Upgrade Ryobi RM480E/RY48110 to LiFePO4 Batteries - Tutorial + Required Parts
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- Опубликовано: 14 апр 2023
- Shout out to @kenthoman3068 for getting this tutorial started. Watch his video first here - • Ryobi RM480e Electric ...
WARNING - working with batteries and their wiring can be dangerous. I take no responsibility for injuries related to DIY'ing this project or anything I may have left out of these steps that could cause bodily harm. Take your own safety precautions.
Tutorial Steps (Using the parts seen in video)
1. Remove plastic battery tray access panel - 4 star bolts
2. Remove the 2 battery tray bolts securing the tray to the frame
3. Lift seat and remove the plastic cover to the battery compartment
4. Remove screw that holds down the battery connector
5. Remove bolt that goes down through the battery tray and threads into the frame
6. Disconnect the temp sensor (I think that's what it is) and the battery connector
7. Place a bucket or some kind of platform behind the mower and slide the battery tray out onto it (careful not to snag on any wires)
8. Remove the top battery tray bracket that secures the batteries to the frame and the plastic terminal covers
9. Remove all the terminal wires
10. Loosen the brackets that prevent the batteries from moving forward or back on the tray (one in back and one in front of tray)
11. Remove old batteries and put in new ones and wire up in series (don't forget to put the temp sensor wire back as well as the terminal covers)
12. Connect the new black 4ga wire to the negative terminal of front most left battery on one end and the other to the bridge connector that comes with the new gauge
13. Connect the negative from the battery connector to the other end of the bridge connector
14. Crimp ring connector to one end of a piece of 20ga red wire
15. Connect the other end (without the ring connector) to the bridge connector
16. Connect the ring connector end of the 20ga wire to the positive terminal of front most right battery along with the positive end of the battery connector
17. Remove plastic around control panel on right side of mower - handful of star bolts
18. Disconnect old battery gauge and tape up old wires
19. Bore battery gauge hole to at least 2-1/8 inch (I used a step bit)
20. Set in new gauge and secure it with the wing nut underneath
21. Connect gauge wire to bridge connector (out of the way so doesn't get caught when taking the tray in and out) and tape up the bridge connector
22. Reassemble the control panel
23. Put the brackets back in that prevent the batteries from moving forward or back (try to center the batteries on the tray so the top bracket bolt can get to the threaded nut on the frame)
24. Place the top battery bracket back over the batteries/terminal covers and slide the tray back into the battery compartment (be careful not to snag wires)
25. Bolt down the top battery bracket to the frame
26. Bolt the tray back down to the frame
27. Bolt back in the plastic battery tray access panel
28. Put plastic cover back under seat and lower seat
29. Happy Mowing!!
Part links
Batteries - www.amazon.com/stores/HowellE...
Gauge - www.amazon.com/dp/B08HWFPGL5
Charger - www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRF6M7NB
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As a 20 minutes per charge mower owner, this is damned maddening!!!!!!!!!!! OMFG it is tripling my mowing time and today, I got rained out during my third charge session and I almost drove the mower through my garage wall and l just look stupid in front of gas-powered mower neighbors now and I'm going to do whatever it takes to fix this.
THANK YOU for this video! It is like you made it just for me! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have done 5 mows now with the new batteries. Zero issues, and I haven't dropped below 70% charge in any of the mows, nor have I experienced any problems with performance. I mow without even thinking about the battery now. Before it was a stress inducing rage train when I had to stop and charge 3 times to mow 1/2 acre. You want to see a pissed off person? Look at me when I am in the middle of charge number 3 and it starts to rain! RAIN!
Those days are over thanks to this video, and I would also like to thank THC legalization in Michigan. because I love to get high and work on projects like this.
You are awesome. Very well illustrated and documented.
Bloody brilliant. I have already replaced my batteries once and did not want to do it again. But I am having problems. So I have to test them. Regardless, this is my mowers future. You did a very professional job!
Hey bro, thanks for this video! I have ordered all the parts and they should be here today and tomorrow, except for the batteries which will be here next Monday. It's been raining every single day here in Florida and the grass has grown so tall (even in just one week) that the stock batteries can only manage about 15 minutes of mowing. Anyway, looking forward to doing this conversion. HWE, the seller and manufacturer of the batteries actually called me because they were concerned that I was getting these for a golf cart and wanted to make sure that they would fit and work. I steered him to this video and he gave me the thumbs up.
By the way, it's worth mentioning that it's best to NOT plug it in after every use unless you have a VERY large yard and are running it down to 30% or less. This is contrary to how those original lead acid batteries are supposed to be plugged in, which should be plugged in after every use. If you are only using a small percentage of the lithium batteries per mowing and plug it in only when it gets to somewhere between 30% and 40% then those batteries will last their longest, possibly outlasting the lawnmower itself.
Great job. I am planning on doing this exact project and already picked out the exact same gauge and charger for the reasons you mentioned. One tip on installing the gauge, you can bolt the shunt directly to the battery and not even need the extra black 4 gauge work. Works great and keeps things neat.
From what I've seen, bolting the shunt to the battery doesn't provide enough clearance and you have to cut the plastic panel above.
this is the best video of this type. Thanks so much! I purchased my mower 3 years ago and it is still going strong but I know the time will come soon for the upgrade. I remember when I purchased it I immediately thought that lithium upgrade would be needed in a few years, but lithium batteries at that time (only 3 years ago!) would cost way more than the mower.
