Lawn mower battery holder. Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless…

US5937623A. Accumulator-powered lawn-mower. Google Patents

Publication number US5937623A US5937623A US09/011,163 US1116398A US5937623A US 5937623 A US5937623 A US 5937623A US 1116398 A US1116398 A US 1116398A US 5937623 A US5937623 A US 5937623A Authority US United States Prior art keywords battery handle lawn mower interlocking member mower chassis Prior art date 1995-08-01 Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.) Expired. Fee Related Application number US09/011,163 Inventor Gregor Wolf Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.) Wolf-Gerate Vertriebsgesellschaft KG GmbH Wolf Gerate Vertriebsgesellschaft KG GmbH Original Assignee Wolf Gerate Vertriebsgesellschaft KG GmbH Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.) 1995-08-01 Filing date 1996-07-30 Publication date 1999-08-17 Priority claimed from DE19528167 external-priority 1996-07-30 Application filed by Wolf Gerate Vertriebsgesellschaft KG GmbH filed Critical Wolf Gerate Vertriebsgesellschaft KG GmbH 1998-05-07 Assigned to WOLF-GERATE GMBH VERTRIEBSGESELLSCHAFT KG reassignment WOLF-GERATE GMBH VERTRIEBSGESELLSCHAFT KG ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: WOLF, GREGOR 1999-08-17 Application granted granted Critical 1999-08-17 Publication of US5937623A publication Critical patent/US5937623A/en 2016-07-30 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical Status Expired. Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

A — HUMAN NECESSITIES
A01 — AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
A01D — HARVESTING; MOWING
A01D69/00 — Driving mechanisms or parts thereof for harvesters or mowers
A01D69/02 — Driving mechanisms or parts thereof for harvesters or mowers electric

Abstract

In an accumulator-powered lawn mower, the battery (10) providing power to the electric motor is accommodated in a battery housing which can be inserted into a battery compartment (28) of the lawn mower chassis. For charging purposes, the battery can be removed from the compartment and placed into a charger having a corresponding compartment with electrical contacts. On the upper side, the battery housing has a handle (12) which can pivot about a horizontal spindle (16) and is coupled to a locking mechanism (22) which engages a set of corresponding interlocking recesses (24) when the handle is folded down. Support is provided at the bottom of the compartment, preferably in the form of springs (30). The electrical contacts of the battery are independent of the mechanical attachment and include contact lugs (32) on the battery housing which extend in the longitudinal direction of the compartment and cooperate with contact springs (34) of the compartment which are supported by helical compression springs (36) in order to increase the contact pressure.

Description

The invention relates to a lawnmower with an electric motor for driving the cutting implements which is fed by a rechargeable battery, having the features specified in the preamble of patent claim 1. Such a lawnmower is known from WO 95/08 256. In the case of the latter, the connection contacts between battery and chassis are designed as plug-in contacts, and these plug-in contacts simultaneously form a mechanical attachment means which are intended to attach the battery in a holder of the lawnmower chassis. In this case, the contact sockets attached to the battery cover are mounted in a floating manner, i.e. laterally displaceably, in this cover, in order that contacting can take place even if they are not placed exactly onto the pin connectors in the lawnmower chassis. The floating mounting means that mechanical attachment of the battery in the chassis is possible only to a limited extent. Furthermore, in particular if vibration occurs, reliable contact-making is not ensured, especially when one considers the high currents which flow during the operation of such a lawnmower.

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving the mounting of the battery in the chassis holder. The set object is achieved by the features specified in the characterizing part of patent claim 1. The battery is secured in the battery compartment in an interlocking manner by the lock bolts, and it cannot fall out from its holder even if the lawnmower is tilted or turned over for some reason or other. The locking means automatically engage when the handle joined to the battery housing is folded down. Similarly, automatic unlocking occurs when the handle is swung up, in order to grasp the battery by the handle and take it out in order that it can be charged elsewhere.

