Battery Charger

james headrick · Jan 21, 2016

looking to buy a 12 volt battery charger with boost what do you recommend
thanks
james headrick

HOTFR8 · Jan 21, 2016

Something with a good brand name. Do you need a charger or something like a charger-tender?

bobcatdan · Jan 21, 2016

I have never found a battery charger with the boost function that did ****. Perfectly happy with little bench top Schumacher's. I charge everything slow so major amperage isn't important to me. If something is dead and I need it moving now, jump it with the jump back and make the alternator work its **** off.

WhiffySpark · Jan 21, 2016

I know everyone will give me ****, but I love my snap on one. Boost actually works on this one it turned my 3 cyl diesel over easily.

Zeke · Jan 21, 2016

The HF ones work just fine.

CJM8515 · Jan 21, 2016

2 separate things are needed. A good booster is much more worth it than an all in one unit. Unless you need to turn over diesels frequently, the JNC 660 is seriously the towing and automotive standard. Simple to use, idiot proof unless you hook it up backwards and can charge it off a vehicle or a wall socket. Also only about 120 bucks.

The best tender charger is the battery tender brand, they cant be beat for the price.

brownbagg · Jan 21, 2016

I never been to happy with Schumacher's but that about all you can buy, yes i burn up a couple and i still buy schumachers but there really nothing good out there

theoldwizard1 · Jan 21, 2016

bobcatdan said:
I have never found a battery charger with the boost function that did ****. Perfectly happy with little bench top Schumacher's. I charge everything slow so major amperage isn't important to me. If something is dead and I need it moving now, jump it with the jump pack and make the alternator work its **** off.

WOW !!! 3 perfect suggestion.

You can find Schumacher chargers at Sears, Kmart, Menards and most places like that.

CJM8515 · Jan 21, 2016

Oh btw, dont use the cars charging system to recharge a dead battery. Not only does it damage the battery rapidly recharging it,b ut you can damage the charging system.

theoldwizard1 · Jan 22, 2016

CJM8515 said:
Oh btw, dont use the cars charging system to recharge a dead battery. Not only does it damage the battery rapidly recharging it, but you can damage the charging system.

Let's be realistic. You go some place and accidentally leave the interior lights on in your car ... overnight. AAA will jump you and sell you a battery (at an outrageous price) or you can just drive.

Perhaps not the BEST solution, but it does work. Also modern (<10 years old) charging systems are better at estimating the state of charge on a battery. They don't charge them at tye same rate they did in the "god old days" (sometimes > 15.0V !).

CJM8515 · Jan 22, 2016

Use the car to recharge it and you can damage charging system and battery. I see it daily since i drive the AAA battery truck.
I had a guy do it 2x to same Honda Civic. Dead battery refused new one and 3 hours later bad alternator on a 45k mile and 5 year old car. ***** did it again 2 years later

Also it's not so ridiculously priced. Walmart is only 10-20 bucks cheaper at best and most people can't do the job themselves. Walmart around here doesn't install or even have an auto service center.

gungatim · Jan 22, 2016

Zeke said:
The HF ones work just fine.

I agree, they work well until they die. when they die, I pull out the circuit board and put in a radio shack bridge rectifier (around $7, I bought a bunch before they went **** up) and a small computer fan mounted in the case (just tap off one of the 12v or 6v wires from the xformer). no longer automatic but will work forever that way...I tend to burn them up fairly frequently, but that's just me...even adding just the fan to any of the benchtop chargers is a worthwhile mod....heat kills them...

dbabicky · Jan 22, 2016

My Craftsman Charger/Starter is over 20 yrs old and still going strong on all functions.

Kevin54 · Jan 22, 2016

I have an old Montgomery Wards charger that is at least 50 years old and it works just fine.

DonPowers · Jan 22, 2016

I started a battery charger thread last fall.
Ended up buying two, a Ctech 7002 smart automatic and Rizk CH110 wheeled unit.
The Rizk kicks ***, brings my big trailer batteries up in no time on the medium setting.

Link to thread below

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=304416

Here are the specs.

http://usabatterychargers.com/Roll_Around_Chargers.htm

BoostAddiction · Jan 22, 2016

dbabicky said:
My Craftsman Charger/Starter is over 20 yrs old and still going strong on all functions.

