Click here for a battery tender ➜ amzn.to/2Dr5AGY Click here for a new battery ➜ amzn.to/2OM5Ylr Click here for a Multimeter ➜ amzn.to/2Kb6ubU Click here for a Hydrometer ➜ amzn.to/2zdlFx4 Click here for gloves ➜ amzn.to/2K9z5OU Click here for Dielectric grease ➜ amzn.to/2OKAlZr Check out these other informative videos: Easiest Way To Winterize Or Store A Weed Eater ➜ th-cam.com/video/hdleYDvm9BY/w-d-xo.html How To Winterize A Lawn Mower, Pressure Washer, Etc. ➜ th-cam.com/video/qccdo2UMMsE/w-d-xo.html How To Winterize a Chainsaw, Weedeater or Trimmer ➜ th-cam.com/video/FEmT8qUoD0E/w-d-xo.html Best Way To Clean Under the Deck on a Riding Lawnmower ➜ th-cam.com/video/RpURLWPNI1o/w-d-xo.html Make sure to check out the Saloon here too… Click here for my website ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ Click here for my Parts and Tools Store ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon Follow me on Facebook ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon Follow me on Instagram ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/ Follow me on Twitter ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon
Instead of battery tender I installed the battery inside the fender well on my truck and hooked up a couple of jumper wires for the winter. It seemed to work okay for me; do you see any problems wtih this idea?
Back in the 1970s, I was the chief machanic for a large retail distributor. This distributor (center) had hundreds of electric order picking carts that were always on the move. One of my duties was to maintain these carts including their batteries. So, hen I first got this job I reached out to a few battery manufacturers with my questions. I agree with everything you said except for one thing which was the level of the fluid in the battery. What I was told told back then was that each battery cell should be filled with distilled water so that this fluid just touches the battery's plastic case in the cell. That will ensure your battery will not be damaged by low fluid level when in operation. However, I really enjoyed this video and all of your other videos. They have taught me (an old timer) a few things.
Here in SW Florida the battery is not going to freeze, but the grass growth does slow to a crawl as the weather gets dryer (and I don't water my lawn). So my riding mower doesn't get used very often in the winter. What I've done to keep the battery charged is bought a small solar panel that keeps it charged up.
Love your tips. Why it's important to disconnect the negative terminal first is because if you touch the frame with a wrench on positive side first it will cause a short. Disconnect negative first as Steve said and remove that safety hazard.
Excellent video as always Steve, quick tip, use your Hydrometer filled with distilled water to top-up the cells - easier to control than pouring from a bottle. Regards from Germany!
@@drizler great idea. Just make sure you dont baste your turkey later on. Lol! But seriously ... great idea. I keep mine in the shop on a peg board. Peeps dont ordinarily think about a turkey baster in the shop but there are a 1000 uses for it. I cut a bit of the tip off but not too much. It will suck up heavier fluids such as oil a bit better. I can then use it to suck up heavier oil or remove the suction ball and use the tube as a small long stem funnel as well. I just put a hazard sticker on the tube so there is never any confusion.
Battery cells are separated so don't forget to check each of the 6 cells with the hydrometer. You may find one or more cells with lower specific gravity than the rest.
Hi Steve - I'm in the UK and have just come across your channel. I have a couple of ride-on mowers at our holiday home, and we always ensure the electricity is turned off when we leave to avoid any problems, so a 'battery tender' is out of the question. I always remove the batteries from our tractors, and I bought a couple of Solar panel 12v trickle chargers which I hang in the workshop window & connect to the batteries whilst we are away. They don't use any electricity, and they keep the batteries charged up ready for the next visit! Solves a lot of hassle.
Steve, I love the subject. I have practiced putting my lawn tractor battery in my heated garage on a piece of plywood away from the cold floor every winter. I make sure it is fully charged after it is removed and use a cheap HF trickle charger. The first battery lasted almost 7 years before giving up the ghost. I do the same for my Jet Ski. I can honestly say it increases the lifespan of the battery from my experience. 👍👍👍👍👍
I've seen cases, especially in hoopty old John Deere mowers with no hood where a dirty battery top causes the battery to discharge. That junk between the terminals can get soaked in electrolyte residue around the vents over time, then you have a very small amount of current flowing through it, discharging the battery as it sits. Keep your battery clean.
Solid information Steve. Fyi, for other Canucks, Princess Auto (our harbor freight) regularly puts 750 mA battery maintainers on for $7.99 Cdn. They work well, and have lasted well so far.
Great video. I saw a comment below about using baking soda to neutralize any acid on the outside of the battery that can cause corrosion to the cables. My dad many years ago showed me how to use really hot water and a few tablespoons of baking soda and just dip the ends of the cables and connects into this solution, works great. Then you can clean them with wire brush or emory cloth as you suggested. You had lots of great information, thanks for another really helpful video.
I charged my battery to 14.1 volts. Still won't crank the mower. I figured it's toast. Bought a new battery and all is well. I'll try Steve's tips and hopefully the new battery will last longer. Thanks, Steve.
Glad you cleared up the myth about concrete discharging batteries. I've tried to tell many people and friends that same thing. They won't accept that fact from me. Sharing this vid with folks now. - Keep the vids coming.
I have always had 3 or 4 batteries to winterise and like you said top off and fully charged, now here is were i differ , i always left them in unheated garage never had any problems with my batteries and the lowest number of years they lasted was 7years and my optima red top 13 years , now i really don't think the cold is the problem, this is only my opinion but the result are hard to ignore .Richard !!! Love your site !!!
Thanks Steve :-) a couple of notes about voltage. This goes for any and all flooded lead-acid starting 12 volt batteries. If your multimeter reads 12 volts, the battery is actually at about 50% discharge. And some damage has been done. At around 11 .5 volts, severe damage has been done. Flooded lead-acid batteries should absolutely never be discharged any farther that is absolutely necessary. The farther discharged, the more damage is done do to sulfation, potentially cracked plates and a whole bunch of other nonsense that usually only Engineers understand :-) a fully charged 12 volt battery should read approximately 12.6 volts plus or minus a tenth of a volt. If it reads above that, as yours does that's called a surface charge and is basically a false charge that is a good indicator of a fully charged battery. Not trying to be a know-it-all, this is just something I happen to have extensive experience with. (Battery nerd). Hope this helps somebody :-) I'm drinking a blue Foster's oil can while typing this BTW
Depends, more acidic solutions in SLA chemistry, mean greater voltage and output, with greater corrosion. I like mine to be around 12.9 on the shelf, when I buy them new. (about 3 months old) The older ones will be all over the lower side of the map in voltage.
