What battery for a 17.5 HP and 21 HP engines?

turbofiat124 · May 26, 2018

Anyone know what B&S recommends as far as cranking amps for a 17.5 hp engine and a 21 HP?

Will any battery do? The only reason I ask is some of the cheaper batteries have lower CCAs.

Speaking of batteries. The last "crappy" battery I bought was from AutoZone. I put it on a Snapper and by next spring it was done for. So I used the recoil starter for the next 8 years until I bought a new mower. I'm more careful now. Whenever I put my mowers up after mowing season, I pull the battery off, bring it in my garage and hook it to a trickle charger to it.

Looks like Wal-Mart has the best price going on batteries at around $30. I wouldn't even considering buying a new battery but neither mower has a recoil starter. That's something I miss not having.

Boudreaux In Eunice La. · May 26, 2018

Yes get the Wal Mart battery the most expensive one you can get....... It will last you about 4 years depending on where you live and how you store your mower in the winter ~!~!

bertsmobile1 · May 26, 2018

Mower batteries take a pounding because the electrical systems are downright crude and the lack of suspension shakes the hell out of them.
By far the best battery you can fit is the Optima spiral cell ,pressure valve regulated, adsorbent matt.
can not kill them with a stick.
Should get better than 10 years out of them.
We had them fitted to all of the hire cars which have the battery in the boot and massive starter motors right up the front, Why the Pommies could not fit a geared starter on a 7 litre long stroke motor is beyond me .
We got better than 10 years out of them more than 3 times anything else.
I fitted them to all of our delivery fleet and not a single no start situation for over 30 years and we now have the "dud " batteries hooked up in series on the electric fence with a solar charger.

Boobala · May 26, 2018

Boudreaux In Eunice La. said:
Yes get the Wal Mart battery the most expensive one you can get....... It will last you about 4 years depending on where you live and how you store your mower in the winter ~!~!

I totally agree with Bo, get the Walmart battery, I have 3 of them, 1 in my 8 HP Briggs RER, 1 in my 17.5 HP Briggs and 1 in my 21 HP Briggs, ALL are the $30.00 battery, the RER battery is 5 yrs. old, the 17.5 is going on 5 yrs, and in the 21, I replaced the 4 year old battery just last October. I have friends with similar results, BUT I do know 1 fella, whose gave out after 2+ yrs. When the battery in the 8 HP goes, I'll get the $20.00 battery for it. No matter our opinions, it's YOUR money, ....YOUR call ! Good Luck ... :thumbsup:

Boudreaux In Eunice La. · May 26, 2018

Hey Boo we are gonna have to think of a better way to spell my name out for a shorty.... Some say Boo meaning me and Bo almost is your shorty.....

We talked about that last year on here so confusion and Confucius wouldn't arise LOL.....

I think Boud would be proper ???? What ya'll think guys ?????

Plus Tard Mes Amies ~!~!

Boobala · May 26, 2018

Boudreaux In Eunice La. said:
Hey Boo we are gonna have to think of a better way to spell my name out for a shorty.... Some say Boo meaning me and Bo almost is your shorty.....

We talked about that last year on here so confusion and Confucius wouldn't arise LOL.....

I think Boud would be proper ???? What ya'll think guys ?????

Plus Tard Mes Amies ~!~!

I was thinkin something like ... Ms BO .. or Bo-D, .. or Bop- wopa- doobop, how bout Ragin-Cajun ?? ..what ever YOU prefer HEY ! how bout ... &$#@%$#@@#$ ... :laughing:..:laughing: .......... OK, OK Boud !!

turbofiat124 · May 26, 2018

I think one of the reasons my lawnmowers seems to go through so many batteries is my yard is so bumpy (and large tree roots) there is no suspension on a typical residential lawnmower. As mentioned, it shakes the hell out of it and because plates are no longer made of solid lead but plastic coated lead, the lead eventually flakes off and kills a cell.

My father seems to get more than 5 years out of lawnmower battery but his yard is smooth. He's got a John Deere he has had for more than 5 years and it still has the original battery.

One of the worst brand batteries I've ever seen are those ones labeled "Economy". The name says it all. That is what's currently on this Troy Bilt that has a dead cell. I have no idea how old it is. I have to jump start it using a battery charger with a start mode setting. I don't know who makes this battery. I thinking this is one of Exides reject batteries. I had one last 2 years on a car.

