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Who makes a battery charger that doesnt suck?

L

Lanse

Well-known Member
Serious question guys; I'm feeling a little frustrated here.

I bought a HF battery charger once and it broke the second time I tried to use it
I bought a brand name Schumacher charger, thinking this would be better, and it was... It lasted 2-3 uses
Then I got fed up, went for a while without a battery charger, then my dad gave me his once-used Schumacher battery charger when he moved. It too has lasted 2 uses and I suspect its no longer functional.

Why is it so hard to find a decent battery charger? I understand that most things made for the American market are built pretty cheaply to be sold to hobbyists and the like who pound in nails with a shoe, but usually I can cherrypick a good example of a type of tool that I need, often by purchasing a "commercial" item, or importing a quality product from Europe, but this doesnt seem to be one of those times.

I dont ask for much. I need a charger that will sit in the box for 9 months or a year between uses, which are to charge a standard sized pickup battery. I dont leave these things in the rain, I dont abuse, but I do expect them to last which is evidently asking too much of them.

Can anyone recommend one? I just need one that'll last but it seems that the "common" brands here are pure junk marketed under a good name and since sears has completely stopped trying so it seems and many other places no longer exist or just sell rebranded junk, I dont even know where to look. I would be willing to consider a commercial/industrial charger, my company is buying this so cost isnt that much of an issue if the product will actually last. What is an issue is that things wont charge, then wont start when we need them, and now I have to pull this battery and derail my day tomorrow having one of the friendly auto parts places in town charge it, and then of course pick it back up and reinstall it. I'd be willing to buy a tabletop model or a roll-around-unit if you guys say those last longer.

Mainly Im just sick of eating battery chargers, at this rate I'd be further ahead buying a case of Harbor Freight chargers on sale and planning to pitch them after every other use. Rant over, thanks in advance you guys...
 
This NAPA is a solid charger I have used its ansestor for years. Seems like a good buy. Jim
NIN70300A - Battery Charger, 4/20/40/70/300 Amp; 12 Volt; Wheel, 70-Amp Wheel Charger Commercial-duty 12 Volt 4/20/40/70/300 charger. Fully Automatic or Manual with Precision Timer. Large face and easy-to-read amp an volt meters. Tubular chrome-plated handle with rubber grip. Non-conductive
Manufacturer: NAPA
MFG Part number: NIN70300A-X2
 
You are best off trolling Craig's list and buying an older Schumacher. I have a huge Craftsman that we bought my dad 35 years ago. I don't think the "boost" function works anymore but it charges 6 and 12 volt batteries just fine.

I bought a new smart charger which desulfates the fence batteries. I'm convinced that charger is dumber than the fence itself.
 
About 4 years ago I bought a little Craftsman 6volt/2amp 12volt/4amp charger I never expected to last 6 months. I don't remember what I even paid for it, I know it wasn't much, but it's the charger I use the most out of the 3 I own. And it's the smallest. I could carry it in my jacket pocket. It's used mainly as a maintainer for my 2N in the winter months.
 
Odd (not the HF).

Are you attempting to use a battery charger as a jump starter?

Dean
 
Look at auctions, estate sales, etc for a 60's era Schumacher, Exide, Sears, etc.

I've got an ancient Sears 6/12 volt 10 amp charger I purchased for $5 at a garage sale 35+ years ago. It gets used perhaps a dozen times a year; it just keeps working.

Had to replace the 120 volt line cord about 10 years ago when the insulation began breaking off. Aside from that it's been trouble-free.
 
These at Wally world work just dandy. I have four of the older ones and a couple of these newer ones. They work nicely and desulfate too. Well worth the $20.oo price.
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I really don't know how to answer this, but I haven't had, nor have I heard of problems with battery chargers...

I can see the HF being of poor quality. But Schumacher has been a reliable brand in the past. I know that doesn't mean much now, they may have moved to China.

I have had problems with the new fully automatic chargers that would not charge a fully discharged battery. They have to be "tricked" into charging by jumping to another battery with some charge in it.

Have you looked inside one that has failed? Any idea what goes wrong?

You say the company is buying this, I take it is being used at work? Is this an industrial type business? Any chance there is an outlet that is wired to a high leg?

If you want to step up to a professional grade charger, might try Zoro Tools. They are an online division of Grainger but without the high prices, same products.
 
I too bought the HF charger and when it didn't work took it back and got another that didn't work. That was preceded by two Schumacher's that didn't work as well as a Black and Decker. In my case the main issue was the stupid so called smart charger that wouldn't charge if the battery was dead. If the battery had less than 10 volts in it the chargers would say it was sulphated and shut down. You jump start the car and burn gas for an hour and bring the voltage up and the battery was magically not sulphated anymore and the charger would work. The older Schumacher charger I once had didn't have this electronic diagnosis bull in it and would work. The only solution for me now is a Harbor Freight float charger. It may take overnight to work but has no stupid electronics in it telling me to go to H.
 
