I purchased this kit a few weeks ago and just completed the install as per this video and everything went well . Everything works just like before . I submit that any reasonably average DIY person with patience can do this on their own. The instructions do move along rather rapidly in this video , so go over it a number of times and double check all your connections before pushing the start button on the battery. Its better to use a handheld screw driver to remove and install the screws for the body parts so as to avoid striping the heads or cross threading. Have plenty of different sized zip ties so you can secure all the excess lines so they're not flopping around. On my first mow of my approximately 4500 sq ft. lawn I used about 25% of the battery. I plugged it in to recharge while I was edging, trimming and blowing and it was fully charged by the time I was done, approximately 30 minutes. I like this kit because it uses only one battery and has these step by step instructions in this video.
Did you cut the metal bracket to fit the battery? If so, any tips? EDIT: I bought an angle grinder and cutting disk and cut out the bracket. Only the two ends were a little tricky to clear of material.
Thanks for this video. I found this project more challenging than I expected, especially the frame and control panel modifications, but between this video and the comments providing some details on additional supplies needed (ring terminals and such), I have successfully completed the project!
You’ve mentioned in here the one question/issue I have, “bypass that blue cable”. You mentioned there’s a tutorial quickly online. Any chance you can guide me there as I have tried to find it. Thanks very much.
@@EricAnderson-j7l I think the key is what the author of this video states at around 3:30 in the video - the blue cable that was connected to the charging receptacle needs to be extended, and after extending it needs to have an eyelet added on the end of the extension so that it can be connected to positive post of the new battery. So I cut the wire to remove the connector that was on it, used a blue 16-14 gauge butt splice to attach a sufficient length of 16 gauge (AKA AWG) wire to it, and then added a 5/16" 16-14 gauge ring terminal to the end of the extension, and finally put that ring terminal on the positive post of the new battery.
@@MattsGeekSide Thanks for the guidance. While I cant add a photo, making sure you are talking about the solo blue wire coming out of the black brick that plugs into the old charger.
I just finshed installing the conversion kit. Everything went well. I used a Dremmel tool to make the meter hole larger. I used a sabre saw with a metal blade to remove the cross member. If there is a redo on the video, elaborate on the "blue wire" and provide a length pf blue wire and the larger ring terminals in the kit. Walmart sells an acrylic cutting board you can cut to fit both spaces for around $10.00. Everything tested out and the mower works great. The video was essential. I went through two sets of Leoch batteries. I was then told by the local golf cart battery replacement people that the batteries were being over charged. I don't know if that was the actual case, but last year I started to unplug the charger after the light was solid and they then lasted until now. I am thrilled with the conversion. Thanks for the kit and info.
I just purchased a kit. Thank god this exists. No joke, it's actually more expensive to buy OEM batteries (that have to be replaced every 1-2 years) than to buy this entire kit. I'm so bitter at Ryobi. I was stupid though and assumed the stock batteries were lithium because two years ago this mower cost almost $4k. I've babied this mower beyond belief and I can only mow for 10 minutes before it dies. The home depot employee also assured me it came with a three year warranty. Oh well. Lesson learned. It will be a great mower once this is installed.
I got my batteries replaced under warranty a little after the 3 year warranty was up. I have the RM480e and paid the difference to upgrade to the 100 AH batteries but they only lasted about 4 years as well. Just finished my 8th season with the mower and it has been amazing other than the batteries. I was getting maybe 20 minutes of cut time this summer and it was pretty rough trying to cut an acre of grass. Basically cut grass every day to keep up all summer. I actually feel lucky that I was able to replace the lead acid with LITime batts this week and back up to 3 hours of cutting time using $100/kWh batteries that should last at least 10 years. If the mower was lithium to begin with I would most likely be stuck buying their batteries at ridiculous prices. But yes, Ryobi should have told people that the batteries will most likely need to be replaced every 4 years at a cost of about $1400 plus.
I completed the battery conversion yesterday, and my RM300e runs better than new. Thanks to this video, I was aware of the extra supplies (and tools) needed, and had everything on-hand by the time the battery kit arrived. But, I think it's a bit misleading of Epoch to market their kit as a 'replacement' kit, when essentials like larger ring terminals, and an extension for the blue wire aren't included, and the included meter is too large to fit the existing hole. These are minor gripes though, and I'm very happy with the results. Many thanks to Palmetto Battery Pros for this video!!!
I used a scrap piece of 2x4 and bolted the control panel to the 2x4 then the hole saw was much easier to open the hole for the new gauge. I went to 3 different stores and none of them had a 2-1/16" So I used a 2-1/8" and it worked ok. Thanks for making this video, well done, saved me from throwing away a $2500 mower.
I just ordered the conversion kit. I'm excited about getting a battery where I don't have to worry about my mower dying after 20 minutes (on a good day), but I'm PO'ed having to do this. I used to be a big Ryobi fan as I have a lot of Ryobi products. My push mower is a Ryobi electric mower. Everything I had from them was lithium, so I assumed (yeah, I know) this mower followed their other lines of products. I do lots of research on large purchases and the reviews were almost universally highly rated and I liked Ryobi products so I figured I would go electric without much of a second thought. I can't wait to get back to the days were my Ryobi mower worked great.
Another successful conversion here. Followed the instructions except I modified the wiring harness for the battery gauge to incorporate a momentary push button which basically shows the battery level only when pressed down. I believe it safer based on some horror stories I saw here about the gauge dying suddenly. It also has the nice sideffect that I don't have to wait 12 minutes for the gauge to go off. It is always off. For the base, for any of you interested, I used 2 regular pressure-treated decking boards vertically in each of the spaces. I then secured them with heavy duty zip ties (really thick, $11.00 for a 15-pack at home depot). The only thing I found annoying was that the wiring that comes with the kit is interminably long. I decided not to cut it, so I had to bundle it and organize it with zip ties. Works perfectly. Haven't done a full mow yet but it charged beautifully and everything works.