DarkLinkAD Haha! I thought I was the only one that brought my multimeter to go buy a new battery :-) the guys behind the counter always look at me like I'm up to no good while I'm testing the batteries on the shelves
@@jontheroofer1968: Don't forget to check the date code for freshness, You do not want to buy a 2 year old battery when the one behind it was made last month!
It's a VERY good idea to check batteries a couple of times a year. When I took auto shop, they told us batteries were soon to be junk if the plates get exposed at all. We were told to fill the cells until we could see the water touch the bottoms of the caps's sockets. The caps only go about half way down into their sockets. Nice video all the same.
Steve, I just retired from AT&T after 47 years of working in a central office. We have all sorts of lead-acid batteries. You are spot on. A couple of extra tips. When cleaning your battery, use a little baking soda. That will neutralize any acid that seeped out. For a di-electric grease, we used a product called NO-OX-ID A-SPECIAL. They were using that product long before I started. Really good stuff. I've used it on my cars without any problems for years.
@@okeanakidd5118 I have used regular grease for many years and on many machines. If everything is coated with grease even taking out the tightening bolt and nut and the hole it goes into and even coat the cable if exposed at the connection. I have never had any corrosion or connection problems. Of course you have to clean everything first. I believe what it does is it keeps it from being exposed to the air. Even taking out the battery for winter storage and put back when needed. I do give my batteries a top up charge every couple of months in storage and batteries seem to last a long time. Going dead is the hardest thing on a battery. Dale in Canada
8:50 I use a small wire brush to clean the terminals and posts; it removes the corrosion better and more thoroughly than sandpaper, doesn't gouge up the surfaces so much, and doesn't leave grit behind.
I found your channel last summer while trying to adjust my trimmer carburator. I love your channel, the humour you put in it, and the running gag with a beer before every job.
I don't have a riding lawn mower but I do have a motorcycle that just sits unused over the winter. What I do when PMS (parked motorcycle season) comes around, I drain the gas from the carb and remove the battery. I keep the battery in the house where it can't freeze and on a trickle charger set at 13.8 volts. Actually, it's not a commercial trickle charger, it's something I made, using a transformer, a rectifier to convert AC to DC, and a resistor to limit the amount of current to very low that goes to the battery. Still, I do like the advice you give to others.
I always learn something new from Steve no matter how simple the topic he is discussing. I did`nt know that batteries will freeze when they get below their optimal charge capacities.
Steve, I love your channel. I've been charging my motorcycle batteries for more than 50 years. Most of those years they were fillable lead acid batteries. I would get 2 to 4 years out of them. The last few years I've been using AGM sealed lead acid batteries. Thus being sealed there is no way to check fluid or add more. I've been using battery tenders on them and when connected continously I have fried several. The charger says there charged but they are dead when put back into use. After reading a lot of articles I'm going to change how much time I leave them connected to the charger. Like maybe 1 day a month. Experimentation. Keep up the good work.
Good to see you mentioned safety equipment. Many people don't think it's that bad. We wiped a battery that had been charging over night, then carried it to the boat, and the next day my buddy had holes all over his jeans. Wash everything down. Also, the hydrometer is to check the specific gravity of the solution. Not the charge. If the acid is too weak, it won't take a charge anymore. Solid advice though.
excellent video Steve. I worked for a lead acid battery manufacturer for 24 yrs. We looked for 12.6 volts for a fully charged battery. If I were going to add anything to your advice it would be, DON'T OVER FILL THE CELL, as the acid will wick up to the top of the battery (while charging or from vibration while you are using the mower) and cause that unwanted corrosion on your terminals. Like I said great video.
Depends on the temperature that the battery is at as to what voltage is considered fully charged. To get a correct reading we need to let the battery sit for a few hours after removing the charger
Man. Thank you brother. Such an informative video. I will literally never forget what I just learned. Very valuable information. Thanks for the piece of wisdom. Keep it up man.
Thanks again Steve for an excellent tutorial. If I can suggest a couple of extra things I do at my cottage. First of all I store my batteries in an insulated area (laundry room) placed upon blue styrene styrofoam to keep them warm. Then depending upon how rushed I am in closing I cover the terminals (like you) with dialectic grease AND enclose or cover the whole battery with a garbage bag. Don't know why the bag is helpful but it keeps the battery clean. My theory is that there are microscopic particles in the air which if they land on the battery terminals they will promote discharge. Also my batteries are stored next to battery chargers. So in the middle of winter its easy to go down to the lake to re-charge or restore my batteries. This all seems to work for me as I have had batteries last 8- 12 years. Plus the peace and quiet for a day or so in the winter with a wood fire and a beer is wonderul! Again your work is excellent and I am subscribed with it all bookmarked for future reference.
When you said by checking with the liquid meter you checked one cell and said it was a good battery I think you should emphasize that checking every cell with that is suffice to make sure all cells are in the positive. I happen to just take all my batteries out of my four wheelers and check our car batteries for corrosion connection and voltage. Good video Steve I'm drinking Miller Lite
It must work, yout battery is dated 2011. I usually feel lucky if I get 3 or 4 years out of a mower battery, I'll be doing this when I put the mowers down this Fall. Great video Steve, I'm getting older and I've been thinking about opening a small engine shop, I've been learning a lot from you!
Steve, your beers getting warm. I don,t know why it works but it does. Maybe you do. I take 2 cups of distilled water and heat it up & put 2 tablespoons of Epson salts per battery cell until dissolved and fill the battery cells with it. The Epson salt goes clear ans dissolves compactly. I put the battery on a trickle charger for a week and test it with an om meter. If the battery is on its last legs, I attach the trickle charger to to a support under the hood and plug it in every nigh its cold. Warm battery has 50% more charge than a cold battery. Trickle charger turns off charging mode when fully charged. Does it always wok? No, but often it does and I'v gotten a few years more out of a five year old battery. Any idea why Epson salt works???