For sure. You have to decide if it's worth the extra $1200 or whatever to upgrade. For me, putting in more lead acid $6-700 wasn't an option so it was either get a new mower or get lithium. Time will tell if I made the right decision. Hoping these last for a decade or more.
@@ryannoble5451 With the prices of the new mowers right now, this saves a ton of money since the mower is still usable. Great drop in solution and keeping the wiring and recharging better. Thanks for doing the work. I've added these items to my amazon list
@@HackAttackx10 I got my Ryobi 480e 48110 75 aH from Home Depot for $1500 on clearance a few years ago. It was a floor model and they couldn't find the charger. I talked the manager into calling Ryobi to explain the situation and they sent me a new charger free. Given the price I paid, I can't complain about the OEM batteries crapping on me, since I have no idea how long it sat dead on the floor but now I am running only 20-25 minutes on a full charge with the blade higher than I want, and when I first looked at new mowers HOLY SHIT!!!!!! What the hell happened to those? I would be in for at least 4 grand it looks like so I really hope this battery upgrade works. My batteries were just shipped I think.
Ryan, thank you for creating this. I copied your exact setup/parts right down to swapping the charger plugs and it works great!
Edit:
1. I no longer recommend these batteries, HWE (Howell Electric) has put in a weaker BMS which doesn't support the current draw of the mower.
2. I ended up buying a LiFePO4 specific 58.4v charger. The HTRC is flaky.
3. If I was doing this again, I would buy 1 48v 100Ah battery. Why? Possibly and likely, over time, balance issues with 4 12v batteries.
Folks, if you are new to LiFePO4, I recommend watching Will Prowse video 12V LiFePO4 Battery Series Configuration 101.
Note, batteries must also be 4S capable (i.e. 4 in series is a supported configuration). The Ryobi RM480e/ex has high peak current demand so if you are choosing a different battery, look for golf cart support as an indication they may work.
I did the same thing except mine doesn't move. The blades come on and if I put it in reverse it will beep like usual, but it doesn't move forward or reverse. Any ideas?
Never mind, I'm an idiot! I had the parking brake on! So if anybody else has this problem, be sure to deactivate the parking brake and you should be good to go. Thank you to my son for pointing this out!
I did the swap and only worked once. All I get is a click from the relay on the frame. I did not change the indicator any ideas?
I haven't had an issues with the HWE batteries or the charger so far. Doesn't mean they are the best options by any means.
Another plus I didn't mention for anyone reading these. The mower has a pretty steady voltage even under heavy load. A problem I had before was the mower would bog down in tall wet grass situations. Now it tears through stuff no problem.
The reason I am here is because of this bogging lol
I forgot to mention, I ordered all of the parts from the links. My gauge arrived today, and the batteries will be here soon also. It looks like the charger will be a little delayed but I still have my old batteries in there, and I plan on mowing so I can really embarrass myself one last time for old time's sake with these OEM batteries I've murdered in my uninsulated Michigan garage. I think it took 4 charges last time to do a half acre, so I think I'll treat myself to a two clicks lower blade and see if we can't get 6 charges for our last dance here
Wanted to thank you, Ken and others for al the information on doing a LiFePo4 battery upgrade. I ordered all the parts yesterday and hopefully will successfully complete the install when they all arrive. Like many of you I like the mower but refuse to buy new batteries on a regular basis (I was just starting my 4th season). So I spent a few hundred more to do it this conversion one time and keep the mower. What amazed me was when I read how much lighter the LiFePo4 batteries are compared to SLA: about 20 to 55; one massive weight savings the batteries no longer need to push around.
I did notice that Ryobi is selling their 80V lawn tractor with lithium batteries yet still sell the older model with SLAs. They need to get their head out of their butts and change the lawn mower to lithium as well. If you factor in the the cost difference, they could bump the price a few hundred dollars and tout the use of lithium batteries' long running life. Oh well, I guess it will take a few hundred more people complaining about the SLAs before they figure it all out.
Seems like they are going with a proprietary lithium ion battery pack for their new models. Looks like multiple 80v 10ah packs at $900 a piece. This isn't great for consumers.
@@ryannoble5451 Hey there. I just got my LiFePo4 batteries today. Got the gauge and charger a few days ago. Got it all put together and it is charging now. I did have a question: does the gauge always stay on? The second I connected it it was displaying, even though the mower is not turned on but once I thought about it the power is always going to it. Just thought I would ask. Thanks, Dave
@David Wyman yes the power to the gauge is always on. I personally prefer it that way. If you want it controlled by the key switch, you'll probably need to run the 20ga red to it first.
@@ryannoble5451 Well, it is done, except for enlarging the hole in the panel for the gauge. I am wondering how the gauge maker expects anyone to read the print on those directions; us old folks do not have a chance. Also, locating the shunt is interesting as there is not a lot of room. All that is left is to try it out. Thanks again.
Replying to myself here. I have finished the update and actually cut my lawn twice with the new setup. Here is a breakdown of the costs:
batteries:
Vendor: ToBatteries on EBay - free shipping, came in less than 1 week
4 - 12V 80ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Deep Cycle
$876.00 batteries
72.27 tax
948.27 total
NOTE: These batteries weigh about 22 pounds each, compared to the 55 pounds each for the SLA ones; 132 less pounds to carry around, which cannot hurt.
Charger/monitor - from Amazon
HTRC P3648 charger
Qwork 8-80v, 0-100A
$168.55 charger
35.95 monitor
22.87 tax
227.37 total
Miscellaneous
12" 4 ga battery cable to go from negative battery terminal to shunt
12" 20 ga wire and clip from shunt to positive terminal
11.47 total
Grand total: $1187.11
My lot is 18,000 sf, probably 12,000 to mow. It took about 21.5% of the charge to mow it. The back is flat, the front section is larger and has hills.
