Lithium Upgrade Cheatsheet

People often ask what they need for the conversion to LiFePO4. What you'll need depends on your mower and other factors. This page is intended for you to get that information quickly. To get a general overview of the conversion, see the Lithium Conversion Overview  page.

You can find a lot more information on different topics related to your mower on the Ryobi 48V Mowers main page.

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Battery

Below are the recommended batteries depending on your mower and how many acres you have to mow. The links will take you to more information on the specific batteries including links to places you can purchase them. You can find more information on different battery options on the Battery Options page. Be sure to check out the Notable Deals section on that page for currently available deals.

If you'e not sure which model you have, you should be able to find a label under the seat. You may have to slide the seat back to see it.

RM480

1.2 Acres

• DCHouse 48V 50Ah (Bluetooth)

3 Acres

• DCHouse 48V 100Ah (Bluetooth)

ZT480

This mower pulls more current than the the tractor-style, so a battery with a 100A continuous rating is recommended

1.2 Acres

• DCHouse 48V 50Ah (Bluetooth)

3 Acres

• DCHouse 48V 100Ah (Bluetooth)

ZT540

Due to the current draw of this mower, a 100Ah battery with 200A continuous rating is recommended

3 Acres

• DCHouse 48V 100Ah (Bluetooth)

RM300

Due to the size constraints of the RM300's battery compartment, the 50Ah used in the 480 is difficult to fit. The RM300 also has lower current requirements which make some smaller batteries viable.

0.75 Acres

• LiTime 48V 30Ah GC2 Bluetooth

1.5 Acres

• LiTime 48V 60Ah

• Enjoybot 48V 65Ah (Bluetooth)

3 Acres

• DCHouse 48V 100Ah (Bluetooth) [Tight fit!]

Charger

If you have the Ryobi OP48RM charger, it will work fine with your new battery. No need to get a new charger.

If you have the Ryobi SC-48 charger, it will charge the battery, but will continue to top off the battery indefinetly. This is not good for LiFePO4 batteries, so it should be unplugged when charging is finished. For this reason, it's recommended to replace it with an aftermarket charger.

For an aftermarket charger, I recommend the Haisito P3648. This charger comes with an EZGO RXV charge plug. There are two small plastic tabs inside the charge port. Once you break these off, this charge plug will fit. You can find this charger on Amazon.

You may see some of the batteries bundled with chargers. I recommend against these bundles. They typically do not provide any savings over buying the charger separately and, since the bundled chargers do not come with charge plugs, make the conversion more complicated.

For more information on chargers see the Charger Options page.

Meter

The stock meter won't be accurate with the new batteries. You have 4 options:

1. If your battery has plenty of capacity for your yard, just charge after each use.

2. If your battery has Bluetooth, use your phone to monitor your battery level.

3. Some batteries come with their own meters, either direct connect or Bluetooth. These can be used to monitor the battery level, however, it can be difficult to find a good place to mount them on the mower.

4. Replace the meter with an aftermarket one. There are a couple options depending on which style you prefer, but both require enlarging the hole the old meter was in or making a new hole in the plastic cover. You can find the meters and more information on installing them on the Battery Meter Options page.

Other Items

Battery Hold Downs

It's very important that the battery is secured so it can't move independently of the mower. There are many ways to do this. Most people use a combination of scrap wood and ratchet straps. I like to make metal brackets. Whatever option you take, you'll need to acquire these materials.

Terminal Adapters (RM300 only)

All the recommended batteries use 8mm screws, but the battery cables on the RM300 are for 6mm screws. There are four ways to address this. The important thing is the ring terminal on the battery cable makes direct contact with the battery terminal and is a solid, tight connection.

1. There should be enough metal on the connector to enlarge the hole. You can use a drill to enlarge the hole. A step drill bit makes this easy.

2. Replace the battery terminals with 8 AWG - 5/16 (M8) ring terminals.

3. Use a stud adapter to attach the battery cable. You will also need 8mm washers and nuts.

4. Use a thread sleeve in the battery terminal to reduce it to 6mm.