Vaseline works just as good as dielectric grease, when I wired homes we used no-lox with aluminum wire, I use this on batteries too but is messy so started to use vaseline on battery terminals and lightbulbs in cars and my mower.
many years ago i was told as a young mechanic, not to store a battery on concrete cause as the temperature changes from day to night that there will be a moisture build up on battery from ground to pos. then to. pos. to neg. terminals also causing a drain and that was in the south were its not a freezing cold issue but moisture issue.
Great info Steve! My battery goes in the basement during winter. I sit it on an upturned plastic bucket with a piece of 2x6 wood on top. I don't keep it on a battery maintainer and have rarely had a failure. The mower itself has to sit outside. Landlord won't let me put a storage shed on the property. The terminals are cleaned and I coat them with a little grease. The mower is kept under a mower cover.
Thank you for this video. Exactly what I needed to know for my mower. My mower is only 2 years old and I've slacked on battery maintenance, so I wasn't sure what I would find. Luckily, water level was still good, and it measured 12.4 volts. Cleaned it up, hooked it to the battery tender just to get it fully charged, and should be ready to fire up next week. Thanks again!
I also use a solar battery charger. The no-load output is 18V. When attached to the battery it drops down to 13V. This maintains the battery for the whole time it is connected. I also us anti-seize compound to prevent corrosion build up on the terminals. My batteries generally last in excess of 5 years with this method.
Excellent Video Steve. I just want to share an idea that I used to do for keeping my battery charged all winter: I had some extra space under the hood of my pick up truck between the grill and the wheel well. I added some foam rubber to protect the battery and made up a couple battery cables to connect to my truck battery. That kept my battery charged all winter long. I don't know if this is a good idea? But it worked for me.
Steve from Ohio here . Love your vidio's Stevo ! Seriously tho , you did the worst clean up of that battery & terminals & connections I ever seen ! ! I keep all that stuff CLEAN . Wire brush , Baking Soda , Water , elbow grease .
I like the video you provided for us and I know about some of the things you mentioned, but not all of them and have to get my batteries in my mower, tractors, and vehicles checked so the equipment will be ready when I need them. Thanks for sharing this information with us all and I hope you have a great week.
I find I can re use the black gloves 3 or 4 times as they are a little tougher.I am probably telling you something you already know. That beer bottle with the spring top is gold.I rince them out and fill them with water and use them to bottle homebrew. Thanks for another great vid.!!!
Excellent advice about the battery tender. I keep my lawn tractor, my motorcycle and wifes scooter outside in my enclosed shed all winter. I have 3 battery tenders hooked up to all 3 all winter. Make sure the tanks are full of gas and I'm ready to go in the spring.
Might be a silly question but do u keep the battery in the lawn mower with battery tender or do u take them out of lawnmower while battery tender is in use
Great video Steve. A little PMI work goes a long way. I know guys that buy new batteries every couple of years because they don't take simple measures like the ones in this video.
You taught me a number of things I did not know in this video. We have five batteries ,and it seems that one always is dead. It is almost September now, so I will start getting ready for the winter using this information. Thanks very much for your presentation.
Steve, if you don't want someone to steal your battery, then put your name on the battery... not the cell cap, which someone will move onto their "dud" battery and leave in your shop after stealing your good one! Plus, I can't believe folk keep leaving nasty comments on your channel, when you're saving punters, like me, all over the world, heaps of time and money by giving free advice which otherwise takes decades of experience and money to accumulate. Thanks so much!
Great video Steve - if leaving a charger connected, make sure its a smart or trickle charger like you used - a regular charger may boil off the electrolyte and buckle the lead plates (knacker it). Keep up the good work, check out some British Cider - you'll be too sozzled to drive your tractor anyway
Steve, I watched this last year and utilized your advice in our Kubota Diesel tractors. (Work) In previous years we'd trash a couple batteries a year. We'd do annual service (fluids, filters, repairs) and park the damn things 200 yards from the bay. Winter wind is colder than hell. After doing 20 minutes of additional maintenance to our grass cutters every one of um started this past spring. Saved the Co at "least" a couple hundred bucks!! You're damn good at what ya do. 👍👍
Always suspected Steve was Canadian, after watching this video with a Motomaster battery charger there was no doubt! Love the Channel, keep up the good work!
Great video, and I like the options for testing. If a guy has multiple batteries but only one charger, what are your thoughts about hooking them up in series and connecting the ends to the charger? Good or bad idea? Thanks again for keeping the quality videos coming.
No no,. You hook your batteries up in parallel and then hook to your charger. Never connect in series. Two batteries in series is over 12 volts so what will you have if you connect a bunch in series? Dale in Canada
I can make one suggestion, only add fluid to a battery after it is fully charged. You must check the battery with voltmeter. If the fluid is low, charge the battery up and then add fluid. The reason being is as the battery charges, the fluid expands and will rise out of the top of the battery.
Always have some baking soda around when you are working on a battery. As some people don't know, the baking soda neutralizes the battery acid if someone were to splatter or spill battery acid.
Hey Steve I use my lawn tractor all year round. Cut grass in the summer, blow snow in the winter. This winter my lawn tractor turns over very slow if at all but when I put a battery charger on it, it turns over no problem. Tested with multi meter and it says 12.95.
Do you change the oil before the cold sets in to a lighter weight, say 5w30? Your voltage may be up there, but not your amperage. Use a Load Tester to determine the output (strength) of your battery. : )
there is one thing that you got incorrect steve. cold temperatures decrease discharge rate rather then increase it. What causes confusion is that a battery will be weaker when it's cold and won't have as many amps but this also slows down the degradation of the battery. A battery in a cold climate will have longer lifespan than a battery in a warm climate (assuming you don't' let it freeze)
I keep my battery on my workbench during the winter and every once in a while I give it a slow charge. The battery tender is a great item to have. The rubber gloves I buy at Harbor Freight along with other cheap tools.
Steve, one more thing. If the plates get exposed, there is quite a bit of air space above them. Hydrogen gas will build up and the exposed plates can arc. I've seen two batteries that blew up because of that. Not a good thing.