The best thing: I can now take my mower apart, clean it, and put it all back together in about an hour.
Thanks to Ryan for all his answers to my questions.
Dave Wyman
I got it all back together last night, used the original wiring from the old batteries to drop in the new (HWE 4 Pack 12V 100Ah LiFePO4). I charged each battery individually first with
NOCO GENIUS 5, 5A Smart Car charger from Amazon. I wish I would have realized it would take 15 hours each or so to charge at first but I didn't buy the best option for that lol. I didn't mount the new meter yet, but wiring it was no issue and it all fits under the original plastic covers if you fight it correctly. I just have the meter zip tied to the under seat battery metal mount where you screw the power/ground disconnect down.
I also switched the charger connectors like Ryan did, that took like 5 minutes and it works perfectly with the two wires inside of the new one instead of three from the old. I believe it was determined that third OEM wire prevents you from driving when charger is plugged in so I will probably do that at some point but oh well.
My first mow today with the new batteries almost made me cry tears of joy. No more charging it twice or three times to finish my yard. No more anxiety about looking stupid in front of my neighbors by driving .00001 MPH so the blades don't bog over some taller grass. Those days are gone my friends. I just cut my entire almost 3/4 acre on one charge and then some. I was cruising around another 10 minutes with the blades off just running the batteries down and I still had plenty left over.
Thank you for the video! I swear if it wasn't laid out this simply, I wouldn't have done it. I'll update in a few months after summer, but so far, I love it!
Did you ever get a chance to take care of that third OEM wire? How would you go about doing that anyways? Thanks
Nope, I never touched it again because it has been working great and that 3rd wire hasn't mattered so far. @l3z
The links to Amazon batteries and charger are no longer active. Can you tell us model / brands ?
I just updated them @BroJoeShow
Great job with your video! Thank you very much for your effort.
I am reporting back in now after a full summer of mowing. Flawless. No problems whatsoever with the charger, the batteries, etc. it has been great. The lowest I've been able to get the battery level down to is 65%, and once in awhile it will bog in heavy grass quick, but one thing that has never happened is a stall with these new batteries. In fact, stalling in even a small challenge grass wise was the first sign of my original batteries failing, and I would stall constantly in my back yard when the upgrade became an absolute necessity (outside of the 20 minute run time).
I think I might have one more mow and then it will be winter storage. I might pull the battery tray out and store the batteries in the heated basement but I'm not sure if that matters.
Don't store the battery at 100% charge...for longivity let it discharge to around 70% when storing for extended periods.
@@rickss69 I mow once a week, I charge it to 100% after I am done and just mow later. There will be no other way I am going to approach it unless I just don't charge after the first mow, mow a second time and then charge to 100. If you mean over winter, I can do that.
4:19 the easiest way to install the new gauge is to use a hole saw. Leave the old gauge INSTALLED unplug the battery and drill the pilot bit into the center of the old gauge. This will keep the hole saw steady and takes about a minute to cut a perfect hole.
A step drill bit for metal works perfectly also.
A step bit is the proper solution, not destroying your old gauge to keep the improper solution steady.
@@GregHassler No way. Cleaner hole, correct size, takes less than a minute.
Man I'd buy you a beer and take you out for dinner bro, if you lived close. Thanks for this!
You are the best men thanks
I am having the same problem with my mower giving me about 30 minutes run time before shutting down. I decided to open the Sealed Lead Acid batteries, and each battery took about 1/2 gallon of distilled water. The top of the battery, in the center of the top it looks like it can be pried off, but it is glued down. But once the lid was chiseled off, I was able to remove the rubber caps, fill with Distilled water, charge and now I have batteries that read dead are reading good again. Note: I did not add sulfuric acid, but I may try that next season if needed.
Sorry for all of my posts. This will be my last one, I promise! So, a few things I noticed. Definitely more power than before. My grass was long and wet and it hardly bogged down at all. So that's a good thing. I noticed that the gauge stays on all the time and goes into a low power mode with no backlight if there's no power being put in or taken out from the battery pack.
Also, according to the charger, when it was fully charged it was only showing about 46 or so amp hours. It appears that these batteries are nowhere near 100 amp hours. But, I guess it's all good in the end because after I mowed my entire yard, which is a corner lot, I used less than 10% of the battery. And with lithium batteries, they don't need to be plugged in continuously when they're not in use like the old lead acid batteries do. So I will plug it in after four or five or six more mowings.
Quick tip: if you put your mower in gear and it doesn't move but the blades come on, make sure that your parking brake is not set. That's what happened to me. Luckily, my son noticed it and we were good to go.
Don't worry about your battery monitor led...the draw is so miniscule it isn't worth thinking about. Changed the battery on my fishing jet ski to lithium and now I have to actually power everything I have on the ski to keep it below 100%. Never use the charger between uses.
@@rickss69 True. You figure that an LED digital watch can stay on continuously for several years with only a tiny button cell battery so, like you say, the draw is super tiny. I did discover that calibrating the gauge for your set-up is very important too. I only plug in the charger when it gets down to below 20% or so. And yes, unlike the old lead acid batteries that come with it, it's not a good idea to keep it plugged in all the time. Just when it needs it.
