Battery charger recommendation?

[Stevedore]

I need a new battery charger, as I think my existing one ruined the Optima battery in one of my cars. (It's a Corvette that I don't drive as often as I should) My current charger is NOT automatic, so I assume it just kept charging when I should have disconnected it. Also, it has no special setting for AGM batteries like the Optima.

I see quite a few models by Schumacher on Amazon, and a couple made by BatteryMINDer, whom I've never heard of & seem to be a little more costly.

Anyone have any recommendations? The only requirements are that it have an AGM setting, and shuts off when the battery is fully charged.

I could just pick one based on the specs on Amazon, but thought I'd ask if anyone here has good/bad experience with any specific model(s).

Thanks!

 

[pepi]

Optima battery: once dead do not recover. I do not understand the fascination with this battery other than is looks like a six pack of beer, another way of ******* away $$$.

Get a NAPA battery and The Battery Tender® designed to fully charge a battery and maintain it at proper storage voltage without the damaging effects caused by trickle chargers. I have used this product for 25 years, first got introduced to it what I bought a motorcycle, now have 3, never have dead batteries.

 

[Farmall450]

We use a schumacher charger for day to day stuff or one of their trickle chargers on the interstate batteries that stay in our tractors. They have a good warranty too. I like how ours shows a percentage charged.

 

[86TURBOBUICK]

Battery Tender Junior available on Amazon cheap...!
work great. Will leave you money left over for my preferred battery Kinetic Racing Batteries there Gel filled. Had an Optimum red top that was junk.
http://www.jegs.com/p/Kinetik-Racing/Kinetik-Racing-12-16-Volt-AGM-Batteries/1128848/10002/-1

 

[Tripp2012]

Look into the Associated 9004 it's designed as a tender for AGM batteries. They are very sensitive to overcharge as well as input voltage on charging to much of either and they will check out. Another killer of AGM is older cars that have a charging system designed for lead acid, they over charge the battery while driving.

http://associatedequip.com/product/model-9004/

 

[EOC_Jason]

I have one of the small BatteryMinder's, I think it was like $40... Once charged it will just float to maintain the battery and will not over-charge. Their new model (1500) says specifically it will work with the Optima AGM...

 

[BDT/NWMN]

add Associated to your research list.. Expensive but good commercial units....

 

[kmoon]

I bought a Schumacher SC-1200a from Amazon best small charger I have! And cheap too. I have two for the SLA batteries for the kids Power wheels and I brought a AMG battery back to life the other day.

 

[kmoon]

This is a link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQSIWK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[jomobco]

I recently killed one of the Napa chargers on my AGM's and I picked up the new Optima digital 1200 chargers. It's slick. Pricey but the guys at the store raved about how it brought some gel cells back from the dead. It's a conditioner for the gels as well as a charger. I'm happy with it. I'm also extremely happy with all the gel's I run (optima and odyssey). I've had them for years and you can mount them in any position. My oldest blue Optima is 6 years old and still going. My wife's is 5 years. The dual Odyssey's I have in the Cummins are 3 or 4 years old. No fuss and NO mess. IMO they're the way to go.

 

[Matt M PA]

I've been using the little WalMart Schumachers for the Viper via a cigarette lighter adapter...and also with my Excursion...works fine.

However...my Scamp has an AGM style reproduction Mopar battery...and the Schumachers don't work with this battery. I tried all three I have and after a hours or so...they'd just shut off. Of course, the battery maker and Schumacher say they should work together. They don't.)

I got one of these after borrowing a friend's and found it worked very well with the AGM type battery. Great charger. They list AGM as compatible.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O707IO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[RogueFab]

I use a cheap charger with a high amp and trickle setting (HF junk). My chargers usually end up outside overnight at some point, and I don't want a good one to walk away.

Battery tenders are great too.

 

[SIDECAR BOB]

battery tender for maintaining , keep you current one for the other times you need a full feature charger

 

[ChevyEFI]

My current charger is NOT automatic, so I assume it just kept charging when I should have disconnected it.

One thing I learned here was to have a non-automatic charger for electrolysis use.

battery tender for maintaining , keep you current one for the other times you need a full feature charger

This is what I would suggest, assuming one is considered okay for optimas.

 

[1/2 Cup]

I have an ETEK and use them at work. I have found it does all that I need.

 

[gygeneral]

Can you plug the Battery Tender in an outside plug by your car. Or do you have to get the waterproof one to do this. It gets below freezing here at night, the car is outside. Another way I tought is to plug it in indoor and get the extension to run it to the car from under the garage door

 

[Angelfire]

Optima batteries aren't what they used to be so don't bother buying another one. I use the battery tenders as mentioned above with good success except on my odyssey batteries where I use one of their chargers

 

[ehjorten]

I have had a Battery Tender on my Chevelle with a Red-Top Optima for years. No problems.

 

[cbrxfr67]

I like the Prologix series by Solar. Super easy to use, one button, smart charger and you don't have to worry about it messing up anything. I have two of these.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OCHE3A/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[HOTFR8]

Conventional batteries I find good and with either Deltrans, C-Tek, Matson
(Matson is Australian and in the early days they sold Deltrans here) style tenders those batteries can last 10 years (and I can verify that) when the normal life is usually 12 months to two years. I have eight tenders here and different brands as stated above and find them all good as I sell many of them as well. The biggest is a Deltrans unit backing up my Solar system running my office computer fax etc.