The electrical contact-making is completely separate from the mechanical attachment means. Since, according to claims 10 and 11, these contacting means are designed as sliding-action contacts, it is not necessary to overcome any great force when removing or inserting the battery, because the contacts are designed as sliding-action contacts. On the other hand, considerable forces have to be exerted if, as in the prior art, the plug-in contacts simultaneously effecting the mechanical attachment have to be plugged one into the other or pulled apart, because the plug-in contacts oppose the displacement with a much higher resistance.

The design of the sliding-action contacts according to the invention also effects a self-cleaning of the contact areas, with the result that reliable contact-making is always ensured.

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of the battery, fitted in a lawnmower, with the attachment means;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective, partially broken-open view of the battery compartment of a lawnmower with flexibly supported battery; and

In the drawing, only the parts essential for the invention are represented, namely the battery, the battery holder and locking means as well as the contacting means, while the individual parts of the lawnmower are merely indicated. The lawnmower, which has on its chassis the compartment for fitting the battery, may be designed in various ways. It has, in a known way, an electric motor, which is fed by the battery 10 via connection leads (not shown). The battery 10 is an electrochemical secondary element, and nickel-cadmium batteries or lead-acid batteries primarily come into consideration for this. The battery is located in a housing, and the reference numeral 10 denotes the housing with the fitted battery.

The battery housing bears a handle 12, the side legs 14 of which can pivot about a spindle 16. At the part of the legs 14 lying under the pivot spindle 16, the legs of a bracket 18 are articulated about a spindle 20, which lies under the spindle 16. This bracket 18 has one or more, for example two, lock bolts 22 which, when the mower is in the state of readiness, engage in interlocking recesses 24 which are arranged in a wall 26 of a battery compartment 28, into which the battery with housing can be fitted. As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 1 and 3, the lock bolts 22 are inserted into the interlocking recesses 24 by folding down the handle 12, whereby the battery is secured in an interlocking manner in the vertical direction. After swinging the handle 12 up into the position which can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the battery can be removed from the compartment and replaced into it. The battery 10 rests on the bottom of the compartment, on flexible supporting means. These may be formed of flexible material, for example foam, or have springs. According to the exemplary embodiment represented in FIG. 4, the supporting means comprise helical compression springs 30. These flexible supporting means prevent the battery from hitting the bottom of the compartment if there is battery movement. In order to ensure that the battery is always fitted correctly into the battery compartment, guide means, not shown in the drawing, are provided in the form of vertical ribs and grooves. A corresponding corner design of the battery housing and battery compartment is also conceivable.

The support means prestress the battery or its housing against the locking means, with the result that the battery remains securely fixed during operation.

For contacting, the battery or its housing bears in a side wall a plurality of contact lugs 32, which are provided running parallel to one another in the vertical direction. Arranged in the battery compartment is a corresponding number of contact springs 34. These contact springs 34, designed as leaf springs, are restrained at their upper end and bear under prestress against the contact lugs 32 of the fitted battery. This prestressing is increased by compression springs 36, which act on the contact springs and ensure reliable contact-making even with the high currents flowing during operation.

As can be seen, the contacting means 32, 34, 36 are separate from the mechanical locking means 18, 22, 24. The design as sliding-action contacts ensures a self-cleaning of the contacts every time the battery is fitted and removed. Even if a movement between the battery or battery housing and battery compartment takes place during operation for some reason or other, the current transfer is not disturbed as a result, because if anything the contacts 32 and 34 slide on one another.

As can be seen from FIG. 5, the supporting springs 30 may act on a carrier plate 38, which forms the bottom of the battery compartment and supports the battery or its housing.

According to the exemplary embodiment represented, the battery compartment is provided in vertical arrangement in the lawnmower chassis. It is also conceivable, however, to design the compartment horizontally, the supporting means, the locking means and the contacting means having to be designed in a corresponding way, to provide lateral insertion with sliding-action contact connection and lateral locking.

Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery review – Say goodbye to gas

REVIEW – One of the newest innovations in yard work is the switch from gas-powered tools to battery-powered. The benefits are numerous: No fumes, no maintenance, no gas, no power. Wait, scratch that last item—battery-powered tools finally have all the power of gas making them a viable replacement to those smelly gas monsters in your garage or shed. One of the better-known brands of battery-powered tools is Greenworks—who sent me their Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery. The name may be a mouthful, but the mower can handle almost anything thrown at it.

What is it?

The lime-green GreenWorks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ is a self-propelled brushless lawn mower best used for small to medium sized yards. It has variable speed, ergonomic design, one-step height adjustment, 3-way grass discharge, and other features I’ll go over in the review.

Design and features

When you unbox the GreenWorks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ mower, you’re greeted with some immediate good news. Except for two screws to attach the handle, there is no assembly. Once the handle is in place, you’re good to go. A note about the handle: Greeworks placed all the wiring inside the hollow handle, not zip-tied to the outside like so many other mowers. This protects the wiring from all kinds of hazards.

There are three grass discharge choices: Side, bag, or mulch. With rare exception, I mulch when I mow, meaning there’s no bag or side discharge. Mulching chops up the grass more as it revolves inside the mower deck at incredible speed. I do bag about once a season to help keep any grass build-up in check. I have never used side-discharge, but it’s there for those who might prefer it.

If you decide to mulch, there’s a safety plug that goes where the bag catches grass at the rear of the deck. Bagging requires that this plug be removed and the bag be inserted under a large lift-up door—much like every other mower available today.

Speaking of the deck, the Greenworks mower has a 21-inch steel deck. 21 inches is a good size for a battery-powered mower (but it’s not even Greenwork’s largest). Also, the blade cuts up to the edge of the deck, making it easy to track your mowing. While the steel deck is strong, its weight may cut into battery life vs. a plastic-decked mower.

The wheels on the mower are plastic, but with good tread for digging into grass, especially since the rear wheels are 10 in. vs. 7 in. on the front.

The mower comes with a single battery and a charger. The battery takes about 45 min. – one hour to fully charge. That’s about average for batteries of this type.

Batteries go into the top of the mower motor under a lift-up lid. There are two battery compartments that can hold any Greenworks battery, no matter the size or power rating. There are two added features with Greenwork’s battery compartment: The lid is a soft-close design that doesn’t require any snapping into place. Just let it drop and it gently closes. Also, Greenworks supplies a safety key that must be inserted for the mower to work. That’s a huge safety feature if you need to change the blade without worrying about accidentally powering the mower. The downside is, “Do not lose that key if you want to use your mower!”

The one thing that bugs me about battery-powered tools, is that there are no generic one-design-fits-all batteries. Each company has its own proprietary battery designs, so once you buy that first tool, you are locked into that brand if you wish to swap batteries.

Note: The mower only ships with one 60V 5.0 Ah battery. This can be misleading when comparing this mower to other mowers such as the EGO 21″ Self-Propelled Peak Power electric lawnmower, which ships with two 56V 5.0 Ah batteries. The EGO mower sells for 750 vs the Greenworks 500 price. The price difference is substantial, but a single Greenworks 60V 5.0 Ah battery goes for 200, so the price discrepancy is only 50 if a second battery is added.

Start-up of the mower is so, so simple. Many battery-powered mowers require a two-step process of pressing the on button followed by the blade starter handle—in that order. The GreenWorks setup is also two-step, but it doesn’t matter in what order it’s done. It’s not a big thing, but it is one less thing to think about.

While simple, the starting process has both good and not-so-good features. There are left and right blade and self-propelled levers on both sides of the handle. This is good for both left or right-handed people, but if one side lever is squeezed, the other lever also moves. If the other hand is just holding onto the handle under the lever (easy to do), it will be squeezed by the handle. It doesn’t hurt when that happens, but it is a bit awkward.

