Help needed to buy Battery load tester

[GophersGarage]

Hi Again guys so i am in need for a load tester and see to many dam versions not sure what is good what is junk.

some day digital compact type others say the big rectangle box type

I hate the fact of most are china but i am looking to buy one that will last me

 

[Professional Tool User]

My view when buyer a load tester is that bigger is better. Those small ones over heat and get fried very easily. I've used my generic looking Princess Auto special buy one a few times. I'm confident it will hold up to ocasional use.

 

[GophersGarage]

I was just lookng at PT site I see they have

now amazon stuff

 

[ex-x-fire]

Try to get a Vat-40, I've seen a few on fb marketplace.

 

[Showkey]

Would not buy a 20-40 year old VAT40 or VAT 28. They are both obsolete, parts are problem and the inductive probe on the VAT40 are huge problem. We had (8) VAT40 in storage, had trouble giving them away. Vocational or trade schools did not want them ( free) , they have moved on to electronic testers.

Modern electronic is all that’s really needed. Many brands and versions from $50.

 

[B_Bimmer]

I have the small schumacher one. I have probably used it thirty times already and it works great and tells me what I need to know. I don't understand how that miniature digital one could apply a real load, but have never looked into them.

 

[mfewtrail]

I have the small schumacher one. I have probably used it thirty times already and it works great and tells me what I need to know. I don't understand how that miniature digital one could apply a real load, but have never looked into them.

They don't apply a load. "In conductance testing, a low-frequency AC signal is sent through the battery. A portion of the AC current response is captured, and from this output a conductance measurement is calculated."

 

[sberry]

HF has that 500A pile tester,,, super good and one of my best ever tool bargains, about 50$, we use it all the time, on a hundred batteries.

 

[GophersGarage]

Does it look like this ?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jsaw]

We use both a carbon pile, and an electronic tester. Sometimes it takes a true load like a carbon pile to prove a battery bad.

Had a brand new truck towed in repeatedly with a dead battery. Charged it up and Tested with midtronics electronic tester, passed the test.
After the second time of charging it, I tested it with a carbon pile tester. Then retested with the midtronics. It failed
I was told by an engineer that it required a true load of the carbon pile which caused failed internal welds inside the battery to show up

If purchasing a carbon pile, make sure you get one that will supply a large enough load to test the battery you are testing. 50% of the CCA rating of the battery. 600 CCA battery needs a 300 amp load test. A lot of testers only have a 125 amp load capacity.

If you dont have a load tester, you can connect a volt meter to the battery and watch the voltage while cranking the starter. If it drops below 9.6 volts while cranking, the battery might be weak

 

[GophersGarage]

I notice decal states what you say to great info thanks bud

So I guess 500 amp more then enough I see that company also makes one at 1000amp rating

I quessing the dial is to adjust load during the 10 second testing




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[warrens]

I have an HF one also and have no complaints though I rarely use it.

 

[richfinn]

Ok on older stuff, but with AGM/VRLA etc you really need the midtronics type testers

 

[GophersGarage]

I think I read some carbon type do agm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Showkey]

I think I read some carbon type do agm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AGM testing info

https://www.eastpennmanufacturing.c...eavy-Duty-AGM-Guide-Technical-Update-1401.pdf

https://carnesmechanical.com/how-to-test-an-agm-battery/

Some of the extreme carbon pile load tests can damage the battery. ( like the video at the end of the second link).......that’s one reason some battery manufacturers do not want them done. So the tester and the process has changed.

 

[richfinn]

I think I read some carbon type do agm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you have a DC clampmeter to do a charge acceptance test?

 

[GophersGarage]

Funny you brought up clamp meters

While I am searching to see if one can be added to my fluke 77

I was also thinking if I have to buy a champ meter to get the Klein cl800




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[richfinn]

Funny you brought up clamp meters

While I am searching to see if one can be added to my fluke 77

I was also thinking if I have to buy a champ meter to get the Klein cl800




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use the 4mm banana jack pico clamps with my fluke
(Try AESwave)

If you buy a clamp meter it must have DC amps for automotive diagnostics

 

[GTO]

I have this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ANF1D7U/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[ollie76]

I use the 4mm banana jack pico clamps with my fluke
(Try AESwave)

If you buy a clamp meter it must have DC amps for automotive diagnostics

The meters that can measure DC with the clamps really ramp up the price. Must be a hall effect sensor or something on there that makes it pricey.

