Best batteries for lawn mowers

Best Batteries for Lawn Mowers: Storage, Charging and Disposal

ByKen

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If you are looking for the best batteries for lawn mowers, the sources we opened do not name a winner. They do cover how a lithium-ion mower battery should be stored, charged, damaged and disposed of, and those habits decide how long a pack stays useful. This guide is built around those four areas. It draws on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Consumer Reports and a battery manufacturer’s care guidance, and it says plainly what those sources leave out.

Quick answer

  • No brand ranking is available from these sources. The pages we opened do not compare battery brands, capacities or runtimes for mowers.
  • Store the pack indoors. Consumer Reports says “most batteries do best when stored between 40° F and 80° F.”
  • Store at a partial charge when the mower will sit. Consumer Reports suggests roughly 40 percent of capacity for storage of 30 days or longer.
  • Use the manufacturer’s charger. The battery maker Vanguard advises “Always use the charger provided by the manufacturer and avoid overcharging the battery.”
  • Keep old packs out of the trash. The EPA says lithium-ion batteries “should NOT go in household garbage or recycling bins.”

What the sources cover, and what they do not

Three sources sit behind this guide. The EPA page “Used Lithium-Ion Batteries” covers disposal and fire prevention. The Consumer Reports article “Your Electric Mower Needs Attention in Winter” covers storage through the off-season. The Vanguard Power article “Care of Battery-Powered Equipment” is a battery maker’s care guidance, which gives a manufacturer’s view of charging, storage and handling.

None of the three compares battery packs for lawn mowers, so none of them tells you which pack to buy. They do not give a voltage, an amp-hour rating or a runtime that would let you match a pack to a mower. Those figures belong in the product data for the mower and the battery, and the operator’s manual is the place to check them. The rest of this guide sticks to what the sources do say about keeping a pack working and handling it safely.

Storage temperature

Temperature is the storage factor the sources agree on most. Consumer Reports writes that “Check the owner’s manual for an exact range, but most batteries do best when stored between 40° F and 80° F.” Its practical advice is to keep the pack inside: “Keeping them indoors minimizes temperature fluctuation.” A garage or shed that swings through the seasons is the case that advice is aimed at.

The reason is cell life. Consumer Reports says that “Extreme temperatures can shorten the life span of the cells inside batteries and cause them to fail prematurely.” Vanguard makes the same point in its own words: “Extreme temperatures can have a significant impact on lithium-ion battery life.” Neither source gives a lifespan in years or cycles, so the advice is about avoiding stress, not about a guaranteed number of seasons.

The 40° F to 80° F range is a starting point, not a rule for every pack. Consumer Reports tells readers to check the owner’s manual for an exact range, and that instruction is the most reliable one in the sources. If the manual gives a different range, use the manual.

Storage charge level

Charge level matters during a long rest. Consumer Reports suggests that, for a battery that will sit for 30 days or longer, the user should bring the pack to “roughly 40 percent of its capacity.” The same article notes that some packs show their charge on the battery or the charger, and others use a set of four lights. For a pack with lights, the article says to run the battery until right after the 50 percent light goes off, which leaves it between 25 and 50 percent.

Consumer Reports also reports a different maker’s guidance. It says that GreenWorks “advises charging the battery to full capacity every two months when it’s in storage, then draining it back down to 40 percent.” That schedule means the pack is cycled between full and 40 percent. The arithmetic is simple: 100 minus 40 is 60, so the usable swing in that routine is 60 percent of the pack’s capacity.

The table below puts the storage figures from these sources in one place. Each row names the source and the condition it applies to.

Storage item Figure or advice Source
Temperature Between 40° F and 80° F, if the manual gives no other range Consumer Reports
Charge level for 30 days or longer Roughly 40 percent of capacity Consumer Reports
Maker routine (GreenWorks) Full charge every two months, then drain to 40 percent Consumer Reports
Recharge point during use Around 20-30% capacity for optimal performance Vanguard Power

The table makes one point clear. The storage figure of 40 percent and the use-time recharge point of 20 to 30 percent address different situations. A pack that sits for a season is not being worked, and a pack in daily use is being recharged in the middle of its range. The sources do not reconcile the two for a given model, so the owner’s manual is the tie-breaker.

Charging habits

Charging is the other habit the sources cover. Vanguard advises using the charger that comes with the pack: “Always use the charger provided by the manufacturer and avoid overcharging the battery.” The same source adds that most modern chargers stop when the pack is full, but that it is still good practice to unplug the charger when charging is finished.

Vanguard also explains why deep draining is not the goal. Its words are: “Unlike older battery technologies, lithium-ion batteries perform better when they are not deeply discharged.” Its recommended recharge point, “around 20-30% capacity,” gives a working rule for use rather than storage. A pack that is run flat before each charge is being asked to do more work than the sources describe as ideal.

Consumer Reports adds a practical caveat about software. It says that “some batteries have embedded software that will discharge to the optimal level after going unused for a prolonged period.” Some packs also do well with a charge in the middle of storage, while others do not need one: “Some lithium-ion batteries do well with a charge in the middle of the storage season; others don’t require one.” The article’s instruction for both cases is the same: “Check the manual to see what the manufacturer advises.”

