😃Great idea using the 18V with an in-line fuse! I would do the same thing. Overall, a nice job on fixing the issues on this unit! Ingenuity prevails...again!
I found a 5.5 Ah battery for $50 and change but got a charger because of not having to change anything and the battery box was mounted to the deck. I was trying to fix the mower up to use but down the road it went with everything else when the time came. No regrets and the battery job still just uses one usage bar for an hour run time. Now to try and keep the batteries from freezing. Blessings
I think an old cell phone charger would work if you work with the wires. You did great. When I sell a mower, it'll have at least half a tank of gas. Helps prevent complaints that it stopped running when mowing, avoiding returns and angry embarrassment. One less thing for the customer to think about.
I just came across this vid and right away I subscribed and thumbs up. I have the same mower and I'm just doing regular maintenance cleanup and saw you using an Harbor Freight battery for the push start up, so I tested it as well and it worked!? What a great idea! I've always pull the chord to start but I always wanted to play around with this electric start and now it's plausible. Thank you again
I bought the plastic part that holds the battery in place for under $30, but your zip tie method works good too. I have a few mowers with batteries that are charged and cranking but not starting. I was thinking the starter gear might need to be clean to properly go up and down, but your idea about using a 18v battery instead of the 12v has me intrigued. I do not think the voltage difference is enough to cause problems with the wiring harness, ignition switch, or starter, but have no evidence either way to make that call. Thanks for sharing.
I have a 12 year old Craftsman with push start, and the starter motor failed a few years back. At the time a replacement starter motor was over $200 with close to 2 month delivery time. So now it's just a simple pull start mower. And after figuring out the reason for it hard starting was due to ethanol gas, never had any problems since.
You did what works for you. With the original type battery, you don't need a proper wall charger for it. A normal automatic car battery charger will do the job of charging the battery. If I live closer, I'd fabricate a battery box using aluminium sheet & angle, along with screws. A small agm type motorbike battery will do the job.
I have a very similar MTD built Craftsman in my shop now. New front drive wheels have been installed, with the spindles cleaned, and lubricated. The transmission works well, but the right side wheel locks up after about 3/4 turn in free wheel. The old wheel, which was replaced only due to tread wear, rolls freely. Nothing appears to be bent, but there are some slight wear grooves in both spindles. Have you encountered this situation? The wheels are Chinese made copies, purchased from Amazon
On a earlier video you asked would I spend more than eight hours on a mower, yes I would . I don't do it for a living I love to bring new lfe back mowers, chainsaws ,and weed eaters
because the starter is a resistive electrical load the voltage doesn't really matter it will draw lower amps at the higher voltage in terms of watts it's probably within 10% of a 12v battery however if something is computer/inverter controlled 50% more voltage will=blue smoke of death from the controller and great work with the cable ties
As power tools batteries are made of 5 li-ion of nominal 3.6v (4.2v when full charged), you can easily remove, at least, one of those to get lower voltage and be really safe for all ! (of course à lil mod in inside batteries wiring but easy to do too)
HF currently has a 12v drill driver with battery and charger for $17 (w/coupon). After using the 12v battery for the starter, you can offer a free drill with the purchase of the mower!
You could get away with an 18 Volt battery in a pinch as long as the new owner doesn't keep cranking the engine if it had a starting issue. My dad used a the original 6 volt starter motor in his old Volkswagen Beetle after it was converted to run with a 12 volt charging system from 6 volts !
So I have this exact same model that I picked up a while ago, it’s a non runner, oil is low in it but looks pretty clean, and when I added fuel to the tank the gas began to immediately drip out of the carb bowl as well as the primer bulb, all of the gas leaked out of the system pretty quickly and while it had gas in it I tried several times to start the engine but it would not fire at all. Will it not start if all the gas is actively leaking out of the system due to severe leaks like in my case? I’m definitely going to get a new carb kit and replace everything including the primer, but is there anything else I should be aware of?? This is my first time restoring a lawnmower. Mine is in almost perfect condition and will be like new once I’m done, so I really wanna get this beauty running!! Any recommendations would be nice, thanks.
to answer your question about it starting while leaking the answer is, 90% no. The reason why is because there's a good chance too much fuel is trying to burn in the engine. If the leak was a lot less, and it was a slow "seep" then there's a good chance that it will start. However continuing to run, is a different situation though
i recently bought the same battery and the flashlight head for it . the instructions say to remove charger when charged , making me wonder if charger can overcharge/overheat battery . also , as i understand it , the extra terminals in lithium batteries are there to help to balance charge (or maybe discharge ?) of the individual cells . i've been wondering whether it's safe to use a battery w/out using the extra terminals . not saying it's not safe , just wondering .