You’ve mentioned in here the one question/issue I have, “bypass that blue cable”. You mentioned there’s a tutorial quickly online. Any chance you can guide me there as I have tried to find it. Thanks very much.
Epoch just sent me another battery guage.. the original lasted just one cut. Taking your advice about a push to on button.. can you tell me if you tapped in into the red pos wire coming from the battery to the qauge.. not a ele.cart tech , but trying to "stick to the basics" and wondering if that is the choice to stop the current flow.
@@safriedrich1631 so what I opted to do was to actually carefully strip about 6 inches of the conduit on the side close to the gauge. There, if I remember correctly, I carefully cut the black wire and extended both parts of it and put each side of it into the momentary switch (you don't really have to extend if your switch comes pre-wired). Then I carefully taped everything back up with electrical tape. Then when you press the button, it creates the contact, and the gauge comes on and stays on while you keep it pressed. You could also do it with the red one (it's either the red or the black), it will work the same. But again, you need to be careful to remember to only power up the gauge when the blades are "not" engaged.
@@bkraul you're a life saver !. Another diy'er with this "problem" left his 2nd gauge unmounted and unpluged while running..replugs when needs to take a reading.. to me that would ware out the plastic connector. Thank you for this info. Take care
I purchased the kit, and followed the video step by step to completion. My initial phone call to Palmetto, and then the online ordering process was straight forward. I'm very happy with the equipment, and while the install took me a number of hours to complete, it looks like a OEM install. As others have posted, the voltage draw is amazing, and the recharge time is noticeably faster than before.
I'm now trying to attach the PVC board to the battery tray. The video says he used the "existing holes." But, there aren't any holes in my tray . EDIT: I used 1 existing hole on tray and drilled others with a metal bit. I countersunk flat cap screws into the PVC. Was ok with 1/4 PVC but using thicker board might be better.
Before you do this for yourself just know there are a few more purchases you need to make to actually make it work. You’ll need pvs board or something to hold and secure the battery and charger. You’ll also need to cut a wire and extend it with heat shrinking butt connector, you’ll need cable to extend that, then on the end youll need an ilit the same size as the battery. Finally you’ll need a dremel or some tool to make the battery gague hole bigger but also where you plug in the new charger too. You’ll need a crimper/wire stripper but otherwise thats it. Its not to crazy to do all this. I have no idea what im doing and i figured it out. Runs great now! The video glosses over stuff quickly unfortunately like "bypass that blue cable" he wont show you how but you can find a tutorial quickly online. Good luck guys! Dont give up!
You’ve mentioned in here the one question/issue I have, “bypass that blue cable”. You mentioned there’s a tutorial quickly online. Any chance you can guide me there as I have tried to find it. Thanks very much.
@EricAnderson-j7l apologies for the confusion. There isn't a video on how to specifically bypass the cable. But instead you can find a tutorial on how to bypass cables in the first place.
I just installed the battery I got from you guys. It works as advertised! Thanks for the video!! It was interesting that the LCD display stays on even when the mower key is off. You have to turn the battery off to turn the display off.
The gauge display turns itself off after 12 hours of inactivity. I've had a pair of these in my ZT480 for about a year now, and I always leave the batteries on during the months I have to mow.
@@robh5409 The display died after I engaged the blades. I called Battery Pros and they told me to call Epoch batteries because it seemed to be a systemic problem. Epoch Batteries sent me a new display. I now unplug it when I mow then plug it in when I charge in case it blows out again.
@@saltyshellback that's odd. I have the power for the gauge on mine on the other posts on the batteries versus what the charger is connected to. I have pics of my setup on Epochs website for the 60ah kit from about a year ago.
Could you please provide links to all the items you used for this conversion and send along feedback from your customers that are using your modified mowers…. the longer the history the better. Thanks
I wish I had seen this about a month ago, I just replaced the 4 12v 100ah agm batteries in my Ryobi, It was a easy process, as the tray just slid out the back, so did not have to remove anything other than the back cover. Those 4 batteries cost 150.00 each. But it would be nice to have the unit be a lot lighter, as I pick up the front and let it stand up to clean, replace blades, and it's borderline to heavy for me to do this.
I really like this conversion kit. I am looking at the Ryobi 300E. I wish this size mower came with this kit. Installation looks easy but I'm leary because its electical components and I'm not experienced. I will have to hire someone to install it while I watch...lol Main question: what storage temps are required for this battery lawn mower? my garage is not climit controled at this time. So what is the best way to store without causing damage .?? Great video for someone inexperienced I wish you showed more detail with wire hook ups and the meter and how to change out cables to fit recepticles on battery.
I see you folks are located in Charleston SC, can I order locally and save on any shipping if I pick it up? I see these are smaller than the stock SLA at 30AH, but I have a small yard and really never discharged the SLAs that much. I am concerned about having to cut one of the battery framing mount as I don't have an electric metal saw handy.
Completed this install with no issues, was working great. After a few days, the LCD screen quit. Looked all over, checked connections, no luck. Saw some people may have had gauge failures, can anyone confirm?
Thanks for the video! Would the 30ah swap be sufficient for the Ryobi ZT480e? I want to make sure the 30ah cuts muster and will not be frustratingly weak and discharge after 30 minutes of cutting grass with settings on high-speed drive and high-speed blade cutting.
Great video. It brought my dead mower back to life. The only thing - I was able to cut about .5 acre with battery down to 25% (it took about an hour - grass was a bit taller than normally). I wonder if my battery is faulty. Then again I was able to cut maximum twice my lanw on original batteries when they were new. And they were rated for 50ah. This battery is just 30 ah. So maybe I should not expect more.