The handle houses a “Turbo-Mode” button, self-propelled drive-speed lever, and a battery life indicator so you’ll always know how much battery life is left. If you’re using two batteries, the mower will completely deplete one and then automatically switch to the other rather than use both simultaneously.

The drive-speed lever goes from turtle (slow) to hare (fast). I had the lever moved about 3/4 the way to hare and the self-propelled walking speed was too slow for me—and I’m a leisurely mower. Yet the full-on hare setting was too fast resulting in a small selection range between too slow and too fast. Keep in mind that mowing speed is a personal thing, so YMMV.

Turbo-Mode speeds up the blade motor for a faster, more substantial cut—at the expense of battery life—and should be reserved for tall, thick grass areas only. Despite the Turbo-Mode, the motor is geared to use energy savings when it detects an easier to cut grass area potentially extending battery life. For the record, battery life with the 60V 5.0 Ah for me was exactly 36 minutes on a full charge. That’s with a normal cut using self-propelled for the entire mowing. This makes the mower good for smaller to medium-sized lawns. Two batteries will yield over an hour of mowing—perfect for medium to larger yards. My backyard is almost an acre (with many trees) and I was able to cut half of it before the battery died.

While mowing, I noticed a bothersome (for me) trait while using self-propelled. If you need to back up, you have to wait for a second or two fully stopped before self-propelled mode will turn itself off. Otherwise, the wheels lock up and you find yourself having to drag the mower backward. I’m impatient, so giving the mower that extra second or two is something I am still dealing with.

I really appreciate the battery-life indicator on the handle. Many yard tool batteries have the power rating on the battery itself. With my eyesight (and closer handle), it’s much easier to see how much power remains.

The mower can be set to 7 mowing heights—all using one easy-grip handle. After years of futzing around with separate wheel adjustments with my gas Honda, I’ve grown spoiled by these easy-to-use improvements.

Greenworks was thoughtful enough to include headlights on the Pro 60V Lawn Mower—headlights! The LED lights are bright and can allow extra minutes at dusk to finish mowing a lawn. The lights are bright enough (and the mower is quiet enough) to mow in the dark if you want without disturbing anyone. But that’s not recommended in bug-infested Florida, so I don’t. Note that the lights are always on—there is no on/off switch.

So, how does it cut? My backyard is mostly St. Augustine grass—popular in Florida. It’s deep green, thick, and grows fast, requiring weekly mowing. The mower breezed through the grass with the motor increasing in speed (and noise) only where the grass was thicker. But it never stalled—even in the damp parts. Keep in mind that the still new blade helps.

Due to its larger rear wheels, easy start and quiet motor, the Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower is a joy to use, despite a couple of quirks mentioned earlier. I expect the steel deck to hold up under punishing use for years. Now I just have to purchase an extra battery to handle my large backyard.

What I’d change

Final Thoughts

Once you begin investing in battery-powered tools, you begin to accumulate batteries which can greatly extend the use time of any tool. The worst mistake you can make is buying different brands of battery-powered tools. It’s important to choose what brand you will use before buying that first tool to get the benefit of switching batteries among all the tools.

Think of charged batteries as refilling the tank after the tool runs out of fuel. Except there’s no fuel or fumes or maintenance or practically anything else to worry about. It’s a new world regarding yard work and I’m all in.

Price: 499.99 US Where to buy: Lowes Source: The sample of this product was provided by Greenworks.

Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery review – Say goodbye to gas

REVIEW – One of the newest innovations in yard work is the switch from gas-powered tools to battery-powered. The benefits are numerous: No fumes, no maintenance, no gas, no power. Wait, scratch that last item—battery-powered tools finally have all the power of gas making them a viable replacement to those smelly gas monsters in your garage or shed. One of the better-known brands of battery-powered tools is Greenworks—who sent me their Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery. The name may be a mouthful, but the mower can handle almost anything thrown at it.

What is it?