As stated I have eight tenders. Deltrans units on my gen set and two cars and as stated my power supply. I have two larger C-Teks on the trucks, a C-Tek on the ride on mower and a Matson Battery rescue on the car trailer.

I have an ETEK and use them at work. I have found it does all that I need.

Should that be a C-Tek ?

 

[Stevedore]

Thanks for the replies; several names I've never heard of that I'll have to check out.

Regarding the Optima comments: My first one lasted over 10 years, so when the time came, I bought another one. That one died recently, just under 3 years old. As I mentioned, I think I may have contributed to its failure with the charger I was using. Autozone gave me a free replacement since it was within its 3 year warranty period. I'm OK for now, but I probably wouldn't get another Optima in the future; too expensive.

I'd still get an AGM though. In the car, a 98 Corvette, the battery is directly above the PCM computer. There have been stories of conventional batteries cracking & leaking, and corroding into the PCM, making for a much more expensive repair than just replacing the battery. I have no firsthand knowledge of this happening, just internet stories, so who knows. AGM just seems like a safe choice.

 

[jomobco]

Optima batteries aren't what they used to be so don't bother buying another one.

Would you elaborate?

 

[dmeadow]

If you fully discharge an Optima they say to put another battery in parallel with it on the charger. I've brought a couple "back to life" this way.

 

[HOTFR8]

If you fully discharge an Optima they say to put another battery in parallel with it on the charger. I've brought a couple "back to life" this way.

I've heard that as well but that may be more to do with the type of charger than the battery. Often that method is used for a tender type charge to charge a dead flat battery.

 

[ImportTuner]

I bought the Schumacher SSC-1500A Ship 'N' Shore from Amazon .. works great on AGM batteries, GEL batteries and the regular lead acid batteries (there is a setting for each of the batteries and the charge rate you want to apply).

 

[AZ Pete]

I have had my eye on a CTEK Multi US 7002
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FRLO9Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[dwm]

The CTEK units are the best I've used for maintenance charging. I've had a seasonal car for almost 12 years now, and I've been using a CTEK on it for a long time now (and another on the lawn tractor) Ditched my Battery Tender when I got the CTEK units. I like the fact that the CTEKs can be left outside for long periods of time; sealed plastic housing. One of mine has been running outdoors for almost 3 months as of right now since I'm remodelling the garage and have the seasonal car sitting outside and not being driven. Rain doesn't seem to bother it one bit, and I know it's not bothered by snow since I had one sit outside all winter a couple of years ago. I've yet to kill a battery with one, whether it's old-style lead-acid, AGM or otherwise. The seasonal car has had an Odyssey PC925 in it for many years.

Several of the CTEK units have an effective reconditioning cycle, and also a low-current power supply mode with better regulation than some other chargers I've owned.

 

[denis4x4]

Optima batteries aren't what they used to be so don't bother buying another one. I use the battery tenders as mentioned above with good success except on my odyssey batteries where I use one of their chargers

When they moved production to Mexico, problems startied cropping up. Like others here, I had Optimas that lasted for five to seven years. I had two Optimas heche en Mexico **** out in less than 6 weeks.

 

[jshillin]

I have a Schumacher(can't remember the model) as my charger and it does let you select battery type and charging amps/volts. It works great with no issues. I also have a couple Battery Tender Jr's I use to maintain my motorcycle and WRX over the winter.

 

[SILVERPLATE]

My Costco is carrying the standard model Battery Tender now $39.95.

 

[Angelfire]

I too drank the optima kook aid. And for a few years my red and yellow tops did ok. Then they died. Prolly 3-4 years old. Tried the trick of charging at high amperage and they'd returns for a few starts but didn't last. Bought a used pickup which had a brand new yellow top in it. Died in a year. Now I'm using Odyssey with good success. Not sure what they changed (Mexico?) but they went from the favorite battery of four wheelers to the worst over the past few years.

 

[madjack]

I bought the Schumacher SSC-1500A Ship 'N' Shore from Amazon .. works great on AGM batteries, GEL batteries and the regular lead acid batteries (there is a setting for each of the batteries and the charge rate you want to apply).

I bought the same charger at wallyworld this past summer for my agm batteries. $55 out the door.
Has battery tender/float charge mode, slow charge, and rapid charge with settings for lead/acid, gel, and agm. AND it works great!

 

[lt1driver]

worked at battery dealer (independent) and wouldn't have optima in anything, quit carrying them. also advance auto has good agm battery but expensive at around $200. I have 03 vette and nobody in local club had a battery leak, but it does and can happen. I am using autozone gold top with good results and only drive my car once every couple weeks..good luck

 

[Zippercat]

For whatever it's worth, I had excellent service experience with Battery Tender. A few years ago I bought a used BMW that came with a BMW branded Battery Tender (plugs into cig lighter instead of clipping on battery, like most of their units). Turned out the Battery Tender didn't work. I called their service number in Florida and asked if they repaired them. They asked for some info from the unit, then gave me an address to send it to them. They immediately returned a brand new unit, free of charge!

 

[BellyUpFish]

C-Tek's for me.. Although, I do have a couple Battery Tenders here and there..

 

[dipan]

Noco Genius. I'm using a G4 on an Optima battery and gel-cel motorcycle battery. Works great...

 

[Dominico]

Noco genius G1100 for my 69 Camaro RS. Works great and the price is fair.

 

[dipan]

Noco genius G1100 for my 69 Camaro RS. Works great and the price is fair.

The G4 is basically 4 of these in one box, so great if you've got more than 1 battery to deal with.