My thoughts on the one slick drive tire.... I have a similar situation with my rear drive Toro, and I think what happened is... one tire wears a little faster than the other. Then it starts slipping, and starts wearing at a faster rate than the other tire. Which caused that tire to wear out completely while the other tire has plenty of tread. 18V battery. If it looks stupid, but it works, it's not stupid. If it works, it ain't broke... don't try to fix it.
Nice work.. But id worry about the wires going into the battery.. vibration is gonna wiggle them loose since there is not strain relief. Id think about epoxying the wires onto the battery... Or CAREFULLY soldering leads onto the battery.
Didn't See Where You Found The Front Drive Wheels? (Mine Has Light Grey Wheels...) I Tried A Couple Of eBay Sellers But, They Said They Didn't Have Them?
Hey bro what's up? In my opinion, I think that the 18v battery was the better choice. I wanted to know if you did a pull test to see the difference after installing the new front wheels.
thank you and unfortunately I didn't but that's a great idea. However with it being a Front Wheel Drive traction is very limited so the difference would be minimal. If this was a Rear Wheel Drive model, I think there might be more of a difference .
The thing is what does the battery weigh plus the starter thing is why Briggs and Stratton did not put a charging system on the engine to charge the battery
Couldn't you just buy a normal fricking battery that was in it instead of modifying it! 😩 I know it would be more expensive but it would be a lot better and easier.
you make a good point, but most never seem to have an opinion on how I got it working. They only see that the electric starter works, and they have a way of charing it. And besides if they don't like what I did, the next person probably isn't going to care. They just need a mower.
Yea those batteries are cheap as sht on Amazon and who doesn’t have a car battery charger?! (Also you can have your UPS surge protector recharge it too!) That’s unheard of. And wayyyy cheaper than a cheap 18v battery with its own charger.
😃Great idea using the 18V with an in-line fuse! I would do the same thing. Overall, a nice job on fixing the issues on this unit!
Ingenuity prevails...again!
thank you for agreeing
I found a 5.5 Ah battery for $50 and change but got a charger because of not having to change anything and the battery box was mounted to the deck. I was trying to fix the mower up to use but down the road it went with everything else when the time came. No regrets and the battery job still just uses one usage bar for an hour run time. Now to try and keep the batteries from freezing. Blessings
you got that right, frozen batteries are no good.
I think an old cell phone charger would work if you work with the wires. You did great. When I sell a mower, it'll have at least half a tank of gas. Helps prevent complaints that it stopped running when mowing, avoiding returns and angry embarrassment. One less thing for the customer to think about.
you make a great point.
I just came across this vid and right away I subscribed and thumbs up. I have the same mower and I'm just doing regular maintenance cleanup and saw you using an Harbor Freight battery for the push start up, so I tested it as well and it worked!? What a great idea! I've always pull the chord to start but I always wanted to play around with this electric start and now it's plausible. Thank you again
thank you and glad you took a chance on it.
Looks like you did a great job, especially with the battery. Saved a fortune and also it’s very intuitive.
thank you!
This was exactly the video I was searching for, thank you very much.😉
Glad it was helpful!
My Start Key old Crafstman had the same original battery like in this video. I powered it using an adapter for 18V Ryobi battery (available online for
thanks for all the information
That’s a great fix with the batteries.
I thought so and for the price you can't beat it.