 

[mfewtrail]

The meters that can measure DC with the clamps really ramp up the price. Must be a hall effect sensor or something on there that makes it pricey.

There are meters around $25 that will do DC amps these days.


Here's one for example.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0721MKXBC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[richfinn]

Try these guys if your in the USA

https://www.aeswave.com

 

[sberry]

Some of this stuff works together and for a lot of stuff. I have a DC clamp too. But for general battery tests the HF thing is super. We used it and a battery to test some welding lead the other day. Use the clampon to test dual batteries all the time.

 

[GophersGarage]

The cl800 from Klein is the lowest model that will do the dc amp
It’s around 166 canadian on Amazon

I went out today to shop for a carbon style unit and bought this 500amp

I like it because more then enough for car stuff and adjustable

You guys all made good points for digital unit so will research to add one of those too




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GophersGarage]

I use the 4mm banana jack pico clamps with my fluke

(Try AESwave)



If you buy a clamp meter it must have DC amps for automotive diagnostics

I checked spec of my fluke 77 looks like it’s ok for dc amps




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[richfinn]

I checked spec of my fluke 77 looks like it’s ok for dc amps




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The amp clamp will allow your Fluke to measure up to 1000amps if needed, it uses a hall effect sensor to sense current flow and display it as voltage on your meter

You just do a simple conversion depending on scale

1mV per Amp/100mV per Amp

The DC clamp meter will give you a reading in Amps directly.

The point of this is that you can quickly check a batteries ability to absorb current without having to fully charge it
which makes it a lot more convenient

You just hook it around the negative cable and check the reading 5 minutes after starting (a good battery will start fairly high above 30amps and drop to around 5 amps when its fully charged)

Also good for alternators/Starters/fuel pumps/glow plugs in Diesels and anything else that draws current

Midtronics testers sometimes come with a current clamp and do this test automatically along with starter
Alternator and drain test (you can replicate the tests with a basic conductance tester and a current clamp with a little practice)

 

[GophersGarage]

the add on clamp only to add to my fluke is more to buy then a new meter from klein cl800

question now is i think for all around auto use better to spend money on clamp meter then a digital battery tester . what you guys think.

ps the 500 amp carbon tester was around 59 bucks

pps the Foxwell BT705 i have seen come up with good reviews on amazon. I think if I went with a digital unit I would go with that model.

 

[richfinn]

Clamp meters are great and a good first choice

The only advantages of a separate current clamp, is that I can use them with other equipment like my oscilloscope or a second multimeter if I need to

The jaws are quite a bit smaller on the small pico clamp which is good in certain situations

 

[GophersGarage]

Thanks for helping me rich

I am on the fence which option to
Go with

Speaking of scope

That’s my next buy

I hear a lot talk about uscope brand but seeing others talk about these other China stuff that are 2ch not 1channel like uscope

Any tips on what’s a useful for hobby use under 500$




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[richfinn]

Honestly, Pico is the industry standard, there are thousands of users uploading known good waveforms

The software is brilliant, and has evolved to include all kinds of tests

Only downside is you need to lug a toughbook around all the time

If you want an all in one unit go for a used Snap On vantage pro

 

[HenryAZ]

Clamp meters are great and a good first choice

Still clinging to my Fluke 36 clamp meter that I bought 30+ years ago. I was maintaining a '56 Chevy daily driver at the time, and more recently used it extensively in rebuilding an FJ-40. I don't think I've ever used it for AC.

 

[richfinn]

Still clinging to my Fluke 36 clamp meter that I bought 30+ years ago. I was maintaining a '56 Chevy daily driver at the time, and more recently used it extensively in rebuilding an FJ-40. I don't think I've ever used it for AC.

You can use the AC function on conventional vehicles for checking Alternator ripple current as opposed to ripple voltage

If you hook it around the negative battery cable turn all the consumers on, AC current should be approx 10% of DC current

I'm sure there will be other uses in hybrid and EV diagnostics but I haven't really got that far with the training yet

 

[richfinn]

https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/electrical-testing/clamp-meters/fluke-365

This Fluke 365 with the detachable jaw looks interesting
to me for Automotive use, 200a AC/DC and being able to get at hard to reach cables and still read the display easily would be cool