CMM1200: testing battery

ilyaz

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Apr 6, 2015
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Happy to have found this forum! This is my 1st post.

I am in the process of switching from a gas mower to an electrical one. I already have a corded mower that runs fine but recently I got a curb fine: a CMM1200 mower with all the goodies: a charger, an extra blade etc etc. Figured if I can get it to work it'll be easier to convince my teen kids to mow the lawn (and would be a bit safer too as they would not have to deal with the cord).

Turns out the original (orange) charger is dead. I bought this replacement. One weekend I charged the battery overnight and it seemed to work fine and have enough juice to last for my entire ~0.25 acre lot.

This morning I charged it for several hours but after that it only ran for less than a minute and then stopped. I will charge it overnight and try again tomorrow. But I also want to see if the battery is going kaput. What's the right way of testing a battery? I saw some mentions of measuring it "without load" and "under load". How do I do that? Also, what should the measurements be for a normal battery and what's considered a sign of a dead battery?

Thx muxh!
 

reynoldston

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There is a battery tester that I have used in some of the larger shops I have worked in. It tells your what the voltage is and then you put the battery under a load and how long the battery will hold that load. You might take it to a dealer or NAPA and maybe they could test your battery for you? As for myself any cordless equipment I have found that the battery cost so much I find it is just as cheap or cheaper to throw it away and buy the whole thing new. ( curb find) I determine this when the battery just wouldn't operate the equipment anymore for any amount of time.
 

ilyaz

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It tells your what the voltage is and then you put the battery under a load and how long the battery will hold that load. You might take it to a dealer or NAPA and maybe they could test your battery for you?

Great thanks. If this is just a matter of measuring voltage with the machine off and then on, maybe I can do it with just my multimeter without any special tools.
 

reynoldston

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Great thanks. If this is just a matter of measuring voltage with the machine off and then on, maybe I can do it with just my multimeter without any special tools.

Yes it will only give you a rough idea. The tester I am talking about puts the battery under a much higher load then the machine will.. You have nothing to lose
 
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