Can You Jump Start a Riding Lawn Mower with a Car? Guide with pics. Charging lawn tractor battery

Can You Jump Start a Riding Lawn Mower with a Car? Guide with pics

A flat battery must be the most common riding mower complaint. It’s so annoying to hear the click, click, click. Let’s get it figured out right now!

So, can you jump-start a riding mower with a car? You can jump-start a riding mower with a car. Most mowers operate a 12-volt system. Put the jumpers on in sequences 1, 2, 3, 4, and start your mower. With the mower running, remove the jumpers in reverse order 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Not sure you have a 12-volt system – check the battery details on your mower. A sticker or stamp on the casing of the battery will indicate the voltage.

Common locations for batteries to be found – are the underhood, under-seat, under-drink holder, behind-the-wheel, and lots of other hard-to-find places.

Safety

Before attempting to jump-start, check that the battery is secure and not leaking. Leaking battery acid will burn your skin, so if the battery is wet, use gloves and eye protection. Check also that the terminals are secure and not damaged. Damaged or loose terminals will cause arcing and prevent power flow to the starter.

Dirty Battery Terminals

If your battery posts are dirty, clean them before jump-starting. First, kit yourself out with protective eyewear and gloves. It will look like a white crusty build-up on the terminals and battery posts.

Dirty, corroded, or loose terminals create resistance to the flow of power from the battery to your starter and, in return, prevent the recharging of the battery by the alternator.

Sprinkle some baking soda on the terminals and add a small amount of water. This will neutralize the acid and remove the corrosion.

Use a wire brush to clean the surface. Now remove the terminals and clean around the poles and the terminals. Apply a coat of petroleum jelly to help protect against corrosion.

Cleaning The Battery Terminals

Battery terminals (connections) often come loose because of mower vibration, and as you know, corrosion is also common. If your battery terminals are damaged or badly corroded, replace them. Damaged cables may have broken wires within. This causes excessive resistance.

Often you may notice the cables getting very hot while you’re attempting to start the mower. This is a sign of high resistance. Replace with good quality leads and terminals.

Cables – Damaged, worn, or dirty cables will mimic a flat battery. Always check battery cables and terminals before condemning the battery.

Jumping / Boosting Your Mower

The jump/Boost start procedure is very simple; obviously, you’ll need a set of booster cables. If you need to buy boosters, buy a good quality set. Poor quality cables won’t make a good connection and make the whole job a lot more difficult.

I recently bought a set of Cartman boosters recently. I like cables that remain flexible in cold weather and jaw clamps that grip firmly, my guess is I’ll have the years, but I’ll keep you updated, and if I like them, I’ll post a link on the “Small engine tools page.”

Connecting Jumpers

Battery poles are sometimes colored red for positive and black for negative. However, batteries will definitely be marked for positive and (-) for negative. You may need to clean the battery a little to find the markings.

Battery post markings – Look out for positive and negative markings on the battery casing.

Move your vehicle close to the mower and pop the hood to access the battery. You will likely have to remove a plastic shield from the car battery terminals.

Simply match the color and polarity of the leads. Always begin by fitting the Red jump lead to both battery poles first, but it’s all covered below. Just follow the sequence, and you’ll be mowing in jig time.

Jump Start Preparation Jumper Sequence

A ground source is any bare metal. There are always a ton of good places on the engine to clamp to. Clamping the final clamp to the battery negative pole isn’t advised. Doing so may cause arcing, which could ignite battery vapors. It’s a small risk, but it is possible.

Check – All modern mowers run a 12-volt system, and it’s perfectly OK to jump-start from your car. If you are unsure, check the battery casing, it will be marked 12 volts (V).

Tight – Mower blades and engines cause a lot of vibration, and bolts come loose from time to time. Check both connections. Positive red and negative black (-) are clean, tight, and in good condition.

Jumpers – Use good quality jump leads. These are my old worn-out ones.

Connect – Start by connecting the positive red of the mower (1) to the red of the car (2).

Now connect the negative black (-) on the car (3) to a ground (GRD) source on the mower (4). (Any bare metal will work)

Start – After starting the mower, allow it to run for a couple of minutes while still connected.