I put 8 new lithium ion batteries in our 2 Ryobi 48volt riding mowers at Church. Just awesome!!!!!. Batteries cost $120.00 each. Amazing
how such small and light batteries could have such power. Also bought a new charger - $120.00. Very pleased.
Does it go till the charger has a green light? If so, what's the voltage on a meter at full charge?
Can you link the battery you bought? These lifepo4 are too expensive. Thanks !
Where did you find $120 lifepo4 batteries, best i see is $179 shipped
Pulled the trigger on this upgrade last night - Looking forward to getting so much more than 30m per 10 hour charge out of my mower lol
Yup. I feel bad the price of batteries have gone up quite a bit since I bought mine. It's probably still worth the investment though.
@@ryannoble5451 No worries - the cost of the batteries is still 70% less than buying a new mower.
Have a link for the step bit you used for the new battery display?
@@ryannoble5451Bought the smart charger you linked - when going to swap the Ez-go ends, the new smart charger only has 2 wires (blue and brown) going to two pins - the third pin is open. I’m assuming that’s ground? But unsure what to do.
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Just do the two. I think there is a place holder pin with the new charger for the top? I left that in to help keep the connector secure when plugged in.
Great video!!
Thank you!
I bought a single 48v battery, should the original anderson connector still work? Or will I need a new one?
I think you're fine.
Did you initially have to perform the voltage balance recommendations on your batteries before you hooked them up or does the battery charger or BMS selected perform this task for you?
@Robert Dye I literally just dropped them in (at full charge from the manufacturer) and wired them up. I believe the BMS takes care of balancing for you and is a good reason to make sure you're using the same batteries (brand, model etc.).
Thanks for the excellent instructions. I completed transition as described, but I can't seem to charge lithium batteries, or maybe they are fully charged and I need to install a pre-charge circuit. Any help appreciated. My Allied lithium charger began charging and then shut down after a short while. The gauge on mower shows 58 volts, 2.2 Ah and 2.2% charge (I have not calibrated it as I don’t know if it is really at full charge). I take my multimeter to cables coming from batteries and it reads 58V and 0 Amps. If I go to turn on key to start mower, everything immediately shuts down. Is my battery fully charged and do I need to install a pre-charge circuit, or is battery not getting charged? Thanks.
I'm honestly not sure. In the video I show a wiring diagram of how I wired everything. I'd try charging each battery individually to make sure they are all charged 100% before wiring them up in the mower.
Great video, can you tell me which wire on the new charger matches with the old? Ryobi charger has 3 wires but the new has only 2. Thanks
I think the 3rd Ryobi wire is the one that senses if the charger is plugged in. I just swapped the original Ryobi charger connector onto the new charger and just used the only two wires I had and decided that I will always back the mower in, so if I do take off with the charger plugged in, it will just pop out the back lol
is it plug and play if I don't install the gauge? or are there any new wiring involved with installing the battery? TY!
From what I've seen in other videos, the stock gauge won't accurately read capacity of lifepo4. This is due to the steady voltage drop of lead acid vs the consistent voltage output of lifepo4 until it gets down to 20 percent or less then it drops rapidly. I guess the stock gauge will read basically full until about 20% then it'll start to decline. Don't quote me on this. Other than that it should all work fine without additional wiring as long as you have a charger for the new ones.
great video. I will probably use this to convert my mower. Question: Is there a reason you replaced with 4 12v batteries vs buying a 48 v battery?
Cheaper to buy and cheaper to replace if one goes bad.
Now that I have all of the parts, can you show me how you wired the new meter? It came with that metal bar looking thing and I'm wondering where you put it.
Take a look at the wiring diagram in the video and the instructions that came with the gauge.
Do you
Have a parts list for the new battery parts you use for the upgrades?
Check description
Thanks for the great vid. I bought the exact charger you did, and when I plug in the batteries it says the batteries are full, even after being depleted. Any idea what the issue might be?
I'm not sure, I haven't experienced this. I only pay attention to what the gauge on the mower says. As long as the charger cuts off when the mower gauge reads full, that's what's important.
Hows the upgrade so far? Some people were having issues with the mower not turning on after a similar setup. Mostly because of the charging part. I also see that you have 3 pins on the new charging connector. Did you leave the top pin in for a reason?
I haven't run mine since last season. I remove the battery tray and keep it charged in my basement when it starts to get cold. I left the third pin just for support when plugged in. It isn't necessary though.
I recently put in the same set up but my gauge isn’t showing the battery life and my mower still isn’t functioning. Any idea as to why or how to fix it? Feels like I’m missing something.
Not the OP, but I did this also. Can you describe how you wired it? If your gauge isn't showing anything, and the mower won't start, we will need your entire detailed set up to start with. I ran my install with no gauge at all for the first week, so something is definitely off.
I posted a wiring diagram at the tail end of the video. That's the best way for me to communicate how to do it.
I did this upgrade, but bought a lithium golf cart charger. Do you know what voltage your batteries charge up to? My charger never reaches green light, 55V instead of 58V? Like right after full charge, measure the pins on the mower with a meter. The new meter on the mower doesnt go much over 56v.
56V is good and you probably don't want to go over that. I think anywhere from 52 to 56 is where you want to see you voltage at full charge.
@ryannoble5451 yeah, but the charger never goes to green light, that would be at 58v. Sometimes the power shuts down when turning the key. Does ryobi have a limiter in one of the controls or DC to DC converter?
Hi there! Great video! Gives me hope. Would you say that 4 lifepo4 12v 20ah would work for a zt480?
