Which battery charger do you use?

*Conrad283* · 02-26-2009, 02:10 AM

Just as the title says. I looked at the reviews for the die hard ones and they're all mixed ...

Any input would be greatly appreciated

Edge · 02-28-2009, 08:14 PM

I have two types: a Diehard 2/10/50 amp automatic portable and a Diehard 2amp automatic "maintenance" charger. I believe they are OEM Schumacher Chargers. I have had a couple of problems with the 2 amp charger, which were fix on exchange. I do have a friend who uses three of these without a problem.

I've read the Sears.com reviews on the 2 amp maintenance charger and some people don't read the instructions. For instance, as the battery approaches full charge both lights may stay on. Next, the charger shouldn't be dropped on the floor a couple of times. But that aside, these 2 amp chargers still may have a quality issue. I have two of these and the float voltage differs somewhat on each. I had to return one of the small 2 amp chargers because the float voltage was set too high and the charger would not go into float (maintenance) mode and kept charging. Kmart took the exchange and it now charges fine. It has a plastic housing, but is compact. I thought I read on the web somewhere that this a multi-mode type charger that varies the charge based on the battery charge voltage, but I have not confirmed this or know the type of mode. For $ 19.99 on sale and a 3 year warranty it is just an OK value. Check out the Deltran Battery Tender for a higher quality alternative .

The 2/10/50 is a larger automatic charger with a jump start mode for larger car batteries. I has a metal housing, a ammeter, reverse polarity protection, and a Full Charge indicator light. I am not sure if this is a multi mode charger. While probably is not, you would have to pay more money for this feature. Contrary to some reviews on the net, this is a fully automatic charger in 2 and 10 amp settings . The 10 amp mode might be too much for some batteries, you should charge at : batt capacity [Amp-hr]/10. I have not tried the 50 amp start setting. At $ 39.99 on sale I would say this is a good value.

Buy for the battery size and use. Whichever one you choose, make sure you get an "automatic" charger that will will either shut off or go into float mode to maintain the charge. This way you won't damage the battery. Wow ...long post.

NAMEL355 · 03-05-2009, 02:35 AM

I've been using one of those little battery tenders from Cycle gear. I originally bought it for my bike battery.

*Conrad283* · 03-24-2009, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edge

I have two types: a Diehard 2/10/50 amp automatic portable and a Diehard 2amp automatic "maintenance" charger. I believe they are OEM Schumacher Chargers. I have had a couple of problems with the 2 amp charger, which were fix on exchange. I do have a friend who uses three of these without a problem.

I've read the Sears.com reviews on the 2 amp maintenance charger and some people don't read the instructions. For instance, as the battery approaches full charge both lights may stay on. Next, the charger shouldn't be dropped on the floor a couple of times. But that aside, these 2 amp chargers still may have a quality issue. I have two of these and the float voltage differs somewhat on each. I had to return one of the small 2 amp chargers because the float voltage was set too high and the charger would not go into float (maintenance) mode and kept charging. Kmart took the exchange and it now charges fine. It has a plastic housing, but is compact. I thought I read on the web somewhere that this a multi-mode type charger that varies the charge based on the battery charge voltage, but I have not confirmed this or know the type of mode. For $ 19.99 on sale and a 3 year warranty it is just an OK value. Check out the Deltran Battery Tender for a higher quality alternative .

The 2/10/50 is a larger automatic charger with a jump start mode for larger car batteries. I has a metal housing, a ammeter, reverse polarity protection, and a Full Charge indicator light. I am not sure if this is a multi mode charger. While probably is not, you would have to pay more money for this feature. Contrary to some reviews on the net, this is a fully automatic charger in 2 and 10 amp settings . The 10 amp mode might be too much for some batteries, you should charge at : batt capacity [Amp-hr]/10. I have not tried the 50 amp start setting. At $ 39.99 on sale I would say this is a good value.

Buy for the battery size and use. Whichever one you choose, make sure you get an "automatic" charger that will will either shut off or go into float mode to maintain the charge. This way you won't damage the battery. Wow ...long post.

Thanks for the input ... I bought a Die Hard 2/10/50 from sears during craftsman club week
and saved $25. Gonna hook it up today and see how it works.