With a 30ah battery, cutting the size you have is great. I have the same size yard and looking (desperately) to change my batteries to lithium. Just sound rather pay someone in south Florida to help me do this. No luck unfortunately
I have this mower and like many other people, the lead acid batteries were dead after 2 years. I debated doing this conversion since it’s about the best option, considering finding lead acid replacements is next to impossible. Then it dawned on me, what the hell am I doing? I’m going to spend $800+ to convert this pile myself and cross my fingers it works?? No, time to cut my losses. It’s my fault, I should’ve done more research before purchasing it. To the dumpster you go!
You did nothing wrong. It's extremely unreasonable to expect customers to replace four batteries every 1-2 years for $250 each, plus shipping. I purchased this thinking it had lithium batteries and was told by a home depot employee that ALL ryobi mowers have a 3 year warranty. Unfortunately, he was mistaken and I trusted his word, which is where I royally screwed up. On the positive side, this mower is incredible with this upgrade. I purchased this to save money and the hassle of using fuel. Lead batteries are total garbage. I don't even think home depot is planning on selling ryobi mowers in the future.
I hooked up the battery outside the mower to check out the gauge and see if the battery was fully charged. Initially, the gauge shows 0% even though the charger indicates the battery is fully charged. Then after several seconds the gauge shows "Err". Am I doing something wrong or do I have a faulty part?
Hi Palmetto Battery Pros. I have a few questions: What gauge wire did you use for the Blue wire that you connected to the positive terminal? Someone in the comments said they used a blue 16-14 gauge butt splice to attach a sufficient length of 16 gauge (AKA AWG) wire to it, and then added a 5/16" 16-14 gauge ring terminal to the end of the extension. Do you have a video or instructions on how to do this with Model RY48ZTR75 (75 AH 42" Zero Turn Electric Riding Mower)?
The install looks good except for the Safety Aspect. I would have expected some sort of battery terminal protection with those upright metal posts being not far away. This could be done with a simple design 3D Part for the battery and a backup in the form of a post protection part to keep any shorting if that battery comes loose. I designed one for each of the Epoch batteries that replaced the House Batteries in my RV because of a similar issue but the metal it struck was much farther away. Freak accident!
I connected everything following the video. The blade does not turn no, it worked fine before. Please, let me know if there is anything I coud have done wrong. Thank you.
Could be many things, unfortunately. Go back through video item by item and see if anything jumps out. Make sure blue charger interconnect is connected to positive terminal (you need to extend that wire and add a ring terminal). Make sure battery is turned on (on-off) button on top of battery. Does the gauge work and show battery charge? Also, make sure you don't have any wires/metal from the battery touching the frame or potentially shorting anywhere. Double check all connections.
Looks exactly like what I need! I will buy right away, just wondering about the installation. Is it necessary to cut the metal bracket off to fit the battery? Is that difficult for a homeowner with no experience and maybe not the right tools for cutting a metal bracket? Thanks for the video!
If you mount it at the height of the bracket, you will end up pretty close to the bottom of the plastic seat cover, but still have clearance in my experience. But you really need to secure that equipment in their in case of movement, or worst case flip of the mower. (ie I like to store my mower flipped up on its rear-end in order to get my car in the garage)
Why mount the charger on the mower? I cannot imagine how the cooling fan will react to all the debris that will end up in it. I’m in the process of doing this conversion and the amount of dust, dirt, grass and leaf matter I found in the battery compartment after 2.5 years of use makes me doubt the intelligence of mounting the charger in the mower.
What is the best tool(s)/way to cut out the angle iron so the battery will fit? It looks like it is not entirely cut out and removed (Which seems easier to do. ] And just the vertical piece of the metal bracket is remaining. Is that correct?
I’m a 100% newbi here trying to fix my mower. Have you converted a ry48ztr100 to epoch lifepo4 batteries? Do you have any videos or resources that would be helpful with that conversion?
@@PalmettoBatteryPros i just replaced my 75AH batteries with 100AH, you must mow your lawn weekly no matter if the grass grows or not lol. My 100AH LiFePO4 just made it through my thick tall grass lol
I’m interested in buying one kit, can you send everything I need for a turkey conversion? Wire for the extension and the boards to the right size as well?
The kit from Palmetto has the major electronic components as pictured on their website. You will need PVC board, zip ties, ring terminals, some wire, nuts and bolts, splicers, and the tools to complete the work. I'm working on creating a detailed list of parts I used as I complete this project and will share when I'm done.
@@chrisfarrell7949 Any progress on that detailed list of parts? I just ordered the kit and am ready to make a Home Depot run for the rest of what I need. Thanks!
@@chuckross1235 two 8 gauge 5/16 ring terminals, some small wire (16 gauge) and matching butt splice and 5/16 ring terminal, 2x4 feet 1/2 inch PVC board, 4 3/4" flat head screw/bolts with lock nuts (I used #12 but depends on hole size you drill in rack). Two 48" zip ties. Assorted medium zip ties to hold wires.
Looks like the battery (and gauge) goes into standby after 12 hours. A bit long as it looks like .5 volt drained by the time it went off. But it’s fine I guess.
If there is someone in south Florida who can install this for me, please send them my way. I have the lead acid battery and it’s barely running at this point. I need a conversion asap
Hey gang, I just bought this and "successfully completed" the conversion. The PTO works fine. However, it doesn't move forward or backward. Any thoughts?
Home Depot had it for me, I think Lowes and most big lumber stores have it. It was in the lumber section. I bought a 2' by 4' piece of 1/4 inch thickness.
@@chrisfarrell7949 Do you happen to know the size needed to cut the PVC Board to fit? I rather get something closer to size. I see 12 Inch by 16 Inch available to purchase.
