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Battery Replacement Question

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Slowpoke

03-09-2003 00:31:19

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I just got a '94 White LT 16 lawn tractor with the Vanguard 16hp twin engine. The original battery is a motorcycle design, about 3 1/2" wide with 6 cell
caps. The tractor has been sitting outside for several years unused. The mower stops at random, and won't start unless the battery is jumped with a truck battery, even with the engine running.I believe that the alternator can't put out enough to run the mower clutch and try to charge the dead battery at the same time. A new OEM type battery at Walmart is $80, but a garden tractor battery is $25. Does anyone see any reason not to use the garden tractor battery in place of the OEM motorcycle battery? Motorcycle batteries don't list cranking amps or reserve power like the tractor battery. By the way MTD has the operators manual ($4)and the engine(service?)manual ($2), plus $4 S&H. NO service manual for the tractor.
Any technical help/opinions appreciated. Thanks

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Rick

03-09-2003 17:28:30

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Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Slowpoke, 03-09-2003 00:31:19

The cheaper battery will work fine if you can fit it in. I sell Exide batteries here at the shop and the one you have now runs less than $60 here. I know Interstates are a good bit higher. The one you have in it now is better because they can take the vibration and heat better as they were designed for motorcycles and will last longer. If you get 2 yrs out of any brand $19.99 battery you are lucky.

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Ben in KY

03-11-2003 07:13:15

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Re: Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Rick, 03-09-2003 17:28:30

I usually get about 3 years out of one of the 19.99 Wall Mart batteries in my Gravely with a Kohler K301. It is the cheapest way to go and works fine. I put a 55.00 larger battery in one time and got 4 years out of it. You do the math.

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Robert in W. Mi

03-09-2003 13:27:22

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Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Slowpoke, 03-09-2003 00:31:19

When i need a new batt. for a mower like this, i measure the room in the batt. compartment and buy the biggest batt that will fit! Just be sure to "fully charge" the new bigger batt before useing the mower. The chargeing system probably won't put out enough to charge up the batt to full the first time around. Around here Sams Club several sizes of 12V batts. for $19.99, so it's another place to look. Robert

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Fish

03-09-2003 06:29:19

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Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Slowpoke, 03-09-2003 00:31:19

If you have room, get the cheaper battery. Fish

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Slowpoke

03-09-2003 09:43:42

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Re: Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Fish, 03-09-2003 06:29:19

Fish: thanks. Strange that my post has not shown up on this site on my screen but it must be somewhere or you wouldn't have seen it! Anyway, I will have to make the box width 5 3/4", up from the 3 1/2" and form a larger case. The battery sits under the seat, so there is lots of horizontal room but not much depth before hitting the drive pulley. The cheaper battery is higher by an inch +. Also I don't see any White equipment on this site. I guess it's not to popular....Slowpoke

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Fish

03-09-2003 12:17:36

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Re: Re: Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Slowpoke, 03-09-2003 09:43:42

If there is room is the big question. Try a Napa
store and get the same size battery as your old
one and life will be easier. The forum just takes a while to publish the responses here, I think. Fish

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JimBroughton

03-10-2003 13:39:44

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Fish, 03-09-2003 12:17:36

reading your comments, check the terminal connection at the electric clutch...sounds to me like part of your problem is there...if the tractor is running, the clutch should work, if not...bad connection.LOL Jim

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Slowpoke

03-10-2003 22:05:41

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to JimBroughton, 03-10-2003 13:39:44

When I got the tractor the clutch terminals were the first thing I checked. One wire was broken off at the connector: maybe that's why it was parked. The three position clutch switch tested intermittent, so I dissasembled it and used electrical cleaner. It works OK now. It looks like two or three times is all the case can be opened before the tabs will break off. I didn't consider vibration as the reason for OEM using the motorcycle battery. I'll try a garden tractor battery as I've already started the mounting modification; I can go back to an original battery if I'm not satisfied. It takes a lot more effort to enlarge the mounting hole and form a new case than to add a couple of plates and drop in the old case.
I just received the Operators Manual and it says the OEM battery is 275 cranking amps. The garden tractor battery is 350 cranking amps.
I've been thinking about removing the center mount mower and mounting it in front of the tractor. Has anyone done such a modification? Since I'm mowing high weeds, the front wheels knock the weeds over and they don't get cut well. Many years ago I saw an article in Popular Mechanics or Science showing a single blade rotary mower (like a common lawn mower) mounted in front of a garden tractor. Half of the top housing was removed and the blade was exposed to cut high weeds, and I suppose a few dogs' legs.

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ben in KY

03-11-2003 07:15:57

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to Slowpoke, 03-10-2003 22:05:41

With exposed blades, objects struck by the blade can go anywhere !!!! Be careful.

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steve

04-18-2003 22:20:49

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery Replacement Question in reply to ben in KY, 03-11-2003 07:15:57

keep the dog and kids inside while in action.
If you wear a face shield and a hard hat you should be okay after such a modification.

i've seen these walk behind lawn mower type of machines on tv that take down small trees. they are especially designed for tall grass, weeds and anything that gets in their way. Sounds like that is what you need

steve

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