Mowers are a staple for lawn and garden enthusiasts. Some favor battery-operated mowers over their gas-powered counterparts for the low cost to use and maintain them. Plus, they offer silent performance.
These electric lawnmowers eventually run out of juice, especially if left unused for long periods. So how long does it take to charge a lawnmower battery?
A standard 10-amp charger should fully recharge your battery in an hour. However, it can take longer if your charger has a lower output.
Use these tips to maintain the health of your lawnmower battery.
The Charger You Use Matters
Voltage
Almost every modern battery-powered lawnmower runs on 12V batteries. However, dated models might use 6V batteries. Always use a charger that matches your lawnmower’s voltage.
Amperage
When charging a lawnmower battery, amps dictates the charging speed. Ten amps are the maximum output for lawn mower chargers. Any higher, and it may damage the battery.
Useful Features
Some modern chargers have additional features that help extend a battery’s lifespan or improve charging safety and convenience.
For instance, some current chargers come with jumpstart settings that can bring dead batteries back to life. Others shut off automatically once they detect that your battery has a full charge.
Additional battery charging features include:
- Multiple mode settings, like fast charge, slow charge, and float mode
- Hookup failsafe
- Built-in charging timer
- Changeable amp rates
How Long Does It Take to Trickle Charge a Lawn Mower Battery?
Trickle charge current counteracts the self-discharge rate of your battery to keep it fully charged when plugged in. While it maintains a battery’s charge level, its low amp output is less suitable for charging a battery to full capacity.
Trickle charging usually operates at two amps, so fully charging your battery can take several hours. We also don’t advise keeping your battery plugged in for too long because eventually, its internal chemistry starts to wear down.
If you leave your battery connected to a charger, it will eventually die. Overcharging some batteries can also create poisonous and flammable gasses.
How Can You Charge a Lawn Mower Battery Properly?
Use these tips to charge your lawnmower battery safely.
1. Follow Basic Safety Guidelines
Wear safety goggles and thick work gloves when charging your battery to keep you safe in case of an electrical mishap. You should also check your mower’s electrical system for signs of damage, like frayed connections, bloated battery, and other problems.
2. Locate the Battery
Most mower models have their battery hidden under the seat. Lift the seat and look for a positive and negative battery terminal.
Not all lawn mowers have the same build, and the specifications may vary from one model to the next. You can check the owner’s manual for the battery location. If you have misplaced your manual, most manufacturers have online resources you can use to find answers.
3. Connect the Cables
After locating your battery, connect the red charge cable to the positive battery terminal and the black one to the negative battery terminal. Always start with the positive terminal.
4. Rest the Battery Before Disconnecting
Your battery might produce gases while charging. These gases can cause damage to your mower and your health if you don’t wait for them to disperse. We recommend that you wait at least five minutes before detaching your charger cables.
Gas issues usually occur in lead-acid batteries. If you have a lithium-ion battery, you can skip this step.
5. Disconnect the Charger
After waiting for the gas to dissipate, you can unplug your charger from the socket.
Disconnect the negative charger cable first, then remove the positive cable from the battery. Re-install the battery in its housing and connect the terminals, starting with positive, then negative cable.