Low electrolyte is just a bomb waiting to go off. I started a generator that likely had low level. Luckily I was in a different room when I hit the switch. The battery instantly exploded from the arc across the plates. There wasn’t much to clean up because the battery case and electrolyte was spread out over the entire room. Imagine standing over a battery jump starting a stranded motorist. Always make the last connection to ground away from the battery.
Steve, I sure wish I knew this 2 years ago when I left two $300 BIG 6Volt golf cart batteries outside for the winter. They both read 3.3 Volts and will not come back up to 6vDC... WHAT CAN I DO TO BRING THEM BACK??? Or do I just say good bye?
$13 at Harbor Freight Tools will get you a "FLOAT CHARGER" as well! Good ole' VASELINE works just well, and "MOST" of us have it in our Bathrooms! But, in "really extended periods" like 2 years, corrosion will STILL naturally occur... 😿 Thanks again Steve! 😎 Take care, 🤓 -Thomas Western Washington State
Hello from Pennsylvania! Good one Steve. Add a rubber apron PPE, not to get holes in your clothes. I ran a battery shop once. When you have a charge on a battery and the caps are off (you had your on), realize the battery is releasing hydrogen gas, very flammable stuff. I ran a Hydrogen Plant once too. Keep up the good work Steve and thanks for sharing with us. Battery tender, I like that. I bought a Mr Funnel you had on a previous video I viewed. Hey, you're costing me friend. Here's a tip during the COVID19 Pandemic for us seniors viewers; Take vitamin D-3 to help strengthen the immune system. Old guy signing out ...
What amp trickle charger do you suggest? I’ve seen 1, 2, 5 amp and they get more expensive the more the amp. I just bought my son a 2 amp for Christmas. Hope it is sufficient. Thank you
First commenter! Haha, been watching the vids for about 6 months. Thanks for what you do and why you do what you do. To save us money, wow! Thanks. I usually get charged 30 minimum I take a piece of equipment in. Thank you!!! Matt, out!
Great video, but one word of caution! I have had several batteries cooked dry with the battery tenders / float chargers. The cheap Harbor freight ones were the worst! Then I bought the Battery Tender brand and 2 out of 3 of them cooked my batteries dry within weeks (this was very recent). I believe the reason is that almost any brand of them now are made in China (like everything else that we are forced to buy) and they are basically defective junk! They would charge at 14 to 14.2 volts,, but would not regulate the charge like they are advertised to do. I collect motorcycles and I lost over $1000.00 worth of batteries with the Harbor Freight battery tender / float chargers within a month or two! I have since opted to just store my batteries in my basement over the winter and put a 2 amp charge on them overnight once a month. It`s more of a pain to do, but it works for me!
I did contact Harbor Freight to no avail! I had 10 bikes with the battery tenders on them and they ruined all 10 batteries within a month or two - I threw all of the chargers in the trash!
Just wanted to mention, at minus 40, the temperature is the same, Fahrenheit or Celsius. Good advice though. I think a buddy of mine always brings his in the house.
Grab a beer kick back and relax 🤣 that's what I'm doing each time I watch your videos! Even things I already know some I always learn more because you always go into detail best I've seen on youtube!
Great Video as usual . Use Tenders on all my stuff, both Harleys , yard tractors , even my Jeep since it can sit for weeks at a time get a lot longer life out of those batteries also, 6 years on Harley batteries keep up the good work .
Again I love this channel. All the stuff I need to know or have questions about always answered . Plus the beer thing had me. Great job again Steve your the man.
ive seen 5 videos from you, and in 3 of em you're drinking dutch beer. tnx for the bar tip, our saw made crooked cuts and i balanced it on its side and indeed it wouldnt stay upright. it was a new 100 dllar bar(its why we bought the saw) spared us sme novice expenses. wouldnt have considered a new bar would already be worn like that, but then again the guy we bought it from had all teeth on the chain in different lengths and angles, fixed that too, now it makes spaghetti and cuts straight (and easier) anybody got a spare carb for a husky 266 se? the cheap chinese one increases fuel consumption by a four-fold
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Check out these other informative videos:
Easiest Way To Winterize Or Store A Weed Eater ➜ th-cam.com/video/hdleYDvm9BY/w-d-xo.html
How To Winterize A Lawn Mower, Pressure Washer, Etc. ➜ th-cam.com/video/qccdo2UMMsE/w-d-xo.html
How To Winterize a Chainsaw, Weedeater or Trimmer ➜ th-cam.com/video/FEmT8qUoD0E/w-d-xo.html
Best Way To Clean Under the Deck on a Riding Lawnmower ➜ th-cam.com/video/RpURLWPNI1o/w-d-xo.html
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If you don't have any distilled water, R-O water is also OK.
Instead of battery tender I installed the battery inside the fender well on my truck and hooked up a couple of jumper wires for the winter. It seemed to work okay for me; do you see any problems wtih this idea?
Sadly my 12V is reading 8.5 v so is it a Dead aka Boat Anker?
Back in the 1970s, I was the chief machanic for a large retail distributor. This distributor (center) had hundreds of electric order picking carts that were always on the move. One of my duties was to maintain these carts including their batteries. So, hen I first got this job I reached out to a few battery manufacturers with my questions. I agree with everything you said except for one thing which was the level of the fluid in the battery. What I was told told back then was that each battery cell should be filled with distilled water so that this fluid just touches the battery's plastic case in the cell. That will ensure your battery will not be damaged by low fluid level when in operation. However, I really enjoyed this video and all of your other videos. They have taught me (an old timer) a few things.
Here in SW Florida the battery is not going to freeze, but the grass growth does slow to a crawl as the weather gets dryer (and I don't water my lawn). So my riding mower doesn't get used very often in the winter. What I've done to keep the battery charged is bought a small solar panel that keeps it charged up.
Love your tips. Why it's important to disconnect the negative terminal first is because if you touch the frame with a wrench on positive side first it will cause a short. Disconnect negative first as Steve said and remove that safety hazard.
Greetings from the UK - great tips there Steve, thanks for the indepth explanation!
Excellent video as always Steve, quick tip, use your Hydrometer filled with distilled water to top-up the cells - easier to control than pouring from a bottle. Regards from Germany!
Excellent tip my friend, Thank You...
Or dollar store turkey Baster
@@drizler great idea. Just make sure you dont baste your turkey later on. Lol! But seriously ... great idea. I keep mine in the shop on a peg board. Peeps dont ordinarily think about a turkey baster in the shop but there are a 1000 uses for it. I cut a bit of the tip off but not too much. It will suck up heavier fluids such as oil a bit better. I can then use it to suck up heavier oil or remove the suction ball and use the tube as a small long stem funnel as well. I just put a hazard sticker on the tube so there is never any confusion.
Battery cells are separated so don't forget to check each of the 6 cells with the hydrometer. You may find one or more cells with lower specific gravity than the rest.
@@drizler Turkey Basters are great in the shop ,find a lot of handy stuff for shop in Dollar Stores .
Hi Steve - I'm in the UK and have just come across your channel. I have a couple of ride-on mowers at our holiday home, and we always ensure the electricity is turned off when we leave to avoid any problems, so a 'battery tender' is out of the question. I always remove the batteries from our tractors, and I bought a couple of Solar panel 12v trickle chargers which I hang in the workshop window & connect to the batteries whilst we are away. They don't use any electricity, and they keep the batteries charged up ready for the next visit! Solves a lot of hassle.
Steve, I love the subject. I have practiced putting my lawn tractor battery in my heated garage on a piece of plywood away from the cold floor every winter. I make sure it is fully charged after it is removed and use a cheap HF trickle charger. The first battery lasted almost 7 years before giving up the ghost. I do the same for my Jet Ski. I can honestly say it increases the lifespan of the battery from my experience. 👍👍👍👍👍
Right on
I've seen cases, especially in hoopty old John Deere mowers with no hood where a dirty battery top causes the battery to discharge. That junk between the terminals can get soaked in electrolyte residue around the vents over time, then you have a very small amount of current flowing through it, discharging the battery as it sits. Keep your battery clean.
excellent comment. i was gonna say the same but you had beat me to it! Lol!
Solid information Steve. Fyi, for other Canucks, Princess Auto (our harbor freight) regularly puts 750 mA battery maintainers on for $7.99 Cdn. They work well, and have lasted well so far.
I really don’t like beer but I really like this guy!
Fair enough! Thank You...
Great video. I saw a comment below about using baking soda to neutralize any acid on the outside of the battery that can cause corrosion to the cables. My dad many years ago showed me how to use really hot water and a few tablespoons of baking soda and just dip the ends of the cables and connects into this solution, works great. Then you can clean them with wire brush or emory cloth as you suggested.
You had lots of great information, thanks for another really helpful video.
I charged my battery to 14.1 volts. Still won't crank the mower. I figured it's toast. Bought a new battery and all is well. I'll try Steve's tips and hopefully the new battery will last longer. Thanks, Steve.
Glad you cleared up the myth about concrete discharging batteries. I've tried to tell many people and friends that same thing. They won't accept that fact from me. Sharing this vid with folks now. - Keep the vids coming.
Right on John..
I have always had 3 or 4 batteries to winterise and like you said top off and fully charged, now here is were i differ , i always left them in unheated garage never had any problems with my batteries and the lowest number of years they lasted was 7years and my optima red top 13 years , now i really don't think the cold is the problem, this is only my opinion but the result are hard to ignore .Richard !!! Love your site !!!
Thx for busting the concrete myth. One of my favorite channels brother. Keep up the great work Steve. 🍺
My pleasure!!
Thanks Steve :-) a couple of notes about voltage. This goes for any and all flooded lead-acid starting 12 volt batteries. If your multimeter reads 12 volts, the battery is actually at about 50% discharge. And some damage has been done. At around 11 .5 volts, severe damage has been done. Flooded lead-acid batteries should absolutely never be discharged any farther that is absolutely necessary. The farther discharged, the more damage is done do to sulfation, potentially cracked plates and a whole bunch of other nonsense that usually only Engineers understand :-) a fully charged 12 volt battery should read approximately 12.6 volts plus or minus a tenth of a volt. If it reads above that, as yours does that's called a surface charge and is basically a false charge that is a good indicator of a fully charged battery. Not trying to be a know-it-all, this is just something I happen to have extensive experience with. (Battery nerd). Hope this helps somebody :-) I'm drinking a blue Foster's oil can while typing this BTW
Good info Jon, Thank You...
Depends, more acidic solutions in SLA chemistry, mean greater voltage and output, with greater corrosion.
I like mine to be around 12.9 on the shelf, when I buy them new. (about 3 months old)
The older ones will be all over the lower side of the map in voltage.
DarkLinkAD
Haha! I thought I was the only one that brought my multimeter to go buy a new battery :-) the guys behind the counter always look at me like I'm up to no good while I'm testing the batteries on the shelves
@@jontheroofer1968: Don't forget to check the date code for freshness, You do not want to buy a 2 year old battery when the one behind it was made last month!
Steve always a good idea to have a container of baking soda and water mix incase of a spill on body parts and clothing.
It's a VERY good idea to check batteries a couple of times a year. When I took auto shop, they told us batteries were soon to be junk if the plates get exposed at all. We were told to fill the cells until we could see the water touch the bottoms of the caps's sockets. The caps only go about half way down into their sockets. Nice video all the same.
Thank You...
Used to burn thru these batteries till I started taking more care. Works like a charm and saves me money!!
Right on Phil...
Good information. Tomorrow I hook up the battery tender. It’s much easier than running the tractor during the cold winter months.
Good luck!
Steve, I just retired from AT&T after 47 years of working in a central office. We have all sorts of lead-acid batteries. You are spot on. A couple of extra tips. When cleaning your battery, use a little baking soda. That will neutralize any acid that seeped out. For a di-electric grease, we used a product called NO-OX-ID A-SPECIAL. They were using that product long before I started. Really good stuff. I've used it on my cars without any problems for years.
Right On...
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon wondering if reg. greese will work ????
granpa said so
Never let any making soda seep onto the battery cells though. It neutralizes the acid in the cells.
@@okeanakidd5118 I have used regular grease for many years and on many machines. If everything is coated with grease even taking out the tightening bolt and nut and the hole it goes into and even coat the cable if exposed at the connection. I have never had any corrosion or connection problems. Of course you have to clean everything first. I believe what it does is it keeps it from being exposed to the air. Even taking out the battery for winter storage and put back when needed. I do give my batteries a top up charge every couple of months in storage and batteries seem to last a long time. Going dead is the hardest thing on a battery.