I'm looking to convert the stock lead-acid batteries that came with my Ryobi mower with LiFePO4 batteries. Can someone confirm that 30Ah is enough? Don't I need 100Ah batteries to have the same "power" as when I first bought this mower? Thanks!
The recommended battery lasts far longer than the 4 SLA batteries that came with the mower. This is a great improvement and I'm glad I did this rather than buy a new mower. I was not going to deal with SLA batteries again!
Anyone know how much this conversion would cost on average? Debating whether to just cut my loss and sell my mower as is. My Batteries are shot already
Would this work for the Ryobi ZT 480 which currently opperates on a 48v 100Ah system. I don't know enough about this topic to know if a 30Ah would be enough.
That's about 1/3 the capacity or run time. If you have a small yard and the batteries were still mostly full when you were finished, then this should work. I just replaced my batteries this week, just remove the back panel and a couple of screws holding the tray and the bolt holding the batteries down, unplug a couple of wires and the tray with all the batteries just slides out the back, You will need some type of support to hold the tray as you pull it out, it could be a jack stand or maybe even a 5 gallon bucket, I used my floor jack. Ps, I paid 150.00 per battery, so yea, 600.00(this was for the 12v 100ah AGM batteries like mine came with)
I am in the process of converting my Ryobi RM300e mower as per this video. When you finish tightening the negative wires you say: “Connect the LCD wiring harness into one of the battery communication ports.” Is the LCD wiring the six-pin female connector in the picture with me holding it in my fingers? If so, where does it plug into? One of the six-pin male connectors on the battery?? You then go on to say: “Plug the resistor in the opposite communication port.” What is the resistor? In the package containing the charger there were two thick cables, one red and one black, both with eyelets on either end!! There was also a small cable with a six-pin female connector on either end. See the second picture. And, yes, I am a complete octogenarian idiot! A quick response would be very much appreciated so that I can finish the battery conversion and get my grass cut. A big thank you for any help you can provide. Ooooops! I don't know how to attach a picture!! Everything is now fine. With help I have finished this project and my mower is now up and running. Just have to get an electrical connector so that I can charge the battery.
Why go through this trouble when you could just buy lithium ion replacement batteries four batteries for $430 no cutting, no rewiring required. You do have to spend $40 to get a new charger though
4 X 12 volt lithium ion phosphate batteries need to be balanced charged. As the 4 X 12 volt batteries are wired in series it creates a problem with balancing.
This is true. This Epoch battery will greatly outlast 4 x 12v batteries. One BMS and one set of cells will keep the cells balanced for 3500+ life cycles.
But each of the 12 volt lithium iron batteries already have a BMS already installed, so there's no need for an extra one to balance them. I replaced all four of my Ryobi lead acid batteries with four lithium ion batteries. Total cost $430 been running great for 5 years
30AH Lithium is actually better than 50AH Lead Acid. I thought the same thing but technically you cant use more than 50 percent of lead acid batteries or you start to fry them.
The lead acid replacements were listed at $800 and they probably wont last 2 years. I've never seen a battery with a warranty of 11yrs so I expect it will last awhile.
For the Zero turn Ryobi Models can I use the 48V 30Ah Ryobi Electric Lawn Motor - Replacement Lithium Battery Kit? We have a small lawn and don't need a lot and so don't need the 60Ah. I'm just wondering if the 30 Ah setup can still supply the required amperage for the larger Zero turn Ryobi Models. Thanks!
I purchased this kit a few weeks ago and just completed the install as per this video and everything went well . Everything works just like before . I submit that any reasonably average DIY person with patience can do this on their own. The instructions do move along rather rapidly in this video , so go over it a number of times and double check all your connections before pushing the start button on the battery. Its better to use a handheld screw driver to remove and install the screws for the body parts so as to avoid striping the heads or cross threading. Have plenty of different sized zip ties so you can secure all the excess lines so they're not flopping around. On my first mow of my approximately 4500 sq ft. lawn I used about 25% of the battery. I plugged it in to recharge while I was edging, trimming and blowing and it was fully charged by the time I was done, approximately 30 minutes. I like this kit because it uses only one battery and has these step by step instructions in this video.
Did you cut the metal bracket to fit the battery? If so, any tips? EDIT: I bought an angle grinder and cutting disk and cut out the bracket. Only the two ends were a little tricky to clear of material.
How much did you spend on this conversion?
Yes always double check. Thanks for the comment!! Call us anytime for questions or anything we didn’t cover here
@@CarlosSandoval-sp8gyon sale right now 899.00
@@CarlosSandoval-sp8gy $ about a thousand dollars with shipping .
Thanks for this video. I found this project more challenging than I expected, especially the frame and control panel modifications, but between this video and the comments providing some details on additional supplies needed (ring terminals and such), I have successfully completed the project!
You’ve mentioned in here the one question/issue I have, “bypass that blue cable”. You mentioned there’s a tutorial quickly online. Any chance you can guide me there as I have tried to find it. Thanks very much.
@@EricAnderson-j7l I think the key is what the author of this video states at around 3:30 in the video - the blue cable that was connected to the charging receptacle needs to be extended, and after extending it needs to have an eyelet added on the end of the extension so that it can be connected to positive post of the new battery.
So I cut the wire to remove the connector that was on it, used a blue 16-14 gauge butt splice to attach a sufficient length of 16 gauge (AKA AWG) wire to it, and then added a 5/16" 16-14 gauge ring terminal to the end of the extension, and finally put that ring terminal on the positive post of the new battery.
@@MattsGeekSide Thanks for the guidance. While I cant add a photo, making sure you are talking about the solo blue wire coming out of the black brick that plugs into the old charger.
Great! Thank you for your feedback!
