Lawn mower battery

[Rich'sToys]

Thanks for all the replies!
As I mentioned, I was just toying with the idea. It has a car battery in it now, and I've just been debating whether to change it or not. I appreciate all the responses.

 

[KLPinNC]

connection between battery size and spark plugs????

When it was 6 volt it would foul the plugs and would not start. Even if I was using one heat range hotter plug.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I have a theory. First of all a good lawn battery provides enough omph to crank a lot of small displacement engines, especially those with low compression ratios.

Back to my theory, I suspect your fix for the slamming starter drive is not so much the battery, but the 10ga cable limiting the inrush current and thus starter power for an instant. What do you think? If it were here, I'd be tempted to try a bigger cable to see if that is correct.

edit to add: I have a JD 455 garden tractor/mower. It has a 22hp Yanmar diesel. The same chassis is sold as a 425 and 445 in the US and 415 in Europe. Those are gas engines and have the typical lawn/garden battery. The diesel has a group 51 car battery, the largest that they could squeeze between the frame and flywheel in front of the diesel.

Ken
I used 10g wire because I wanted to add resistance, limit starting current and stop overpowering a 6 v starter. Mission accomplished.
I measure the room temp cranking amps before I buy any battery.
Believe it or not, a 340 CCA battery will weigh in close to 400 room temp amps about 100 amps less than a small car battery.
I check the price on 340 amp mower batteries. Menards is about $15 less than everyone else.
In a month or so, I'll bet Menards will lower the price $5 to $10 plus 11%,
If I could buy a 340 amp car battery I would do so because car batteries come with a 5 year warranty. A mower battery is one year.
However I get 5 to 7 years out of a 340 amp sealed battery. I would not buy the cheaper mower batteries.
I have 5 smart chargers that I rotate year around to keep batteries topped off, especially in the winter.

 

[KLPinNC]

Of course. It probably even burns less gas now.

The voltage regulator went bad, I had a 12 volt generator , VR and coil. I had to buy the cables. No it burns more gas because I use it more, I know that it will start and I didn’t have to buy a 140 dollar battery and a 100 dollar Voltage regulator.

 

[NDIHC]

When it was 6 volt it would foul the plugs and would not start. Even if I was using one heat range hotter plug.

Gotcha...I was thinking you meant switching from a car battery to a lawn tractor battery kept the plugs from fouling. 6 volt vs 12 volt makes more sense! Hotter spark.

 

[johnnmr]

6 volt systems can work well.

12 volt systems can work well.

Cranking the snot out of an engine to the point you're concerned about starter damage means it's time to address the poor tune or lack of compression. Or be prepared to plan ahead to use starting aids like block heaters or ether.

 

[olddavid]

I'm not recommending anyone do this but shortly after I retired I tried an experiment with an Acura Integra 1.8 liter engine. I had read of people replacing the battery with super capacitors. I took a compromise approach using a pretty small 12 volt lawn mower battery and a couple of banks of 12 volt super capacitors. Long story shortened it actually worked great until the circuitry on one or both capacitor banks that keep the capacitors charged to the same voltages smoked a bit. Had I used heavier duty capacitors without the added circuitry I think it might still be working. Live and learn. It's easier just to get the right size battery but it was fun experimenting.

 

[AlexFar]

I've read several times here about folks using a lawn mower battery when converting a tractor from 6 volt to 12 volt, so as to make it a little easier on the 6 volt starter. I'm thinking about doing that to my John Deere B this spring.

My question is--what kind of ends did you use on the battery cables to attach them to the battery? I can think of 3 possible options:

1. Attach these to the battery and keep the regular ends on the cables.
View attachment 106092

2. Use connectors designed for side terminal batteries.
View attachment 106095

3. Use the same kind of fitting that is on the other end of the cable.
View attachment 106096
Just wondering what you guys have done. Any pros or cons of any of the above options?
Thanks in advance!

I would use any of the options you listed in pics. May need to inpsect your battery cable for corrosion be good to change that out.

On another note, i have a Farmall H, always fought starting it as it would act as it turned over a little, acting as if the battery was week. Once I oved to my own acreage, i pulled the started. Sourced new brushes and bushings from Select out of Sioux City. Tested the coil and the field and they tested ok. Watched a vide on Utube of a father/daughter whom work on Farmall's on doing this. Farmall starts like it is on crack, still using a 6 volt battery and spins like never before. My step dad was not much into up keep it seems on these old tractors, where I inherited it.

 

[m16ty]

I've never tired a lawnmower battery on a tractor but I have my doubts it has enough CCA to do a good job.

As far as post go, I much prefer a threaded stud post on the battery and a eye on the battery cable. I don't know why they don't make all batteries like this, I have way less connection trouble with the threaded stud vs standard post or side post. All of my larger tractors get group 31 stud post.