Dale in Canada
8:50 I use a small wire brush to clean the terminals and posts; it removes the corrosion better and more thoroughly than sandpaper, doesn't gouge up the surfaces so much, and doesn't leave grit behind.
Excellent advice as I'm trying to maintain a mower battery and a travel trailer battery over winter.
You can do it!
Good information there Steve, I wish you would have gone thru how to possibly bring back a Sulfated battery.
I found your channel last summer while trying to adjust my trimmer carburator. I love your channel, the humour you put in it, and the running gag with a beer before every job.
Thank You...
I don't have a riding lawn mower but I do have a motorcycle that just sits unused over the winter. What I do when PMS (parked motorcycle season) comes around, I drain the gas from the carb and remove the battery. I keep the battery in the house where it can't freeze and on a trickle charger set at 13.8 volts. Actually, it's not a commercial trickle charger, it's something I made, using a transformer, a rectifier to convert AC to DC, and a resistor to limit the amount of current to very low that goes to the battery. Still, I do like the advice you give to others.
I always learn something new from Steve no matter how simple the topic he is discussing. I did`nt know that batteries will freeze when they get below their optimal charge capacities.
Right on Henry! Thank You...
mine goes into the cellar, on a shelf, with a $5 trickle charger from harbor freight. starts the tractor every year so far.
Thank You...
I do the same with my lawn tractor battery and my 3 Harley batteries and I get 10 years life on these batteries.
Steve, I love your channel. I've been charging my motorcycle batteries for more than 50 years. Most of those years they were fillable lead acid batteries. I would get 2 to 4 years out of them. The last few years I've been using AGM sealed lead acid batteries. Thus being sealed there is no way to check fluid or add more. I've been using battery tenders on them and when connected continously I have fried several. The charger says there charged but they are dead when put back into use. After reading a lot of articles I'm going to change how much time I leave them connected to the charger. Like maybe 1 day a month. Experimentation.
Keep up the good work.
Thank You...
Good to see you mentioned safety equipment. Many people don't think it's that bad. We wiped a battery that had been charging over night, then carried it to the boat, and the next day my buddy had holes all over his jeans. Wash everything down.
Also, the hydrometer is to check the specific gravity of the solution. Not the charge. If the acid is too weak, it won't take a charge anymore. Solid advice though.
excellent video Steve. I worked for a lead acid battery manufacturer for 24 yrs. We looked for 12.6 volts for a fully charged battery. If I were going to add anything to your advice it would be, DON'T OVER FILL THE CELL, as the acid will wick up to the top of the battery (while charging or from vibration while you are using the mower) and cause that unwanted corrosion on your terminals. Like I said great video.
Thank You...
Good tip , thanks!
Depends on the temperature that the battery is at as to what voltage is considered fully charged.
To get a correct reading we need to let the battery sit for a few hours after removing the charger
Man. Thank you brother. Such an informative video. I will literally never forget what I just learned. Very valuable information. Thanks for the piece of wisdom. Keep it up man.
My pleasure!
Thanks again Steve for an excellent tutorial. If I can suggest a couple of extra things I do at my cottage. First of all I store my batteries in an insulated area (laundry room) placed upon blue styrene styrofoam to keep them warm. Then depending upon how rushed I am in closing I cover the terminals (like you) with dialectic grease AND enclose or cover the whole battery with a garbage bag. Don't know why the bag is helpful but it keeps the battery clean. My theory is that there are microscopic particles in the air which if they land on the battery terminals they will promote discharge. Also my batteries are stored next to battery chargers. So in the middle of winter its easy to go down to the lake to re-charge or restore my batteries. This all seems to work for me as I have had batteries last 8- 12 years. Plus the peace and quiet for a day or so in the winter with a wood fire and a beer is wonderul! Again your work is excellent and I am subscribed with it all bookmarked for future reference.
Great point Steve. I've been using battery tenders for decades with no battery problems !
Right on Jimi...
Thanks Steve, for giving us temperatures in °C - most of us in Europe don't do °F 👍
You're Welcome...
When you said by checking with the liquid meter you checked one cell and said it was a good battery I think you should emphasize that checking every cell with that is suffice to make sure all cells are in the positive. I happen to just take all my batteries out of my four wheelers and check our car batteries for corrosion connection and voltage. Good video Steve I'm drinking Miller Lite
Right On...
It must work, yout battery is dated 2011. I usually feel lucky if I get 3 or 4 years out of a mower battery, I'll be doing this when I put the mowers down this Fall. Great video Steve, I'm getting older and I've been thinking about opening a small engine shop, I've been learning a lot from you!
Thank You...
Steve, your beers getting warm. I don,t know why it works but it does. Maybe you do. I take 2 cups of distilled water and heat it up & put 2 tablespoons of Epson salts per battery cell until dissolved and fill the battery cells with it. The Epson salt goes clear ans dissolves compactly. I put the battery on a trickle charger for a week and test it with an om meter. If the battery is on its last legs, I attach the trickle charger to to a support under the hood and plug it in every nigh its cold. Warm battery has 50% more charge than a cold battery. Trickle charger turns off charging mode when fully charged. Does it always wok? No, but often it does and I'v gotten a few years more out of a five year old battery. Any idea why Epson salt works???
Vaseline works just as good as dielectric grease, when I wired homes we used no-lox with aluminum wire, I use this on batteries too but is messy so started to use vaseline on battery terminals and lightbulbs in cars and my mower.
Reno Raines I prefer anti seize silver based grease,best for conductivity & anti rust !!!
Steve as usual good advice,I have found that for really dirty corroded battery tops boiling water does a good job of cleaning them up.
Thanks for all your tips. I have Three batteries to charge two ATVs and the lawn tractor
You're Welcome...
Love your videos. Appreciate all the info you share. Keep them rolling.
Thank You...
Steve, you're videos are SUPER informative, concise and entertaining! THANK you for so much for making them. Cheers from Washington state!
