Charging mower battery - Page 2

 
If these are simple series charge controllers with diodes the lowest
voltage battery will hog the current since the higher voltage in the
other batteries will reverse-bias their controller diodes. I can't say
that it WILL work without checking in person with a meter. Some lawn
tractor batteries are very cheaply made and may require a higher than
normal charging voltage to force current into weaker cells.
http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/rvs/2411/Equalizing-charger-on-deep-cyc=
le-batteries

Do you invert your 12V to 120VAC? If so, a regular trickle charger
might be simpler overall, or take the battery home occasionally.

Here is an expensive example of a battery charger that runs off 12V:
http://www.powerstream.com/DCC.htm
They need to contain an inverter to raise the output voltage above
their input voltage.

If you can tinker with electronics these have a useful 12V - 12V DC
inverter:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/COLEMAN-POWERMATE-EMERGENCY-CAR-STARTER-12V-=
/390323871786

jsw

 
I have a 85W solar panel charging my battery operated lawn mower, runs
through a C12 charge controller. I also ran another controller (one of
those cheap on/off that comes with those 15w panel kits) off the same
85W panel to charge a small 12v sla battery (5 amp hour).  Been
running two controllers off the same panel for about 2 years and have
had no problems.
$
5 -$
0, a little wire = problem solved.

     Rob

 
The OP wrote:
"My weekend cabin has:
42 watt Kyocera panel
2  100 amp hour Power Sonic Sealed Lead Acid Batteries
1  Morningstar Charge controller Sunsaver 10
I have just been given a riding mower that has a 12 volt battery that
I
may need to charge from time to time. "

If the batteries are left on charge between weekends they should all
fully charge, or overcharge. My comments were directed toward
discovering a low battery on Saturday morning and trying to charge it
while powering everything else.

jsw

 wrote:


  

Depends a lot on how big the tractor battery is. Most are about 35 Ah
- so a 42 watt charger, capable of producing NO MORE than 3.5 amps,
will NOT have any danger of harming the battery due to too high a
charging current.
At 14.2 volts, which is the peak charging voltage of a 12 volt battery
(or very close) that is only just a hair under 3 amps.

No Problemo.

 On 6/21/2011 3:41 PM, DLC wrote:

I thank everyone for their suggestions.  I now know several approaches
NOT to use.

I am now considering a 5 watt 12 volt solar panel dedicated to keeping a
charge on the mower battery.

If the battery is seriously discharged, I can still fire up the generator.