Design and features

There are three grass discharge choices: Side, bag, or mulch. With rare exception, I mulch when I mow, meaning there’s no bag or side discharge. Mulching chops up the grass more as it revolves inside the mower deck at incredible speed. I do bag about once a season to help keep any grass build-up in check. I have never used side-discharge, but it’s there for those who might prefer it.

Speaking of the deck, the Greenworks mower has a 21-inch steel deck. 21 inches is a good size for a battery-powered mower (but it’s not even Greenwork’s largest). Also, the blade cuts up to the edge of the deck, making it easy to track your mowing. While the steel deck is strong, its weight may cut into battery life vs. a plastic-decked mower.

The wheels on the mower are plastic, but with good tread for digging into grass, especially since the rear wheels are 10 in. vs. 7 in. on the front.

The mower comes with a single battery and a charger. The battery takes about 45 min. – one hour to fully charge. That’s about average for batteries of this type.

The one thing that bugs me about battery-powered tools, is that there are no generic one-design-fits-all batteries. Each company has its own proprietary battery designs, so once you buy that first tool, you are locked into that brand if you wish to swap batteries.

Note: The mower only ships with one 60V 5.0 Ah battery. This can be misleading when comparing this mower to other mowers such as the EGO 21″ Self-Propelled Peak Power electric lawnmower, which ships with two 56V 5.0 Ah batteries. The EGO mower sells for 750 vs the Greenworks 500 price. The price difference is substantial, but a single Greenworks 60V 5.0 Ah battery goes for 200, so the price discrepancy is only 50 if a second battery is added.

Start-up of the mower is so, so simple. Many battery-powered mowers require a two-step process of pressing the on button followed by the blade starter handle—in that order. The GreenWorks setup is also two-step, but it doesn’t matter in what order it’s done. It’s not a big thing, but it is one less thing to think about.

The drive-speed lever goes from turtle (slow) to hare (fast). I had the lever moved about 3/4 the way to hare and the self-propelled walking speed was too slow for me—and I’m a leisurely mower. Yet the full-on hare setting was too fast resulting in a small selection range between too slow and too fast. Keep in mind that mowing speed is a personal thing, so YMMV.

I really appreciate the battery-life indicator on the handle. Many yard tool batteries have the power rating on the battery itself. With my eyesight (and closer handle), it’s much easier to see how much power remains.

Greenworks was thoughtful enough to include headlights on the Pro 60V Lawn Mower—headlights! The LED lights are bright and can allow extra minutes at dusk to finish mowing a lawn. The lights are bright enough (and the mower is quiet enough) to mow in the dark if you want without disturbing anyone. But that’s not recommended in bug-infested Florida, so I don’t. Note that the lights are always on—there is no on/off switch.

So, how does it cut? My backyard is mostly St. Augustine grass—popular in Florida. It’s deep green, thick, and grows fast, requiring weekly mowing. The mower breezed through the grass with the motor increasing in speed (and noise) only where the grass was thicker. But it never stalled—even in the damp parts. Keep in mind that the still new blade helps.

Due to its larger rear wheels, easy start and quiet motor, the Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower is a joy to use, despite a couple of quirks mentioned earlier. I expect the steel deck to hold up under punishing use for years. Now I just have to purchase an extra battery to handle my large backyard.

What I’d change

Final Thoughts

Price: 499.99 US Where to buy: Lowes Source: The sample of this product was provided by Greenworks.

Have a Ryobi Battery That Won’t Charge? You Can Fix That.

Lithium ion batteries are a wondrous invention that are lightweight and long lasting. But it’s infuriating when the battery won’t recharge. You stick the battery in the charger and. nothing. Guess what? You can fix these batteries that appear to be completely dead. Read on.

This post is NOT sponsored by Ryobi. They do not approve of or endorse this method for fixing a Ryobi battery. AT all.

One of two things are going to happen as you read this post. You will either unfollow me due to my pathological boringness or. you will propose marriage. So get ready to act accordingly.