Remove the jumpers in reverse order, 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Mower Just Clicks

If you tried jump-starting your mower or the battery tested OK, then you may have a starter solenoid fault. These guys give lots of trouble, so it’s highly likely, but it’s not the only possible cause of the click sound. Check out this simple, easy-to-follow guide, we’ll test the solenoid, and I’ll show you the other common causes of the click sound – “Won’t start just clicks.”

Mower Won’t Start No Click

If you tried jump starting or the battery tested OK, but the mower makes no sound at all when you turn the key – You may simply have an open safety sensor, like not sitting on the seat or brake pedal not pressed, or you could have a more complex issue.

Anyway, I wrote a guide to help you find the problem. Check out all the most likely causes here “Mower won’t start – no click.”

Tractor Battery Function

The function of a lawn tractor battery is to start the engine. Once started, the alternator then produces the power required to run electrical systems and recharge the battery. Batteries are designed to give, receive and store electrical power.

A strong, healthy battery is critical to starting a lawn tractor mower. A mower engine only creates enough energy for the spark plug to fire if the engine cranks over fast enough, min 350rpm. So if your mower cranks but won’t start, try jump-starting to eliminate the possibility of a faulty battery causing a slow crank speed.

Once the engines are running, a bad battery isn’t so important. That’s why a mower with a bad battery still runs after you remove the jumper leads. See crank testing the battery below.

Battery Testing

Checking for a full 12.65 volts on a battery at rest is fine for giving you an indication of the state of charge, but it’s not a guarantee that it’s OK. To test a battery for faults, it needs to be loaded, and by loaded, I mean worked hard.

• 100% charged is 12.7 – 13.2 volts
• 75% charged is 12.4 volts
• 50% charged is 12.2 volts
• 25% charged is 12.0 volts
• Discharged (Flat) 0 – 11.9 volts

How To Start A Lawnmower (DEAD BATTERY)

The fast and easy way to check the battery is to use a voltmeter set to 20 volts DC.

I’ve listed a voltmeter on the tools page. It’s a good meter you’ll have for years that won’t break the bank “Small engine repair tools.”

Battery Crank Test – To test a battery, it needs to be loaded with a voltmeter set to volts DC, red to red, and black to black. Have a helper crank over the engine. If the meter drops below 9 volts, the battery is faulty.

Charging System Test – If you have a voltmeter, checking your charging system is easy. With the engine running, set your meter to volts DC and connect the red to red and black to black. Any reading above 12.65 volts means your charging system is OK.

What Battery Type

There are many different types of batteries, wet, gel, and AGM…. Let’s keep this simple.

Don’t buy a wet battery; you’ll know a wet battery – has fluid top-up plugs across the top of the battery. These batteries leak and are usually all over the connectors causing corrosion. It needs to be topped up regularly, and if you don’t, you’ll kill it and void the warranty.

They can’t be stored indoors safely. It can’t be shipped with acid, so if you buy it online, you’ll have to go to an auto store and buy acid. Then using suitable gloves, eye protection, and a mask (because this stuff is nasty), fill the battery cells individually, careful not to overfill them.

Now you’ll need to charge the battery, so you’ll need a charger, back to the auto store……

Instead, buy a sealed battery; they’re easy to handle, have no risk of leaks, no topping up of electrolytes needed, and can be shipped and arrive locked and loaded. Check out the Amazon link below for great deals on mower-sealed batteries delivered to your door already charged and ready to roll.

12 Volt Battery

A typical lawn tractor battery is 12 volts. They are made up of six individual cells, each producing 2.10 volts. This makes a total of 12.65 volts when fully charged; however, referred to as a 12-volt battery. Within each cell are opposing lead plates of cathode and anode submerged in an electrolyte. The chemical reaction of these opposing lead plates causes electrons to flow – producing electricity.

Check Your Battery Shape

Batteries are classified by the shape, size, and orientation of posts and are given a group code, such as U1R. This code will be marked on the battery. If you get this wrong, the battery would still start the mower OK but may not fit in its location, or the leads may not reach the battery posts.

