electrical and ignition The best battery charger ?

[Road trip]

Another battery charger pooped out on me

this time a Schumacher SE1275

i have great battery maintainers but, I want a top of the line compact charger to help

revive deep battery's from my bilst and cars

whats your choice ?

[roadhog0]

I've been using one of these for many years, no issue at all!

 

[TobyB]

The one you can find when you need it...

 

The one you remember to use...

 

A 30a 13.5v power supply I bought by accident, then stuck some meters on...

 

Probably not one from Harbor Freight, but, then, see #1

 

I have a Deltran BatteryTender one that works on AGM's, and I like that.  It's tiny, though.

 

no help here,

 

t

 

[Preyupy]

6 amps is like trying to fill your swimming pool with a garden hose.  If you are trying to CHARGE a battery you need at least 20-30 amps.  The maintenance chargers only put out between 0.5-3.5 amps and are just designed to "keep up" with the natural discharge a battery does when sitting along with the parasitic drain more modern cars have (Clock, ECU memory, Radio memory, keyless entry system receiver,etc) I have had a very large NAPA 2/40/60/200 amp charger for over 20 years and it gets the job done.  The stuff in the back of the garage during the winter gets maintenance chargers. 

[xferboy]

I use a couple, based on requirements.

 

I've got one of those 3.5 amp smart chargers.  Great for top ups/extending the life of batteries.  I'd like to think it's part of the reason my TDI sitll has the original battery (9 years of Western Canadian winters).  Only downside, it requires the battery to have some charge in it.  Also does 6 volt and has Cold/AGM settings.

 

Some random 2/10/50 amp Canadian Tire model.  Had it for years, banged up, cords replaced.  Great for boosts (could be bigger), or recharge from completely flat.

 

Then I have the battery charger (~5 amp 6/12volt) that was given to me by my Dad.  He tells me it's the first 'tool' he bought.  Worked great when I was working on a 6 volt Honda C70.

 

Oh yeah, a bunch of 1 or 2 amp ones I permanently mount in cars to trickle charge/warm the battery when I plug in during winter.  IMHO, safer than a battery blanket.

[Simeon]

I picked up one of these a year or so ago. Very happy with it. 

 

http://www.ctek.com/au/en/chargers/MXS%205.0

[jimk]

I haven't seen a bad charger.  Better to tell which are bad ones.  There a million good ones.

[Road trip]

15 hours ago, Simeon said:

I picked up one of these a year or so ago. Very happy with it. 

 

http://www.ctek.com/au/en/chargers/MXS%205.0

I have two of these also but it's more of a battery Maintainer .

It will not put out 75amp to jump start

or if a battery is completely dead will not

bring back

[Road trip]

I ended up buying a Sears Die Hard

platimun 

Its a new version of the old time chargers on wheels dolly.

275 amps for jump starts

digital and timer, and it actually has a battery tester/alternator tester

$250 memorial day sale

Edited May 27, 2016 by Road trip

[thehackmechanic]

I describe in the new electrical book, any three-stage computer-controlled charger should do the job, but I used Interacter brand chargers at work for years (geophysics runs on batteries), and have continued to use them in my automotive world. American made, very high quality.

['76mintgrün'02]

 

I prefer the old not-smart style, because I use it to power my electrolysis bucket, (to remove rust).  The intelligent chargers think the bucket is a charged battery and shut off.

 

So, I'd suggest buying a cheap/dumb charger and spend the money you save on a better/smart timing light.

(I also recommend setting up an electrolysis tank, because everybody needs one of those).