Wow, thanks!
many years ago i was told as a young mechanic, not to store a battery on concrete cause as the temperature changes from day to night that there will be a moisture build up on battery from ground to pos. then to. pos. to neg. terminals also causing a drain and that was in the south were its not a freezing cold issue but moisture issue.
Great info Steve! My battery goes in the basement during winter. I sit it on an upturned plastic bucket with a piece of 2x6 wood on top. I don't keep it on a battery maintainer and have rarely had a failure. The mower itself has to sit outside. Landlord won't let me put a storage shed on the property. The terminals are cleaned and I coat them with a little grease. The mower is kept under a mower cover.
Sounds great!
Thank you for this video. Exactly what I needed to know for my mower. My mower is only 2 years old and I've slacked on battery maintenance, so I wasn't sure what I would find. Luckily, water level was still good, and it measured 12.4 volts. Cleaned it up, hooked it to the battery tender just to get it fully charged, and should be ready to fire up next week. Thanks again!
You're Welcome...
My mower is stored in an outside shed, i use a Solar Charger to keep it charged all winter. Thanks for the video.
Awesome...
I also use a solar battery charger. The no-load output is 18V. When attached to the battery it drops down to 13V. This maintains the battery for the whole time it is connected. I also us anti-seize compound to prevent corrosion build up on the terminals. My batteries generally last in excess of 5 years with this method.
Thanks for the work you put into your videos Steve I learn a lot from watching.
Very welcome
Excellent Video Steve. I just want to share an idea that I used to do for keeping my battery charged all winter: I had some extra space under the hood of my pick up truck between the grill and the wheel well. I added some foam rubber to protect the battery and made up a couple battery cables to connect to my truck battery. That kept my battery charged all winter long. I don't know if this is a good idea? But it worked for me.
Excellent Video!! Best information about batteries I've heard.Do the maintenance or pay more money.
Great point!
Steve from Ohio here . Love your vidio's Stevo ! Seriously tho , you did the worst clean up of that battery & terminals & connections I ever seen ! !
I keep all that stuff CLEAN .
Wire brush , Baking Soda , Water , elbow grease .
Thanks Steve. I've got the solar powered battery trickle charger on mine for the winter.
Right on
I like the video you provided for us and I know about some of the things you mentioned, but not all of them and have to get my batteries in my mower, tractors, and vehicles checked so the equipment will be ready when I need them. Thanks for sharing this information with us all and I hope you have a great week.
I find I can re use the black gloves 3 or 4 times as they are a little tougher.I am probably telling you something you already know. That beer bottle with the spring top is gold.I rince them out and fill them with water and use them to bottle homebrew. Thanks for another great vid.!!!
Right on Darryl...
Excellent advice about the battery tender. I keep my lawn tractor, my motorcycle and wifes scooter outside in my enclosed shed all winter. I have 3 battery tenders hooked up to all 3 all winter. Make sure the tanks are full of gas and I'm ready to go in the spring.
Might be a silly question but do u keep the battery in the lawn mower with battery tender or do u take them out of lawnmower while battery tender is in use
Once again, thanks for taking the time to explain these things, I for one, really appreciate it!
My pleasure!
G'day Steve I've always topped up my battery with more acid with no problems. What do you think? I'm from Melbourne AUSTRALIA 🤠
I have always use hot water to dissolve the green mineral build up on battery terminals .
Great video Steve. A little PMI work goes a long way. I know guys that buy new batteries every couple of years because they don't take simple measures like the ones in this video.
Thank You...
You taught me a number of things I did not know in this video. We have five batteries ,and it seems that one always is dead. It is almost September now, so I will start getting ready for the winter using this information. Thanks very much for your presentation.
You're Welcome...
Steve, if you don't want someone to steal your battery, then put your name on the battery... not the cell cap, which someone will move onto their "dud" battery and leave in your shop after stealing your good one!
Plus, I can't believe folk keep leaving nasty comments on your channel, when you're saving punters, like me, all over the world, heaps of time and money by giving free advice which otherwise takes decades of experience and money to accumulate. Thanks so much!
You're Welcome...
Ha! I mowed my lawn two weeks before Christmas and I've been mowing since the end of February.
Great video Steve - if leaving a charger connected, make sure its a smart or trickle charger like you used - a regular charger may boil off the electrolyte and buckle the lead plates (knacker it). Keep up the good work, check out some British Cider - you'll be too sozzled to drive your tractor anyway
Steve, I watched this last year and utilized your advice in our Kubota Diesel tractors. (Work)
In previous years we'd trash a couple batteries a year. We'd do annual service (fluids, filters, repairs) and park the damn things 200 yards from the bay. Winter wind is colder than hell. After doing 20 minutes of additional maintenance to our grass cutters every one of um started this past spring. Saved the Co at "least" a couple hundred bucks!!
You're damn good at what ya do. 👍👍
Right on Buddy! Thank You...
In addition to providing excellent information....you are a great entertainer
WOW! Thank You...
Always suspected Steve was Canadian, after watching this video with a Motomaster battery charger there was no doubt! Love the Channel, keep up the good work!
Right on Dave! Thank You...
Nice job Steve, your a great teacher. Thanks for all the work you do.
I appreciate that!
Steve's channel cheers me up. 👍
Awesome!
Thanks Steve ,again for doing the home work , i like all you're video's !
My pleasure
Steve. Love your videos. Question. Can you leave your battery in the unit and hook up a battery tender?
Great tips and video as usual, that is why we watch you !!
Thank You...
Thanks Steve for sharing this video with us. Great stuff for the diys guys.
You're Welcome...
Great video, and I like the options for testing. If a guy has multiple batteries but only one charger, what are your thoughts about hooking them up in series and connecting the ends to the charger? Good or bad idea? Thanks again for keeping the quality videos coming.
No no,. You hook your batteries up in parallel and then hook to your charger. Never connect in series. Two batteries in series is over 12 volts so what will you have if you connect a bunch in series?
Dale in Canada
I can make one suggestion, only add fluid to a battery after it is fully charged. You must check the battery with voltmeter. If the fluid is low, charge the battery up and then add fluid. The reason being is as the battery charges, the fluid expands and will rise out of the top of the battery.
Loved it! Wonderful information.
Always have some baking soda around when you are working on a battery. As some people don't know, the baking soda neutralizes the battery acid if someone were to splatter or spill battery acid.