If I had to guess, you'd probably get about 30 to 40 minutes of runtime (draining the batteries to 0). Unless your yard is smallish, I wouldn't recommend less than 4, 50ah batteries.
@@ryannoble5451 awesome! Thanks for your time!
I live in TX and the batteries last about 1 1/2 years before significant battery decline
Great Video! Have you tried to start-up the mower yet? Won't you need to install a pre charge resistor to avoid the 100amp BMS in the batteries from tripping when you try to start up?
Haven't had an issue @Rick Flail. I've gone through maybe 4 charge cycles so far.
@@ryannoble5451 A lot of people that have done this conversion using these 12v LiFePO4 batteries with the 100 amp BMS' have needed to install a pre charge circuit. My understanding is that the initial inrush current to charge up the capacitors trips the internal BMS of the battery. I guess maybe the BMS in your batteries can handle the instantaneous current or possibly the cabling you used to wire the batteries has enough resistance to mitigate this?
@Rick Flail I'm not sure. I know all 4 batteries I installed have their own dedicated BMS built in. I didn't have any issues. It might be that the mower ultimately doesn't draw enough at any point in time to trip them. I know with the drive motor and both blade motors running it draws ~25-27 amps per hour.
@rickflail8982 According to the battery manual, it supports a 100A maximum discharge rate and a peak discharge rate of 300A for 3 seconds. I'm not sure what the motor requires but everything has been working without any kind of pre charge resistor. That said, YMMV-these are generic Chinese batteries and there is no guarantee they won't change the BMS or something else. Another owner here (@royhardy5566) said he turned the key and had no power. Perhaps that is what you are referring to?
Man, if only you had thought to record the video WHILE you were doing the work so we could see what gets connected to what etc. Still, this is exactly what I want to do with mine. Only about 2 years old and already can't do the whole yard in one session. I hate to ask you this, but is there any way you could do another short video where you remove the battery tray and show us what to connect to what? That would be super helpful! [edit: Okay, I see the full instructions in the description! Thanks again!]
I put a wiring schematic at the end of the video as well.
@@ryannoble5451 Ah, missed that. Sorry! I definitely want to do this but I spit my milk out when I saw how much the batteries were ($1500!). So this will have to wait until next year. In the meantime I'll limp along as best I can with the batteries as they are.
@JustWasted3HoursHere yeah a set of 4 went up about 2-300 hundred recently. I was able to get mine for about 1200.
@@ryannoble5451 In the end it probably would still be worth it if the lead acid batteries are only lasting about 2-3 years (mine lasted just a shade over 2 years). The lithiums should easily last 8 to 10 or more years. Longer if they are only being used 50% or so each time.
@@ryannoble5451 Hey man, me again. I am having a dickens of a time locating 20 gauge wire for the bridge connection. I went to several different stores and the closest they come is 18 gauge. Are there any pitfalls to using slightly larger wire (smaller gauge, like 18) instead?
By the way, who is the numbskull that came up with the gauging rules, where larger numbers equals smaller wire and smaller numbers equals larger wire? What happens if you need a wire larger than 0 gauge? Do we use negative numbers? LOL!
Have you come across an issue, where the mower is going uphill and it drops into neutral, the blades do not shut off. Only happens up hill.
I haven't experienced that. Sounds like it might be an issue with the drive motor.
Mine does that. It's because I still have the original lead acid batteries from 2017 when I bought it. Researching doing this conversion currently.
I'm in the process of making the same conversion. Thanks for providing a lot of helpful info. One question, though. Wouldn't it make more sense to power the gauge (the red wire) from a switched point, rather than wiring it directly to the battery? It looks like you have it wired so that the meter is powered up all the time .. I'm thinking it would make more sense to have it power up when the 'ignition' switch is turned on. Am I thinking about this incorrectly?
@Jerry Velders I'm sure you can. I just went off the gauge instructions. I couldn't find a great wiring schematic for the mower so I didn't want to get too far into it and didnt have the time to experiment. Plus, the LCD screen wouldn't cause much of a drain. I usually leave it plugged in when not in use.
I also like to be able to check the battery level without having the key in.
@@ryannoble5451 Thanks for your reply. I've thought about it some more too, and looked hard at the schematic, and have convinced myself that if I let it power off when the key is off, it would not be able to track/detect the incoming current while being charged .. and would probably not know the correct state of the battery. So I'll probably do just what you did.
The meter can't calculate power without it always connected. Draws little power, backlight shuts down after a bit.
I am in the middle of this project myself. I did order that gauge, but for the sake of simplicity, is there any reason why the existing gauge would not continue to work? Edit: I see you already answered a similar question and that it won't read accurately. I was just hoping to avoid needing to cut that larger hole to fit the new gauge. But I guess I will give that a try.
Excellently done . Also New battery life and the hours you get ?
I did this also and mowing my half acre with trees and a fence to go around, so a lot of extra moving, I end the mowing at between 55% and 62% battery life now on the new batteries. My original batteries that came with degraded so far I had to charge 3/4 of the way through my yard.
Going into the second season with them I do my 3/4 acre lot using about 30% on the 100ah setup when the grass is dry. This is maybe a little less than the first year but not by much. During the winter I pull the entire tray with batteries and put it in the basement to trickle charge.
The links don't seem to be working , would you have part numbers?
I just updated them @jefflayman2841
The amazon links for the Batteries and the Charger are broken. Any chance you can share the model numbers so we can find the proper ones?
