How to Charge A Lawn Mower Battery [Ultimate Guide 2024]

If there's one thing that will keep your lawn healthy, it's the lawn mower. It features batteries that can hold charge and ensure proper equipment functioning. Even though the lawn mower batteries can hold a charge, they can drain over time. Understanding how to charge a lawn mower battery will help keep the appliance safe and functional. You can charge the lawn mower battery with a compatible charger, jump-start it with the car, or use a portable power station.

Most lawnmowers have a 12V battery; you'll need a 12V charger to power the appliance. But if you are using a charger with a greater output, it might damage your mower's battery. Jackery Portable Power Stations have safe LiFePO4 or NMC batteries that can supply steady charge to lawnmowers outdoors or at a place with no nearby power supply available. The large power stations have an ergonomic design and double wheels to move them outdoors and charge appliances.

Understanding Lawn Mower Battery Basics 

Most lawnmowers have 12V batteries, but it's best to double-check the model. If the battery of your lawn mower is dead, the first thing you want to do is recharge it. But before you charge, it is essential to understand the different types of electric lawn mower batteries that are available. Let's explain them briefly:

Electric Push Mowers: Most of the electric lawn mowers available on the market have rechargeable battery packs. If you want to recharge the battery pack, you'll need to remove it from the lawn mower and then use a battery charger to power it.

Electric Riding Mowers: These lawn mower types use larger batteries (such as car batteries). They use multiple 12V lead-acid batteries connected in series. You'll need specific chargers or charger cables to charge the mower. Plug one side into the lawn mower and the other into the wall outlet to start recharging.

Modern lawn mower batteries come with many features, such as different mode settings (jump-start, slow charge, and fast charge), integrated charging timer, automatic shutoff, controlled amp rates, float modes for optimal charging, and clamps for different types of connections. However, one thing to note is that not all lawnmowers have all the mentioned features. It is essential to check the battery to see what features it offers.

When to Charge A Lawn Mower Battery?

While you can use a lawn mower for months without having to charge it, there are still times when you should charge the mower's battery to extend its lifespan. The two simple ways to extend the mower's battery lifespan are by keeping it charged before storing and out of heat. Lead-acid batteries drain themselves when they are stored or not used. But here's the bad news: The batteries need to stay charged, or they will lose the ability to hold electricity.

Here are some instances when you should charge the lawn mower battery:

• Before you start the mower for the first time in the spring.
• Before mowing, check if the mower's battery is dead for some reason.
• Before you store the battery for the cold winter months.

In other words, you only need to connect the charger when the lawn mower's battery is dead or when you plan to start or store the equipment.

How to Charge A Lawn Mower Battery?

If you are having trouble turning on the lawn mower battery, you can recharge it. There are a couple of safe ways to charge the battery. Here are some of the best ones.

How to charge a lawn mower battery:

If you've the battery charger handy, here's how to charge a lawn mower battery:

Step 1: When working with batteries, the first step is to protect yourself with glasses, gloves, and proper ventilation because electrical mishaps and sparks can happen. Keep all the metal away from the workstation and look if there are any signs of damage.

Step 2: Now, check the lawn mower's battery to determine its voltage and choose a 12V charger. You can also check the charger's amp-hour rating and choose a charger with 10Ah.

Step 3: The battery can be found under the hood or seat of the lawn mower. If you can't find it there, check the user manual or consult your manufacturer.

Step 4: Plug one end of the charger into the wall outlet and the other into the battery until it is finished charging. Remember, overcharging the battery can damage the lawn mower, so make sure to unplug the charger after more than 1 hour.

Step 5: Finally, unplug the charger and remove the cables from its terminals. If you are using a lead-acid battery, you must wait for 5 minutes after unplugging and then remove the clamps from the terminals. Make sure to unplug from the negative terminal first and then the positive terminal.

How to jump-start a lawn mower battery with a car:

If your mower has a 12V battery, you can use the jumper cables to start the lawn mower with a car. Some large trucks can also provide currents more than 12V, and it's better to check the car's battery prior to charging. Here's how to jump-start the battery with a car:

Step 1: Park the car and lawn mower near each other and turn off the ignition of the mower. The car should be positioned directly behind the mower to keep the hood nearest to it. Open the car hood and expose the lawn mower battery.

