best practices for battery maintenance on lawn mower?

[Tyler Davis]

I inherited a crappy Murray 27 HP lawn mower when I moved into this house 2 years ago. It has been very finicky in starting, especially in cold weather. It sits a lot. I mow once every 2-4 weeks in the summer, then it sits in the unheated shed all winter. So my goal this season is to get it tuned up and take care of the electrical charging system once and for all.

I have taken the battery into Autozone and they tested it and told me it's fine, but I will start by buying a new "known good" battery and troubleshoot from there. How many Cold Cranking Amps should I look for?

I have a cheap-o trickle charger, but I see lots of other options out there. Battery maintainers, battery tenders, etc. What is a good brand and model to buy? Should I leave the battery in the mower all summer, disconnect the cables? Take the battery out and leave it on the changer all year round? Only bring the battery indoors in the winter and leave it on the charger, or charge once a month?

 

[ironman_gq]

Battery tender is good. Walmart has the junior model for around $30 which would be perfect for your use. Leave it connected anytime the machine is going to sit unused for more than a few days.

 

[grizz55chev]

I inherited a crappy Murray 27 HP lawn mower when I moved into this house 2 years ago. It has been very finicky in starting, especially in cold weather. It sits a lot. I mow once every 2-4 weeks in the summer, then it sits in the unheated shed all winter. So my goal this season is to get it tuned up and take care of the electrical charging system once and for all.

I have taken the battery into Autozone and they tested it and told me it's fine, but I will start by buying a new "known good" battery and troubleshoot from there. How many Cold Cranking Amps should I look for?

I have a cheap-o trickle charger, but I see lots of other options out there. Battery maintainers, battery tenders, etc. What is a good brand and model to buy? Should I leave the battery in the mower all summer, disconnect the cables? Take the battery out and leave it on the changer all year round? Only bring the battery indoors in the winter and leave it on the charger, or charge once a month?

The charging system on these mowers are relatively simple and trouble free. I would add that the starter itself maybe the problem, maybe its drawing too many amps?

 

[ANewSawyer]

Hmmm, on either side of the steering wheel housing, there should be a sticker with the model number. If it has a Briggs and Stratton engine, the model number for it is stamped, usually on the valve cover.

So best practices? Change your oil before the first mow and again about half way through the season. If the gas is left over from the previous winter, in can or in the gas tank, change it. It absorbs moisture from the air. Install a fuel line shut off going to the carb and use it after you mow, every time shut the valve off and wait for the engine to run out of gas. But remember to turn the key off after the engine stops! Most home improvement or hardware stores should carry the fuel valve. When you are installing the valve, change the fuel filter if you can't tell me how old it is. Remove, sharpen and balance the blades at least once a year. More often if you have lots of sticks or stones. Check for grease ports on the deck spindles, front tires axles and front steering assembly. Grease each spring. Now, if you Murray is like mine, the spindles actually have shielded bearings on the inside and greasing might not do much good. But the only way to know is to drive the spindle and bearings out. I changed my spindle bearing and removed the inner shield. YMMV.

 

[Tyler Davis]

Thanks for the tips. I want to focus on the electrical system first, then worry about the mechanicals. I do use Sta-bil fuel stabilizer every time I fill my gas can, so that should avoid the "stale fuel" problems.

Engine is a Tecumseh OHV130

Battery is a 12-Volt / 230 CCA model. How many amps should I look for a in a new battery? Some mornings I do need to start it very cold. Any particular brand?

The difference between a "battery tender" and "trickle charger" is that a tender prevents over-charging? I don't want to buy something that's barely better than what I have.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Just count on buying a new $30 battery every few years or put a car battery in it. The little mower batteries are all pretty much junk and don't last long.

Once in a while I'll see one that lasts 6-7 years, seems to be no rhyme or reason though. Buy the same exact battery thinking it's a good br and/model and it's shot in a year

 

[ANewSawyer]

Cold saps the charge. Remove the battery and store in the basement/garage over winter But put the battery on a piece of wood . It will discharge through the concrete if you put the bare battery on the concrete floor. Or so I have heard.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Cold saps the charge. Remove the battery and store in the basement/garage over winter But put the battery on a piece of wood . It will discharge through the concrete if you put the bare battery on the concrete floor. Or so I have heard.

No, both are not true.

 

[GrassGuerilla]

Cold saps the charge. Remove the battery and store in the basement/garage over winter But put the battery on a piece of wood . It will discharge through the concrete if you put the bare battery on the concrete floor. Or so I have heard.

Wives tale. Local battery re-manufacturer assures me that if that were true, 25% of their batteries would be junk. (Bottom row sits on concrete floor). I thought the same as you for years and always set em on a board instead of the floor. Regularly get 4-6 years out of Interstate mower batteries kept on a float charger Dec-Mar.

Pretty sure the OP has a size or two too small a battery for the engine he's cranking. I run a 300 cca on a 25 hp Kawasaki.

 

[1Alpha1]

The "Battery Tender" line of chargers is superb. Most places sell um, but I got one or two off E-Bay.

You can hook up a Battery Tender to your mower and forget about it. You can leave it hooked up indefinitely.

 

[Johnnybar]

This maintainer has worked fine for me for the last few years. Disconnect the mower's headlights and the starter/generator on the mower will do fine for recharging within 20 mins mowing time while the maintainer will keep it topped off in the off season. If you are not getting it to start within a few seconds of cranking, you need to look at the choke, fuel pump, carb, verify hot spark and clean plugs.

 

[Tyler Davis]

Wives tale. Local battery re-manufacturer assures me that if that were true, 25% of their batteries would be junk. (Bottom row sits on concrete floor). I thought the same as you for years and always set em on a board instead of the floor. Regularly get 4-6 years out of Interstate mower batteries kept on a float charger Dec-Mar.

Pretty sure the OP has a size or two too small a battery for the engine he's cranking. I run a 300 cca on a 25 hp Kawasaki.

I'm open to recommendations. When I search for a 12-Volt mower battery, I get a dizzying array of results. From $30 to $150. Glass-mat sealed lead acid? How many cold cranking amps do I need? How many amp-hours?

 

[ironman_gq]

Group U1 battery 3-350cca should run in the $40-50 range. I've been a big fan of Deka batteries, look at their 11U1L part number, https://www.lowes.com/pd/Deka-12-Volt-410-Amp-Mower-Battery/50183755

Can probably be bought at most autoparts stores as well.

 

[Tyler Davis]

Group U1 battery 3-350cca should run in the $40-50 range. I've been a big fan of Deka batteries, look at their 11U1L part number, https://www.lowes.com/pd/Deka-12-Volt-410-Amp-Mower-Battery/50183755

Can probably be bought at most autoparts stores as well.

thank you; I'll pick one up on my next Lowe's trip

 

[Johnnybar]

I inherited a crappy Murray 27 HP lawn mower when I moved into this house 2 years ago. It has been very finicky in starting, especially in cold weather. It sits a lot. I mow once every 2-4 weeks in the summer, then it sits in the unheated shed all winter. So my goal this season is to get it tuned up and take care of the electrical charging system once and for all.

I have taken the battery into Autozone and they tested it and told me it's fine, but I will start by buying a new "known good" battery and troubleshoot from there. How many Cold Cranking Amps should I look for?

I have a cheap-o trickle charger, but I see lots of other options out there. Battery maintainers, battery tenders, etc. What is a good brand and model to buy? Should I leave the battery in the mower all summer, disconnect the cables? Take the battery out and leave it on the changer all year round? Only bring the battery indoors in the winter and leave it on the charger, or charge once a month?

Where did you get the information that it is 27 hp? An OHV130 is 13 hp I believe. Murray placed stickers on the rear of their mowers. You will likely need a U1-7, U1L-7, U1R-7, U1P-7 class battery. $20-$30 at walmart. They also have the charger/maintainers for $20-$25. Get the right battery...do not guess or get an oversized battery that will not fit the hold down clamps. Batteries do not last long when banged around or shorted. If you can't find the sticker on your mower, call the number in the pic:

 

[Tyler Davis]

Where did you get the information that it is 27 hp? An OHV130 is 13 hp I believe. Murray placed stickers on the rear of their mowers. You will likely need a U1-7, U1L-7, U1R-7, U1P-7 class battery. $20-$30 at walmart. They also have the charger/maintainers for $20-$25. Get the right battery...do not guess or get an oversized battery that will not fit the hold down clamps. Batteries do not last long when banged around or shorted. If you can't find the sticker on your mower, call the number in the pic:

I think you're right. Maybe 27" is the deck size? Yes it's a 13 HP engine. I'll look for the sticker tonight and see what size battery I need.

 

[Johnnybar]

Hook jumper cables to a car/truck battery and if that does not spin the motor over, check cables, relay and connections...only then replace the starter. Don't overlook the starter relay...bypass jump it to see if it is bad. If it does spin the motor and does not start easily check the other items i mentioned earlier. Relays and ignition switches can be found under $10. Here is the replacement starter @ $37

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-12V-STA...ash=item3ab76244cb:g:VykAAOSw-0xYcFb7&vxp=mtr

 

[Tyler Davis]

Here are some pictures of the labels

 

[Tyler Davis]

Called MTD and they were of little help. Customer Service rep did 5 minutes of research while I was on hold and was happy to tell me that "your mower needs a 12V battery" . Thanks!

The current battery is this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Group-Size-U1-7-Lawn-and-Garden-Battery/21984263
Is any U1-size battery OK to use, or is there something specific about a "U1-7"?

Here is the charger-maintainer I have. Is this good enough, or do I need to buy a "Battery Tender" brand?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Wives tale. Local battery re-manufacturer assures me that if that were true, 25% of their batteries would be junk. (Bottom row sits on concrete floor). I thought the same as you for years and always set em on a board instead of the floor. Regularly get 4-6 years out of Interstate mower batteries kept on a float charger Dec-Mar.

Pretty sure the OP has a size or two too small a battery for the engine he's cranking. I run a 300 cca on a 25 hp Kawasaki.

I'm told back in the early days of car batteries (20s-30s) the battery cases weren't very good (no plastic then) so it was were the tale came from.
I have had "bad" batteries weap a bit, if left on concrete it will chew up the slab some.