If you don’t want to mess around with codes, just measure the battery height, width, and depth, note which side the posts are and if they are negative or positive. Go online, and you’ll be juiced up in no time.

How Many Amp Battery?

The bigger your mower engine, the more amps will be required to turn that engine over. The output of the battery is very important. When diagnosing electrical systems and thinking about Volts, Amps, and Resistance within that system and how they all relate to each other, I find it helpful to think about energy as water in a garden hose.

• Volts are the water pressure in the garden hose.
• Amps being the water flow rate from the garden hose
• Resistance is the size of the garden hose

Amps

A single-cylinder lawn tractor starter motor will draw 80 – 100 Amps when starting the engine. The more mechanical resistance in the engine, the larger the draw.

For example, in cold weather, when the engine oil is thicker, it’s harder for the starter to turn the engine, and so it draws more energy (amps).

How to Jump Start a Riding Lawn Mower with your Car Safely

Excessive Amp Draw

A starter pulling excessive amps will mimic a flat battery. The reasons a starter pulls excessive amps vary; common among them include:

• Excessive valve lash
• Hydro-locked engine
• Faulty starter motor
• Over full oil level
• Oil too thick
• Internal engine damage

Measuring amp draw is simple. However, you will need a clamp meter.

A typical lawn mower battery will be amp-rated and marked on a sticker 12 V – 32 Ah – 280 A.

12 v = 12 Volts32 Ah = Means this battery can supply 1 Amp for 32 hours (1 Amp would be equivalent to a small light)280 A = Max amount of Amps available

46-inch Stamped, 12-Gauge, Twin-Blade Deck with 12 Cutting Positions []

Other common reasons for a larger amp draw: are worn starter motor; binding starter motor; engine damage; engine hydro-locked; overfull oil level; wrong oil type; valve lash off; failed compression release assembly.

Many of these problems are on the spendy side to repair, so it may be time to assess the overall condition of the old girl before spending money, it may be time for a new set of wheels.

How To Charge Mower Battery

To charge your riding mower battery, you will obviously need a battery charger. You don’t need to remove the battery from the mower, but you will need to remove the black negative (-) cable terminal connection.

Your mower may be fitted with a sealed, maintenance-free battery or a regular lead-acid battery; both can be charged with a normal charger.

I prefer to use a Smart charger; they’re safe to leave on your mower all winter and can also be used as a normal battery charger.

Totally Flat Battery Charge Hack

If your battery is fully discharged, the battery charger will not charge it; it’s designed that way. To hack this, we need to fool the charger, simply connect the flat battery to a charged battery with jump leads in the normal way, then connect the charger and charge.

The jump leads, and donor battery can be removed after an hour.

Wet Battery Charging

A regular lead-acid battery will have a fluid level indicator and removable cell caps, as per the pictures below. A wet battery will need the cell caps removed and the fluid level checked before charging.

Top up with distilled water or rainwater caught in a plastic container. Do not fill past the max level. If you find any of the cells dry, then it’s likely the battery is junk. Advise using protective eyewear and gloves.

Sealed Battery Charging

The sealed battery is much less work; you only need to remove the negative terminal before charging (you don’t need to disconnect it if using a Smart charger). You’ll recognize a sealed battery; it won’t have the fluid caps or fluid level indicator.

1 Volt – A fully charged 12 v battery reads 12.65 volts. Any reading below 12.4 means the battery needs a charge.

2 Remove – Before charging the battery, remove the negative terminal. No need to remove the positive terminal.

3 Fluid – If you have a regular lead-acid battery, you will have a fluid level mark. Check the level; it can be seen through the casing.

4 Top Up – Remove all plastic caps. Top up with distilled water or rainwater caught in a plastic container. Fill to the max. Use safety glasses and gloves; ACID WILL BURN CLOTHES AND SKIN

5 Sealed – You don’t need to remove a battery to charge it, but sometimes removing it can be easier. A sealed battery is maintenance-free; just disconnect the negative wire and charge.

