The battery of your mower is the most important part, so you should know how to charge a Toro lawn mower battery. Keep reading to learn the quickest way to get this done.
To charge a Toro lawn mower battery, the first thing to do is remove the battery from the mower by unscrewing the back housing and disconnecting the black and red connectors. Then connect the positive and negative terminals to the battery charger. Finally, plug in the charger to a wall outlet to recharge the battery.
Without a battery, your lawn mower is no good. And like any other battery, lawn mower batteries can run out of power. Unlike car batteries, you don’t have to jump right into an expensive replacement.
Learn how to charge a Toro lawn mower battery quickly, so your lawn mower is always ready to go.
The longer you have your mower the more likely the battery will lose its charge. You can always choose to replace it, but charging provides an easier and cheaper alternative. Having a battery charger on hand is good practice for the maintenance of your lawn mower.
Our guide will help show you how to charge the battery step by step, so your mower stays powered and ready to mow.
Table of Contents
How To Charge A Toro Lawn Mower Battery: Step By Step Guide
A lawn mower can last a long time if you properly maintain it. Part of maintenance is battery care, and this includes keeping the battery charged. As batteries age, they lose the ability to hold a charge. But, when you keep a charger on hand, you can maintain a battery and extend its life.
Battery life can also deteriorate when the mower is out of use for a long time. This is common during the winter months. This makes it essential to know how to charge a Toro lawn mower battery. Following our step by step guide will have you being a pro at this in no time.
Getting Ready
The first thing to do is to remove the battery from the mower. Use a pair of pliers to disconnect the terminals from the heads on the battery. Some batteries will be held in place by bolts.
In this case, use a bolt wrench to remove the bolts, so the battery can be taken out of the mower. If you are not sure where the battery is, check the instruction manual for its location.
You need to make sure you are working in a well-ventilated area when changing the battery. There is a possibility that harmful gases can be emitted during the process. You should also remove any possible sources of ignition to prevent the chance of an explosion.
Before starting, make sure you are wearing protective clothing, gloves, and protective eyewear.
The video below will show you where the battery is located on a Toro lawn mower, how to remove it & also how to replace it if the battery is too damaged to charge.
Connecting The Battery To The Charger
Now you connect the battery to the charger. The positive connector needs to be connected first. The positive connector needs to be attached to the red clamp. The black clamp will go to the negative connector. The connectors will be easily marked with (+) and (-) signs.
Once the connectors are attached, you can safely plug in the charger. Make sure the voltage between the mower and the charger matches. Most mowers will use a 12-volt charger.
Some chargers will let you toggle between 6-volts and 12-volts. In these cases, make sure you get a match, or you will not get a full charge.
Additionally, make sure you are using a charger that has an output of 10 amps or less. Using a greater output could damage the battery and could force you to buy a new one.
Replacing The Battery Back In The Mower
There will be a display screen on the charger that will let you know when the battery is fully charged. Once the light indicates that the battery is charged, you can unplug the charger.
Disconnect each connector from the battery and place the battery back in the mower. Work in reverse to the previous step, removing the negative connection first and then the positive. Make sure all bolts are securely tightened if there are any.
Advantages Of Using A Battery Charger
There are a number of advantages for using a battery charger to charge your Toro lawn mower battery.
- They prevent overheating and overcharging.
- There is less risk of any lead chemical spills (this can happen if you use a car battery to jump start your mower battery).
- Chargers are the best option for regulating the speed of charging. Through direct communication, the charger can reduce input once the target charge is reached.
- Chargers reduce the risk of batteries charging too quickly.
What Charger To Use For Your Toro Lawn Mower Battery
The best battery charger to use for your Toro mower battery is the 1 Pack 6V & 12V Amp Trickle Charger found on Amazon. This charger can be used for a number of different battery types, including lawn mowers. You can select 6V or 12 V settings depending on what you are charging.
The 12V setting is the one that will typically match most Toro mower batteries. You can use the lower setting, but it will take longer to get a full charge. The battery clips are included making it easy to connect to the battery.
Safety is also a top priority with the spark-proof design, reverse polarity protection, and short circuit protection. This battery charger also detects bad batteries that need to be replaced and prevents overcharging.
If you have a little more money in your budget and want a heavy duty charger, the Amazon Basics Battery Charger is a great choice for your Toro mower battery. This 12V charger matches most mower batteries and will deliver a fast charge in under an hour.
The protective features prevent the battery from overheating or overcharging. This improves the overall quality and longevity of the battery by not placing it under any unnecessary stress. You also get fuse-protected battery clamps for additional safety.