That's the first red flag, HF one, I have 2 Schmaucher chargers, never a problem with either, both made in USA, one a box charger on wheels and one hand held one with 6 volt for my farmall h.
 
What model Schumacher did you buy and what failed after 2-3 uses? I have used the Schumacher SE-2151MA Automatic Battery Charger and Engine Starter about 30 times and have had no failures. Great unit for my uses to jump start 6 and 12 volt Farmall tractors.
 
I bought a digital highway road sign set up on a trailer at a state sale,has a small diesel and alternator set up.The sign was junk but the engine and electrical charging system was fine,I can set a battery in it and it'll charge the battery perfect.Looks to be about a 30 or 40 gal fuel tank that was full of fuel, I've been using it to charge batteries for about 4 years and it still has around 3/4 of a tank of fuel.Best battery charger I ever had.
 
They don't come better than Deltran and they have a huge selection to choose from. I have two DEltran tenders that are hooked to something all the time. I know there will be the usual phoo phooing about what I'm about to say but ask a battery manufacture if you want the facts. The slower a battery charge's,the better for the battery and a maintainer actually rejuvinates batteries. My batterries last 3 and 4 times as long as friends and neighbors who use high amp and booster chargers.
 
I bought a new Schumacher about 27 years ago. Used it a couple times and it sat on the shelf unused for years. Decided that I didn't need it anymore so sent it to my nephew on the farm. He has a large charger on wheels, but he uses that Schumacher most of the time. Those chargers were well made back then.
 
Nope, I cannot recommend a specific brand of charger. One thought, though, that works for me is to get to know the local manager of the local O'Reilly's, or NAPA, or Coast-To-Coast Hardware, and talk to him/her, get a recommendation. What I do is go to my local guy, and talk over lots of individual purchases, and make relationships. If something goes wrong you have a specific person to go talk to. Works for me.
 
Schumacher doesn't seem to be too particular what they stick their name on. If you pay twenty bucks, you're going to get a twenty dollar charger, no matter whose name is on the faceplate. Figure on spending over a hundred bucks for a decent charger, like the Schumacher SE-3010.

That said, even a cheapie charger will last a long time if it's not abused. Given that you've gone through three chargers in quick succession, I have to suspect the problem is as much with the operator as the device. The quickest way to blow a charger is to use the jump start feature. It's best to never use it, but if you do, pay careful attention to the duty cycle information on the front of the charger. The charger needs to cool off for several minutes after each start. The SE-3010, for example, says "5 sec maximum on, 240 sec minimum off". And you can significantly reduce the jump start current if you charge the battery for a half hour or more before attempting a start.

Note that most chargers won't immediately show a charge when you put them on a totally dead battery. They have a current limiting and/or thermal protection circuit that will keep the current low until the voltage in the battery starts to rise.
 
I don't by new when the old stuff is better. I have an old Sears that never has let me down and, since I needed a 6 volt charger for my old tractor, bought a used Schumacher off ebay for 15 dollars. Works great. I've heard of problems with new ones.
 
I got fed up, too. Two Schumachers made it less than a year each. I bought a $450 American made one this summer. It's an Associated 6006. Lot of money, but it should last me a loooong time.
 
In the RV where I have a substantial investment in my four batteries, I prefer a "Smart" Four Stage (Bulk, Absorption, Float, Equalize) charger. Ive had good luck using Progressive Dynamics 9200 Series or else Xantrex Truecharge 2. Of course, you cant buy them at Wallyworld for $39.95 but if they provide yearssssssssss of service and add yearsssssssssss of life to a battery, they may be more cost effective in the long run.

John T
 



Makes me wonder if he does not have bad cable connections on the clamps... they are only pinched and a good jerk will pull the wires loose...
 
My simple schumacher sits outside by my deck all year, gets hooked up to my truck every time I get home and stays on it til I leave. It was at least 15 years old when it finally died this summer. I bought another just like it and have been using it for a few months now with good results. They get rained on, snowed on, had a tree branch fall on it, sit in the sun and anything else you can think of. Maybe you are being too nice to yours.
 
I have a little Schumacer charger that dates back to early 80s. 6-12V. The only problem I had with it was the output wire cracked where it came out of the metal case. simple repair to eliminate that problem.
It has a circuit breaker if overloaded, and setting for conventional and maintainance free bats., what ever diff that makes. It has been forgotton and left out in the rain several times and taken a couple of tumbles. Maybe it was made by Timex!! HeHe
Loren
 
Can't help you, as my old charger just keeps tickin'. The name is worn off, so I have no idea who made it. In 1960, my Dad bought a Mobil Oil station. The charger came in the deal. It was used then, and is still used!

But, that reminds me, I need to find a new amp gauge for it. That is the only thing thats broken in all those years.
 