6 Charger – The charger is connected red to positive and black to negative, as per the picture. Charge time – about 2 hours.

What Is A Smart Charger

Consider buying a Smart/trickle charger; these chargers are connected to your mower when not in use. They put out a low amp charge of 1 to 3 amps which maintains your battery.

I treated my own tractor mower last year to a new Smart charger; I bought the Noco Genius Smart charger; you can check it out on the “Small engine tools page,” I’m very happy with it so far, it’s simple to use and works on all battery types, but I’ll keep you posted.

Trickle Chargers

There are different types of trickle chargers:

• Manual, which needs to be turned on and off.
• Smart auto charger – turn themselves on and off as the battery requires.
• The hybrid version will double as a high amp charger when needed.
• Solar trickle versions are also available.

Using Trickle Charger

Connecting them is simple, pop on the color-coded crocodile clips and plug them in. This leaves you with a fully charged battery every time you turn the key. Batteries work best and last longer when their state of charge is maintained; off-season charging is always advised.

How Long to Charge Mower Battery?

This will depend on the size of the battery, how depleted that battery is, and the type of charger you using. There are fast chargers, trickle chargers, and Smart chargers; all will vary in charge time. Usually, 3 to 4 hours is enough for most chargers to lift a flat battery.

Amp Rating

Chargers are amp-rated, so, for example – the mower battery is a 32 amp-hour (Ah) and totally flat. Using a 10 amp charger to fully charge it will take approximately 3 hours.

The Hybrid Smart chargers are the best and, of course, are more expensive; they are designed to charge and maintain your battery when the mower isn’t in use. They will turn off and on as needed.

Related Questions

Do riding mowers charge the battery? Yes, all riding mowers have a battery charging alternator and regulator; they monitor and charge the battery when the engine is running.

Can I use a car battery in a lawnmower? Yes, you could use a car battery to start a riding mower, but car batteries are much larger, and so may not fit in the mower battery tray.

Hey, I’m John, and I’m a Red Seal Qualified Service Technician with over twenty-five years experience.

I’ve worked on all types of mechanical equipment, from cars to grass machinery, and this site is where I share fluff-free hacks, tips, and insider know-how.

How Do I Charge a Lawn Tractor Battery?

It is not uncommon to encounter a dead lawn tractor battery at the beginning of lawn care season. This is particularly likely if the battery cables remained connected to the battery while your lawn tractor was not in use. The good news is that, even if your battery is dead from sitting idle for a few months, recharging it is easily done with the correct type of battery charger.

Battery Charging Precautions

Battery charging should only be done in a well-ventilated area and not in an enclosed space, such as a garage or a three-sided carport. Professional mechanics may at times jump a lawn tractor battery from a car, but this is not a recommended practice for a non-professional. Jumping a lawnmower battery from a car battery can result in the emission of toxic vapors or even cause the battery to explode. Never touch the terminals with your bare hands, and be careful not to bridge the terminals with a tool or any other type of conductor to avoid personal injury or damage to your tractor.

• It is not uncommon to encounter a dead lawn tractor battery at the beginning of lawn care season.
• Professional mechanics may at times jump a lawn tractor battery from a car, but this is not a recommended practice for a non-professional.

How Lawn Tractor Batteries Work

A lawn tractor battery operates in the same way as a car battery. The energy it stores is depleted and replenished via an alternator charging unit. Without this, the battery would cease to function after each use almost and require continual external charging.

Choosing a Battery Charger

The primary factor for which charger you choose is the voltage of the battery being charged. A typical modern lawn tractor will have a 12-volt battery to match the electrical system. Exceptions include lawn tractors that have been customized or modified by the owner or tractors that predate 1980, which use a 6-volt system and battery. Most battery chargers can handle a range of voltages, and may have a switch to allow you to select the voltage that matches your battery.

• A lawn tractor battery operates in the same way as a car battery.
• Without this, the battery would cease to function after each use almost and require continual external charging.

Your battery charger may also have additional charging options that may include any of the following: Trickle or fast-charging, a “jump” mode, timed charging or a 2-amp slow charge option. The 2-amp charge rate is generally the best option for lawn tractor battery recharging as it allows for a deep, thorough charge.