If you have any sort of cordless power tool, but especially one powered by a Ryobi 18V battery, you have no doubt encountered the dreaded flashing red charger light.

And if you haven’t. you will.

It inevitably goes like this. you run to the basement to grab your cordless drill because after 10 years of thinking about it, you’re finally going to build that 4 level, Tudor style treehouse with kitchenette.

Or you’re going to hang a picture.

Either way you put your battery in the charger and all you get is a flashing red light, which according to the label on the charger means your battery is defective. It isn’t just dead. It’s defective.

I’m here to tell you you it isn’t. You probably left it in the charger too long which drains the battery.

Your battery is fine. It just needs a little boost.

You Can Fix a Rechargeable Battery That Won’t Take a Charge.

You heard me right. You do NOT have to buy a new 50 battery. You do not have to call the company and swear at them because this stupid defective battery is only 2 weeks old. (although by all means feel free to do so) You do not have to wait until they ship you a replacement battery to finish your project. You can get that battery up and working in about 5 minutes.

NOTE: First try pulse charging.

Pulse charge your battery by plugging and unplugging your charger (with the battery in it) for 10 seconds. Try this a few times. If it doesn’t correct the problem, continue on with this tutorial.

How to Fix an 18V Battery

What You Need

A multimeter. (this is actually optional but helpful. if you don’t have one don’t worry, you can still fix your battery)

Note: If you aren’t used to doing this sort of thing, or using things like a multimeter this is going to seem crazy and hard and way out of your DIY league. It isn’t.

Step 1. Cut the end off of your AC adapter. That’s right. Just cut it off. It’s for a 10 year old cell phone, you’re never going to use it again anyway. It’s frankly kind of weird that you saved it to begin with.

Step 2. Separate and strip off 1 of each wire. You have just made booster cables! Good for you.

Black wire = negative Striped or solid white wire = positive

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOT MIX THE TWO UP.

Step 3. Remove the screws holding the battery together.

For Ryobi batteries it’s a star shaped screw head like the one below.

A few years ago I bought a kit of small screwdriver heads from Amazon that has every small, weird, head you’d ever need.

There’s a hidden screw under a piece of plastic. You need to pry the plastic off to get at the screw underneath. I used a very thin screwdriver to pry it off.

Step 4. Pull the top off of the battery case.

Step 5. Remove the 2 plastic side pieces. They’re the things you press in to remove your battery from your drill.

Step 6. Lift the battery pack out.

Step 7. Set the Multimeter to read volts. For testing an 18 volt battery choose the 20 volts setting. This will give you the most accurate reading. (If you don’t have a multimeter skip to Step 9 and hope for the best)

Volts are symbolized by a V with one or two straight lines over it on a multimeter so it’s that section of the multimeter that you use. The section under the V with the straight line(s). Not the squiggly line. The straight line.

Step 8. Touching the red probe to the positive (red) terminal and the black probe to the negative (black) terminal, read the voltage shown on the multimeter. In my case the battery was carrying a charge of 0.06 volts. Which is almost nothing, but not completely nothing.

Step 9. Plug your AC adapter in and using the wires, boost your dead battery. Just touch the black wire to the negative terminal (the one with the black wire going to it) and the white wire (or striped wire) to the positive terminal (the one with the red wire going to it). Do this on and off for approximately a minute.

Apparently lithium ion batteries should be pulse charged. Which means you hold your wires down for 15 seconds or so, then release them. Then hold them down again. Over and over.

DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU ARE TOUCHING POSITIVE TO POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TO NEGATIVE.

Step 10. Test your the voltage on your battery pack again. It should be higher than it was before boosting. (Again, if you don’t have a multimeter don’t worry about this. you’ll just have to press on without one)

Mine went from 0.06 volts to 7.58 volts after a minute long boosting session.

Step 11. Put the plastic cover back on the battery pack (just the part that goes into the charger) and set your battery on the charger to see if it will take a charge.

