How to Attach a Trickle Charger to a Lawn Mower

Starting your lawnmower in the spring can sometimes be a challenge because it has sat idle all winter. If your lawnmower has an electric starter, it is likely that the battery has lost its charge. You can recharge the battery by attaching a trickle charger to its terminals and waiting several hours for the charger to do its job. Connecting the trickle charger to the battery correctly is important to avoid an explosion and possibly injuring yourself.

Wrench
Pliers

Instructions

- 1
  Loosen the battery terminals with a wrench and pull off the wires. Set the battery on a bench.
- 2
  Pull out the battery’s vent caps with a pair of pliers. These are typically located on top of the battery between the two terminals. If your battery is a sealed unit, you can skip this step.
- 3
  Look on the battery's case for its voltage. A lawn mower battery would typically be 6 or 12 volts.
- 4
  Adjust the trickle charger’s voltage to match the battery by moving the controls on the charger with your hand. If your trickle charger has an amp setting, set it to its lowest setting.
- 5
  Fasten the black alligator clip from the trickle charger around the black negative terminal on the battery.
- 6
  Fasten the red alligator clip from the trickle charger around the red positive terminal on the battery.
- 7
  Plug the trickle charger into a wall outlet and allow the battery to charge for several hours.

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