Before Charging the Battery

You are advised to always follow the manufacturers specifications, so check your lawn tractor manual before charging your battery in case specific instructions are available for your make and model. When charging your battery, you can leave the battery in its housing in the mower or remove the battery. Neither option will impact the battery’s ability to charge.

Charging the Battery

When connecting the battery to the charger, attach the charger cables to the battery prior to plugging the charger itself into an outlet. The positive cable is hooked up first and can be identified by its red color and a symbol. The negative cable is black with a (-) symbol and is hooked up second. Set the charge rate on the charger, then plug the charger into the electrical outlet. Newer chargers may beep when charging or illuminate a light when charging is complete, but many need to be manually monitored and timed. Generally, a lawn tractor battery can be recharged in four to six hours.

• Your battery charger may also have additional charging options that may include any of the following: Trickle or fast-charging, a “jump” mode, timed charging or a 2-amp slow charge option.
• When charging your battery, you can leave the battery in its housing in the mower or remove the battery.

After Charging the Battery

If the charger has an off switch, turn that off and then unplug the unit from the outlet once charging is complete. If there is no off switch, skip directly to unplugging the charger from the outlet. Wait a few minutes for any gasses that may have accumulated around the battery to disperse before first unclamping the negative (-) and then positive cables from the battery. You may then hook the battery back up the lawn tractor. Connect the positive first, then the negative (-) cable.

Once your battery is charged, you should be able to resume use of your lawn tractor. In some cases, your tractor battery will fail to hold a charge. This could mean that the battery is too old, that there is a parasitic electrical drain, such as a bad alternator, or that something that draws power has been left on or is not turning off for some reason, causing the battery to drain.

How Long Does It Take to Charge a Lawn Mower Battery? (Find Out)

If you’ve got a riding or electric lawn mower, you’re going to be relying on a battery of some kind to run the motor. No matter what brand of mower you have, or what kind of battery it uses, you’re going to need to recharge it at some point. This could be due to the battery losing charge while sitting during the winter, or simply being drained from use. Whatever the reason is, knowing how long it takes to charge a lawn mower battery is important. There are a number of factors that affect charging time, so I’ll go into detail about different battery charging times below.

How Long Should You Be Charging Your Lawn Mower Battery For?

While there isn’t one precise charging time that works for all batteries, there are some general guidelines that you can follow to estimate how long it takes to charge a lawn mower battery.

To figure out how long your battery will take to charge you need to know a few things: the voltage of your battery, the amp-hours of the battery, and the voltage and amperage of your battery charger. Charging times vary a ton depending on this information.

The way you can estimate the time your battery needs to charge is by taking the amp-hours it is rated for, and dividing that number by the amount of amps your battery charger supplies.

Below is a table that shows a couple of examples of general charging times for two types of batteries using different types of chargers. However, when in doubt you should always check the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Estimated Charging TimesAt 2 AmpsAt 6 AmpsAt 10 AmpsAt 40 Amps

Factors that Impact How Long It Takes to Charge a Lawn Mower Battery

As I mentioned in the previous section, there are some important factors that you should consider when wondering, how long does it take to charge a lawn mower battery? Since there are a ton of different kinds of batteries available, and not all lawn mowers use the same battery, you’ll have to consider a couple of things when making your own charging time estimate.

What you will need to know is: the voltage rating of your battery charger, the voltage of your battery, the amperage of your battery charger, and the amperage of your battery. These things will all affect the length of time needed to get your battery fully charged. Let me explain each factor a bit more.

Battery and Charger Voltage

When going to charge your battery, it is super important that you use a charger of the same voltage as your battery. Using the wrong voltage charger will make it impossible to charge, or ruin your battery.

A lot of people wonder, can you overcharge your lawn mower battery? The short answer is yes. If, for example, you use a 12-volt charger on a 6-volt battery, it is extremely easy for your battery to overheat and break down. While there are people who may try to rapidly charge a 6-volt battery with a 12-volt charger, it really isn’t a good idea.