I believe this one on the link below is what I have. Its a Schumacher SE-4020. Has 2/10/40/200 AMP settings along with 6/12Volt and engine start. Even has a 3 year warranty. We got this at least a year ago and use it to charge/start all the tractors, from the small Cubs to the JD Diesels and the old Farmall H. Works great and it is a decent size and light enough to carry. Much better than the small little portable chargers in my opinion. Only complaint is the wheels are plastic so I am nervous that i might break them but that's everything these days.
Untitled URL Link
 
Good guess is that jump starting off the chargers is what is killing them. Seen it more than once. A little shoebox charger with very thick insulation (to make little wire look big) on 10 or even 12 GA cables , with "jump start capability" is complete lie & will be death of it. Trying same thing over & over & expecting different results is...........well you know the rest. Bullet proof, but it won't jump start either:
 
I have a Canadian tire branded fancy electronic Schumacher charger with the boost feature. It stops working for months at a time then will start again for a few years. When it's broken I just use one of the old cars in the yard with booster cables.
 
I have a 6 amp charger we sold at the dealership. It is made by international electric co. or something like that. Bought it in 1965 when my car would not start after a blizzard. I have it on a battery right now out in the garage.
I used to repair chargers that we sold. Who ever said the over use of the boost feature is the problem is right on. It fries the rectifiers. Replaced a lot of them. I agree the new chargers are built very light and some don't work right out of the box, but using them properly has a great deal to do with their life. If the needle goes to the end of the dial, back off. Do something differently. I don't like automatic shutoff types as they merely read the voltage and shut off when reaching that set voltage. If you are working on a stubborn battery, sometimes you just have to keep pushing in a few amps to bring it around. And, again, most people do not charge to full charge. If they get their machine going, they say that is good. Bad for batteries when you do that. Never rely on the machine to complete the charge unless you are intending to run it continuously for a day or two. Once your machines regulator limits the max voltage, very few amperes are being put into the battery. A 100 ampere hour battery requires 100 hours charging at one amp. or 20 hours charging at 5 amps.
 
I have an Exhide Model 7001210 6-12 battery charger I bought at K Mart in Paradise, CA in 1995. It says it was made in Canada. It has to have charged at least a hundred batteries without fail. As I recall it cost about 35 bucks.....Money well spent, It's a jewel......
 
Look for an older charger. I have an old 6 amp 6/12 charger purchased new by my dad back in the late 60's or early 70's. I know it came from Wal-Mart, and is a Schumacher (check link for one like it). It just keeps going, and I usually start while the charger is still connected. Probably not good for it, but has not killed it yet. If you buy new, spend a few $$, but honestly I would look for old without any "smart" features that are easily killed.
old schumacher charger
 
I've had a Schumacher 6/12, 10 amp. charger since 1976 or 7 and it broke 2 weeks ago, I shouldn't be allowed to touch anything before 8am and 3 cups of coffee, hooked it up wrong. Also have a big Associated charger that must be over 50 years old that works good. I replaced the diodes in the little charger and its up and running again. Can't believe anybody has that many charger problems, maybe review your owners manual does/don'ts.
 
(quoted from post at 09:02:23 09/20/16)


Makes me wonder if he does not have bad cable connections on the clamps... they are only pinched and a good jerk will pull the wires loose...
Click to expand...

That is the problem I have had with most of my chargers. Once I take them apart, clean and solder the connections they have been trouble free.
 
Hey I too blew out my Schumacher classic 6/12 10 Amp automatic charger a couple days ago. Hooked it up to a battery that failed in such a way that the battery was a dead short (I've never seen that before). When I plugged it in it made a real loud buzzing, pegged the needle, and started smoking (I didn't get it unplugged fast enough). Upon checking the transformer was blown and probably all of the diodes. Apparently the unit didn't have any short circuit protection which is kind of surprising for something likely to be abused in all sorts of ways. I went to my backup, a NAPA 10 Amp manual which on the inside looks like a rebranded Schumacher - many parts the same. However now I have to be very careful about overcharging since it's not automatic.
 
My Associated lasted about 45 years and it did not have an easy life.
I called the company for capacitors when they shorted out, and the guy laughed and said if I was good I could rewire it with new parts. I scraped it. Check the tag on the back of the one you buy,it should tell you who built it.
 
Hello Lance,



It sounds like you are using the wrong capacity charger. Figure out what are the cranking amps of the vehicles you are trying to jump star. Go and get a battery charger that can produce the boost-cranking amps on its own. It will also have enough capacity to charge what you have.........

Guido.
 
Schumacher chargers work well for me. How are you using the chargers when they fail? Some chargers are specifically designed to be used as starting boosters, but most are not.
 
I have a 20+ year old Schumacher that got ran over by a pickup truck. That was 15 years ago. It still works fine. It's all beat up, and held together with bungee cord.
 
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