On the other hand, I had one of these "Economy" batteries on my Fiat Spider. I had it hooked to a trickle charger over the winter and it died at some point. It had a sticker labeled 11/11 so I guess it lasted 7 years which maybe good. I tried charging it but after 24 hours, the best charge it would hold was 4 volts.

But it might be the trickle charger itself. I had this same trickle charger connected to my Subaru last year (I drive my classic cars in the summer and park my Subaru from May to November) and it's battery went dead in 3 months for no apparent reason. However I was able to recharge it and it made it through last winter which was bitter cold. The trickle charger works, it's putting out 13.5 volts but maybe I need to disconnect the negative terminal from the battery itself. I would not imagine the radio memory would pull more amps than the trickle charger. Any ideas on that?

One the flip side, my 68 Ford has sat for 2 years without being started. I had a trickle charger connected to it and the battery on it had a full charge.

Sorry if I am mixing cars and lawnmower batteries but I am curious.

7394 · May 26, 2018

My truck battery is the original & is over 11 years old & still Load Tests fine & resting voltage is 12.64

Last riding tractor was 10 yrs old when I sold it, it had original battery in it too.

But I have a few Battery MINDers* here with temperature compensators on them. They are awesome. I use the '1500' models, come with 5 year warranty. And the 1510 models come with 10 year warranty. I just plug them in & forget them.

www.batteryMINDers.com

bertsmobile1 · May 27, 2018

turbofiat124 said:
I think one of the reasons my lawnmowers seems to go through so many batteries is my yard is so bumpy (and large tree roots) there is no suspension on a typical residential lawnmower. As mentioned, it shakes the hell out of it and because plates are no longer made of solid lead but plastic coated lead, the lead eventually flakes off and kills a cell.

My father seems to get more than 5 years out of lawnmower battery but his yard is smooth. He's got a John Deere he has had for more than 5 years and it still has the original battery.

One of the worst brand batteries I've ever seen are those ones labeled "Economy". The name says it all. That is what's currently on this Troy Bilt that has a dead cell. I have no idea how old it is. I have to jump start it using a battery charger with a start mode setting. I don't know who makes this battery. I thinking this is one of Exides reject batteries. I had one last 2 years on a car.

On the other hand, I had one of these "Economy" batteries on my Fiat Spider. I had it hooked to a trickle charger over the winter and it died at some point. It had a sticker labeled 11/11 so I guess it lasted 7 years which maybe good. I tried charging it but after 24 hours, the best charge it would hold was 4 volts.

But it might be the trickle charger itself. I had this same trickle charger connected to my Subaru last year (I drive my classic cars in the summer and park my Subaru from May to November) and it's battery went dead in 3 months for no apparent reason. However I was able to recharge it and it made it through last winter which was bitter cold. The trickle charger works, it's putting out 13.5 volts but maybe I need to disconnect the negative terminal from the battery itself. I would not imagine the radio memory would pull more amps than the trickle charger. Any ideas on that?

One the flip side, my 68 Ford has sat for 2 years without being started. I had a trickle charger connected to it and the battery on it had a full charge.

Sorry if I am mixing cars and lawnmower batteries but I am curious.

Not quite correct.
Battery plates are all solid lead.
Two different alloys of lead, depending upon what type of battery they are Pb/Sb, Pb/Au , Pb/Ca.
The seperator plates are plastic.
What has happened is back in 76 when I worked for a battery maker, the plates were 3mm thick.
By the time I left they were 0,5mm thick.

The reason ?
Car makers demanding lighter batteries.
Thinner plates are substantially weaker but most will run 2 years long enough to be out of warranty ( the ghost of Henry Ford rides again ).
This is why I always use spiral cell batteries if I can get one to fit.
My commercial customers run Optima batteries and while it was a hard sell to get them to fit a $ 250 battery they are all very pleased with them.
A team doing nothing for 2 hours while some one races out & gets a new battery costs a bomb and with 600CCA the engine all start up in a flash.

One customer ran 3 days on a fully charged battery after his alternator packed it in , he was amazed.

What battery for a 17.5 HP and 21 HP engines?

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turbofiat124

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Boudreaux In Eunice La.

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bertsmobile1

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Boobala

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Boudreaux In Eunice La.

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Boobala

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turbofiat124

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7394

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bertsmobile1

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