I just updated them @DavGlass
Great video!! Before finding this video, I was about to purchase the new Royobi 18V tractor, which runs $54K. I pulled the trigger and ordered everything from Amazon. It was shown on their website as individually and as a bundle. The battery distributor sent me a message asking me what type of golf cart the Lifepo batteries were going to be used in verifying compatibility. I replied I am upgrading my Royobi riding mower." There are no responses yet. Has anyone else received this message? If not, I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.
Update! Heard back from the distributor and they said they would process my order ASAP.
Any size that fits in the bay is ok. I think it's easier to go with ones that have threaded terminals vs post for compatibility.
I'm not pointing fingers, but I did the swap with all of the supplies you recommended and installed each part as described. Prior to putting everything back in, I tested it and drove it around my yard. Then, when I put everything back permanently, I turn the key and no power. I bypassed the charger and seat interlock and still nothing. When I turn the key the relay doesn't even click. So I ordered another relay to see if that works.i can't even get it to charge using the recommended charger.
@@royhardy5566 Be super careful when you slide the battery pack in/out. There is some wiring that could snag/break. Not sure what happened in your case. Some basic troubleshooting-remove pack, check voltage and charge to rule that good/bad. If no voltage, reset battery BMS according to manufacturer's recommendations (this usually involves removing all connections to the battery or applying a voltage to it). If battery pack is good, then perhaps something else became loose or broke when sliding the pack in. HTH & good luck.
Did you use the 0-100ah gauge or the 0-350ah gauge?
0-100
Thanks for this vid, good info. As far as the guage goes, since I already do solar, and use a Victron Smart Battery Sense, I got one and currently have it on my mower. I just got the mower about a month ago, and have already determined the charger (OP48RM) is bad. I expect they will send me a new one, but the battery upgrade was already in my thought process when I bought this. Long Term my plan is to have the mower doing dual purpose, charged via solar, and running my deep freezer when not mowing. It's quite doable, with a little redneck ingenuity.
Good luck! Sounds like a fun project
Is 4 of the 12v 50Ah enough for 1.5 acres of mowing? I have to Ryobis one is large like yours and the other is the 380e.
I use about 25Ah for my 3/4 lot. I think you'd be on the edge. Maybe do 60Ah+.
@@ryannoble5451 I have decided to go with exactly what you have used. 12v 100ah. 🔥
@@dannys813 so you used 4 12v 100ah batteries? what brand and are you happy with them?
Thanks! @RyanNoble5451 ! Any updates? How's it working 1 year later? Any new different part recommendations?
Still working great after two seasons @RobCrites. I really haven't done any more work to the mower since this upgrade. The batteries will outlast the mower probably.
Did you use the 8-80V, 0-350A gauge or the 8-80V, 0-100A ?
0-100
Question: charger has +/-, mower has 3 pins. Is the third pin not used going to LiFePo4 ?
When converting over to the the new charger I took the original charging plug (with three pins) and put it on the new charger keeping the third pin as a "dummy." I think it helps with keeping it secure when it's plugged in to the mower but it's not necessary.
Good video but your amazon links aren’t working, could you please fix it so we can link to the products. Thanks
@E S you'll have to copy and paste. Haven't verified my channel yet to have active links.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m in the midst of swapping out my batteries now.
Question about the bridge that’s connected from the battery to the battery monitor:
1. Did you literally cover it in tape? I hope it doesn’t get over heated…
2. Where do you put it? Right on top of the batteries?
I am not Ryan, but I just taped mine up really good with electrical tape and left it right above the batteries. I have mowed several times, no issues
The tape just protects it from arcing against other metal parts. It won't cause anything to overheat. As far as where to put it.. wherever you can I guess lol. Have to get creative a bit.
Links to the batteries and charger are dead links. Can you list the exact part number of the items? Thanks!
I just updated them @MCSqueakyClean
I live in the south and my mower stays in a shop so it never gets to or below freezing, when the unit was new(has the 100 amp AGM batteries) it cut the whole yard and have 90 % left, at the beginning of the second season, with only 11 hours on the mower, 1 battery went bad, here I am 2 seasons later at 50 hours and at least 1 of the batteries has failed(haven't checked them yet) So I can say, the run time on the battery was fine for me, but the life of the battery is really bad., This mower cost me a lot more than my gas ever did. Also, with the blades being directly mounted to the motor shaft, it is much more critical to have the blade perfectly balanced, or you will be damaging the bearings in the motor a lot quicker, a nail on the wall or the cone shaped thing will not get blades properly balanced, you need to have them horizontally and vertically balanced and the Magna-Matic MAG-1000 Blade Balancer makes doing that an easy job, although it's about 200.00, there are some cheap knock-offs on ebay for about 60.00. Also, the blades that go on this unit are so thin, they don't last me 1 season, where my gas blades lasted 3 seasons, so not at all happy with my unit, don't think I will be wasting money to do this upgrade, but loved seeing it done.
I usually swap and sharpen my blades every 10 mows or so. Sometimes they're a little bent from hitting something I shouldn't have and I can usually get them back into shape decent enough. I haven't had any problems with the blade motors so far after owning for 6 years now.
Question: My right blade motor is weak and the left is good. Is one battery dedicated to one blade motor??
I am starting to notice this. My right motor is definitely bogging down now and I don't know if I ever noticed that before. I was just starting to research this myself so I will let you know if I find anything out but it is making me pretty mad.
