k0ua
Epic Contributor
i decided to add solar battery maintainer connections to my Kioti DK35se today. I had noticed during 2 week lulls here in winter of not using my tractor that when I did start it up the glow plug cycle sucked the battery voltage down to around 9.85 volts when the glow plug relay first clicked in. Of course it would rise above 10 volts in a few seconds as the glow plugs heated up during the cycle but still this is a bit low. Of course If the tractor was started more often this would not be a problem, but I just don't use the tractor all that much in the winter and would like to keep the battery in better shape. Nothing Kills a battery faster than letting it slowly self discharge in the cold.
I wanted some connections that are within easy reach as I sit in the seat to start the tractor and will pull out on their own if for some glaring omission on my part I don't disconnect them when I drive out of the barn. Therefore I chose Anderson powerpoles. Plus I had them in stock.
Here is the Kioti fuse block with the cover off. I intend to wire up to the fused side of the top fuse in the stack the blue 15 amp one. It is for the horn and emergency flashers. The only accessories that are on constant battery voltage in the tractor.
Lets get the negative battery post off. 10MM nut for those wanting to know. Much safer than removing the positive battery terminal. It doesn't matter if your metalic tool slips and contacts the frame of the tractor
Lets take out that fuse and see for sure which side is the battery hot feed and which is the fused side. In this case the left side is the battery hot feed and the right side with the light green wire is the fused side on to the accessories. (the horn and the emerg. flashers)
Here is what it looks like on the back side. Now time to make up the Anderson powerpole connector.
Now installed on the wire I intend to use.
So lets tie wrap the wire up under the dash where it will be semi-protected from any weather if the tractor is left to set out (which I don't do anymore), and be sure to route the wire away from any moving parts and get it connected on to this green wire on the fused side of the circuit. i "tinned" the green wire and "sweat soldered" my new red wire onto this existing wire.
Here is a bottle of liquid tape I intend to coat the soldered connection with, and I used a heat gun down low to dry it and also put a little scotch 33 black tape over it for abrasion resistance, not that there should be any as nothing should move there.
Here is the fuse block back in place with the negative wire terminated in a spade lug under the bright shiny screw at the bottom the the fuse block. I would not do this practice for any high current application, but this very low current charging circuit should be OK with using the tractor chassis for this. If I was looking to pull or push some high current, both wires would have went directly to the battery, fused with its own inline fuse.
You can just see the Anderson Powerpoles peeking out under the plastic "dash"
Finished, tested, and tools put away.
I hope you liked this little pictorial. I made the photo's full size so you would not have to open the thumbnails. I haven't done that before in any of my writeups. The actual solar charger is on order, and of course I will put Anderson Powerpoles on its wires and just plug it in. I have used one of these for my lawn tractor for many years and it extends it's battery life several years.
I wanted some connections that are within easy reach as I sit in the seat to start the tractor and will pull out on their own if for some glaring omission on my part I don't disconnect them when I drive out of the barn. Therefore I chose Anderson powerpoles. Plus I had them in stock.
Here is the Kioti fuse block with the cover off. I intend to wire up to the fused side of the top fuse in the stack the blue 15 amp one. It is for the horn and emergency flashers. The only accessories that are on constant battery voltage in the tractor.
Lets get the negative battery post off. 10MM nut for those wanting to know. Much safer than removing the positive battery terminal. It doesn't matter if your metalic tool slips and contacts the frame of the tractor
Lets take out that fuse and see for sure which side is the battery hot feed and which is the fused side. In this case the left side is the battery hot feed and the right side with the light green wire is the fused side on to the accessories. (the horn and the emerg. flashers)
Here is what it looks like on the back side. Now time to make up the Anderson powerpole connector.
Now installed on the wire I intend to use.
So lets tie wrap the wire up under the dash where it will be semi-protected from any weather if the tractor is left to set out (which I don't do anymore), and be sure to route the wire away from any moving parts and get it connected on to this green wire on the fused side of the circuit. i "tinned" the green wire and "sweat soldered" my new red wire onto this existing wire.
Here is a bottle of liquid tape I intend to coat the soldered connection with, and I used a heat gun down low to dry it and also put a little scotch 33 black tape over it for abrasion resistance, not that there should be any as nothing should move there.
Here is the fuse block back in place with the negative wire terminated in a spade lug under the bright shiny screw at the bottom the the fuse block. I would not do this practice for any high current application, but this very low current charging circuit should be OK with using the tractor chassis for this. If I was looking to pull or push some high current, both wires would have went directly to the battery, fused with its own inline fuse.
You can just see the Anderson Powerpoles peeking out under the plastic "dash"
Finished, tested, and tools put away.
I hope you liked this little pictorial. I made the photo's full size so you would not have to open the thumbnails. I haven't done that before in any of my writeups. The actual solar charger is on order, and of course I will put Anderson Powerpoles on its wires and just plug it in.
I have used one of these for my lawn tractor for many years and it extends it's battery life several years.
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