If an energy-efficient cutting tool is what you seek, buying a battery-powered lawn mower isn’t a bad idea. However, the charging process of a lawnmower battery isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Many factors may indeed affect a battery’s charging time. But generally speaking, how long does it take to charge a lawn mower battery? Read along as our experts explore answers to this dilemma.
Charger Features
It’s not a secret that most lawn mowers whether it is the best 30-inch riding mower, run with a lead-acid or lithium-ion battery. But besides knowing which type of lawnmower battery you have, being well-versed in its charger features can help maintain your lawnmower batteries.
Voltage
If you’re an avid lawnmower user like our team, you’d know that many lawn tractor options in the market operate with a 12-volt battery. However, recently released electric lawnmowers include 6-voltage batteries too.
Getting a charger that suits the voltage requirement of your lawnmower is very crucial. Because if you get a mower battery connected to incompatible charger cables and adapters, it may cause damage to the battery and possibly lead to undesirable accidents. It can also be the reason why your riding mower won’t start working.
Amperage
The specification that dictates battery charge speed is the amperage. If you double-check the chargers sold in today’s market, it’s not hard to notice that most have a maximum capacity of ten amps.
We also recommend using a charger with a lower amperage as a higher specification could inflict damage on your lawn mower battery and the charger itself.
Charging Modes
Another useful feature you should look for on your lawn mower battery charger is its multiple mode settings.
With this capability, the methods of charging the mower’s battery can vary from slow charge, fast charge, and floating modes.
Additional Features
Besides charging your lawnmower battery to a full capacity, chargers are meant to enhance its convenience and lifespan.
For example, some recent lawn mowers have charger cables with jumpstart configuration. You may not know, but it brings your dead mower batteries back to life.
Chargers with timers can stop your lawn mower batteries from charging once it’s detected as fully charged. We recommend getting this type as it helps you avoid overcharging and damaging the batteries.
Standard Charging Time
Whether you are using a brand new or second hand lawn mower, the charge duration is still crucial as it indicates how long you can charge the battery. If the electric lawnmowers run with a lithium-ion battery [1], charge durations depend on the type of mower you’re using.
Getting batteries completely charged for a self-propelled mower will take two hours. On the other hand, push mowers with lithium-ion batteries only takes half an hour when plugged into an appropriate charger.
Besides that, there are also light mowers that take about an hour and a half before fully charging their batteries. Depending on the brand, bigger mowers charge for several hours.
Now, how long does it take to charge a lawn mower battery under the lead-acid category? Unlike the previous battery type, small lead-acid batteries need to be plugged into the charger for 12 to 16 hours. If you’re dealing with a bigger lead-acid battery, it can take up to 36 hours of charge time.
Given that lead-acid batteries have a higher full charge duration, our experts recommend using chargers with higher charge currents to reduce the time between 8 and 10 hours.
Trickle Charging Time
If you got your mower battery plugged into a trickle charger, estimating its charging time can be more difficult than typical chargers. You may not know, but a trickle charge runs at a lower voltage, so expect it to take several hours or even days.
How to Charge Your Lawn Mower Battery Properly: 7 Steps
Step #1: Read Your Lawn Mower for Charging Guidelines
Before connecting the battery of your high-quality Troy Bilt lawn mower to its charger, our team urges you to check the owner’s manual for safety guidelines. It contains useful instructions you can follow if you intend to re-install your batteries into the mower. Besides that, you’ll also find it useful when dealing with common battery problems.
Step #2: Locate and Prepare the Battery for Charging
Locating the positive and negative battery terminal is one of the first steps you should take to charge your lawnmower. Typically, it’s located under the mower’s seat. However, not all models are structured the same. It would be wiser to check the user manual or online resources to confirm the battery placement of the specific unit.
Step #3: Connect the Necessary Cables to Start Charging
Once you have successfully located the battery, grab the positive cable (the red one) and connect it to the positive battery terminal. We recommend plugging the positive terminal first because it lessens the possibility of arching and fusion.
After that, you’ll easily spot the negative charger cable. For reference, its wire is colored black. When plugging it into the negative battery terminal, don’t forget to use gloves.
Step #4: Plug the Charger into the Wall Socket
Now that the battery cables are well-attached, it’s time to connect them to the power supply, commonly known as the electric wall socket. While you can charge batteries through electric extensions, we still suggest using direct sockets for faster charging of your electric mower.
Step #5: Wait for it to Charge
It’s not a secret that patience is the key when charging a lawnmower battery. Lucky for you, most batteries have an indicator light to inform users if the battery levels are fully charged.
And if you own a newer model, some battery features shut off automatically once full charge capacity is detected. We find this feature especially useful, especially for lithium-ion batteries that tend to overheat when exposed to high temperatures. It also helps if you’re charging the battery in a well-ventilated area.
Step #6: Disconnect Once Charging is Done
After that, switch the battery charger off right away. If your battery has no switch, you may proceed to unplug the charger from the electric wall outlet.
Step #7: Allow the Battery to Rest
If your mower operates with a lead-acid battery, letting it rest before disconnecting cables is a great preemptive method for gas dissipation. We suggest waiting for at least five minutes before proceeding to detach charger cables from the battery terminals.
Can You Start a Lawn Mower While Charging the Battery?
Yes, you can start a lawnmower while getting the battery charged. All you need to do is hook the positive jumper cables into the terminal, giving your mower enough power to start operating. Meanwhile, the generator equipped with your mower will be in charge of its battery charging procedure.
FAQ
How long does it take to charge a lawnmower battery at 2 amps?
Charging a lawnmower battery at two amps will take several hours long. This method is often called trickle charging, and it operates in very low electric currents. Considering that it keeps your battery connected to the power source for far too long, it’s not recommended by most lawnmower experts.
How do you know when your lawn mower battery is fully charged?
You’ll know when your lawnmower battery is fully charged through the light indicator. Other than that, newer lawnmower models are equipped with battery timers that automatically turn off chargers once it detects full battery levels. It’s a great feature if you don’t want the battery to wear down due to overcharging.
Conclusion
Some people may think that battery problems can be easily solved by replacing them. However, the truth is there won’t be any issues if you know how to handle your mower’s battery and charger properly.
So if you don’t want your lawnmower suddenly stalling or turning off in the middle of cutting operations, our team advises you to follow the correct charging guidelines.
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