Lawn Mower Battery Charger
Riding mowers and lawn tractors sit for weeks between cuts and months over winter, and a lithium mower battery should be charged on a lithium profile. A 12V lawn mower battery charger for LiFePO4 is a small unit, a few amps, that brings the battery to full before the first cut of spring and never runs the desulfation cycle a lead-acid tender would.
12V Lawn Mower Battery Charger
When a Mower Battery Needs a Charger
During the season, the mower’s own charging system keeps a lithium battery topped up. The charger earns its keep at the edges: bringing the battery to full before it goes into storage, waking it up in spring, and recovering a battery run down by a long idle with the lights on. Use a charger with a lithium profile, never a lead-acid charger with a desulfation setting. Dakota says its 12V 3A works on any 12V lithium battery, so a larger U1 like the 30Ah Ionic simply takes longer, about 10 hours from empty. The batteries are on our lawn mower battery shelf.
Lawn Mower Battery Charger FAQ
Will this charge my Group U1 lithium mower battery?+-
If it is a 12V lithium battery, yes. Dakota built its 12V 3A for batteries from 7Ah to 25Ah and says it works on any 12V lithium battery, so a larger U1 like the 30Ah Ionic takes about 10 hours from empty.
Do I need a charger if the mower charges the battery?+-
For mowing season, usually not: the mower keeps it topped up. The charger is for bringing the battery to full before storage, waking it in spring, and recovering one run down by a long idle.
How do I store a lithium mower battery over winter?+-
Charge it to full, then disconnect it or bring it inside, somewhere above freezing. LiFePO4 loses only a few percent of charge a month, so it starts the first Saturday in spring.