Garage Battery Charger

[craigibc]

Looking for a nice battery charger for the garage. I would like to step up to a high end fleet type charger but just cannot justify $300-$600 dollars for a unit like this.

Any experience with a charger in this range? Any advice on what is the best one in this $100-$150 price range?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00030BFQA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[JimDon]

Yes,
in the $100 price range, go here http://www.usabatterychargers.com/
and get yourself the 126 St for $109.45.
I bought two of them a year or so ago, one for my son, one for my son in law. All the charger you'll ever need at home and then some. Will jump a car in a heartbeat with no need for the charger to sit for a while to bring it up. Hook up and go.
Also, it is an old school manual charger (not automatic), so if you decide you want to do some rust removal with it, it will work like a charm on that too.
No, I have no connection to Rizk industries, do not work for them, or sell their products, I just buy em and give em for gifts. And they ae the bomb at that price.
Cheers,
Jim Don
PS, if you really want a big commercial unit, check Craigs list in your area for awhile, they show up often for $10- $150 price range.

 

[bonneyman]

Yes,
in the $100 price range, go here http://www.usabatterychargers.com/
and get yourself the 126 St for $109.45.
I bought two of them a year or so ago, one for my son, one for my son in law. All the charger you'll ever need at home and then some. Will jump a car in a heartbeat with no need for the charger to sit for a while to bring it up. Hook up and go.
Also, it is an old school manual charger (not automatic), so if you decide you want to do some rust removal with it, it will work like a charm on that too.
No, I have no connection to Rizk industries, do not work for them, or sell their products, I just buy em and give em for gifts. And they ae the bomb at that price.
Cheers,
Jim Don
PS, if you really want a big commercial unit, check Craigs list in your area for awhile, they show up often for $10- $150 price range.

That 126 St sounds like the charger I'd like to get.

 

[craigibc]

sounds like a good suggestion any other thoughts?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Looking for a nice battery charger for the garage. I would like to step up to a high end fleet type charger ...

Why ?

 

[skinnymoose]

I had a high end charger at one time but it crapped out. Now I just have a NAPA unit about 14" long and 8" high. It does 6v 12v and motorcycle batteries with a 2 amp trickle charge. Has a 75 amp assist for dead batteries ( never used that so I don't know how it works) and it will run an electrolysis tank... $80.00... Works for me. Cant see spending more unless you`re a battery charging maniac.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Big & strong on the amps is good. On wheels and a pain in the **** to load in a car trunk is bad.

 

[Danglerb]

With modern switching power supply designs there is no need for a huge heavy transformer or a big box, waste of space and money.

 

[craigibc]

sounds great to me!

 

[dodge610]

Check the HF unit its the same as the craftsman unit just got one to replace my craftsman die hard 1 that finally took a dive.

 

[Tsquare]

Yes,
in the $100 price range, go here http://www.usabatterychargers.com/
and get yourself the 126 St for $109.45.
I bought two of them a year or so ago, one for my son, one for my son in law. All the charger you'll ever need at home and then some. Will jump a car in a heartbeat with no need for the charger to sit for a while to bring it up. Hook up and go.
Also, it is an old school manual charger (not automatic), so if you decide you want to do some rust removal with it, it will work like a charm on that too.
No, I have no connection to Rizk industries, do not work for them, or sell their products, I just buy em and give em for gifts. And they ae the bomb at that price.
Cheers,
Jim Don
PS, if you really want a big commercial unit, check Craigs list in your area for awhile, they show up often for $10- $150 price range.

Bookmarked the page - those chargers look good and Made in the USA - thanks for the post

 

[EdJack]

Bookmarked the page - those chargers look good and Made in the USA - thanks for the post

Looks like everything they sell is pure copper (not CCA), even the booster cables are all copper. Nice USA stuff, I'll keep them in mind next time I need something.

 

[zakmartin]

Yes,
in the $100 price range, go here http://www.usabatterychargers.com/
and get yourself the 126 St for $109.45.
I bought two of them a year or so ago, one for my son, one for my son in law. All the charger you'll ever need at home and then some. Will jump a car in a heartbeat with no need for the charger to sit for a while to bring it up. Hook up and go.
Also, it is an old school manual charger (not automatic), so if you decide you want to do some rust removal with it, it will work like a charm on that too.
No, I have no connection to Rizk industries, do not work for them, or sell their products, I just buy em and give em for gifts. And they ae the bomb at that price.
Cheers,
Jim Don
PS, if you really want a big commercial unit, check Craigs list in your area for awhile, they show up often for $10- $150 price range.

I'm loving this. One of these is going to be my next purchase. My Husky charger took a nosedive off a shelf and I'm betting it's not the kind of thing you want to use after something like that. Thanks for the link. I've been looking everywhere for a USA charger.

 

[craigibc]

birthday coming up in a few weeks and the wife is going to order one for me as well.

 

[zakmartin]

I bit the bullet this weekend and bought the Rizk P160. I'll post a review as soon as it comes in and I get a chance to use it.

 

[Danglerb]

Charging at 100 amps would make me a little nervous. What sort of voltage at a non dead battery do you need to charge at 100 amps?

 

[zakmartin]

It trickle charges at 2 amps

 

[sucking chest wound]

With modern switching power supply designs there is no need for a huge heavy transformer or a big box, waste of space and money.

What this guy said ^^. For charging, I really, really like the NOCO Genius chargers:

http://www.geniuschargers.com/

A great product.

 

[VoltageDrop]

I read on an older thread they rebadge these as K-Tool chargers as well:
http://www.ktoolinternational.com/KTI/Catalog/ProductBrowser.aspx?catg=3
Not as **** and about the same price but I thought it was interesting. I'm going to order a 126AC straight from Rizk. It has automatic cut-off which is nice so you don't come back to a battery devoid of water if you forget about it. It also has a manual mode if the automatic mode is give you grief. To me that gives it an edge over the Chinese microprocessor units and it's only $85 shipped so I'm sold. It doesn't have a 2 amp mode but I don't use that setting since chargers work their way down to a trickle anyway once they hit constant voltage mode and the 126AC completely cuts off. I'm curious to see what sort of "algorithm" it uses. I will definitely be yanking the cover as soon as I get it

Oddly, this rebadged 126AC unit has a pair of switches instead of a 4-mode selector switch:
http://www.smokesign.com/fulautbatcha.html
Maybe an older pic because Summit Racing even sells these things and they show a knob:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/kti-74313

 

[unslow1]

I saw that wheeled Schumacher SE-4020 in the store at Advance. I just couldn't justify the space it would take up. It was $110 where I'm at.

 

[stage20]

any "big" charger you can find used snag it up. if you go for a smaller carry on style, look at the start up amps. a majority of the cheapy and even name brand budget ones are only 50-60 amp. i have an older craftsman that has a 75amp start as well as the 2 and the 10amp modes and it will fire off my high compression car with a stone dead battery. a 50amp will barely turn it over. always need that extra juice when you are in a pinch. good luck.

 

[HTGTS350]

Ive got these 2, the yellow one I bought from a workshop that was closing down, its about 15 years old but is adjustable up to 100V DC and is a dual head that can go to 25amps. The Other one is a CTek and is a top range charger that can do 12/24V at up to 70Amps, it is honestly the best charger I have ever come across but so it should be at an rrp of over $2K.