On the other hand, a 6-volt battery charger used with a 12-volt battery will not produce enough charge for the 12-volt battery to supply power. It doesn’t matter how long you leave the charger hooked up in this case because 12-volt batteries are considered totally dead even when they fall down to just 10 volts.

Battery and Charger Amperage

Regarding charging times, the amp-hours your battery is rated for and the amperage your charger delivers are definitely the biggest factors. 6 and 12-volt batteries are made with a huge range of amp-hours ratings, and battery chargers are available in a bunch of different amp outputs as well.

Unlike with voltage, your battery and battery charger do not need to have the same amperage. The general recommendation is that your battery charger should not have any more than 20% of the amp-hours (Ah) rating as your battery.

This means that for a 40Ah battery, it would be ideal to use a battery charger that is 8 amps or less. Using a battery charger that doesn’t charge very quickly can actually be good for the health of your battery. However, you really don’t want a charger that is overpowered because you could easily ruin your battery with it.

FAQs About Length of Time to Charge Lawn Mower Batteries

Since we’ve covered the basic factors that affect charging times, and also talked about how you can make an estimation of the time your battery will need to charge, let’s go through some more examples.

I see a lot of people not only wondering how long it takes to charge a lawn mower battery, but also wondering about the time that their batteries will take to charge at different amperages. So, I’ll do my best to explain the timeframes required for each charger type below.

How Long Should I Charge a Lawn Mower Battery at 10 Amps?

A lot of lawn mower batteries will charge in about an hour with a 10 amp battery charger. But, batteries with higher amp-hour ratings will require more time. Using a 10 amp charger is a good way to efficiently charge your battery without too much risk of overcharging. Still, it’s always a good idea to monitor the voltage of your battery as it charges if you aren’t using an automatic or trickle charger.

How Long Does it Take to Charge a Lawn Mower Battery at 6 Amps?

If you use a 6 amp charger, it will take nearly twice as much time to charge your battery compared to a 10 amp charger. For the average lawn mower battery, this means you probably need two hours or so for your battery to get fully recharged.

How Long Does It Take to Charge a Lawn Mower Battery at 40 Amps?

Chargers rated for over 20 amps are usually considered to be Rapid chargers. If you are using a 40 amp charger to recharge your lawn mower battery, it won’t take much time at all. You will likely be able to completely charge your battery in an hour or less (depending on your battery’s amp-hours rating).

However, charging your battery as fast as you can isn’t recommended. Fast charging can result in serious battery damage or explosion if not closely monitored.

How Long Does It Take to Charge a Lawn Mower Battery with a Trickle Charger?

Trickle chargers (also known as battery tenders) are commonly rated at 2 amps or less. These kinds of chargers are meant to charge batteries very slowly and they don’t pose the risk of overcharging. In some cases, it could take your mower battery nearly 24 hours to charge completely with a trickle charger. But, it’s worth the wait if you have the time because charging batteries slowly helps extend their life. Just be sure that your trickle charger has a setting for the same voltage as your battery.

About Tom Greene

I’ve always had a keen interest in lawn care as long as I can remember. Friends used to call me the “lawn mower guru” (hence the site name), but I’m anything but. I just enjoy cutting my lawn and spending time outdoors. I also love the well-deserved doughnuts and coffee afterward!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Copyright © 2010. 2022 LawnMowerGuru.com, All Rights Reserved.

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. You can learn more about this here.

How Long Does It Take to Charge a Lawn Mower Battery?

Unless you’re one of the few people who still use a reel mower, maintaining your mower’s battery is probably part of your routine mower maintenance. Of course, your battery always seems to be charged until it’s time to mow your lawn, leaving you impatient and wondering “how long is it going to take to charge this lawn mower battery?”.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at everything and anything to do with lawn mower batteries, from the different battery types used to the types of mowers they’re used in. If you’ve ever had a question about your lawn mower batteries, chances are, you can find the answer below!

It’s Dead, Now What?

Much like any other type of battery, a lawnmower battery dies when the internal voltage drops below the necessary operating voltage. Many times the battery still contains a charge, but the voltage is far too low to perform the task you’re asking of it (such as starting your mower). Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem: charge your battery!

