Yes, all riding lawn mowers have alternators. Well, not exactly. So maybe no?
The short answer is that all riding lawn mowers have charging systems. The type depends on the machine, and it can be either a traditional belt driven alternator or a stator.
An alternator on a riding lawn mower looks similar and performs the same function as an alternator that you’d find in a vehicle.
A vehicle, or in our case a riding mower, has a battery that provides power for starting and for running electronics when the machine is off.
While it’s running, the alternator (or charging system) simply provides voltage to the battery to keep it charged.
If the alternator is not working correctly, the battery will not be getting charged while the machine is running.
Alternators on riding lawn mowers are belt driven and located near the crankshaft.
Stators, on the other hand, are located underneath the flywheel.
It performs the same function of an alternator – it charges the battery. Since stators aren’t as visible as alternators, it’s no wonder that people ask this question.
Since there’s no visible alternator, it’s fair to wonder how the machine charges the battery. Stators are the answer. It’s the most common type of charging system found on a riding lawn mower.
So while technically, a stator is not an alternator, it performs the same function of an alternator.
Depending on the purpose of the question, “Do riding lawn mowers have alternators?” the answer is both yes and no.
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