# hope this isn't a lame question but..



## messylawn33 (Aug 22, 2012)

if the battery on my lawn tractor needs a boost, is it ok to use my car's battery to do so. i guess i'm thinking that maybe the car battery is alot "stronger" than the battery in my car. thanks for your patience


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

Yep, you can do that - just hook up the tractor battery with jumper cables to the car , start the car and keep it running to charge the battery a bit, then start the tractor.

The tractor battery should be put on a charger overnight after the water levels are checked - probably wouldnt hurt to get a hydrometer to see how good the battery is also- could have a cell going bad.

Ive considered buying one of those jump packs, since i have so many tractors .


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## messylawn33 (Aug 22, 2012)

http://www.ehow.com/way_5860802_do-charge-lawn-tractor-battery_.html

what do you make of this article. check out the "warning"

i guess i should have mentioned the battery in question. it would be the battery in a john deere d100...i'm talking about the battery in a basic residential lawn tractor...nothing with too much hp


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

messylawn33 said:


> http://www.ehow.com/way_5860802_do-charge-lawn-tractor-battery_.html
> 
> what do you make of this article. check out the "warning"
> 
> i guess i should have mentioned the battery in question. it would be the battery in a john deere d100...i'm talking about the battery in a basic residential lawn tractor...nothing with too much hp


Couldn't disagree with the linked article more. LA batteries are charged at constant voltage not constant current. With constant voltage, size/capacity of the battery doesn't matter. A LARGE LA battery will exhibit the same voltage as a small one. Fully charged the voltage will be very close to 12.7V. Connected to a small battery it can't charge the smaller battery any higher than the voltage on the large battery. Current moved from one battery to another is limited by the delta V, i.e. voltage difference between the two batteries. Same goes for battery charger to battery, charge rate is controlled by the voltage differences.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

I have a battery charger specifically for smaller batteries that I have in my Motorcycles. Apparently it charges a little less hash than an automotive charger. Cost me a battery to find this out!! Regardless, it is a good unit, and I use it to maintain all my 12v batteries, and I don't burn up my bike battery anymore either.

It's called an Optimate and here is a quote from their web site
"*With Proper Battery Maintenance you can expect to get years of life from your battery, and with an Optimate charger/maintainer you can be sure your battery will be operating at its best! Highly recommended for off-season storage and ideal for general maintence between rides during the summer. Optimate has the ability to desulphate and save neglected batteries when other chargers can't. With a 24/7 Automatic Storage control and a low amp trickle charge you can be confident that your battery will not overcharge, even during months-long connection during off season battery maintainence.* "

In the mean time, by all means use the car to get the tractor going.
Good luck


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

Ive used my truck to start one of my tractors before - i never had it explode or anything- i hooked mine right to the starter tho .

Heck even used a 700CCA battery in some of my tractors ( my GT's specify a 700CCA battery) .

I do agree with the winterization setup - unhook and remove the battery.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

And if you do store your battery for the winter in a place that does not freeze, don't set it on a concrete floor, slip a piece of wood under it or it will discharge!


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

pogobill said:


> And if you do store your battery for the winter in a place that does not freeze, don't set it on a concrete floor, slip a piece of wood under it or it will discharge!


Old wives tales. This got started way back when battery cases were made from hard rubber. Even if there were some truth to this originally it is not the case with plastic battery cases. For there to be any discharge, there has to be a conductive path. Even with a dirty battery the shortest conductive path is between the 2 post and not through some magical path at the bottom of the case. Keep the battery case clean and you'll not have any discharge issues other than self discharge which is a totally different matter.

If the vehicle that the battery is connected to doesn't have any parasitic current draw and there shouldn't be for LT's and GT's and many other tractors, there is no need to disconnect. Fully charged a LA battery's freezing point is *WAY* below zero F. Self discharge is low on LA batteries to begin with and the self discharge rate drops as the temp drops. Self discharge rates are on the order of .1% of remaining capacity per day.

Have never pulled a battery for winter. Have original battery in my 7-8 yr old Cub. Battery is at least as old in the old Bolens which sit in a small shed and is rarely used and same for my Yanmar. All of these get a small topping off part way through winter.

What's a real killer on LA batteries is to be left in a partial discharged state. Plates start to sulfate and that's the beginning of the end.


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