I just finshed installing the conversion kit. Everything went well. I used a Dremmel tool to make the meter hole larger. I used a sabre saw with a metal blade to remove the cross member. If there is a redo on the video, elaborate on the "blue wire" and provide a length pf blue wire and the larger ring terminals in the kit. Walmart sells an acrylic cutting board you can cut to fit both spaces for around $10.00.
Everything tested out and the mower works great. The video was essential. I went through two sets of Leoch batteries. I was then told by the local golf cart battery replacement people that the batteries were being over charged. I don't know if that was the actual case, but last year I started to unplug the charger after the light was solid and they then lasted until now. I am thrilled with the conversion. Thanks for the kit and info.
Great response and feedback! Thank you for the kind words.
I just purchased a kit. Thank god this exists. No joke, it's actually more expensive to buy OEM batteries (that have to be replaced every 1-2 years) than to buy this entire kit. I'm so bitter at Ryobi. I was stupid though and assumed the stock batteries were lithium because two years ago this mower cost almost $4k. I've babied this mower beyond belief and I can only mow for 10 minutes before it dies. The home depot employee also assured me it came with a three year warranty. Oh well. Lesson learned. It will be a great mower once this is installed.
I got my batteries replaced under warranty a little after the 3 year warranty was up. I have the RM480e and paid the difference to upgrade to the 100 AH batteries but they only lasted about 4 years as well. Just finished my 8th season with the mower and it has been amazing other than the batteries. I was getting maybe 20 minutes of cut time this summer and it was pretty rough trying to cut an acre of grass. Basically cut grass every day to keep up all summer. I actually feel lucky that I was able to replace the lead acid with LITime batts this week and back up to 3 hours of cutting time using $100/kWh batteries that should last at least 10 years. If the mower was lithium to begin with I would most likely be stuck buying their batteries at ridiculous prices. But yes, Ryobi should have told people that the batteries will most likely need to be replaced every 4 years at a cost of about $1400 plus.
I completed the battery conversion yesterday, and my RM300e runs better than new. Thanks to this video, I was aware of the extra supplies (and tools) needed, and had everything on-hand by the time the battery kit arrived. But, I think it's a bit misleading of Epoch to market their kit as a 'replacement' kit, when essentials like larger ring terminals, and an extension for the blue wire aren't included, and the included meter is too large to fit the existing hole. These are minor gripes though, and I'm very happy with the results. Many thanks to Palmetto Battery Pros for this video!!!
Epoch is continuing to improve this kit. We will be updating this video shortly.
I used a scrap piece of 2x4 and bolted the control panel to the 2x4 then the hole saw was much easier to open the hole for the new gauge. I went to 3 different stores and none of them had a 2-1/16" So I used a 2-1/8" and it worked ok. Thanks for making this video, well done, saved me from throwing away a $2500 mower.
This suggestion saved me so much anguish!
I just ordered the conversion kit. I'm excited about getting a battery where I don't have to worry about my mower dying after 20 minutes (on a good day), but I'm PO'ed having to do this. I used to be a big Ryobi fan as I have a lot of Ryobi products. My push mower is a Ryobi electric mower. Everything I had from them was lithium, so I assumed (yeah, I know) this mower followed their other lines of products. I do lots of research on large purchases and the reviews were almost universally highly rated and I liked Ryobi products so I figured I would go electric without much of a second thought. I can't wait to get back to the days were my Ryobi mower worked great.
Great! I hope everything went smoothly/
Thanks Cyrus. It’s more about identifying which wire that they say to splice the blue wire and connect to the positive terminal.
Correct
Another successful conversion here. Followed the instructions except I modified the wiring harness for the battery gauge to incorporate a momentary push button which basically shows the battery level only when pressed down. I believe it safer based on some horror stories I saw here about the gauge dying suddenly. It also has the nice sideffect that I don't have to wait 12 minutes for the gauge to go off. It is always off. For the base, for any of you interested, I used 2 regular pressure-treated decking boards vertically in each of the spaces. I then secured them with heavy duty zip ties (really thick, $11.00 for a 15-pack at home depot). The only thing I found annoying was that the wiring that comes with the kit is interminably long. I decided not to cut it, so I had to bundle it and organize it with zip ties. Works perfectly. Haven't done a full mow yet but it charged beautifully and everything works.
You’ve mentioned in here the one question/issue I have, “bypass that blue cable”. You mentioned there’s a tutorial quickly online. Any chance you can guide me there as I have tried to find it. Thanks very much.
@@EricAnderson-j7l th-cam.com/video/dYJMmbJ2tEg/w-d-xo.html
Epoch just sent me another battery guage.. the original lasted just one cut. Taking your advice about a push to on button.. can you tell me if you tapped in into the red pos wire coming from the battery to the qauge.. not a ele.cart tech , but trying to "stick to the basics" and wondering if that is the choice to stop the current flow.
@@safriedrich1631 so what I opted to do was to actually carefully strip about 6 inches of the conduit on the side close to the gauge. There, if I remember correctly, I carefully cut the black wire and extended both parts of it and put each side of it into the momentary switch (you don't really have to extend if your switch comes pre-wired). Then I carefully taped everything back up with electrical tape. Then when you press the button, it creates the contact, and the gauge comes on and stays on while you keep it pressed. You could also do it with the red one (it's either the red or the black), it will work the same. But again, you need to be careful to remember to only power up the gauge when the blades are "not" engaged.
@@bkraul you're a life saver !. Another diy'er with this "problem" left his 2nd gauge unmounted and unpluged while running..replugs when needs to take a reading.. to me that would ware out the plastic connector. Thank you for this info. Take care
I purchased the kit, and followed the video step by step to completion. My initial phone call to Palmetto, and then the online ordering process was straight forward. I'm very happy with the equipment, and while the install took me a number of hours to complete, it looks like a OEM install. As others have posted, the voltage draw is amazing, and the recharge time is noticeably faster than before.
