Car battery charger

[Charles McKinley]

Can anyone recommend a good small battery charger. I don't want one of the ones on wheels.

Are the electronic ones worth the money over the normal battery charger?

Does the rejuvination function actually work or just a gimmick to justify the extra money?

Thanks,

[phil harold]

The electronic ones did not last for me I went thru 2 in two years

I know you say no to a big one, but for 80 bucks this is a work horse
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/schumacher-electric-wheel-charger/195257.ip

[Biff Johnson]

The electronic ones work pretty well at maintaining a battery and not overcharging, however due to their sensing circuitry they will often not charge a truly dead battery. For that reason, I have a solid state Schumacher that has a 55 amp boost function. That allows me to override the sensing circuitry and get a little surface charge on a dead battery. At that point the automatic function will take over.

Try to pick one that gives you several charge rate options like a 3 amp trickle, 10 amp charge and then a boost rate. 6V ability is nice if you have an RV or antique car. Remember that little maintenance chargers will not start a dead vehicle (boost is only meant to be used momentarily) so if you often have dead vehicles you should step up into a large charger with 50 amps or more.

[Ed Aumiller]

Biff has the info down...
A dead battery often takes something that will force current into the battery for a while to get the voltage high enough for the automatic features to work properly...
I keep one older charger that is not electronic to put a partial charge on dead batteries to get them to take a charge...

[Charles McKinley]

Thanks,

Guess I'll reconsider the bigger charger as ther isn't much difference in price.

[Dave Lehnert]

I know little about car chargers but kind had my eye on this model from TSC.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/traveller-reg-12-volt-wheel-charger-1037743

[David Weaver]

Does the rejuvination function actually work or just a gimmick to justify the extra money?


Do the rejuvenator's de-sulfur the plates on a dead battery that's sat a while? Or do they just apply a boost?

It's funny this topic is up now, I just got the first chance to use a battery charger that I had really purchased for electrolysis....I think because my wife had left the rear defroster on in a VW when it was parked. 2 month old battery dead as a doornail, hopefully not an alternator.

A while ago, I got a manual schumacher 50/10/2 charger (manual so that it would work well for electrolysis). Works well and it was cheap, but not the charger for someone who might forget they left in on a car (manual only...no automatic shutoff).