(ET) Using the charger to test the Elec-Trak

[steven1955 comcast net]

RJ Kanary said "Every time that someone suggests using the charger to test 
the 
tractor, I HAVE to post the same thing. DO NOT DO THAT!"

When I bought my workhorse E15 the batteries were dead, yet the owner 
continued to mow the grass with it.  He would put the transmission in L or 
LL, and then the charger had enough power to run the mower deck and the 
lightly strained traction motor.  He did that for a claimed two two years. 
 He demonstrated the tractor to me while running it only on the charger. 
Of course the deck lift did not work because it wanted 18 volts

I think the reason it worked was that the dead batteries smoothed the sine 
wave based ripple that would normally wreak havoc on the controls.

So, do I advise running the tractor on the charger?  No.

Would I do it myself in a pinch?  Yes.  But I would keep my dead batteries 
in place, or assemble a large capacitor bank to smooth the ripple.

Another bit of warning.  I have a rough Wheelhorse C185.  It ran on the 
charger when I first got it.  Then I foolishly took the batteries out to 
be recycled.  Without giving it enough thought at the time I then tried to 
run it on the charger without batteries.  It now does not work.

Steve Naugler