Snow F series battery protection

   / F series battery protection #1  

sandalwood

Silver Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2001
Messages
161
Location
New Brunswick, Canada
Tractor
L5460 Kubota
I have an F3080 which has served well as a mower but I am now thinking about adding a front snowblower.

I notice that the wheels tend to throw grass on battery and I am worried about snow/salt being thrown there also.

I seem to recall seeing a post in the past where someone added "mudflaps" to prevent this from happening, but I can't seem to find it with the search function.

Has anyone added any "protection" for their exposed battery on an F series?

Thanks.
 
   / F series battery protection #2  
I have an F3080 which has served well as a mower but I am now thinking about adding a front snowblower.

I notice that the wheels tend to throw grass on battery and I am worried about snow/salt being thrown there also.

I seem to recall seeing a post in the past where someone added "mudflaps" to prevent this from happening, but I can't seem to find it with the search function.

Has anyone added any "protection" for their exposed battery on an F series?

Thanks.

I added a thick rubber cover over the top of the discharge chute (cut a piece from a heavy duty truck mud flap) to the back/top of the rear discharge mowing deck chute which is where I think the grass that gets on the battery and all over the under side of the F comes from. I never thought about it coming from the wheels.:confused: Does yours have a rear or side discharge deck? I don't think my F3080 with side discharge deck (which I don't like) gets grass on the battery or underside
I've mowed one time after my custom mud flap discharge and noticed on my yard that there is a more distinct pattern of cut grass vs the more widely spread out of the cut grass but forgot to check what effect it had on the machine which I'll do after the mowing season returns.
 
   / F series battery protection
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks JOHNTHOMAS, I figured you would likely have some insight into the issue.

My mower is a side discharge with mulching conversion kit. It therefore has no actual discharge chute. It seems to be the grass cut by the mower (and left on the grass surface) that the wheels pick up and throw back on the battery. This is more of an issue when I cut the grass when it is wet. At the end of every mowing season when I remove the battery from the mower, there is grass packed all around the battery in it's battery bracket (even though I use compressed air to clean the battery area after each mow).

The grass has never been a problem from an electrical point of view but I worry that snow and salt combination might.
 
   / F series battery protection #5  
I started about 5 years ago with a F2680e 60" rear discharge deck. My first F which was used for my flat rental property. I later bought a F3080 with a 72" rear discharge deck for my home acreage which is on a hillside. The grass clumping all under it is my only complaint but like you or almost like you I blow the grass off with a wand hooked to my air compressors, I don't do it every time.
The only real issue was the F2680e wouldn't start one day when I was out in the middle of the "field". I had stopped and was talking to a man so I turned it off. Wouldn't restart. I checked all safety switches that I knew about and still wouldn't start. He looked under it, as I remember it, on one side and there is a switch. Grass had gotten between the open visible contacts and prevented the contacts from making contact so it wouldn't start. I think it has maybe done that one more time when I previously owned it so now that I've bought it back I'll keep an eye out for that problem or may cover the contact with something.
 
   / F series battery protection #6  
I started about 5 years ago with a F2680e 60" rear discharge deck. My first F which was used for my flat rental property. I later bought a F3080 with a 72" rear discharge deck for my home acreage which is on a hillside. The grass clumping all under it is my only complaint but like you or almost like you I blow the grass off with a wand hooked to my air compressors, I don't do it every time.
The only real issue was the F2680e wouldn't start one day when I was out in the middle of the "field". I had stopped and was talking to a man so I turned it off. Wouldn't restart. I checked all safety switches that I knew about and still wouldn't start. He looked under it, as I remember it, on one side and there is a switch. Grass had gotten between the open visible contacts and prevented the contacts from making contact so it wouldn't start. I think it has maybe done that one more time when I previously owned it so now that I've bought it back I'll keep an eye out for that problem or may cover the contact with something.

This is a good bit of information John, thanks. I wonder whether we'll experience something like this with packed snow?? At least this will be another area to look out for... Now I have to crawl under the machine and find the switch you're talking about...
We're expecting 25cm of snow so I will check for the switch before I head out to play...

Dan
 
   / F series battery protection #7  
This is a good bit of information John, thanks. I wonder whether we'll experience something like this with packed snow?? At least this will be another area to look out for... Now I have to crawl under the machine and find the switch you're talking about...
We're expecting 25cm of snow so I will check for the switch before I head out to play...

Dan

As I remember it the switch was visible by getting down on knees and not under the machine F2680e. Have never had the problem with either F3080.
 
   / F series battery protection #8  
They're great little snowblowers as evidenced by this video. It'll be a worthwhile upgrade adding the blower. (Cab is pretty sweet too!).

As to protecting the battery, Id just give the tractor (battery and all) a solid coating of Fluid Film, Krown, Rust Check or equivalent for the winter and a good wash in the spring.

 
   / F series battery protection
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I like the maneuverability the F series will offer over my B3030 (with front blade and rear blower) when working in close to the house.

I had wondered about using a plastic battery box to protect the battery but haven't looked into it in any detail.
 
 
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