If you still only get a red flashing light and the battery won’t charge, boost the battery some more. I find the battery charger will recognize that the battery is good again when you boost it to between 10 and 14 volts.

Just keep repeating the pulse boosting and testing the battery until it will finally be recognized by the charger and you get the green light.

To those of you who found this subject matter to be on par with spending 3 hours in a waiting room, sorry ’bout that.

For the rest of you? I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way. Let me know exactly how elated you were after you brought your first battery back to life in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев section.

Here’s a 3 minute tutorial video showing me as I fix my own battery.

How to Fix a Ryobi 18v Rechargeable Battery

You have an almost brand new Ryobi battery that the charger won’t recognize and won’t charge. Here’s how to fix that.

NOTE: Before doing all this, first try to pulse charge your battery by plugging and unplugging your charger (with the battery in it) for 10 seconds. Try this a few times. If it doesn’t correct the problem, continue on with this tutorial.

Instructions

Cut the end off of your AC adapter. That’s right. Just cut it off. It’s for a 10 year old cell phone, you’re never going to use it again anyway. It’s frankly kind of weird that you saved it to begin with.

Remove the screws holding the battery together. There’s a hidden screw under a piece of plastic. You need to pry the plastic off to get at the screw underneath. I used a very thin screwdriver to pry it off.

Remove the 2 plastic side pieces. They’re the things you press in to remove your battery from your drill.

Set the Multimeter to read volts. For testing an 18 volt battery choose the 20 volts setting. This will give you the most accurate reading. (If you don’t have a multimeter skip to Step 9 and hope for the best)

Touching the red probe to the positive (red) terminal and the black probe to the negative (black) terminal, read the voltage shown on the multimeter. In my case the battery was carrying a charge of 0.06 volts. Which is almost nothing, but not completely nothing.

Plug your AC adapter in and using the wires, boost your dead battery. Just touch the black wire to the negative terminal (the one with the black wire going to it) and the white wire (or striped wire) to the positive terminal (the one with the red wire going to it). Do this on and off for approximately a minute. DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU ARE TOUCHING POSITIVE TO POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TO NEGATIVE.

Test your the voltage on your battery pack again. It should be higher than it was before boosting. IF IT IS NOT, THEN STOP. YOUR CELL COULD BE DAMAGED AND CONTINUING COULD BE DANGEROUS.

Put the plastic cover back on the battery pack (just the part that goes into the charger) and set your battery on the charger to see if it will take a charge. If you still only get a red flashing light and the battery won’t charge, boost the battery some more. I find the battery charger will recognize that the battery is good again when you boost it to between 10 and 14 volts.

Repeat the pulse boosting and testing the battery until it will finally be recognized by the charger and you get the green light.

Sources:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5937623A/en
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2020/10/21/greenworks-pro-60v-cordless-21-self-propelled-brushless-lawn-mower-w-5-0-ah-battery-review-say-goodbye-to-gas/
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2020/10/21/greenworks-pro-60v-cordless-21-self-propelled-brushless-lawn-mower-w-5-0-ah-battery-review-say-goodbye-to-gas/
https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/battery-that-wont-recharge/

Lawn Mowers battery, holder, lawn, mower

Lawn mower battery holder. Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless…

US5937623A. Accumulator-powered lawn-mower. Google Patents

Links

Images

Classifications

Abstract

Description

Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery review – Say goodbye to gas

What is it?

Design and features

What I’d change

Final Thoughts

Greenworks Pro 60V Cordless 21″ Self-Propelled Brushless Lawn Mower W/ 5.0 AH Battery review – Say goodbye to gas

What is it?

Design and features

What I’d change

Final Thoughts

Have a Ryobi Battery That Won’t Charge? You Can Fix That.

You Can Fix a Rechargeable Battery That Won’t Take a Charge.

How to Fix an 18V Battery

How to Fix a Ryobi 18v Rechargeable Battery

Instructions