trickle charger

[Brett Hartwig]

so..I am getting my new Dixie Chopper mower ready for winter. Decided to buy a trickle charger for the battery so hopefully it will be ready to go in the spring. 2 questions--- first, should I just connect the trickle charger and leave it for the winter or should I go out once a month and plug it in? Second-- the instructions say to connect the red to the positive and the black to a ground/chassis. I mistakenly hooked red to positive and black to negative but it still seemed to work fine and charged the battery till it was blinking green (which it is supposed to do when its fully charged). So what's the difference? Will I hurt it by going red-positive...black-negative?

 

[Bob McDonald]

The usual reason for connecting the black lead to the chassis frame (for charging or jumping or any reason), and to do that last, is that if that if for any reason a spark results, you won't be near any possible hydrogen source that may explode.



Not too much of an exposure in recent times but in days of old, an over charged battery could release an explosive mixture and many people have been injured by the explosion that resulted when connecting jumper cables to jump start other vehicles.



If the battery is left connected to the device (vehicle, mower or whatever) and the connections are good, connecting to the frame for negative is the recommended place.

 

[EddieS'04]

What you want is a battery maintainer. Not a trikler. We have used the $5 with coupon cheepy from harber frieght, for years. On mowing tractor, golfcart and my ex-mustang.



It wont overcharge it or boil the electrolyte. I sware by them.....

 

[TrainTrac]

Eddie's correct. Get a battery maintainer. I use one on my Mustang when I put her away for the winter. I connect it across both sides of the battery, and leave it on for the entire winter. The only time I disconnect it is when I start up the Mustang and let her run for a bit about once a month in the winter.



I use one on my lawn tractor the same way. I don't start the tractor monthly like the Mustang, though. If your mower is going to sit all winter, I'd also recommend getting some fogging oil and spraying it down the cylinders in the plug holes, and down the carburetor throat. Also don't forget to put some stabilizer in the fuel tank.

 

[Brett Hartwig]

traintrac...is it necessary to use the stabil even if I am using ethanol free gasoline?

 

[Brett Hartwig]

also, guess I misspoke...this is what I am using.



[Broken External Image]:

 

[TrainTrac]

traintrac...is it necessary to use the stabil even if I am using ethanol free gasoline?

It can't hurt. Moisture can still condense into water in the tank when it sits for a long period of time. Also, gasoline breaks down if it sits for a while. This is the main reason for using something like Seafoam or StaBil. It prevents the gas from breaking down.

 

[EddieS'04]

Brett,

For long term storage. I always use a fuel stabilizer, with a full tank. Less chance of moisture from condensation.

Also if there isnt' a fuel shut off. I install one. If there is not a way to install one. I use a clamp designed to pinch the fuel hose. I run the motor until the carb is empty. Keeps the fuel from gunking up the carb.