I bought the plastic part that holds the battery in place for under $30, but your zip tie method works good too. I have a few mowers with batteries that are charged and cranking but not starting. I was thinking the starter gear might need to be clean to properly go up and down, but your idea about using a 18v battery instead of the 12v has me intrigued. I do not think the voltage difference is enough to cause problems with the wiring harness, ignition switch, or starter, but have no evidence either way to make that call. Thanks for sharing.
thank you, and so far, all the mowers that I've used the 18v battery on, has not suffered any damaged to the wiring or the starter.
I have a 12 year old Craftsman with push start, and the starter motor failed a few years back. At the time a replacement starter motor was over $200 with close to 2 month delivery time. So now it's just a simple pull start mower. And after figuring out the reason for it hard starting was due to ethanol gas, never had any problems since.
you make a good point about them, sometimes they're not worth fixing
Nice work!!
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing a great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Great job 👍🙏👍🙏
thank you!
You did what works for you. With the original type battery, you don't need a proper wall charger for it. A normal automatic car battery charger will do the job of charging the battery. If I live closer, I'd fabricate a battery box using aluminium sheet & angle, along with screws. A small agm type motorbike battery will do the job.
that sounds like a pretty good idea.
well you did a good job with a creative option and if the new owner decides to replace it with a proper battery well that,s good too etc.
thank you
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE my pleasure mate plus i would personally replace it with right battery for sure plus the charger too etc.
I have a very similar MTD built Craftsman in my shop now. New front drive wheels have been installed, with the spindles cleaned, and lubricated. The transmission works well, but the right side wheel locks up after about 3/4 turn in free wheel. The old wheel, which was replaced only due to tread wear, rolls freely. Nothing appears to be bent, but there are some slight wear grooves in both spindles. Have you encountered this situation? The wheels are Chinese made copies, purchased from Amazon
unfortunately no, I've never seen this situation before
Thank you for the video
You're welcome
I bet you could 3d print a box.
yes I think that's a great idea.
A plastic tub like a tuuperware or a takeaway food container to make a battery box.
Yes, I used an empty cocoa snap top container once!
good idea.
On a earlier video you asked would I spend more than eight hours on a mower, yes I would . I don't do it for a living I love to bring new lfe back mowers, chainsaws ,and weed eaters
you and me both!
because the starter is a resistive electrical load the voltage doesn't really matter it will draw lower amps at the higher voltage in terms of watts it's probably within 10% of a 12v battery however if something is computer/inverter controlled 50% more voltage will=blue smoke of death from the controller and great work with the cable ties
thank you for the information
As power tools batteries are made of 5 li-ion of nominal 3.6v (4.2v when full charged), you can easily remove, at least, one of those to get lower voltage and be really safe for all !
(of course à lil mod in inside batteries wiring but easy to do too)
thank you !
12V in li-ion is probably too low because the 12V lead-acid was more like 14V. So as long as your not blowing fuses it seems to work.
ah you make a great point
HF currently has a 12v drill driver with battery and charger for $17 (w/coupon). After using the 12v battery for the starter, you can offer a free drill with the purchase of the mower!
you got that right, free tools are aways great
You could get away with an 18 Volt battery in a pinch as long as the new owner doesn't keep cranking the engine if it had a starting issue.
My dad used a the original 6 volt starter motor in his old Volkswagen Beetle after it was converted to run with a 12 volt charging system from 6 volts !
nice one! thanks for sharing that.
I Have A 24 Volt Battery, Do You Think The Starter Would Hold Up? I Would Think There Would Be A Inline Fuse That Would Blow First?
I've never tried using 24volts so I wouldn't know.
So I have this exact same model that I picked up a while ago, it’s a non runner, oil is low in it but looks pretty clean, and when I added fuel to the tank the gas began to immediately drip out of the carb bowl as well as the primer bulb, all of the gas leaked out of the system pretty quickly and while it had gas in it I tried several times to start the engine but it would not fire at all. Will it not start if all the gas is actively leaking out of the system due to severe leaks like in my case? I’m definitely going to get a new carb kit and replace everything including the primer, but is there anything else I should be aware of?? This is my first time restoring a lawnmower. Mine is in almost perfect condition and will be like new once I’m done, so I really wanna get this beauty running!! Any recommendations would be nice, thanks.
to answer your question about it starting while leaking the answer is, 90% no. The reason why is because there's a good chance too much fuel is trying to burn in the engine. If the leak was a lot less, and it was a slow "seep" then there's a good chance that it will start. However continuing to run, is a different situation though
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Gotcha thanks, yeah it’s most definitely being flooded.
no problem
Hi,
What Do You Call That Add-On That Holds The Side Chute Open To Do Side Discharge?