Step 2: Next, locate both ends of the jumper cables so they can comfortably reach the lawn mower and car at the same time.

Step 3: To connect the jumper cables, locate the positive terminals on the mower and car. Attach the red clamp of the jumper cable to the mower's battery. Take the clamp on the other side of the same jumper cable and attach it to the vehicle's positive terminal. Make sure all the connections are secure and tight.

Step 4: The black jumper cable clamp should be connected to the negative terminal of the car. When placing the clamp, stay away from the red positive terminal.

Step 5: The last black clamp needs to be connected to the lawn mower's metal frame. You can either locate the jutting metal piece on the mower's back called the hitch or choose the other metal extremity that is far away from the battery and fuel tank. Lastly, connect the negative clamp to the metal piece.

Step 6: Now, it's time to start your car and keep it running for at least 5 minutes. But before that, make sure the lawn mower is turned off. Generally, the lawn mower battery will take 30 minutes to fully charge. If the jump-start worked, you would soon hear the engine of the lawn mower turn on.

Step 7: Once the lawn mower turns on, you can disconnect the cables from negative terminals and then from positive terminals. Once disconnected, you can drive your lawn mower for around 30 minutes.

Tips about lawn mower battery charging:

Now that we have covered the methods about how to charge a lawn mower, here are a few tips to know about mower battery charging:

• You should wear safety protection glasses for your eyes and gloves when working with batteries.
• The lawn tractor or lawn mower should be parked on a flat surface, and the engine should be turned off.
• The battery terminals should be clean and dry.
• Always keep the battery's charge level at least 20%.
• When recharging the battery, make sure you disconnect it when it reaches 100%.

If you are looking for a portable power station that can charge a lawn mower outdoors, you may consider Jackery Solar Generators. The ergonomic design and double wheels of the solar generators make them easy to carry around and power appliances anywhere. Simply plug the appliance into the USB port and start charging it without worrying about power outlets or jump-starting your car.

How Long Does It Take to Charge A Lawn Mower Battery?

The charging time of electric lawn mowers will depend on the charger type and battery. For example, some lawnmowers might take around 1 hour 40 minutes to charge and can be used for 1 - 2 hours. On the other hand, large lawnmowers take 3 - 4 hours to charge and can be used for 1.5 hours. Here's a table revealing the battery type, charging time, and working time of small and large lawnmowers.

Note: These are estimated values and might vary depending on the model type. For accurate information, refer to the user manual.

How Much Electricity Does A Lawn Mower Use?

The amount of power you need to charge your lawn mower will depend on the battery type and model. Most corded electric lawn mowers draw between 1200 and 1800 watts of electricity per hour. On the other hand, cordless electric lawn mowers require only 1000 - 1400 watts of electricity.

Jackery Solar Generators for Charging Lawn Mower Outdoors

Jackery is a reputable solar brand that manufactures portable power stations, solar generators, and solar panels. The Jackery Solar Generators combine the Jackery Portable Power Station and Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels, which work together to absorb, convert, and supply electricity. The Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels, built with efficient monocrystalline silicon solar cells, absorb the direct sun's rays and convert them into DC electricity.

The Jackery Portable Power Stations then convert DC to AC electricity with the help of a pure sine wave inverter. They have double wheels, ergonomic design, and foldable handles to move the solar generator from one place to another. You can charge the electric lawn mower battery by connecting the battery with the solar generator. These solar generators can charge lawn mower batteries, especially when you are outdoors.

Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station

If you are looking to charge the lawn mower battery, then the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station might make more sense. Its large capacity can power most models and sizes of lawn mowers outdoors, along with other appliances that you might use during the lawn mowing. The compact size, pull rods, and double wheels ensure easy movement to outdoor locations.

With the help of the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station, you can charge the corded electric lawn mowers (1200 - 1800 watts) for 1.4 - 2.1 hours. If you use cordless electric lawn mowers (1000 - 1400 watts), the portable power station can charge them for 1.8 - 2.5 hours. Additionally, the outdoor battery backup can charge other appliances like mobile phones (30W) for 85.6 hours.