Last Updated on March 26, 2024 by Sharaj
Mowers are helpful to keep your garden healthy and attractive. You can use such machines throughout the year, except in winters because the grasses don’t grow in cold weather. It means the tool will be idle until the spring season arrives. You need to follow specific steps before storing the lawnmower, especially if it has a battery.
The battery needs proper care while the mower is stored. Otherwise, it will deteriorate, and your mower will not start in the springs. So, what is the best method to keep the cell in good health? Well, we recommend that you use a trickle charger that comes with a maintainer mechanism. But, do you know how long to charge lawn mower battery using a trickle charger?
The charging time depends upon several factors including the type of the battery and its capacity. Here, we will discuss all the details about a trickle charger to understand its benefits. We will also discuss the precautions you need to take before using such a charger.
How Long To Charge A Lawn Mower Battery Using A Trickle Charger?
The charging lawn mower battery time varies a lot, so it might be tough to tell you the exact duration. The duration can be half a day or even several days depending upon the charger, battery size/type, and amount of power left in the cell. A trickle charger supplies a low amount of current to fill the battery, which means it will take longer than regular chargers.
Similar to all other batteries, lawnmower cells discharge with time. Do you know why? Because the stored charge slowly reduces due to internal chemical reactions, which is also known as self-discharge. A trickle charger keeps the battery charge maintained. Means, this charger supplies energy to the battery higher than the rate its losing power.
Some of the trickle chargers also come with a maintainer facility. You can leave the battery connected with such a charger for multiple days, and it will make sure that the cell remains fully charged.
Factors That Impacts Charging Time
Battery type: What kind of cell your mower uses? You might know it already. If not, then find the battery and locate its properties. If you own a riding mower, then look under its seat. Walk-behind mowers have batteries on their deck. Check the owner’s manual if you cannot find any information on the machine.
See the battery type. What is it? If your mower has a lead-acid battery, then it will take up to 2 days for a full recharge. On the contrary, a dry mortar has a less charging time of up to 12 hours.
Next, you need to check the battery’s voltage. The charging time also depends upon the volts. For instance, a 12V battery can take up to 48 hours for a 100 percent charge. But, a 6V cell might be ready within 24 hours.
Battery Capacity: Another crucial factor is the battery’s capacity, which is measured in Amp-hr. High-capacity cells will take a long time to recharge. For instance, if you are charging a 20Ahr battery using a trickle charger worth 2Amp, expect it to be ready after 10 to 12 hours. The situation changes if you have a battery capacity of 40Ahr; it will take around 24 hours. Choose a powerful lawn tractor battery charger if you own a riding mower.
Charger Amperage: The charging current differs in the trickle chargers. You will find these chargers with amperage varying between 1.5A to 10A. A small electric current means the charger will take more time to more time to rejoice the battery.
For instance, a 5A charger can juice up a 12V cell within 12 hours. The charging time can go up to 48 hours if you are using a 1.5 Amp trickle charger. It’s the reason fast chargers uses high charging current for quick charging.
Prefer a trickle charger with a maintainer function. Such a mechanism keeps the battery fully charged and prevents any self-discharge. As soon as the cells lose charge, the charger comes into the picture and supplies the lost power. Hence, the internal current never loses its track.
Using a trickle charger cum maintainer ensures that the battery doesn’t ask for early replacements. It prevents corrosion as well. Suppose you are using such a charger and then store the mower or blitz in a well-ventilated area. Inspect the charger after every few weeks to check its functionality and connection with the battery.
Charging mode: Modern trickle chargers comes with multiple charging ways. You can select the method using an inbuilt interface cum display. According to the battery’s existing state, some of the complex charges also have the mechanism to change the current and charging pattern.
High-end trickle chargers come with a Repair Mode that can add life to idle and even damaged batteries. The charging model differs for lithium-ion and wet batteries as well. Fortunately, most of the trickle chargers are available with an auto-shutdown function. It’s because overcharging is harmful to any battery. If your charger lacks an auto cut feature, then you should turn it off manually.
The charging time depends upon the condition of the battery and the charging mode you are selecting. Plus, some of the chargers use a specific pattern to charge the batteries. For instance, if it’s taking 24 hours to charge a battery, then there will be 3 hours of fast charging, around 20 hours of steady charging, and float setting at last. Once the battery is 100 per cent charge, the maintenance mode will come into action automatically.
Final Talk
Trickle charging is the best possible way to add more life to your mower’s battery. A trickle charger prevents self-discharge, which means the battery remains active and fresh when you try to use it. You can prefer charging a lawn mower battery once or follow the maintainer function as per the requirements.
In both cases, you need to trickle charge the battery with utmost care. Unplug the charger once your mower’s battery is fully charged. This step is essential if the charger does not have an auto-shutdown function. We hope you understand the trickle charger now and how long it can take to charge the mower’s battery.
