Ordering a new lawn mower battery

[Jerome Chrisman]

I have a 23hp John Deere lawn tractor with a Kohler motor.
The battery became dead suddently yesterday, I went to my local tractor shop to order a lawn mower battery,they quoted me $60.
Lawn mower batteries should be not expensive,then I do web search for competitor price only $20 to $35 on Amazon, Ebay is probably cheaper,even I find a kohler starter from Hexautoparts no more than $40.
Have you ever ordered a new battery ? If so,what's the reasonable price of a new lawn mower battery ?
I am not sure buying online is a good thing as I don't wanna waste time in returning.
Thank you.

 

[oosik]

I have never ordered a new battery on line. I don't have the time to wait for delivery and then the situation - what if its the wrong type or size. I have no idea where you are located but around here I would and have purchased a replacement battery for my JD G100 riding lawn mower from Les Schwab tires. It was either $42 or $45.

Indicating your location will go a long way to receiving a beneficial response in this case.

 

[smstonypoint]

I don't know how things work in other areas, but in my neck of the woods, you have to pay a core charge (deposit) if you buy a battery and do not turn in your old battery. I don't have a clue as to how this works when ordering online.

I would check with local battery shops, auto parts stores, TSC, etc.

Steve

 

[KennyG]

Locally, TSC has the best price on small batteries. I've had good luck with the lower priced (shorter warranty) ones by being very careful not to let them get discharged.

 

[mddorange]

I get my riding lawn mower battery from Wally World at $21.87. They last about 4 years.

 

[Thomas]

Just about any box store offer battery and some even give $'s if you return the old one.

I never order battery etc. online mostly because wait time and chance they might ship the wrong one.

 

[YLee Kioti]

you did not mention the CCA of the battery or the age, or any maintenance performed.

Batteries do die of old age or neglect, heat etc.

There is a code on the battery for size along with the CCA.
Maybe consider upgrading from a 150CCA to a 200 CCA battery for example.
Once decision on size and CCA is decided then wally wurl, TSC, NAPA you should be able to find your battery at reasonable price.

Regards

 

[Dave M7040]

I have a 23hp John Deere lawn tractor with a Kohler motor.
The battery became dead suddently yesterday, I went to my local tractor shop to order a lawn mower battery,they quoted me $60.
Lawn mower batteries should be not expensive,then I do web search for competitor price only $20 to $35 on Amazon, Ebay is probably cheaper,even I find a kohler starter from Hexautoparts no more than $40.
Have you ever ordered a new battery ? If so,what's the reasonable price of a new lawn mower battery ?
I am not sure buying online is a good thing as I don't wanna waste time in returning.
Thank you.

Don't make the mistake of buying based upon price.

A 23 HP Kohler needs lots of CCA to reliably start the engine.

From Kohler:

minimum current rating of 230 cold cranking amps hours should
be sufficient for cranking most electric start engine
models. Actual cold cranking requirement depends on
engine size, application, and starting temperatures.
Cranking requirements increase as temperatures
decrease and battery capacity shrinks. Refer to
equipment's operating instructions for specific battery
requirements

This is a minimum number. a higher number like 350 + will be more reliable for longer ntime.

Put a lower CCA battery in it thinking you save $ and you will waste time boosting it when hot.

If you want a low priced battery, make a frame for a standard car type battery on the front of your tractor.
A tired car battery will do a great job on a garden tractor.

Dave M7040

 

[tomplum]

The battery rule is to buy the best battery you can afford. Cheap batteries are just that. I put in 300 CCA maintenance free Exides. Deka batteries are very good as well as Interstate. Remember that batteries lose strength as time passes. Low output is hard on the starter motor as well. You also need to be careful on aftermarket starters on Kohler for what it is worth.

 

[Gary Fowler]

It seems all batteries have substantially increase in price in the last 2-3 years. Standard lawn and garden tractor batteries used to be about $20-25 anywhere you looked. NOW they can run $50 or more for the same battery. Last time I bought one spring of 2018, there was a $10 core charge. I came across a stack of the at Atwoods Farm and Ranch store for IIRC about $25 so I snatched one up. Most batteries that fit in the battery box on lawnmowers are going to be 230CCA.