Damage, handling and fire risk

A damaged pack is the most serious case the sources address. The EPA says that “To prevent fires, tape battery terminals and/or place lithium-ion batteries in separate plastic bags.” It also warns that “Even used batteries can have enough energy to injure or start fires.”

The EPA’s next instruction is specific: “If the Li-ion battery becomes damaged, contact the battery or device manufacturer for specific handling information.” The agency also notes that “Not all batteries are removable or serviceable by the user,” which means some packs are sealed into a tool or a mower and cannot be pulled out for home care.

Vanguard’s general warning matches that advice: “Lithium-ion batteries can pose a hazard if damaged or mishandled.” The lesson from both sources is to stop using a damaged pack and to ask the battery or device maker how to handle it.

Disposal of an old pack

Disposal is where the EPA is most direct. Its page says that “Lithium-ion batteries and devices containing these batteries should NOT go in household garbage or recycling bins.” The correct route is to take the battery to a collection point: “Lithium-ion batteries SHOULD be taken to separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection points.”

The EPA separates two cases. A device that contains a lithium-ion battery goes to a certified electronics recycler, or to a retailer or takeback program. A battery that can be taken out of its tool is sent to a specialized battery recycler or a retailer that takes batteries back. For finding a site, the EPA names two resources: the Earth 911 database and Call2Recycle. The agency also suggests contacting the local solid waste or household hazardous waste program.

The fire concern is the reason the EPA gives for its handling steps. Its advice to tape the terminals and to place each pack in a separate plastic bag is written as a fire-prevention measure, so a pack waiting for collection should be handled that way until it reaches the collection point.

What the sources do not tell you

The sources leave several buying questions open, and this guide does not fill them with figures. The passages we opened do not give the voltage, amp-hour rating, runtime per charge or charging time of a mower battery. They do not compare brands. They do not say how many years a pack lasts, and the Consumer Reports and Vanguard passages describe stress and care rather than a lifespan.

That is the honest limit of this guide. A reader who wants the best battery for a specific mower should start with the owner’s manual, which the sources repeatedly name as the authority on temperature, charge level and software. The label on the pack and the mower’s specification sheet are the next places to check, because they carry the figures the sources do not give.

How we chose

We chose sources that speak directly to the three habits this guide covers: disposal, storage and charging, and handling of damaged packs. The EPA is a federal agency. Consumer Reports is a consumer publication, and we quote only its storage and charging passages. Vanguard is a battery manufacturer, and we quote its care advice, not its product claims. We did not use retail pages or content-farm articles that came up in search, because those pages either could not be opened for quoting or made claims without a named source.

What we could not verify

  • Runtime per charge, charging time and capacity for any named mower pack. The sources do not give these figures.
  • Lifespan in years or charge cycles. The sources describe what shortens cell life, not how long a pack lasts.
  • Cold-weather performance numbers. The sources describe cold as a condition to avoid in storage, but we did not find a figure we could quote.
  • Whether a given pack needs the mid-storage charge that some packs need and others do not. The answer is in the owner’s manual.
  • Whether any battery brand is better than another for lawn mowers.

Related guides

For readers who are deciding between a battery mower and a corded one, the pros and cons of battery-powered lawn mowers covers the trade-offs. A corded option needs its own cable planning, which the extension cord guide for electric lawn mowers covers.

FAQ

Which battery is the best for a lawn mower?

The sources we opened do not rank battery brands, and they do not give capacities or runtimes for mower packs. The best starting point is the owner’s manual for your mower, which the sources repeatedly name as the authority on temperature, charge level and software behavior.

How should I store a lawn mower battery over winter?

Consumer Reports says to keep the pack indoors, within the range the manual gives, and to charge or discharge it to roughly 40 percent of capacity if it will sit for 30 days or longer. If the manual says a mid-storage charge is needed, follow the manual.

Should I charge the battery to full before storing it?

The sources do not agree on one answer. Consumer Reports suggests about 40 percent for storage. GreenWorks, as Consumer Reports reports it, advises a full charge every two months and then a drain back to 40 percent. Vanguard describes 20 to 30 percent as the recharge point for use. Check the manual to see which routine the maker uses.

Can I throw a dead lawn mower battery in the trash?

No. The EPA says lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. Take the pack to a collection point, or to a retailer or takeback program. The EPA names Earth 911 and Call2Recycle as resources for finding a recycler.

What should I do if a battery is damaged?

Stop using it. The EPA says that if a lithium-ion battery becomes damaged, you should contact the battery or device manufacturer for specific handling information. Keep the terminals taped and the pack in its own plastic bag until you have that information, because the EPA says even used batteries can have enough energy to injure or start fires.

Bottom line

Store the pack indoors within the range in your manual, follow the charging habits the manual names, and take a dead pack to a collection point rather than the trash. For the buying figures that the sources leave out, check the manual and the label on the pack.

Sources

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