Lawn tractor won't start ... hate when that happens

[Melensdad]

Pretty much an idiot here. At some point over the winter I disconnected the trickle charger and never plugged it back in.

Now I have at tick-tick-tick-tick-tick when I try to start the little Ventrac.

Hooked up to a charger now and letting it get some juice, hoping that I didn't ruin the battery.

 

[tommu56]

I've been putting these on most of my equipment

disconnect switch.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I've been putting these on most of my equipment

disconnect switch.

Me too!

Right now I have one on both tractors, my wife's JD lawn tractor (why? I don;t know), the front mount mower and the Yamaha generator, again I don't know why, I have the whole house back-up generator. I need to take the one off the lawn tractor and put it on the truck.

I love those things. There's nothing more frustrating than being fired up to do something, jump on a piece of equipment, turn the key and hear click, click, click.

 

[bczoom]

We have several battery starter packs. Something like this

https://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-Starter-18000mAh-Portable-Engines/dp/B09KH398RY

They're normally kept in the cars but easy to grab/use on any engine.

 

[FrancSevin]

Tick-Tick-Tick means there was some juice in the battery. Unless you held the key on until it stopped "Ticking," it should be okay

Let the battery charge completely before you retry.

For the record, my wife's Husqvarna sat in the meadow all winter and started right up. Great uniot.
The Honda brush cutter started on the first pull
and
The TroyBilt front rototiller fired on the first pull.

Along with the 1974 HD 319 which also started right up,, all of them spent winter in the open meadow,

Having used all my luck,,,;
I am worried about this summer.

 

[mla2ofus]

A voltmeter will tell you amount of charge. Anything less than 12v is bad. Sometimes there can be almost invisible corrosion on the batt connections making the clicking sound when the batt is really fully charged.

 

[FrancSevin]

A voltmeter will tell you amount of charge. Anything less than 12v is bad. Sometimes there can be almost invisible corrosion on the batt connections making the clicking sound when the batt is really fully charged.

A fully charged hot battery will show 13 volts.
A good battery will show 12 volts, even if it won't crank the engine.
A dead battery will show 11 volts. Anything less, it won't take, or hold, a charge.

I should really proof read my stuff
QUOTE;
Along with the 1974 HD 319 which also started right up,, all of them spent winter in the open meadow,

The tractor is a 1974 JD 310.

 

[chowderman]

oh - good clarification. I wonder why you left the Harley in the open meadow - I figured it wouldn't start comma at the time . . .