Hey Steve I use my lawn tractor all year round. Cut grass in the summer, blow snow in the winter. This winter my lawn tractor turns over very slow if at all but when I put a battery charger on it, it turns over no problem. Tested with multi meter and it says 12.95.
Do you change the oil before the cold sets in to a lighter weight, say 5w30? Your voltage may be up there, but not your amperage. Use a Load Tester to determine the output (strength) of your battery. : )
Your videos are awesome. Great information. Much appreciated.
So nice of you
Very good info, easy to understand, and remember. Non believers can go to the battery store in spring and see the pile of dead batteries.
Thank You...
there is one thing that you got incorrect steve. cold temperatures decrease discharge rate rather then increase it. What causes confusion is that a battery will be weaker when it's cold and won't have as many amps but this also slows down the degradation of the battery. A battery in a cold climate will have longer lifespan than a battery in a warm climate (assuming you don't' let it freeze)
AbyssFlight Ahem,nah cold temp. more demanding on battery for cold cranking amps....Don't confuse yaself getting over complicated lol:)
I keep my battery on my workbench during the winter and every once in a while I give it a slow charge. The battery tender is a great item to have. The rubber gloves I buy at Harbor Freight along with other cheap tools.
Steve, one more thing. If the plates get exposed, there is quite a bit of air space above them. Hydrogen gas will build up and the exposed plates can arc. I've seen two batteries that blew up because of that. Not a good thing.
Thank You...
😱
Good to know, thank you!
Low electrolyte is just a bomb waiting to go off. I started a generator that likely had low level. Luckily I was in a different room when I hit the switch. The battery instantly exploded from the arc across the plates. There wasn’t much to clean up because the battery case and electrolyte was spread out over the entire room. Imagine standing over a battery jump starting a stranded motorist. Always make the last connection to ground away from the battery.
@@LongRidgeFarmer Been there, done that! Good information to pass on.
Steve, I sure wish I knew this 2 years ago when I left two $300 BIG 6Volt golf cart batteries outside for the winter. They both read 3.3 Volts and will not come back up to 6vDC... WHAT CAN I DO TO BRING THEM BACK??? Or do I just say good bye?
I use a solar battery tender I got from harbor freight. Works perfectly.
$13 at Harbor Freight Tools will get you a "FLOAT CHARGER" as well!
Good ole' VASELINE works just well, and "MOST" of us have it in our Bathrooms!
But, in "really extended periods" like 2 years, corrosion will STILL naturally occur... 😿
Thanks again Steve! 😎
Take care,
🤓 -Thomas
Western Washington State
Hello from Pennsylvania! Good one Steve. Add a rubber apron PPE, not to get holes in your clothes. I ran a battery shop once. When you have a charge on a battery and the caps are off (you had your on), realize the battery is releasing hydrogen gas, very flammable stuff. I ran a Hydrogen Plant once too. Keep up the good work Steve and thanks for sharing with us. Battery tender, I like that. I bought a Mr Funnel you had on a previous video I viewed. Hey, you're costing me friend. Here's a tip during the COVID19 Pandemic for us seniors viewers; Take vitamin D-3 to help strengthen the immune system. Old guy signing out ...
What amp trickle charger do you suggest? I’ve seen 1, 2, 5 amp and they get more expensive the more the amp. I just bought my son a 2 amp for Christmas. Hope it is sufficient. Thank you
Didn't know that a battery would freeze. Another lesson learned. Thanks Steve.
You're Welcome...
First commenter! Haha, been watching the vids for about 6 months. Thanks for what you do and why you do what you do. To save us money, wow! Thanks. I usually get charged 30 minimum I take a piece of equipment in. Thank you!!! Matt, out!
You're Welcome...
Great video, but one word of caution!
I have had several batteries cooked dry with the battery tenders / float chargers. The cheap Harbor freight ones were the worst! Then I bought the Battery Tender brand and 2 out of 3 of them cooked my batteries dry within weeks (this was very recent). I believe the reason is that almost any brand of them now are made in China (like everything else that we are forced to buy) and they are basically defective junk! They would charge at 14 to 14.2 volts,, but would not regulate the charge like they are advertised to do. I collect motorcycles and I lost over $1000.00 worth of batteries with the Harbor Freight battery tender / float chargers within a month or two! I have since opted to just store my batteries in my basement over the winter and put a 2 amp charge on them overnight once a month. It`s more of a pain to do, but it works for me!
I did contact Harbor Freight to no avail! I had 10 bikes with the battery tenders on them and they ruined all 10 batteries within a month or two - I threw all of the chargers in the trash!
I have also had friends that had the same problem with the battery tenders.
Just wanted to mention, at minus 40, the temperature is the same, Fahrenheit or Celsius. Good advice though. I think a buddy of mine always brings his in the house.
Grab a beer kick back and relax 🤣 that's what I'm doing each time I watch your videos! Even things I already know some I always learn more because you always go into detail best I've seen on youtube!
Love that!
Great Video as usual . Use Tenders on all my stuff, both Harleys , yard tractors , even my Jeep since it can sit for weeks at a time get a lot longer life out of those batteries also, 6 years on Harley batteries keep up the good work .
Will do!
Do you disconnect the battery cables before hooking up the battery tender?
Great video from start to finish.
Thank You...
Hey Steve , just wondering if you can put a solar charger on your battery for the winter if you don't have electricity?
Thanks Steve, very informative and easy to understand...!
Very welcome
Again I love this channel. All the stuff I need to know or have questions about always answered . Plus the beer thing had me. Great job again Steve your the man.
Thank You...
ive seen 5 videos from you, and in 3 of em you're drinking dutch beer. tnx for the bar tip, our saw made crooked cuts and i balanced it on its side and indeed it wouldnt stay upright. it was a new 100 dllar bar(its why we bought the saw) spared us sme novice expenses. wouldnt have considered a new bar would already be worn like that, but then again the guy we bought it from had all teeth on the chain in different lengths and angles, fixed that too, now it makes spaghetti and cuts straight (and easier)
anybody got a spare carb for a husky 266 se? the cheap chinese one increases fuel consumption by a four-fold
Excellent video. I love my battery tenders.
Thank You...