Battery Size for Small Tractor

[KEG]

I have a small riding lawn mower and the battery is shot. I don"t like those small (baby-size) batteries they use in these little tracor since they don"t seem to last very long. Is there a problem using a larger battery with higher cranking amps? I am concerned that the cranking amps could put too much of a burden on the starter. But with my lack of electrical knowledge (which is vast!) I don"t have any idea whether this is a legitimate concern.

Any thoughts?

KEG

 

[Anonymous-0]

The starter will only draw the amps it needs, the cold cranking amps is the rate the battery can put out only if the load demands it.

The only rubs with the larger battery is finding a place it will fit and allowing that it might take longer to charge it with the small tractor's small generator or alternator when the battery has run down from setting.

The larger battery seems to have better life, partly because it has greater capacity and the tractor starter never works it hard.

One time I rigged up a small battery trickle charger limited to about a quarter of an amp. I got three years out of that garden tractor battery. Its possible the small battery maintainers may do as well. When I replaced the engine, I bought a rope start engine and eliminated the battery completely. So I've not looked using the battery maintainer.

Gerald J.

 

[old]

As long as its the correct voltage there is no problem using a bigger battery if you can find one that fits.
Hobby farm

 

[Coloken]

Don't worry about it being too many amps, as long as it is the right voltage. I recomend the largest that will fit into the battery box. Of course it needs the right connectors and the location of the terminals so that the cables will reach with the right polarity.

 

[Anonymous-0]

buy yourself a charger from Harbor Freight, I paid $35 for mine. I have charged many a battery with it. You dont really need a high amp battery.

I would simply buy a small amp battery, and a charger you can use on any car or mower battery.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The bigger battery is ok to use but just remember if the tractor has trouble starting for any reason you will have plenty of power reserve to burn up your starter by continuing to try to start it.

 

[NEsota]

The plates in the small batteries, because they may be expected to endure more physical shock could use more antimony in the lead alloy to make them stiffer. This would also increase the rate of self discharge. You might try this, make a battery jumper to connect to the small battery every 2-3 weeks and use a cigarette lighter plug, to plug into a vehicle with a larger fully charged battery. Leave this connected for at least an hour and do not do it when the battery is real low on charge.

 

[RayP(MI)]

Ours came new with a carsized battery, have replaced it with similar sized one. We even use garden tractor for booster battery service when needed. First JD battery lasted 27 years. Let's see you get that service of a garden tractor battery!