How Do I know If My Toro Lawn Mower Battery Needs To Be Recharged
Batteries lose their charge when not in use, especially when stored over winter months. They can also lose their charge as the battery gets older. Anytime the mower (and battery) is not in use for a period of time, it is good practice to charge it before using the mower.
The mower will also not start if the battery needs to be charged.
In addition to these signs, you can also test your battery regularly to determine if it needs to be charged. The better you maintain the mower battery, the longer its life will be.
This multimeter from Amazon can help you do this. The AstroAl digital multimeter is made for commercial use and accurately tests the voltage for heavy-duty batteries. The easy-to-read LED screen lets you see the charge your mower battery has.
If the mower has been sitting for a while, you can quickly test the voltage of the battery with this tool, to check if any additional charge is needed or not. A multimeter also lets you make sure the voltage of the battery is full before you put the mower into storage.
Make sure the mower is off and locate the battery. Wriggle the connection cables to make sure they are securely connected. Sometimes this can be a cause for not starting and you may not need to charge the battery at all.
How Often Should I Charge My Toro Lawn Mower Battery
As stated, you want to charge the mower battery any time the mower has not been in use for a few months. You do not need to charge the battery routinely, as the batteries in mowers hold power for quite some time.
The times you want to check on the battery and charge it before use include:
- The first time you get the mower out in the spring
- Before storing the mower away for the winter
- Anytime you try and use the mower and it will not start.
It is really quite simple. The battery should be charged anytime that it is not responsive when you use it and before and after long-term storage.
Generally, mower batteries last for between 3 and 5 years, so long as they are charged properly and only as needed. This also equals about 500 charges.
You will be able to tell when your mower battery is starting to lose power, because the charge will not hold for as long. When you notice that you have to charge the battery more often than usual, it may be time to look for a replacement.
How Long Does It Take To Charge A Toro Lawn Mower Battery
When you use a standard and recommended 1-Amp charger, the average charging time will be about an hour. You do not want to use a higher amp charger as this can damage the battery.
If you use a lower amp charger, the charging time will be longer. Either way, if you come across an unresponsive mower, it will not take long to get the battery charged and get you back to your chores.
How Do I Know If My Lawn Mower Battery Is Charging
There will be an LED system on the charger that indicates that the battery is being charged. Typically, a red color LED light means the battery is being charged. It will turn green once the battery has reached its full charge.
You do not have to monitor the battery, because the charger regulates the power as needed. It will reduce power flow as the battery reaches full charge. This prevents overcharging.
Check the battery after an hour, if you are using a 1-Amp charger, and if the light is green, your battery is ready for use.
Do I Need To Charge A New Lawn Mower Battery
A new battery will never come fully charged, but there will be enough power stored to use the mower. In most cases new batteries are charged between 80 and 90 percent.
If you think you will need a full charge and just want to be sure, you can connect to a charger as soon as you get the battery home.
In many cases, you can buy a new battery that has this information already provided. Some will come with a sticker that informs you of when the battery was last charged. This can help you gauge how much charge it will have at the time you get it.
Not every mower battery is rechargeable, so make sure you confirm this before you buy. Rechargeable batteries last much longer when maintained properly. With proper care, you will likely not need to buy another replacement. The top reason batteries go bad, is inactivity.
If your mower sits inactive for longer than 6 months, the battery will recharge, but its longevity is significantly reduced. If you find that you need a new battery for your mower, you can get affordable Toro mower batteries on Amazon.
Helpful Tips On How To Charge A Toro Lawn Mower Battery
The Toro lawn mower batteries and chargers of today come with several features that make charging the battery easy. To get the best charger for your lawn mower battery look for the following features:
- Automatic shutoff
- Float modes for optimal charging
- Hookup failsafe to prevent improper connections
- Different mode settings (slow and fast)
- Clamps to allow for different types of connections
One of the most important factors in charging a Toro mower battery is to avoid overcharging. This can quickly kill the battery and leave you needing to buy a new one. A battery can last for up to 5 years unless it has serious malfunctions.
Final Thoughts
Your lawn mower battery can run out of juice, especially when the mower is not in use for long periods of time. No need to worry about putting the mowing off for a week. With the right charger, you can get the mower ready to go in an hour.
Our step-by-step guide will walk you through the quick and easy process of how to charge a Toro lawn mower battery. We even have a couple Toro battery chargers we recommend for the process.
Don’t let a downed battery stop your day. Hook it up to a Toro battery charger and get back to work in under an hour.