Life of riding mower battery

March 27, 2020, 07:58 PM

I bought a Husquverna riding lawn mower about 4 years ago. The battery is not holding a charge. Does anyone have any ideas about what kind of battery life I should expect from the factory battery? I talked to the dealer and he said 2 years was about average. Thanks for any advice.

March 27, 2020, 08:01 PM

h2oys

A few years is what I have averaged.

March 27, 2020, 08:02 PM

sourdough44

4 years isn’t bad. Mine says 2017 right now. I take my battery out for the Winter to the basement, periodically charge it.

I’ve had some go 5-6+ years. I usually get the Walmart type.

March 27, 2020, 08:03 PM

mike56

You got your money's worth.
Just buy a new one!
If you take it out during off season and trickle charge a few times, might be able to stretch it.
If that's the original, you did well.

March 27, 2020, 08:03 PM

WaterburyBob

I also have a Husqvarna mower. Four years was what I got out of the original battery.

March 27, 2020, 08:15 PM

rtquig

On average it was 3 years for my Craftsman riding mower. I've had it 18 years. This weekend I'm putting in a new battery and starter.

March 27, 2020, 08:17 PM

cparktd

4 years is good, likely better than average.
Only 2 years life is not uncommon according to my small engine shop owner friend.

March 27, 2020, 08:35 PM

Pyker

I managed to get five years out of my last mower and it's batteries. Had it ten years and only changed the battery once.

My new rig is two years old and on the original battery still. It gets used year round, mowing and snow blowing, but I keep it on a battery tender all the time, so maybe that helps extend the life.

March 27, 2020, 08:36 PM

PowerSurge

I get 4-5 years out of mine but I keep them on a trickle charger during the winter. Before I started doing that sometimes I wouldn’t even get 2 years out of one.

March 27, 2020, 08:46 PM

Hobbs

3yrs from an original battery on my Cub Cadet. Cut grass just about year round and never trickled it. Might have gone longer if I'd babied it but replaced at first sign of trouble. Life's too short to wrestle with an EOL battery.

March 27, 2020, 08:55 PM

220-9er

4 years is good.
I keep mine on a battery tender when not in use.

March 27, 2020, 09:41 PM

stuffgeek

4 is really good -how was treated - brought in during freezing months??

March 28, 2020, 06:50 AM

houndawg

Replace it with a sealed AGM battery. I'm at 6 years on mine and it still cranks like new. The John Deere battery that came on the mower didn't last 2 years. Vibration tears them up.

March 28, 2020, 08:40 AM

bubbatime

Trickle chargers can cook a battery if left on all day everyday.

I put mine on a timer. The batteries get 4 hours of trickle charge once per week. This seems to be the sweet spot of keeping a battery alive for the long term. My motorcycle and garden tractor get this treatment.

And yeah 2 to 3 years is average life for a tractor battery. Use my trickle advice and you can stretch that for 5-6 years.

March 28, 2020, 09:25 AM

egregore

Considering 4-5 years is average life for a car battery, that sounds pretty good for a mower battery, which is subject to shock, vibration and poor storage conditions.

March 28, 2020, 09:35 AM

maxwayne

You did good. Buy as large a battery as you can. Measure the tray that holds the battery and try to fill it. They don't cost that much more, but it will last longer and give you better service.

March 28, 2020, 09:54 AM

mcrimm

I have both a Kubota Zero turn and a Kubota B series tractor. Both factory batteries lasted about 8 years without any maintenance. I left both in the machines in summer and winter with no trickle charging or removal.

Companies can install good products if they want.

I'm sorry if I hurt you feelings when I called you stupid - I thought you already knew - Unknown
...................................
When you have no future, you live in the past. " Sycamore Row" by John Grisham

March 28, 2020, 10:05 AM

recoatlift

Johnson Controls makes these for wallyworld. I get 3 to 4 years out of ‘em. $25.00 with your old core. The old battery core is worth 13 or 15 dollars.

March 28, 2020, 11:05 AM

houndawg

This is the battery to get.

March 28, 2020, 11:11 AM

PowerSurge

quote:
Originally posted by bubbatime:
Trickle chargers can cook a battery if left on all day everyday.

I put mine on a timer. The batteries get 4 hours of trickle charge once per week. This seems to be the sweet spot of keeping a battery alive for the long term. My motorcycle and garden tractor get this treatment.

And yeah 2 to 3 years is average life for a tractor battery. Use my trickle advice and you can stretch that for 5-6 years.

A lot of the modern trickle chargers don’t keep charging the battery all the time. They monitor the battery once charged and then start charging again once the battery gets down to a certain level.