New member looking for parts

[RAllison]

Hope you find those batteries Harry and you get it going.

 

[Harry Crump]

Hope you find those batteries Harry and you get it going.

I'm going to the dealer Wednesday and order a set. Hopefully that will resolve the problem. The Cub Cadet technician said he's 99% sure it will... I'm in you deep to just junk the mower.

 

[R Mass1]

It looks like nobody has the batteries you are looking for or someone would have said so. The only other comment I have is that my brother had a Zero turn Cub Cadet he bought new from a dealer and he got great service from Cub Cadet. Personally, I would've never taken that deal you got. Stick with gas mowers. JMO.

 

[jlord]

Whoa! Let's all just calm down and rewind for a minute. This member, Harry, came here looking for a solution to a problem that he has with his mower. Yes, electrics aren't our main interest here, but between all of us, there is a lot of knowledge and experience.
I'm a union electrical journeyman technician by trade for over 50 years. Although I have full and ongoing training in most areas (i.e.- construction, (commercial, industrial & residential) I enjoy the challenge of industrial control diagnostics / troubleshooting / repair, which in the entertainment studio industry covers all the bases.

Harry, to save you a boatload of cash, this is how I would proceed. I take it this mower has multiple battery packs like others I've seen. If you are mechanically inclined, remove the battery packs that are "bad" from their casings and determine which cells within the pack are truly no good. I would first take a voltage reading of each individual cell as a base-line to determine which cells are suspect.
Determine what the voltage of the individual cells are supposed to be and using a DC power supply, attempt to charge each cell individually by using alligator clip test leads to the tabs of each cell. If you only have a 6 / 12 volt manual automotive charger, then you may have to charge a number of cells in series.( i.e.- if the individual cells are lets say 1.2 volt, then 5 in series would be 6 volts) which would charge with an applied voltage of 7.2 to 7.8 volts.
You may have to use a current limiting resistance to avoid overheating the batteries if using a 10 amp charger. If they are, let's say 1200 ma, then I would limit the current to no more than 1 amp. This could be done "old school" by inserting a 12 volt halogen lamp in series within the charge circuit. Smaller wattage lamp, less current. The lamp will glow and absorb the excess current.
When you have charged them for a few hours, then load test them with a lamp load and voltmeter.
You should not mix new and used cells within a battery pack, as new cells will take a charge more quickly than used cells and the new cells could be damaged. Save good used cells and use them to replace bad cells in other packs. You could replace all the cells in one pack, leaving you the spares. Individual cells can be purchased on-line, or you can "bite - the - bullet" and purchase a whole new replacement pack and use the spares to rebuild / repair the other packs.

 

[R Mass1]

Harry, check out Jlord's response! His recommendation is the most logical way to try and ascertain the problem with your battery packs if you are dead set on the battery-operated mower. I suspect CC is treating you as if you bought a used mower and there are usually provisions in most warranties whereby they only apply to the ORIGINAL owner. Just an idea. Otherwise, I have no other ideas for you but wish you good luck in resolving your problem.

 

[Harry Crump]

It looks like nobody has the batteries you are looking for or someone would have said so. The only other comment I have is that my brother had a Zero turn Cub Cadet he bought new from a dealer and he got great service from Cub Cadet. Personally, I would've never taken that deal you got. Stick with gas mowers. JMO.

Looking back I would have not bought it.. But you learn everyday!!!

 

[Harry Crump]

Whoa! Let's all just calm down and rewind for a minute. This member, Harry, came here looking for a solution to a problem that he has with his mower. Yes, electrics aren't our main interest here, but between all of us, there is a lot of knowledge and experience.
I'm a union electrical journeyman technician by trade for over 50 years. Although I have full and ongoing training in most areas (i.e.- construction, (commercial, industrial & residential) I enjoy the challenge of industrial control diagnostics / troubleshooting / repair, which in the entertainment studio industry covers all the bases.

Harry, to save you a boatload of cash, this is how I would proceed. I take it this mower has multiple battery packs like others I've seen. If you are mechanically inclined, remove the battery packs that are "bad" from their casings and determine which cells within the pack are truly no good. I would first take a voltage reading of each individual cell as a base-line to determine which cells are suspect.
Determine what the voltage of the individual cells are supposed to be and using a DC power supply, attempt to charge each cell individually by using alligator clip test leads to the tabs of each cell. If you only have a 6 / 12 volt manual automotive charger, then you may have to charge a number of cells in series.( i.e.- if the individual cells are lets say 1.2 volt, then 5 in series would be 6 volts) which would charge with an applied voltage of 7.2 to 7.8 volts.
You may have to use a current limiting resistance to avoid overheating the batteries if using a 10 amp charger. If they are, let's say 1200 ma, then I would limit the current to no more than 1 amp. This could be done "old school" by inserting a 12 volt halogen lamp in series within the charge circuit. Smaller wattage lamp, less current. The lamp will glow and absorb the excess current.
When you have charged them for a few hours, then load test them with a lamp load and voltmeter.
You should not mix new and used cells within a battery pack, as new cells will take a charge more quickly than used cells and the new cells could be damaged. Save good used cells and use them to replace bad cells in other packs. You could replace all the cells in one pack, leaving you the spares. Individual cells can be purchased on-line, or you can "bite - the - bullet" and purchase a whole new replacement pack and use the spares to rebuild / repair the other packs.

These Cub Cadet electric mower have 2 Each 26 Volt 3000 AH batteries. The mechanic said as you indicated that 1 cell has gone bad which is a common issue with these batteries, I searched the internet on getting them "rebuilt" Nobody can rebuild these LiOn type of batteries. Thanks for your reply...

 

[jlord]

If there is no core charge on the "old" batteries, there is nothing for you to lose by attempting to repair them yourself. Once opened, indentify the style of cells within the case and divide the number of cells versus the total rated voltage of the pack. Search online for replacement individual cells rated @ the 3000 AH rating. The construction of the pack could be a series/parallel setup, so they could be 1500 AH cells if that were the case.
It all comes down to whether you want to delve into this to save some money and educate yourself, or just keep it simple and throw big money at the problem.
I am sure cub cadet does not manufacture their own packs, however they are probably manufactured under closed contract by third party vendors making these unavailable from other sources until such time that either patents or other manufacturing constraints are removed.

These Cub Cadet electric mower have 2 Each 26 Volt 3000 AH batteries. The mechanic said as you indicated that 1 cell has gone bad which is a common issue with these batteries, I searched the internet on getting them "rebuilt" Nobody can rebuild these LiOn type of batteries. Thanks for your reply...

 

[mhorozko]

You have made up your mind but I wouldn’t hesitate and get a refund. Walk away from this mower. It’s going to be nothing but trouble. Seems like they are being fair to give you the money back then go buy a decent mower

Ya, A Gas Powered One!

 

[R Mass1]

Looking back I would have not bought it.. But you learn everyday!!!

I do hope you get some positive resolution from either the factory or the dealer and can at least break even on the deal, especially for all the trouble you've been through.

 

[jack casey]

I thought this forum was to help Cub Cadet owners not give sermons on life's Mistakes. ???? All I was looking for was a set of Batteries not a sermon...

You have to stop this. As a Cub owner this forum has been of great help to me and I'm thankful for that. Without thinking it through you went on a bit of a rant and some members called you out; call it sermons if you like. Lesson learned; let it go. Jack