Some lawn mowers that come with a battery will include a charger alongside the machine, but if not, you’ll have to pick one out that’s suitable for the job. Next, let’s take a look at two of the most common types of chargers.

Trickle Vs. Standard Chargers

When it comes to charging your lawn mower battery, you’ll generally have two options: using a standard charger or using a trickle charger. Standard batteries are usually 12 volts, but this will vary by machine, so you will want to double-check your battery before purchasing a charger. Some chargers offer adjustable voltage, rather than being limited to a single battery voltage. If possible, we highly recommend picking up a variable voltage charger!

The biggest factor that affects the speed of your battery charging is amperage. This is another time where you will want to check the manufacturer’s recommendations, as charging your battery using a charger with too high of amperage can damage your battery. However, if you’re not sure (or can’t find the manual), you’ll be happy to know that most batteries can handle up to 10 amps. Assuming you charge your battery at ten amps, it should go from dead to completely charged in about an hour. The lower the amps, the longer it will take to charge your battery.

Unlike standard chargers, where the goal is to get the battery fully charged as soon as possible, the goal of a trickle charger is to maintain a battery’s internal storage capacity. These chargers use a far lower amperage (such as 2 amps), to slowly charge a battery over a long period of time. You can use this type of charger to maintain a battery’s charge when you’re not planning on using it for a while since its low charge rate will counteract the battery’s internal discharge rate.

Most of these chargers will turn off when the battery has reached maximum capacity, making it relatively safe to leave plugged in overnight. However, you should be aware that leaving a battery plugged in constantly will eventually deteriorate, even if the charging unit turns off automatically.

The Dangers of Overcharging Your Battery

Most lawn mowers used lead-acid batteries, which can be negatively affected if overcharged. Truth be told, most people will overcharge their batteries at one point or another without any negative outcomes, but let’s go over some of the worst-case scenario situations anyway.

If a lead-acid battery is overcharged, you may notice a decrease in performance (such as reduced battery life), due to the electrolyte water inside the battery breaking down into gases. If it’s continually overcharged, this will cause the battery to start leaking acid internally which will result in the battery swelling up and cracking.

If you continue to overcharge it, the acid can make its way out of the battery through the cracks and will eat away at anything in its path. Since overcharged batteries can also explode, this poses a big health risk for anything (or anyone) within range of the acidic explosion.

Fortunately, these types of accidents are easily avoidable. For starters, try to avoid overcharging your lawnmower batteries. Routinely check the casing for any cracks or damage. If you notice swelling, stop using that battery right away—it’s time for a new one.

Take the battery in with you to your local small engine mechanic. They should be able to provide a suitable replacement battery and also direct you in the best way to dispose of your old battery.

How Long Does It Take to Charge Your Lawn Mower Battery?

As we’ve learned, there are a couple of different factors that can affect how long it takes to charge your battery. If you’re trying to charge your battery right away, a standard charger offers the speed that you’re looking for. On the other hand, if you’re simply trying to keep a stored battery from dying before you need to use it again, then a trickle charger is a much better choice.

Assuming you’re using a standard 10-amp charger, you can expect your battery to be charged in around an hour. For a trickle charger, you should plan to spend up to 24 hours recharging your battery (the actual amount of time needed will vary depending on the charge level of the battery).

Regardless of which method you use to charge your batteries, we recommend routinely checking your batteries to ensure they’re in tip-top shape and replacing them when they start to show signs of wear. If you’re unable to replace them with OEM batteries, then we encourage you to take a look at these reputable battery brands for your next replacement.

Remember to use safe charging practices, routinely check your batteries for signs of wear, and refer to the user manual for any equipment-specific questions.

Wrapping It Up

Did you learn anything from this article? We hope you did! Feel free to leave us a comment below.

If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on reviews of the latest mowers sign up for our newsletter below!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join over 1200 others on our mailing list and receive the latest news on commercial/residential lawnmowers, handheld equipment, and the lawn care industry. You will also receive a link to our most popular mower resources toolkit!