At some point, you might find yourself in a situation where you have a dead gas-powered lawn mower with a flat battery. In this scenario, jump starting from your car’s battery could be your solution to get back to mowing right away. But you may be wondering if this is the right thing to do or if it will be a costly mistake. Depending on your mower, jump starting it from the car’s battery could be right or wrong. So, let’s take a closer look at whether your mower is suitable for a jump start or not.
Can You Jump Start a Lawn Mower with a Car? (The Short Answer)
If your gas powered lawn mower uses a 12v cranking battery to power its starter motor, you can use a 12v car battery to jump-start. However, if your gas powered mower uses a 6v cranking battery, you can’t use the car to jump start. Running 12v into a 6v system will destroy the electrical system and potentially cause a very dangerous scenario with the battery.
Is It Safe To Jump Start a Lawn Mower with a Car?
If done correctly, jump-starting a lawn mower’s 12v cranking battery is safe. However, it becomes unsafe if you attempt to charge the incorrect (6v) battery or use the jump-starting method incorrectly.
Different gas powered lawn mowers use different types of batteries. Usually, a walk behind lawn mower would use a 6v to power its cranking battery, so walk-behinds definitely should not be jumped using a 12v car battery.
Sometimes you will find larger lawn mowers, like tractor mowers, have 12v batteries. These larger mowers are fine to jump start by connecting the corresponding terminals. However, it is always extremely important to check your lawn mower’s battery voltage since every mower is different, and there isn’t any particular rule for which mower uses what battery. So, always check first.
How to Jump Start a Lawn Mower with Your Car
If you have checked and confirmed your lawn mower has a 12v cranking battery, you can go ahead and jump start your dead lawn mower with your car. So, here are the steps and equipment you’ll need to safely and effectively get your engine running. Let’s take a look.
Safety Precautions
Before attempting to jump start your lawn mower, make sure that you take note of the following safety precautions.
Personal Protection
Always wear protective gloves and eyewear when you attempt to jump start a lawn mower. Batteries contain acid and generate explosive gasses; therefore, you need to be extra cautious and protect yourself.
Don’t Lean Over Batteries
Additionally to gasses being explosive, they are also toxic if inhaled, so try not to lean over the battery when jump starting your lawn mower.
No Naked Flames
The gasses released from batteries during jumping are flammable. That being the case, make sure no naked flames are present during jumping.
Ensure the Car is Switched Off
Finally, when connecting to a car, make sure that the vehicle is switched off. If the car is switched on, there is the potential risk that the car’s electrical system can get damaged.
Steps to Jump Start Your Lawn Mower with a Car
Now that you know you can jump start a riding lawn mower with a car or other lawn mowers with a 12v cranking battery, let’s go over the steps you should follow and what you will need.
Tools & Equipment Needed for Jump Starting a Lawn Mower with a Car
- Car with 12v Battery
- Jumper Cable
Position the Car & Mower
First, position your car close to the lawn mower so the jumper cable can reach. Ensure the cables are not too tight and under any stress, as they could disconnect if stretched out.
Set the Lawn Mower in Starting Status
Next, set your lawn mower into its starting status. This will include disengaging the blades and setting the brake to ON. Also, make sure the ignition is switched off before connecting. If you are unsure about the starting status, then it would be safest to review your lawn mower’s manual.
Shut Off the Car
As I mentioned before, make sure that your car is switched off. This will prevent any costly damage to the car’s electrical system.
Give Access to Batteries
Next, you need to lift the car hood and secure it. Then gain access to the lawn mower’s battery. The battery on the lawn mower is usually under the seat or under the lawn mower’s hood.
Organize the Jumper Cables
Before making any connections, you need to organize the cables so that none of the clamps are touching. I like to lay the jumper cables out on the floor, separate the clamps first, and ensure there aren’t any knots in the cable.
Connect the Cables
Connecting the cables needs to be done in a specific order to prevent shorting the electrical system and to keep arcing (sparking) to a minimum. Here is the order in which you should make the connections of the jumper cables.
- Car Battery Positive Connection
- Mower Battery Positive Connection
- Car Battery Negative Connection
- Mower Body Negative Connection
The mower’s negative connection should be made directly on the lawn mower’s body on any metal surface where the clamp will make good contact. This helps keep the arc (sparks) away from any potential danger, such as the gas tank.
Start the Lawn Mower
Once the connections are made, the engine is ready to start. Use your starting procedure, such as turning the ignition key and starting up the engine. If you find the starter motor still struggling, allow a few minutes to pass so that some charge can make its way into the lawn mower’s battery. This should only take a minute or two to complete.
Disconnect the Cables
Next, you will need to remove the jumper cables from both the lawn mower and the car. Again, this needs to be done in a specific order to ensure that no damage is done to either the car or the lawn mower. Additionally, when you remove the jumper cables, you need to make sure that none of the clamps touch or that any of the clamps touch the metal parts of both vehicles. Here is the order you’ll need to follow to disconnect the jumper cables.
- Mower Body Negative Connection
- Car Battery Negative Connection
- Mower Battery Positive Connection
- Car Battery Positive Connection
Charge the Battery
Once the lawn mower is running, its alternator will start to recharge the battery. You will find that the mower will add enough power after a while to restart the mower, but it’s not going to be enough to rely on for the next time you want to mow your lawn. So, getting the battery charged as soon as possible is best.
Alternatives to Jump Starting Your Mower Without Your Car
If you happen to have a 6v cranking battery or don’t have a car to use, then there are other options you can try.
Jumper Pack
A jumper pack serves the same purpose as a battery on a car and allows you to jump start your lawn mower. You can charge jumper packs using the main power and then connect them to the mower’s battery.
Battery Charger
A battery charger won’t get you going fast, but it will get your battery back to fully charged. Chargers come in a variety of different designs and can accommodate various battery voltages, including 6v & 12v. If you have a cranking battery on your lawn mower, then it’s a great idea to have a charger on hand.
Battery Tender / Trickle Charger
Battery tenders work differently from chargers in that they ensure the battery stays fully charged when not used. The tender will continuously monitor the battery voltage and make sure it’s kept fully charged, helping you avoid dealing with a dead battery again.
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