Can you charge a lawnmower battery with a car battery

Can you charge a lawnmower battery with a car battery

There are some similarities between lawn mowers and regular vehicles, one of which is the use of batteries to start and drive them. So, if you have a lawn mower with a dead battery and there is only a car battery charger nearby, can and should you use it to charge it?

Can I charge my mower battery with a car charger? Yes, you can charge the mower battery with a car battery charger. Simply connect the mower battery to the charger using the attached jumper cable. However, this procedure is only available for 12-volt batteries.

It is a procedure that can be done at home and does not require professional help. However, some precautions should be taken to avoid damage to the mower or the environment.

Why does the mower battery go dead?

At some point, the battery will run down. However, many cars and lawn mowers use gasoline and have a mechanism to recharge the battery during use. Now you may be asking yourself: Why does my battery drain when I'm not even using the mower?

The answer to this question is usually cold. Lawn mowers use lead-acid batteries, which are known to discharge slowly in cold weather. So if you experience this problem in the spring, it's likely that the winter cold is the culprit, which is quite normal.

If your battery is damaged, or if you know your mower has other problems besides the battery, don't hesitate to contact a professional; handling lead-acid batteries can be dangerous.

Preventing battery discharge

To prevent your battery from discharging in the winter, you can store your mower in a place where it's not as cold during the season. You can also run it occasionally during the winter to let the battery recharge.

However, you're probably reading this because your battery has gone bad and you're looking for a way to restore it with a car battery charger, so let's get started.

Charge your lawn mower battery with a car battery charger.

Battery chargers have been around for a long time. A few years ago, their main drawback was their inability to detect and prevent battery overcharging. However, thanks to battery charger technology, this problem is now a thing of the past and you can now safely use them to charge different types of batteries, including lawn mower batteries.

If you don't have a battery charger at home, or simply want to switch to a newer model, you can buy one on Amazon.

Charging a lawn mower battery with a car charger is simple.

First, unplug the charger from the outlet, if it's already plugged in.

Connect the charger's red wire to the positive terminal of the mower's battery and the black wire to the negative terminal of the mower's battery.

Next, adjust the voltage on the charger to match the battery voltage (on modern mowers it is usually 12 volts).

Then plug the charger back into the outlet and wait for the mower battery to charge. If you use a standard 10-amp charger, it may take up to an hour to fully charge the mower battery. Lower amperage battery chargers may take longer.

Finally, you can disconnect the charger in the reverse order of connection.

This method is a very good option for charging a dead mower as it is very efficient. The charger even has several safety features to prevent accidents that could be caused by overcharging the battery.

A word of caution: don't do more than the above steps and be careful where you connect the jumper cables. Your charger may have some safety features, but you don't want to know how far they will go to avoid accidents.

Alternatives to battery chargers.

If you don't have a car battery charger or can't afford one, you can try an alternative: using your vehicle's battery.

Note that this alternative method will not fully charge the mower's battery, but should provide enough power to start the mower and get it to its destination. Also, this method is only suitable for mowers that have a 12-volt battery.

This method is fairly simple and works similar to jump-starting a car using a cable connected to another vehicle's battery.

The first step is to locate the mower's battery, which is usually located under the seat.

Then move your car closer to the mower. The hood of the vehicle should be facing the mower so that the jumper cable can reach both batteries.

Remember to turn off the vehicle and the brakes, as one or both batteries could be damaged if the engine is running all the time.

Next, open the battery compartment under the mower seat to expose the batteries and remove the plastic cover protecting the battery terminals; do the same with the hood and the car battery.

The order in which the jumper cables are connected is decisive: connect the red cable to the positive terminal of the mower battery first and the other red end to the positive terminal of the car battery. Then connect the black cable to the negative terminal of the car battery and the other black end to the metal part of the mower frame. Make sure that the place where you connect the black cable to the mower is not near the fuel tank or the battery.

Now try to start the mower and see if it runs. If it does not work, leave the battery connected for a few minutes and try again. When the mower is running, disconnect the batteries in the reverse order in which you connected them.

It is important to disconnect the mower from the car as soon as possible and not leave it plugged in longer than necessary, as this could overcharge the battery and cause an accident.

What should you do if you cannot charge the battery?

If you find that your battery won't start or won't charge, you may be able to bring it back to life: see this page to find out how to do it.

At a glance

Lawn mower batteries can be charged with a car battery charger, as long as the battery is in good condition and has a voltage of 12 volts. The battery charger makes this process easier and safer for you, as it is specifically designed to reactivate the battery.

If you do not have a car battery charger, but you have a few cables, there is an alternative charging method that is just as effective, i.e. using a car battery.

However, this solution is only sufficient to start the mower and drive it to the desired location in the garden. It is not designed to fully charge the battery and repeated charging will cause it to wear out more quickly.