) batteries on
the North American market today.
Lawn tractors are a VISIOUS environment for a battery - lots of
vibration. An AGM batterywithstands the vibration much better and it
MAY be cost effective to go that route.

I would blame vibration if I had a cell connector failure or something
but this just acts like an old tired battery. I really suspected that
I had a drain of some kind in the system when it was off but I don't
see anything on a pretty good amp meter. I am going to try it again
next week and if it is good, I may pursue the drain thing more because
I might just have a flaky switch or other contact that is open now.

definitely eliminate external issues -
BUT

Vibration causes loss of active material from the plates. When the
loose active material builds up in the bottom of the cell it compunds
the problems caused by reduced active material by partially shorting
the plates - causing accellerated self discharge.

By dumpingthe acid and rincing out the cells, then re-installing the
settled out acid (no suspended plate material) a battery will very
often "come back to life" with reduced capacity compared to new, but
with restored charge retention

On 10/06/2018 04:37 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/6/18 1:48 PM, wrote:
Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.

I'd think it would last a little longer in a warm climate.
You might get a good ATV/motorcycle battery from an
auto parts store of comparable size. $100 or so.
I put our batteries for summer equipment in the basement
over the winter.

fwiw I've had good luck with Yuasa batteries in the bikes. I do put them
on a tender in the winter. I have no idea if they make lawn mower
batteries. My mower starts with a brisk pull on the cord.

On 10/06/2018 06:37 PM, wrote:
I would blame vibration if I had a cell connector failure or something
but this just acts like an old tired battery. I really suspected that
I had a drain of some kind in the system when it was off but I don't
see anything on a pretty good amp meter. I am going to try it again
next week and if it is good, I may pursue the drain thing more because
I might just have a flaky switch or other contact that is open now.

Have you tried a desulphator?

http://www.superstreetonline.com/how...-fact-fiction/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Des...an-Altoids-Ti/

I was going to brew one up but realized that by the time I rounded up
the components I could buy a BatteryMinder. The cheapest models go for
around $40. Beyond that you get more bells and whistles and the ability
to handle more batteries at once. I just cycle it through the bike
batteries throughout the winter and they're all ready to roll in the spring.

On Sat, 6 Oct 2018 20:57:11 -0600, lowbrowman, the endlessly driveling,
troll-feeding, senile idiot, blabbered again:


Have you tried a desulphator?

Have you tried a desenilizer, senile Rot? Gosh, is this fun! LOL

1) Make sure there is no current draw when the tractor is parked and switched off..

2) Buy a small charger to connect over the winter. But do not overcharge.
Maybe use a timer so it charges only an hour a day.


3) Buy a digital voltmeter.

A battery on long term trickle charge will last longest with about 13.6 Volts on it.

Any more and it will loose life due to over charge.
Any less and it will loose life due to undercharge.

m

On Mon, 8 Oct 2018 07:18:10 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

1) Make sure there is no current draw when the tractor is parked and switched off..

2) Buy a small charger to connect over the winter. But do not overcharge.
Maybe use a timer so it charges only an hour a day.

3) Buy a digital voltmeter.

A battery on long term trickle charge will last longest with about 13.6 Volts on it.

Any more and it will loose life due to over charge.
Any less and it will loose life due to undercharge.

m

Wise words! :-)

posted for all of us...



Assuming you have pretty much a 12 month mowing season.
Mine is 3 1/2 years old and won't hold a charge for a week.

Up North here mowing season is shorter. The original battery I got in my
first mower was a PowerSonic and lasted 3years! New ones lasted 1 to 1-2 yrs
if I was lucky. Of course, what did I expect with no maintenance? I did
change the oil... Kept up with the battery water as IIRC the charge was
unregulated off the starter... It sat out in the pump-house in the winter
and no starting. Oh well, now they guy comes every other week for $35. The
crew is done in a shorter time than it would take me to get my ass in
gear...

--
Tekkie