Same here. It really is pretty old-tech, but apparently still charges batteries fine. Just charged my Oddysey PC1200 from pretty dead to 100%.

jgorm · Jan 22, 2016

I have lots of chargers. I use a electronic controlled charger if I plan to recharge, but not come unplug right away. All transformer chargers can overcharge if you leave them on. I also have multiple battery tender chargers I have used for years on vehicles I don't drive every week. I have a 200a booster charger for jumps and compression tests. I also have solar chargers that work like battery tenders for vehicles outside. Never let a battery go past 50% capacity. Keep them topped off and don't leave them on anything over about 1 amp for more than 24 hours unless it's a microprocessor controlled charger.

bobcatdan · Jan 23, 2016

CJM8515 said:
Oh btw, dont use the cars charging system to recharge a dead battery. Not only does it damage the battery rapidly recharging it,b ut you can damage the charging system.

If you ask an alternator to charge a run down battery once, its not going to hurt it, especially if a battery is just weak enough to not start start something. If it's a battery down around 6 volts, then simply jumping it not a good option, why is the battery that low and that needs to be solved before the car drives away.

CJM8515 · Jan 23, 2016

bobcatdan said:
If you ask an alternator to charge a run down battery once, its not going to hurt it, especially if a battery is just weak enough to not start start something. If it's a battery down around 6 volts, then simply jumping it not a good option, why is the battery that low and that needs to be solved before the car drives away.

Agreed. Problem is most are lower than 8-6v because people leave things on overnight by accident. I see it daily, very large senior communities around here and they continuously ruin batteries in this manner. Actually most people run down the battery in a similar fashion, we have repeat offenders that just keep calling for a jumpstart and dont understand they ruined the battery by draining it down and using the car to recharge it. Usually by the 3rd or 4th time the alternator is done. Its awesome telling them that if they had listened they wouldnt be out 500+ bucks (alternator, labor, and new battery now)

bobcatdan · Jan 23, 2016

You can't help stupidity no matter how hard you try.

theoldwizard1 · Jan 29, 2016

CJM8515 said:
Also (AAAabttery) it's not so ridiculously priced. Walmart is only 10-20 bucks cheaper at best and most people can't do the job themselves. Walmart around here doesn't install or even have an auto service center.

It was at least $70-$80 more.

CJM8515 · Jan 29, 2016

theoldwizard1 said:
It was at least $70-$80 more.

Depends on the car. Your typical Toyota Camry is like 140 all said and done. Now an Audi or BMW is like 170. Different type of battery

Bobf · Jan 29, 2016

Gee, I've had a 6/12 volt Shumacher since the early 70's since I still drove a stock 30 Model A PU around town and a 70 1/2 Z28 to work back then. Over the years that old charger has been on a lot of cars over night, and never fried any batteries I can recall. They usually last to within one month of the warranty

rattlesnake436 · Jan 30, 2016

I have a craftsman 12v battery charger works great but it's branded sears works great

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

rodm1 · Jan 31, 2016

DonPowers said:
I started a battery charger thread last fall.
Ended up buying two, a Ctech 7002 smart automatic and Rizk CH110 wheeled unit.
The Rizk kicks ***, brings my big trailer batteries up in no time on the medium setting.

Link to thread below

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=304416

Here are the specs.

http://usabatterychargers.com/Roll_Around_Chargers.htm

This

nadogail · Jan 31, 2016

One of these days, but I won't say when, I want to build a charger from a small engine and an alternator, just like the systems at Epicenter.Com.

Should be able to do it for about $200. 80 to 100 amp output with regulation, using small engine, belt drive, alternator and a decent 12 volt battery. Scroungers can reduce this cost by using discarded lawn mower engines and junk yard parts.

My failure to start this project is because I have a lack of need and too many other half finished projects in my workshop.

KJINTF · Jan 31, 2016

As others stated we need to know the application before we can supply good info

I have several "Converters" the things that are used in RV's ranging in power from 35 amps to over a 100amps. If you are looking for a bench power supply as well as a Battery Charger / maintainer then you might want to consider one of the Progressive Dynamics units that are both automatic and can be manually controlled. Lead acid batteries (FLA, AGM, Gell) are finicky to get properly charged and floated as needed when not in use for extended periods of time. Even more of a challenge are my new LiFePo4 batteries

Battery Charger

New member

Banned

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

MEMBER EMERITUS

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Member