Is my battery due for replacement & can you explain my 12 volt (2-10-50 amp) charger's actions?

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Joe v

the John Deere brand 42" lawn tractor is two years old, original battery. just got through a mild winter with no tractor activity since October. The battery is dead. Hooked it to a Sears 2-10-50 amp charger set at 10 for the last four hours. the needle started at about 11:45 if it were a clock face. Now it's at about 10:00.

Is dead after this winter normal? It didn't happen last year.
What should I expect the life of the battery to be?
How should the needle behave if it was charging normally?
Would I damage the charger or the battery if I move it to 50 amp setting and leavet their. That setting seems to be for Starting not charging and when I put the button on 50 the needle jumps over to about 2:00 (on a clock face).

Thanksfor any info/advise that makes sense.

Answer
I'm NOT an expert on batteries, after being in the electrical / electronic business for over 30 years, but, I can tell you 1 thing, a lead/ acid battery can " poop " out on you because of non-use. The way that this battery works is that the acid eats away at the plates and causes a chemical reaction that makes an electrical differentiation between the + and - side of the battery. If the battery is left to it's own device, it will eat it's self. When used the battery will use all of it's plates and poles, when not used it will erode the closest poles and give you a " dead cell ". Other than going out in the dead of winter and driving you lawnmower around, there is NO GOOD WAY, that I know of, to preserve your battery. The same thing happens if you let your car or truck sit for a few months, the battery would, simply " poop out " on you. You might try a solar, trickle charger, they let the battery stay heated, which is good. Other than that, expect to replace the " pain-in-the-butt " about every 2 years. Hope this helps, don't be dismayed, a lot of people have this same problem.

which belt runs the deck of a mower the primary or ground belt?

Ryan DeBer

Its on a craftsman 42 inch deck lawn tractor. It gives two options the primary mower belt and then the ground drive belt. Im not sure which goes where

Answer
Put simply, the drive or ground belt is the LONGER of the two belts.


mmalky: 50 years diagnosing and repair of large and small lawnmower and garden equipment engines.

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What's the most effective way to get rid of wild onions growing in my lawn?

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clacher

Hi, I spent several hours digging these wild onions up last year but they are now back and worse than ever.

Answer
Chemical Method

Make a bunch of donut-shaped plastic lawn protectors. Each should be about a foot square (no reason to make it round) with a small hole cut in the middle. Make a "crochet hook" from a hanger. The hook must fit through the hole.

This works best if you follow these two rules:

1. Before cutting the grass in the spring so that the weed sticks up from the other grass.
2. When there is no wind.

You can cheat on rule 1, but cheating on rule two is at your peril.

To use, I place a folded protector so that the hole is next to the target weed and use the "crochet hook" to snag the weed and pull its leaves through the hole. Donât make the hole larger than it needs to be to get the leaves through easily. Lay the plastic flat on the lawn so that it protects the good grass.

I use a sponge brush to apply roundup (cheap ones available in the paint department). Barely dip the sponge so that the roundup does not drip. Stroke all of the exposed leaves. Spraying will almost certainly get some of the roundup on your lawn. and you will get dead spots. If your grass is St. Augustine or Bermuda, the dead spots can be quite large. They usually donât last more than a month or two, however.

Leave the plastic protectors in place for at least 30 minutes while the roundup is absorbed, then remove them. If you reuse the plastic protectors, make certain there is a clear upside and downside marker on each one. A small printed sticker works well. If you see the print on the sticker, the correct side is up.

No Chemicals, HEAT Method

If you donât like to use a chemical, you can do a lot with a piece of black plastic sheeting, 30 pound felt, or an asphalt shingle. Cut a square of the black material larger than the area with weeds. Use a sheer to cut the leaves that will be under the square close to the ground. Cover the area with the square, and use nails to pin the square to the ground. The sun will heat the square and the ground and prevent air from getting to the grass. Leave the square in place for two or so weeks of good sunny days. This can even kill weed seeds if it lets the ground get hot enough. When the plants under the square are dead, remove the square and the dead plant material. St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Bermuda will quickly fill the square, but other grasses must be seeded into the area. Make certain you count every nail as you insert it and remove it so that you get every one. You don't want a mower to pick one up!

Does it matter if I bag grass clippings when I mow a Zoysia lawn?

Andrew A

I have a standard self-propelled mower with bag. Recently I've just been mowing with the "trap door" in the back shut and no bag.

Will this damage my lawn? Does it matter for this type of grass in particular?

Answer
Some people do not like to see the dead clippings lying on the grass. It does not harm the grass to do this and provides mulch and as it deteriorates, adds nutrients. Zoysia grass is very thick so you will probably be emptying the bag quite often.

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