I'm now trying to attach the PVC board to the battery tray. The video says he used the "existing holes." But, there aren't any holes in my tray . EDIT: I used 1 existing hole on tray and drilled others with a metal bit. I countersunk flat cap screws into the PVC. Was ok with 1/4 PVC but using thicker board might be better.
Before you do this for yourself just know there are a few more purchases you need to make to actually make it work. You’ll need pvs board or something to hold and secure the battery and charger. You’ll also need to cut a wire and extend it with heat shrinking butt connector, you’ll need cable to extend that, then on the end youll need an ilit the same size as the battery. Finally you’ll need a dremel or some tool to make the battery gague hole bigger but also where you plug in the new charger too. You’ll need a crimper/wire stripper but otherwise thats it. Its not to crazy to do all this. I have no idea what im doing and i figured it out. Runs great now! The video glosses over stuff quickly unfortunately like "bypass that blue cable" he wont show you how but you can find a tutorial quickly online. Good luck guys! Dont give up!
You’ve mentioned in here the one question/issue I have, “bypass that blue cable”. You mentioned there’s a tutorial quickly online. Any chance you can guide me there as I have tried to find it. Thanks very much.
@EricAnderson-j7l apologies for the confusion. There isn't a video on how to specifically bypass the cable. But instead you can find a tutorial on how to bypass cables in the first place.
Thanks for the video. I already have the batteries I want to use. This was helpful for knowing what to do for the setup!
You’re welcome, happy to help!
Thanks to your video I just completed this conversion! Thank you so much!
Thank you!
I just installed the battery I got from you guys. It works as advertised!
Thanks for the video!!
It was interesting that the LCD display stays on even when the mower key is off. You have to turn the battery off to turn the display off.
The gauge display turns itself off after 12 hours of inactivity. I've had a pair of these in my ZT480 for about a year now, and I always leave the batteries on during the months I have to mow.
@@robh5409 The display died after I engaged the blades. I called Battery Pros and they told me to call Epoch batteries because it seemed to be a systemic problem. Epoch Batteries sent me a new display. I now unplug it when I mow then plug it in when I charge in case it blows out again.
@@saltyshellback that's odd. I have the power for the gauge on mine on the other posts on the batteries versus what the charger is connected to. I have pics of my setup on Epochs website for the 60ah kit from about a year ago.
Could you please provide links to all the items you used for this conversion and send along feedback from your customers that are using your modified mowers…. the longer the history the better. Thanks
Apologies for late reply. You can see this product at palmettobatterypros.com/online-store/ols/products/epoch-48v-30ah-lithium-ryobi-lawnmower-battery
I wish I had seen this about a month ago, I just replaced the 4 12v 100ah agm batteries in my Ryobi, It was a easy process, as the tray just slid out the back, so did not have to remove anything other than the back cover. Those 4 batteries cost 150.00 each. But it would be nice to have the unit be a lot lighter, as I pick up the front and let it stand up to clean, replace blades, and it's borderline to heavy for me to do this.
I really like this conversion kit. I am looking at the Ryobi 300E. I wish this size mower came with this kit. Installation looks easy but I'm leary because its electical components and I'm not experienced. I will have to hire someone to install it while I watch...lol Main question: what storage temps are required for this battery lawn mower? my garage is not climit controled at this time. So what is the best way to store without causing damage .?? Great video for someone inexperienced I wish you showed more detail with wire hook ups and the meter and how to change out cables to fit recepticles on battery.
140 is the recommended storage high temp.
I see you folks are located in Charleston SC, can I order locally and save on any shipping if I pick it up? I see these are smaller than the stock SLA at 30AH, but I have a small yard and really never discharged the SLAs that much.
I am concerned about having to cut one of the battery framing mount as I don't have an electric metal saw handy.
I am looking to reshoot this video. Can we do your installation for free?
Completed this install with no issues, was working great. After a few days, the LCD screen quit. Looked all over, checked connections, no luck. Saw some people may have had gauge failures, can anyone confirm?
Epoch has addressed this. Has your issue been resolved? They now provide the voltage reducer to power the meter.
@PalmettoBatteryPros no, we didn't receive this
Thanks for the video! Would the 30ah swap be sufficient for the Ryobi ZT480e? I want to make sure the 30ah cuts muster and will not be frustratingly weak and discharge after 30 minutes of cutting grass with settings on high-speed drive and high-speed blade cutting.
For any mowers larger than the 300, I would recommend two of the Epoch batteries in parallel to give you 60ah.
Great video. It brought my dead mower back to life. The only thing - I was able to cut about .5 acre with battery down to 25% (it took about an hour - grass was a bit taller than normally). I wonder if my battery is faulty.
Then again I was able to cut maximum twice my lanw on original batteries when they were new. And they were rated for 50ah. This battery is just 30 ah. So maybe I should not expect more.
With a 30ah battery, cutting the size you have is great. I have the same size yard and looking (desperately) to change my batteries to lithium. Just sound rather pay someone in south Florida to help me do this. No luck unfortunately
I have this mower and like many other people, the lead acid batteries were dead after 2 years. I debated doing this conversion since it’s about the best option, considering finding lead acid replacements is next to impossible. Then it dawned on me, what the hell am I doing? I’m going to spend $800+ to convert this pile myself and cross my fingers it works?? No, time to cut my losses. It’s my fault, I should’ve done more research before purchasing it. To the dumpster you go!
