I have an ancient Wheel Horse tractor; 14hp Kohler single cylinder "flathead" engine (flathead sounds cooler than L-head), hydrostatic trans. The battery drains mysteriously and I am wondering if it would be a better idea to just rewire the whole thing (it's a lawn tractor, easy stuff) or fix the problem (I don't know what it is right now). thanks for your opinion, matt
Ancient Wheel Horse tractor needs attention too Try charging the battery and disconnecting the wires. If the battery still drains it should be replaced. A poorly charged battery will have parts of the anode or cathode flake off from the vibrations when run. These flakes will accumulate on the bottom and short out the cells. Always make sure the battery is fully charged before trying to start machinery, with a single cylinder engine that vibrates a lot. I have a 35 year old John Deere 110 Lawn and Garden Tractor. Put a new wiring harness from John Deere with all new switches a few years ago. Certainly was better than the mess that was there and made it much more reliable.
The battery was new in spring 2004; the old battery died over the winter with the drainage problem; and when a dead batt freezes here in Michigan, she's a goner. So, I'll try to find a wire harness for the mess that's there (hacks, tape, whatever) and a voltage regulator. -matt
Loyd , What are you doing on the internet ? Shouldn't you be resting up after all your Birthday spankings > :moonu: :laugh:
