Honda HR215 Battery question

[giovanni1]

The electric start rechargeable battery on my HR215 is dead. I do not have a separate wall charger for it. I am wondering what my best bet for a replacement would be?

Should I replace with a rechargeable battery again or can a regular 12v 2.9ah battery do? Does the machine recharge during operation? I attempted to recharge it using an automotive 12v battery charger to no avail.
Can I vary at all with the amp hours? I see similar 12v batteries but not many are exactly 2.9ah.
As you know the Honda replacement batteries are very expensive. And so is the charger.

 

[olgeezershonda]

I would try recharging the battery with a 'smart' battery tender that regulates the charge and stops charging when finished. They can be left on indefinitely without harm to the battery. This is assuming the mower's battery chemistry is compatible with the charger and the battery is not damaged or faulty. A couple problems you'll encounter is how to connect the charger to the battery as the mower likely has a proprietary connection plus finding one that fits the case. Like a car battery that can accept various AH batteries it doesn't need to be exactly 2.9ah. As for the mower recharging the battery it should be able to.

 

[giovanni1]

is there a way for me to test the battery? all I have done so far is try a Digital Meter and the battery reads about 1.5v when the meter is set to the 12v setting.

Should I leave the charger on longer? after a 24 hour period the battery went from 1.5v to 5.2v on the meter.

 

[olgeezershonda]

Depending on the charge rate after 24 hours it 'should' be fully charged and reading somewhat above 12 volts at rest. At 5.2v its officially dead. I guess you could leave it on longer and hope for the best. I'm assuming it's battery is similar to a small motorcycle type battery. If not then its best to contact a Honda dealer and ask them about it. I'm not familiar with how the mower charges the battery so you can ask about that as well. I don't know if it can be load tested like an automobile battery but if so the battery needs to be fully charged before testing. It would be nice to fully restore the starting system though.

The kind of smart battery charger I use on my Goldwing is a Deltran Battery Tender Junior. They are fairly inexpensive and can be left plugged in and attached to the battery indefinitely. You might be able to adapt it for use on the mower by changing the connectors to fit the charger. I say might because I'm not familiar with batteries on a Honda mower or how they get charged. Maybe someone else can advise better than I can.