You did nothing wrong. It's extremely unreasonable to expect customers to replace four batteries every 1-2 years for $250 each, plus shipping. I purchased this thinking it had lithium batteries and was told by a home depot employee that ALL ryobi mowers have a 3 year warranty. Unfortunately, he was mistaken and I trusted his word, which is where I royally screwed up. On the positive side, this mower is incredible with this upgrade. I purchased this to save money and the hassle of using fuel. Lead batteries are total garbage. I don't even think home depot is planning on selling ryobi mowers in the future.
I hooked up the battery outside the mower to check out the gauge and see if the battery was fully charged. Initially, the gauge shows 0% even though the charger indicates the battery is fully charged. Then after several seconds the gauge shows "Err". Am I doing something wrong or do I have a faulty part?
Do you do installs for batteries? My batteries are dying and need to be replaced
We do in the Charleston, SC area.
Just to be clear - the charger interlock blue wire goes to the battery positive terminal - is that correct?
Correct
What are the sizes of the replacement eyelets?
M8
Will it work for the Ryobi zt480ex?
Hi Palmetto Battery Pros. I have a few questions:
What gauge wire did you use for the Blue wire that you connected to the positive terminal? Someone in the comments said they used a blue 16-14 gauge butt splice to attach a sufficient length of 16 gauge (AKA AWG) wire to it, and then added a 5/16" 16-14 gauge ring terminal to the end of the extension.
Do you have a video or instructions on how to do this with Model RY48ZTR75 (75 AH 42" Zero Turn Electric Riding Mower)?
We are working to update all of the Ryobi models. 14 gauge should be fine.
You didn't install the Bluetooth module? Epoch shows the Bluetooth module as a separate part.
That feature released right after we made this video.
@@PalmettoBatteryProswhat does the Bluetooth module do?
Great video but could you please tell me what you used to cut the center ridge?
Just a grinder with a metal cutting wheel.
I think a 60amp would be best. 30amp may set off fault code alarm 6 - over current discarge
The install looks good except for the Safety Aspect. I would have expected some sort of battery terminal protection with those upright metal posts being not far away. This could be done with a simple design 3D Part for the battery and a backup in the form of a post protection part to keep any shorting if that battery comes loose.
I designed one for each of the Epoch batteries that replaced the House Batteries in my RV because of a similar issue but the metal it struck was much farther away. Freak accident!
I agree, they should provide terminal protectors. We use them in our golf cart installations.
I tried to buy the link says file not found
Same
I connected everything following the video. The blade does not turn no, it worked fine before. Please, let me know if there is anything I coud have done wrong. Thank you.
Could be many things, unfortunately. Go back through video item by item and see if anything jumps out. Make sure blue charger interconnect is connected to positive terminal (you need to extend that wire and add a ring terminal). Make sure battery is turned on (on-off) button on top of battery. Does the gauge work and show battery charge? Also, make sure you don't have any wires/metal from the battery touching the frame or potentially shorting anywhere. Double check all connections.
Be great if I could get a kit like this in Aus for my RM300E
I may be able to get them to you.
@@PalmettoBatteryPros hey mate you've got my attention
is the charger receptable comes with the battery purchase?
Looks exactly like what I need! I will buy right away, just wondering about the installation. Is it necessary to cut the metal bracket off to fit the battery? Is that difficult for a homeowner with no experience and maybe not the right tools for cutting a metal bracket? Thanks for the video!
If you mount it at the height of the bracket, you will end up pretty close to the bottom of the plastic seat cover, but still have clearance in my experience. But you really need to secure that equipment in their in case of movement, or worst case flip of the mower. (ie I like to store my mower flipped up on its rear-end in order to get my car in the garage)
@@davidalbert6361 Thanks. I was brave and bought an angle grinder with cutting disk and managed to get the bracket out without too much trouble.
Why mount the charger on the mower? I cannot imagine how the cooling fan will react to all the debris that will end up in it. I’m in the process of doing this conversion and the amount of dust, dirt, grass and leaf matter I found in the battery compartment after 2.5 years of use makes me doubt the intelligence of mounting the charger in the mower.
Because the charger hooks directly up to the batteries terminals. This is the safest charger input and output.
What is the best tool(s)/way to cut out the angle iron so the battery will fit? It looks like it is not entirely cut out and removed (Which seems easier to do. ] And just the vertical piece of the metal bracket is remaining. Is that correct?
Some one said an angle grinder.
I’m a 100% newbi here trying to fix my mower. Have you converted a ry48ztr100 to epoch lifepo4 batteries? Do you have any videos or resources that would be helpful with that conversion?
Youre telling me the 30AH battery did better than 75AH lead acid and mowed 2 acres?
Yes
@@PalmettoBatteryPros Your link no longer works on this post
@@PalmettoBatteryPros i just replaced my 75AH batteries with 100AH, you must mow your lawn weekly no matter if the grass grows or not lol. My 100AH LiFePO4 just made it through my thick tall grass lol
Is it ok to leave the battery on even when not being used?
I’m interested in buying one kit, can you send everything I need for a turkey conversion? Wire for the extension and the boards to the right size as well?
Is this installation a service that you offer or do you just sell the conversion kits?
We offer installation locally in the Charleston, SC market.
Does the kit come with everything I need?
Yes
The kit from Palmetto has the major electronic components as pictured on their website. You will need PVC board, zip ties, ring terminals, some wire, nuts and bolts, splicers, and the tools to complete the work. I'm working on creating a detailed list of parts I used as I complete this project and will share when I'm done.
@@chrisfarrell7949 Any progress on that detailed list of parts? I just ordered the kit and am ready to make a Home Depot run for the rest of what I need. Thanks!
@@chuckross1235 It keeps booting my reply. Maybe too many product names? Not sure what the issue is. I'll try again tomorrow.
@@chuckross1235 two 8 gauge 5/16 ring terminals, some small wire (16 gauge) and matching butt splice and 5/16 ring terminal, 2x4 feet 1/2 inch PVC board, 4 3/4" flat head screw/bolts with lock nuts (I used #12 but depends on hole size you drill in rack). Two 48" zip ties. Assorted medium zip ties to hold wires.
