44 DR® 18 and 19 HP ROAD-TOWABLE CHIPPER
Battery Care
Proper care can extend the life of a battery. Follow these recommendations to ensure your battery’s best
performance and long life:
• Do not allow the battery charge to get too low. If the machine is not used, charge the battery every 4 – 6
weeks. Operate the engine for at least 45 minutes to maintain proper battery charge.
• Store an unused battery in a dry area that does not freeze.
• Do not charge an already charged battery. In theory, you cannot overcharge our battery with a trickle
charger; however, when a battery is fully charged and the charger is still on, it generates heat that could
be harmful to the battery. A fully charged battery will read 12V-13.2V with a voltmeter.
• Do not continue to crank your engine when the battery charge is low.
Charging the Battery
Operate the engine for at least 45 minutes to maintain proper battery charge. If the battery loses its charge,
you will need to use a trickle charger (like the DR Battery Charger) to recharge it. The charger should have
an output of 12 volts at no more than 2 amps.
• At 1 amp, the battery may need to be charged for as long as 48 hours.
• At 2 amps, the battery may need to be charged for as long as 24 hours.
To connect a battery charger to your DR ROAD-TOWABLE CHIPPER, follow the steps listed below.
1. Detach the two battery cables going to the battery on your machine.
2. Attach the black (-) battery charger wire to the battery negative (-) terminal, and attach the red (+)
battery charger wire to the battery positive (+) terminal.
3. Plug the battery charger into an outlet.
WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED CHARGING THE BATTERY, DISCONNECT THE CHARGER FROM THE
OUTLET FIRST, THEN DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CHARGER WIRES FROM THE BATTERY. IF YOU
LEAVE THE BATTERY CHARGER WIRES CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY, THE BATTERY WILL DISCHARGE
ITSELF BACK INTO THE CHARGER.