As far as I know, no. There are separate motor controllers for each of the motors, left blade, right blade, and drive motor. Here is a link to the wiring diagram www.partstree.com/models/ry-48111-099749002-ryobi-38-48v-riding-mower-rev-04-2017-11/wiring-diagram-20/
I'm not sure how long the motors are expected to last. I haven't noticed anything yet after 6 years or so. It will struggle in taller wet grass but I think that is normal. If it starts acting like that, I'll lift the deck a bit for a first pass then lower it again for a second.
Does the motor controller ever shut off because you have too high of a voltage with the slightly higher voltage of LF4 batteries?
@Will Allen I haven't had an issue so far. Not saying it can't happen, I'm not an expert.
@@ryannoble5451 Thank you. Please keep an eye on the max voltage you start off with (should be 53.6-ish), and if you happen to start at something closer to 55, please post if it is cut off by the motor controller.
@Will Allen at full charge it does hover around 53.
Mine does, have to pull the Anderson connector and plug back in to reset.
Hey, is your HTRC charger still working? Mine stopped working after the second charge. I'm outside the return window so I can't return it. :(
It's been working alright for me since posting this.
@@ryannoble5451It cycles through the display of volts, amp hours, temperature, etc but doesn't actually do any charging. I found a reviewer on Amazon who says the same thing. Luckily it's not super expensive but this time I will probably buy the extended warranty from Amazon for the charger. No mention of a warranty on the Amazon page :(
@JustWasted3HoursHere yeah I'm not sure. It's probably not the best built but the price was right lol. Could it be overheating? I know most chargers are temperature sensitive.
@@ryannoble5451No temp issues. It acts like it's charging - goes through the cycling of information for volts, amp hours, temp, etc - but no current goes into the battery. The battery gauge doesn't glow like it would if it were charging. Anyway, I'm just going to buy another charger, probably a different one though. If _that_ one doesn't work then the issue is elsewhere, but that would really surprise me.
@JustWasted3HoursHere could be a loose connection possibly?
The lead battery charger is 48V 13A so you can increase the amp instead of using 8
Probably but I don't necessarily need to have it charge faster. I put it on the 8amp when I'm done and it's ready next time I need it.
Isn’t there 3 wires in oem charger compared to 2 on the new?
@Dale Garrison Yes. I'm not sure, but the third wire might be there to relay to the oem charger when a fault occurs or overheating of the batteries etc. If your new batteries have a BMS, it shouldn't be a problem only having the two. I haven't had an issue yet so far.
I believe the third (top) wire on the charging port is a voltage supplied by the charger when it is attached. When the mower sees a voltage on this pin, it shuts down .. or prevents being powered up .. which is why, when the charger is attached and running .. you can't power up the mower.
Can you skip the gauge replacement and just not have one?
Not the OP, but yes. I ran mine with no gauge for the first week.
@upload638 after the first week you added the monitor? Was there some mechanical reason or you just wanted it?
@@Mdunlap0317 I bought it already so I figured I better hook it up. I just left it zip-tied and hanging out under the seat. If I need to check it, I'll just reach under the seat and look at it. I left the original monitor alone and it still lights up but doesn't change of course.
Anyone do this for a RY48131 ?
Can you show me how you wired the shim for the meter? I got that meter and it didnt do well lol
If you are talking about the "shunt" that comes with the battery monitor all you need do is run every load negative to the P side. The negative on the B side goes to the battery and that should be the only ground attached to the battery. This is how the meter accurately measures volts, a/hr and capacity.
Yes. If you wire it directly like this, the monitor will stay on even if the mower key is off. I didn't bother wiring it through the key switch, but you can do that also if you want it to be turned off with the mower key.
Can you simply use a single 48V lithium ion battery pack instead of 4-12V packs?
You can but usually more expensive
I think this is what I'm planning on doing to simplify the wiring.
@@VideoPir The wiring is very easy though. I weighed both options and went with 4 separate 12v.
@@VideoPir I think in the long run, it's less costly to do 4 12v. It's less upfront and if anything goes wrong with one of them it's cheaper to replace than 1 single 48v.
Im still on original batteries and will be looking to upgrade, but I have heard that charging all batteries at once at 48v is not the best way. They probably need a 4 battery charger so it can equalize each battery.
As far as I know you can just charge them individually before installing them so they are balanced. The one's I bought were fully charged when I received them. They should stay balanced from them on. I take the battery tray out completely and but it in my basement when it starts to get cold. This is a good time to "rebalance" if needed and trickle charge in series.
Over time the 4 batteries may get out of balance. Trickle charging LiFePO4 batteries in series will not balance them, unlike lead acid. Best is to charge each individually, maybe once a season. I would leave the batteries near half charge at the end of the season, which is best for Lithium longevity, then charge each fully and individually at the beginning of the season. Do not trickle charge Lithium batteries!
@@chipstrat The charging pack I have cuts off when the batteries are reading full. Shouldn't harm them to leave them on the charger all winter. Batteries also have built in BMS to prevent damage.
@@chipstrat lead acid batteries in series don't balance any more than lithium batteries. It's the wiring configuration, they have no reference to each other, you can still get a single weak battery. There are numerous videos on RUclips of this exact thing happening with the lead acid batteries in this exact mower.
Lead acid batteries in series can be balanced. With continuous charging, as each battery reaches full charge, it can still pass current, allowing the batteries that haven’t yet reached full charge to continue charging. Ultimately each battery comes to its fullest charge. That is not possible to to do with a string of lithium batteries in series. If one reaches its high voltage limit, its BMS will break the circuit whether others have reached full charge or not.
Thanks gor the video! Ucik question, do we have to buy/use a new meter? i just installed new lifepo4 battery, but try to save time by using evrything else. But mower wont turn on. Please help. Thanks.
