13 December 2013
Ideal Lawn Mower Batteries
Most people are turning to battery powered lawn mowers because of their convenience. When you purchase the lawn mower it will come with a battery. The battery will be good for a particular duration. Thereafter you will notice that you lawn mower is not functioning optimally. For instance, if your mower has a hard start it may indicate that you need to replace the battery. Fortunately there are numerous mower batteries in the market. However, selecting a lawn mower battery may be challenging, especially if you do not know the qualities to look for.
Qualities of a Good Lawn Mower Battery
When you are considering replacing you old lawn mower battery, keep in mind the following factors and use them as guidelines when selecting the replacement.
#1. Volts – most garden equipment lawn mowers included either use 6 volt or 12 volts batteries. It is important that you replace your old battery with one with a similar voltage. If you go for a battery with a different voltage you might end up damaging the lawn mower. To identify which voltage to go for you could check you old battery or better still refer to your lawn mower’s manual.
#2. Maintenance – lawn mower batteries come in two variants: low maintenance and maintenance free batteries. Low maintenance batteries demand very little attention – maintenance. All they need will be occasional topping up with distilled battery water. Maintenance free batteries eliminate any hassle and are often sealed and only the terminals are outside the casing. Both types of batteries may require charging when they go down. Charging is best done when the lawn mower batteries are completely discharged.
#3. Quick Start – a lawn mower is a garden equipment that you will not use every other day. You will only take it out when your lawn needs some trimming. Whether you maintain a steady interval between the trimmings or not there will be a period when the lawn mower is not in use. An ideal lawn mower battery should have a high reserve capacity. This ensures that the battery maintains charge between the periods of use. You need a battery that will start your lawn mower even after an extended period of being in the shed.
#4. State Indicator – most batteries are damaged by inappropriate charging. As earlier stated, charging should be done when the lawn mower battery is totally flat. If you charge you lawn mower battery while not fully discharged it will be hard to achieve full charge. With time the battery will not be able to attain full charge no matter how long you charge it. This outlines the importance of a status indicator. When you lawn mower battery has a status indicator you can correctly determine when it needs to be recharged.
#5. Guarantee – a proper lawn mower battery should come with a warranty of at least one year or an equivalent mileage. This indicates the battery is of high quality and not prone to damage. Go for batteries that have reasonable warranties.
If you consider the above factors you will not go wrong when looking for a replacement for your lawn mower batteries. Do not compromise on any of the qualities – go for the best in the market.