Does the gauge turn off? Mine is staying on as long as the battery is switched on. If it’s supposed to stay on, any issue with parasitic drain?
Looks like the battery (and gauge) goes into standby after 12 hours. A bit long as it looks like .5 volt drained by the time it went off. But it’s fine I guess.
If there is someone in south Florida who can install this for me, please send them my way. I have the lead acid battery and it’s barely running at this point. I need a conversion asap
Anyone In Apopka area willing to do a conversion to Lithium ion on the RM300E?
Also, what have folks found is the best and easiest lithium ion to use?
did you find anyone?
Hey gang, I just bought this and "successfully completed" the conversion. The PTO works fine. However, it doesn't move forward or backward. Any thoughts?
I'm not sure, did you get it figured out?
There are no existing holes in the battery tray so I had to just tie wrap the battery and charger in place on top of the pvc
Sounds good to go!
Where do you get the 1/4" pvc board to line the tray im having a difficult time finding it?
Home Depot had it for me, I think Lowes and most big lumber stores have it. It was in the lumber section. I bought a 2' by 4' piece of 1/4 inch thickness.
@@chrisfarrell7949 Do you happen to know the size needed to cut the PVC Board to fit? I rather get something closer to size. I see 12 Inch by 16 Inch available to purchase.
@@joelo.4830 Can't remember 100%, but I'm pretty sure 2 of those would get the job done (I think openings were close to 11x11 or 11x12).
I'm looking to convert the stock lead-acid batteries that came with my Ryobi mower with LiFePO4 batteries. Can someone confirm that 30Ah is enough? Don't I need 100Ah batteries to have the same "power" as when I first bought this mower? Thanks!
The recommended battery lasts far longer than the 4 SLA batteries that came with the mower. This is a great improvement and I'm glad I did this rather than buy a new mower. I was not going to deal with SLA batteries again!
Anyone know how much this conversion would cost on average? Debating whether to just cut my loss and sell my mower as is. My Batteries are shot already
Link to this product is in the description of this video.
Would this work for the Ryobi ZT 480 which currently opperates on a 48v 100Ah system. I don't know enough about this topic to know if a 30Ah would be enough.
That's about 1/3 the capacity or run time. If you have a small yard and the batteries were still mostly full when you were finished, then this should work. I just replaced my batteries this week, just remove the back panel and a couple of screws holding the tray and the bolt holding the batteries down, unplug a couple of wires and the tray with all the batteries just slides out the back, You will need some type of support to hold the tray as you pull it out, it could be a jack stand or maybe even a 5 gallon bucket, I used my floor jack. Ps, I paid 150.00 per battery, so yea, 600.00(this was for the 12v 100ah AGM batteries like mine came with)
@@stevem1081 you paid 150 per battery? as in the battery thats in the video?
@@BrokenButReadable No, I went back with the 12v 100ah AGM cells like what it came with.
For the same price Chins battery offers 100AH, 70% more juice.
Do they have a full kit as well? Link?
I am in the process of converting my Ryobi RM300e mower as per this video. When you finish tightening the negative wires you say: “Connect the LCD wiring harness into one of the battery communication ports.” Is the LCD wiring the six-pin female connector in the picture with me holding it in my fingers? If so, where does it plug into? One of the six-pin male connectors on the battery??
You then go on to say: “Plug the resistor in the opposite communication port.” What is the resistor?
In the package containing the charger there were two thick cables, one red and one black, both with eyelets on either end!! There was also a small cable with a six-pin female connector on either end. See the second picture.
And, yes, I am a complete octogenarian idiot! A quick response would be very much appreciated so that I can finish the battery conversion and get my grass cut. A big thank you for any help you can provide.
Ooooops! I don't know how to attach a picture!!
Everything is now fine. With help I have finished this project and my mower is now up and running. Just have to get an electrical connector so that I can charge the battery.
I apologize for the late response, we have been revamping the platform.
why 30ah and not 50?
This battery is rated at 30ah and is enough to handle the smaller Ryobi vehicles.
Why go through this trouble when you could just buy lithium ion replacement batteries four batteries for $430 no cutting, no rewiring required. You do have to spend $40 to get a new charger though
4 X 12 volt lithium ion phosphate batteries need to be balanced charged. As the 4 X 12 volt batteries are wired in series it creates a problem with balancing.
This is true. This Epoch battery will greatly outlast 4 x 12v batteries. One BMS and one set of cells will keep the cells balanced for 3500+ life cycles.
But each of the 12 volt lithium iron batteries already have a BMS already installed, so there's no need for an extra one to balance them. I replaced all four of my Ryobi lead acid batteries with four lithium ion batteries. Total cost $430 been running great for 5 years
my dumbass trouble shot for 20 minutes without solution then i realized there is a button on the battery
30ah? What is this? A mower for ants?!
30AH Lithium is actually better than 50AH Lead Acid. I thought the same thing but technically you cant use more than 50 percent of lead acid batteries or you start to fry them.
$1000 for a battery that may last 6-7 years does not sound good, generally speaking for riding mowers.
The battery comes with an 11 year warranty. The cells inside are rated at 3500+ life cycles.
The lead acid replacements were listed at $800 and they probably wont last 2 years. I've never seen a battery with a warranty of 11yrs so I expect it will last awhile.
For the Zero turn Ryobi Models can I use the 48V 30Ah Ryobi Electric Lawn Motor - Replacement Lithium Battery Kit? We have a small lawn and don't need a lot and so don't need the 60Ah. I'm just wondering if the 30 Ah setup can still supply the required amperage for the larger Zero turn Ryobi Models. Thanks!