I'm not sure if you need one, meaning idk if it would have problems turning on if you didn't install one.
What is the total cost including charger and and wire ?
I had around $1650 USD in the batteries, charger, wiring and meter. Batteries alone were $1376 to my door.
Right now you can get the 100ah batteries for about $200 a piece. Charger is $150. Gauge and wire is about $50. I looked at it this way... I already bought the thing.. no turning back time, so either spend the $1200+ or so on new batteries or $2k+ on a new gas rider. I got about 3.5 years on the original batteries before I couldn't take it anymore lol.
How to program the gauge
Press the center button and set the amp hour rating of your battery. Press the volt button to set at 100% if that is the state of charge of the battery.
Yes
I HAVE A BIZARRE EXPERIENCE! Thank you for this video! My mowers blades run for only 15 minutes and then shut off. When the blades shut off the mower automatically kicks into “REVERSE” I noticed the battery indicator also is dying a lot faster than usual. I have had this for less than 3 years so it’s very unusual. ANY HELP would be appreciated 🚨
Here's a top tip, load your machine into a pickup, drive to your nearest junkyard and then at the top of your lungs, call yourself a slappy.
I'd love to swap to lifepo4 but we plow in the winter so it wouldn't work. :(
So I haven't tested it, but the batteries I show in the video are rated for operation from -4°F to 185°F. There's snow plow attachments for this mower also www.homedepot.com/p/Brinly-Hardy-42-in-Front-Mount-Snow-Plow-for-RYOBI-Electric-Riding-Mower-FB-42RY/307607412
You can discharge below freezing, but must not charge below freezing. You can get LiFePO4 batteries with built-in warming, but a bit more expensive.
Why not video the whole process?
It was an after thought.. better than no video?
Heads up your amazon links don't work anymore
I just updated them @IrishChristopher
and when you're finished, you still have an itty bitty lawn mower
Lipo4 battery’s are extremely flammanble fyi
BMS should prevent causes of catching fire. I would encourage using some management system.
what are you talking about?
Conventional Lithium Ion batteries can get thermal runaway and can be extremely dangerous. LiFePO4 batteries do not suffer from this problem and are quite safe, not to mention environmentally friendly.
Says the one guy who has zero experience in this conversation of batteries...
@@rickss69 you should educate yourself before speaking. These are just facts.
Worst battery ever. Power is dramatically reduced when blades are engaged. Chinese junk
I'm not having any performance problems with these batteries. The blades used to bog down on my lead acid batteries even when the mower was new and with these new batteries, I can only get it to bog if I am going too fast into heavier grass in one place in my yard.
Trust me, I want to hear the problems you are having so I can be ready if mine have problems, so please describe your install and what each battery tests out at
Hey, I finished it! It is charging right now.* I almost had a heart attack though: It's funny now (because of my stupidity) but at the time it was not! I used my multimeter to test each battery individually before connecting them in series according to the diagram - disconnected from each other of course - and the meter read 0.0 volts on each battery! Holy crap! What happened?!! Well, one of the multimeter terminal wires had come unplugged... Plugged it back in and we were back in business.
Moving the charger handle wires from the new plug to the old plug handle was not as complicated as I thought it would be. It was easy as can be and the contact pins fit perfectly in the old handle, so no modification needed to the socket on the mower itself. It's just 4 screws, pry off the cover, pull out the whole cable + wires + contact pins and put them in the old handle. [note: As you mention, the old one uses 3 wires but the new one only needs 2. Just ignore that 3 pin. You don't need it. Here's what it looks like inside: photos.app.goo.gl/vpJroq13VPmMooEQA You want to move the new wires (the one with the blue and red wires) to the OLD handle (the one that had three wires, white, green and black.)]
One thing that I don't think you mentioned is that the battery gauge should be calibrated once the batteries are fully charged. This guy shows how easy it is: ruclips.net/video/2hD5XoKqMFo/видео.html Although he's using it for his RV setup, the process is the same except your amp hours will be 100. It is ridiculously easy to do.
By the way, if anyone is still wondering about how the "sampler" (the bronze thing that comes with the gauge) is supposed to be attached, there's the diagram that comes with the gauge, which is super tiny so I blew it up for you guys here: photos.app.goo.gl/qW5viV7nr2pEXaaH7 and here's what it looks like when attached to the cables that will be attached to the battery itself (and a closer view): photos.app.goo.gl/HEKfMM4ky8MggGuN8 note: Those pictures do not show the 20 gauge red wire running from the "final" positive terminal of the battery "pack" to the tiny screw slot on the sampler. As Ryan mentions, it's a good idea to wrap this bronze sampler in electrical tape once you have it all wired up, just in case.
Anyways, I hope these images help anyone who is doing this project! You can pin this comment if you like.
* What internal temperature does your charger generally show while charging? On the 10A/8A setting it went to 111F on mine. Maybe that's normal, but I moved it down to 5A/5A just in case. There is no information that I could find online or in the manual or even on their website on what the maximum temperature is for the charger is, but I did read one blog somewhere that said as long as it doesn't go over 120F that should be fine.
Thanks for the additional tricks. Do I have to install/use new meter? can I just use the stock meter to save time? Thanks.
@@worldpeace3221 The stock gauge is designed for use with lead acid batteries so you'll get an inaccurate reading. You CAN just ignore it though. Installing the gauge used in the video is not too complicated.
Don't you need a BMS to ensure each battery is baldness during charging?
There's a BMS built into each battery.