I call it the discharge chute. when the deck is set up as a mulcher with the option to discharge, it's put in the box as a loose attachment
What is the harness with the clips and the connector on the power sonic battery called ?
not sure
👍
How about glue on Velcro pads for the battery?
hey that's a great idea!
i recently bought the same battery and the flashlight head for it . the instructions say to remove charger when charged , making me wonder if charger can overcharge/overheat battery . also , as i understand it , the extra terminals in lithium batteries are there to help to balance charge (or maybe discharge ?) of the individual cells . i've been wondering whether it's safe to use a battery w/out using the extra terminals . not saying it's not safe , just wondering .
no, once the LED has turned out, it means the circuitry has stopped accepting charge. otherwise the battery would heat up and catch fire in no time.
thanks .@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE
My thoughts on the one slick drive tire.... I have a similar situation with my rear drive Toro, and I think what happened is... one tire wears a little faster than the other. Then it starts slipping, and starts wearing at a faster rate than the other tire. Which caused that tire to wear out completely while the other tire has plenty of tread.
18V battery. If it looks stupid, but it works, it's not stupid. If it works, it ain't broke... don't try to fix it.
thank you for your perspective, I like it!
What's The Verdict On Using The 18 Volt Battery Instead Of The 12 Volt Battery?
I Need A Battery For My Craftsman 7.25hp Platinum Series Lawnmower?
it's much better, and the wiring seems to take the extra voltage well.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE Ok,
Thank You, I Found On eBay A Warrior 18v Battery, Charger, And Comes With A Flashlight For $39.00?
Whats the 2 wires behind the key start thats not hooked up? Curious......
that's where the wall charger connects to, to charge the battery
Nice work.. But id worry about the wires going into the battery.. vibration is gonna wiggle them loose since there is not strain relief. Id think about epoxying the wires onto the battery... Or CAREFULLY soldering leads onto the battery.
hey that's a great idea. Thank you for the suggestion
Don't you think there is more style crafted into gas powered mowers? And electrics are difficult to repair.
yes I do think that.
Didn't See Where You Found The Front Drive Wheels?
(Mine Has Light Grey Wheels...)
I Tried A Couple Of eBay Sellers But, They Said They Didn't Have Them?
let me put the link of the ones I used for mine, in the description thanks
Hey bro what's up? In my opinion, I think that the 18v battery was the better choice. I wanted to know if you did a pull test to see the difference after installing the new front wheels.
thank you and unfortunately I didn't but that's a great idea. However with it being a Front Wheel Drive traction is very limited so the difference would be minimal. If this was a Rear Wheel Drive model, I think there might be more of a difference .
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE my bad bro I forgot that this mower is a front wheel drive mower. Thanks bro
In short burst it should be ok.
definitely
The thing is what does the battery weigh plus the starter thing is why Briggs and Stratton did not put a charging system on the engine to charge the battery
correct and the difference in the battery weight is very minimal.. maybe 100 grams.
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE thanks for the update on this battery weigh I .h.g
Couldn't you just buy a normal fricking battery that was in it instead of modifying it! 😩
I know it would be more expensive but it would be a lot better and easier.
not only did I have to buy a battery but also the charger. The option I went with had both for cheap. So no I couldn't
@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE yes but some buyers can say that they won't buy it because you modified it and there's a different battery then the stock one.
you make a good point, but most never seem to have an opinion on how I got it working. They only see that the electric starter works, and they have a way of charing it. And besides if they don't like
what I did, the next person probably isn't going to care. They just need a mower.
Yea those batteries are cheap as sht on Amazon and who doesn’t have a car battery charger?! (Also you can have your UPS surge protector recharge it too!) That’s unheard of. And wayyyy cheaper than a cheap 18v battery with its own charger.