Mower Batt Charge

[BIGNASTY]

Have a Zero-turn that the battery has ran down to the point it needs to be charged. What setting to use?

 

[BigPapa]

2 amp for 30 minutes, let it cool for 30 minutes, repeat. The biggest thing with smaller batteries is overheating them.

 

[TFucili]

Looks like sealed AGM, so I'd go 2A. If AGMs get dead enough they may not take a charge. In that case, hook it to a known good battery with jumpers, and let them equalize for a while, then charge them together. Afterwards, you can load test the battery in question to see if it was damaged from deep discharge. If it passes, top it off again, and return to service. This process was given to me by my former Deka rep.

 

[BIGNASTY]

It turned the Kawasaki motor over but I didn't want to grind it down to nothing so thats the point of where its at, Not completely dead but weak

 

[TFucili]

10-4, charge away.

 

[DavidC]

When I had a garden tractor going through batteries every year from sitting. I finally bought a maintainer for it during no use times and never replaced the battery again.

 

[BIGNASTY]

When I had a garden tractor going through batteries every year from sitting. I finally bought a maintainer for it during no use times and never replaced the battery again.

Thats what I'm looking at now, I never had much luck with "Battery Tender" would work of a year and KA-Put so I'm looking into another brand for the 4 batteries that need to be pulled from equipment at end of season use & stored over winter so this isn't a yearly thing.

 

[DavidC]

That's strange, the battery tender plus I had lasted close to 20 years before bellying up

 

[BigPapa]

Looks like sealed AGM

The 8U1L is a maintenance free calcium grid battery, not an AGM.

That's strange, the battery tender plus I had lasted close to 20 years before bellying up

I’ve also had a BT+ for over 25 years. Still working good. The key here is the “Plus”. The smaller wall wart BT JR’s will not last that long and they don’t put out enough for anything bigger than a small MC or ATV battery.

 

[TFucili]

I have three Tender Pluses that are going on 20 years old, and we used them at the shop to activate hundreds of new batteries, as well as charge customers' batteries. The Juniors seem less durable. There are other reputable brands, though.

 

[TFucili]

The 8U1L is a wet battery, not an AGM.




I’ve also had a BT+ for over 25 years. Still working good. The key here is the “Plus”. The smaller wall wart BT’s will not last that long and they don’t put out enough for anything bigger than a small MC or ATV battery.

Yeah, my bad, I had to think a minute, as we sold the 8AU1 AGM for some UTVs, like Rhinos.

 

[BigPapa]

In that case, hook it to a known good battery with jumpers, and let them equalize for a while, then charge them together.

Most any “Smart” battery charger will not initiate a charge on a battery putting out less than 9 volts. Connect the charger to the bad battery, then use a set of jumper cables to connect a good hot battery. Turn the charger on, let it stabilize and show it’s charging, and then disconnect the jumpers.

That’s the procedure both our Deka rep and our Christie charger tech instructed us to use.

 

[jhenderson]

To answer your question,I’d use the 2 amp for 24 hrs.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Bigpapa's idea of 30 min on wait and back on for 30 min more sounded good to me. Ive never dicked around with these little batteries before just regular automotive style. which reminds me to go turn it off for the night

 

[BigPapa]

Just to clarify, two cycles may not be enough. I meant that you needed to repeat until the battery is fully charged.

I’m not trying to be the “know it all” here, fellows. My experience with smaller batteries comes from over 35 years in the motorcycle, ATV, PWC, and UTV business. I can’t begin to tell you how many cooked batteries I’ve seen from charging at too high a rate. Optimum charge rate on a small battery is 10% of the amp hour rating for 6-8 hours. Deka doesn’t list an amp hour rating on this battery but I’d say it’s in the neighborhood of 18, which would put you at 1.8 amps for 6-8 hours.

 

[Wiredawg]

Sounds like the question has been answered, so I'll digress a little. I don't need a battery maintainer as there is seldom a period of time my zero turn sits longer than three weeks. We cut grass year round down here in Saint Hedwig TX (edge of San Antonio city limits).

I still need to connect power to my tractor shed though to put a trickle charger on the Kowasaki Mule, it does sit for weeks at a time, although we are on only the second battery in 12 years of ownership.

Big, be suretoletus know how everything turns out. BTW, I only run Murphy pure gasoline. no ethanol, that seems to help them start faster, and I top off fuel when I finish using it and other gasoline machines.

Cheers, Ron

 

[BIGNASTY]

I installed the battery turn the key fired right up.
I run Ethanol Free in all the yard tools and tractors. Some of the old carburetors don't like ethanol and will leak and then need to be rebuilt, They'er pretty economical so the fuel goes a long way

 

[Alan Reagan]

I picked up a Batteryminder from Northern Tool about 6 years ago. After charging, it will desulphate the batteries if necessary. It will will do AGM, flooded and gel batteries. Set it on 2 amps and let it charge and if the battery is heavily sulphate it will pulse charge it until the problem is solved which usually takes about 24 hours.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Ordered the same one yesterday

THANKS