Yep, the cold can be brutal on them. I finally picked up a couple of these over the last 5-6 years. I've wired in the pigtail plug to each of my batteries. These little chargers keep a battery at full charge 24/7, making the batteries last a lot longer and always ready to go in cold seasons. I plug em in and forget em. http://www.batterytender.com/Chargers/Battery-Tender-Junior-12V-0-75A.html
The battery in my mtd yard machine lawn tractor is the same one when I got the tractor used in 2008. Every year it starts up right away, and by the time in done mowing the lawn, it's fully charged again. The small tractor sized battery in my Suzuki TLS motorcycle was the original from 1997, it finally gave up the ghost like 2 -3 years ago. New agm in it, it's been solid, I charge it up in spring and no issues. Also the optima red top in my boat was originally on my 87 lx 5.0 stang. I then moved it to my 92 lx 5.0 vert, then into my boat. That battery was new in 2000. The red top was starting to show signs of giving up though last summer and I had to charge it every night before taking it on the lake. It never let me down, even while the battery would be playing the stereo with external amps for hours when the motor was off. In putting a new battery in the boat this year, but I'm not hearing good things about the new optima batteries. I guess they don't make them as well now. I'm lucky I guess.
You hear about that, but it takes some serious lack of thought to actually commit such a thing. Poor kid. He payed for his mom's stupidity. I disconnected the reverse blade clutch interlock thingamabob on my mtd the day I got it. The seat switch. That I left alone.
The battery in my tractor got weak late last summer. Didn't want to buy a new one and have it sit over the winter, so I started it with the jump pack the last month or so I used it. It was dead this spring when I went to do the first cutting, so I jump started it. Got all the way to the back corner of the yard, engaged the blade and it quit running. Guess the electric clutch took all the juice the charging system could put out with nothing left for the ignition coils. New battery made my life a lot easier. Couple years ago the mower wouldn't start. No click, no nothing. Tore the starter off, checked all the wiring, scratched my head, cussed a lot, found the PTO switch engaged. Whoops. That was an hour of my life I'll never get back. Glad you got it figured out PD.
You got off easy. Guess I'm just slower. Anybody have a recommendation for a battery that'll last more than a couple minutes? If I put a trickle charger on it, it'll last longer? That's the same cost as another battery......hmm.
Me too. Thats the first thing I reach for with a no start on the tractor is the deck height adjuster, which has the interlock switch for the blades. It caught me one time about 15 minutes, but I didn't take anything apart.
those battery tenders don't cost very much, thing is I have no power in my shed, I was thinking about getting one of those solar powered deals, I think Harbor Freight has them.
I don't remember, Horkn what the code was, they change all the time, but you can find a lot of different ones for Advanced Auto, just search at RetailMeNot they have a bunch of them, I saved hundreds of dollars with the codes when I was fixing up my Jeep I don't buy anything from Advance Auto in till I go find a code for it, doesn't matter what it is you can find a code to get some money off
WooHoo! Let the charger "recondition" the battery overnight, and then charged it again. Started right up every time after that, but..........tomorrow's another day. Drove it around the yard to make sure nothing mucked up, then put on the deck and mowed like a madman. Did part of the firewood field, did part of the power line field, and the whole lawn. I can get back to work hauling wood in a more timely fashion again.:stacke:
I spoke (typed) too soon. Went out yesterday to get some mowing in after being gone all day (and first non-rain day in the last few), and back to square one. Bat-tree not holding a charge......it's only been 5 days since I last started the thing. Probably doing some shopping tomorrow or Sat., so imma get me a new one.
I'm gonna take a stab Dave. If MM's willing to chime in too... I wonder if your charging output onboard is not re-charging the battery while you're running... so the battery slowly is draining each time you run it. Or... you've got a slight short somewhere that bleeds the battery during storage. Do you store the tractor in a shed/garage with power available? If so, one of those Tenders might be just the ticket. http://www.batterytender.com/Chargers/Battery-Tender-Junior-12V-0-75A.html
Well, I thought about that too, but the last time I charged it, it still didn't start until I jumped it. That was after the charger told me the battery was "full". The shed is actually a small (very small) cabin that I partially rebuilt and yep, it's got power. I'll go get the charger manual and check it out to see if it has a trickle/tender feature. Walmart has the "junior" for about $25......not bad.
Unfortunately, it does sound as tho you got a gremlin livin just under the hood somewhere. I hates gremlins...
My charger has a "float" feature. I've had mice livin' under the hood.....do they count? Cleaned another nest a few days ago when I pulled the shroud to check wiring. Anyone care for some fried mice?
