What Battery Charger Do You Use?

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

Brand, Model, and Model Number with the amp charging rates would be great.

As well as where you purchased it, and if you have ever clamped it to see if it is telling the truth.

I have a Sears Platinum Charger with AGM mode that isn't worth a **** that I paid $100 for. I am returning it this week, and need a new one. I clamped mine and in the "40amp" mode, it does 40 amps for about 3 seconds, sending my batteries up to 15.9 volts, and then the 40 amps go to to 2 amps and it floats at 14.7 for a few hours until it gets up to 100%.

I want a charger that will do a solid 50amps or close to that, for at least an hour or so, and not send my batteries above 15 volts.

Thanks for the input.

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[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

You want a battery charger or a battery boiler?

 

[ahole-ic]

You want a battery charger or a battery boiler?

LOL I was thinking the same thing.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Kinetik High Current Power Cells plug it in and forget it even for weeks. These units are used in many manufacturers demo vehicles. After its charged the batteries it continues to condition the chemicals inside the battery. Works on banks or single. Just because it can put out 80 amps doesnt mean it should no matter what it is charging.

What is it are you looking to charge?

 

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

You serious? I've read many articles online about charging AGM batteries and almost every one of them mention that slow trickle charge sucks for charging drained AGM batteries (~50% DOD).

I'm looking to charge 4 batts, about 600aH total. I don't want a power supply, I'd like a battery charger to use it on multiple vehicles easily.

I'd like a charger that can do this without unhooking the batts.

I appreciate the help audiolife, and I like how you post in this forum a lot, so I went and bought an AGM charger as you have suggested many time, and it costs me 100 bucks, which means, if it says it's doing a 40amp intelligent AGM charge, i want it to be sending 40 amps to my batteries for as long as it takes to charge them up.

Please list the make and model of the charger you use.

 

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

LOL I was thinking the same thing.

Cool man, I'm looking for a battery charger, not a battery boiler. I'm thinking if you'd be kind and help me out by listing the charger you use and have personal experience with, that would be excellent.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

You serious? I've read many articles online about charging AGM batteries and almost every one of them mention that slow trickle charge sucks for charging drained AGM batteries (~50% DOD).
I'm looking to charge 4 batts, about 600aH total. I don't want a power supply, I'd like a battery charger to use it on multiple vehicles easily.

I'd like a charger that can do this without unhooking the batts.

I appreciate the help audiolife, and I like how you post in this forum a lot, so I went and bought an AGM charger as you have suggested many time, and it costs me 100 bucks, which means, if it says it's doing a 40amp intelligent AGM charge, i want it to be sending 40 amps to my batteries for as long as it takes to charge them up.

Please list the make and model of the charger you use.

Thats not how you charge agm batteries with a constant anything, it takes steps.

How is your bank wired? Do you use buss bars? how balanced are your connections?

Does one battery drain more than another? If so you cant charge them correctly as a group if a battery is drained more than the others.

How would you hook up your charger to charge your batteries?

 

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

This is an online forum in which anyone can provide any input on any thread. This doesn't mean that it is right to do so. Staying on topic in each particular thread and triying to help the OP learn what he is looking for information on leads to a productive thread.

Yes, I know it takes steps. But as far as I know, the first step should not last 2-3 seconds, and then skip the second step, and then get to a 2amp float charge, as my Diehard Platinum Charger does. I have read many times that "any AGM charger will work", and this is just not the case. Although parroted hundreds of times on this forum and others, any AGM charger will obviously not work.

The intentions of this thread were not to discuss well-known knowledge that is easily found on the internet. This is a thread to discuss battery chargers, a product bought at a store that there are several choices of.

I know it takes steps as I have already stated that I read plenty on the subject. I was making this thread to discuss battery chargers.

My batteries all rest at the same levels, and the importance of my install in this particular thread is null.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

I have seen tons of people charge up banks from one set of terminals on a battery in a bank (which isn't the best way to do it), much the same way I see some hook 3 or 4 amps up to 1 or 2 sets of teminals in a bank. Many of the top chargers that competitors use are 20-25 amp max to charge up much larger banks than you have (some use multiple chargers), which leads us back to what I originally stated do you want a charger or a boiler? Chargers I have used range from 150 amp power supplies to 45 amp power supplies (KIPS included which is not a normal PS is ment to be put on batteries), CTek, 16v and 12 v Kinetik and the one that I own is an itty bitty Schumaker 2-4-6 that I cycle 2 times to charge my 1400. If I need more I have access to bigger. You also have to pay attention to using extention cords and the length of the extension cords. How these chargers work is they sense the battery and put out what it sees the battery needing. You do not want a charger that tries to shoe horn a charge into a battery especially when over charging them is destructive. If you read as much as you have stated for the life of me I can not figure out how you would come to the conclusion that you did. The shortest stage in charging an agm is when it is putting the most power into it, the last 20% or so is always the slowest but as far as longevity goes in terms of lifespan it is pretty important.

 

[soundstreamer 10+ year member]

You can't possibly expect your batteries to accept 50 amps for an hour and not keep rising in voltage. Your charger is doing it's job correctly by stepping down the amperage once your battery goes to a high voltage state. Use what you have now.

BTW I have a $70 charger from Walmart that charges 15amps max and does about the same as yours on the AGM setting...just a little slower.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Some agm chargers are better than others I never said there isn't better, its just that many people will not buy a $100 charger or a $350 charger if they only have $100-$400 in AGM cells. Some chargers will take a battery up to 93% some to 98% either or is still better than just an alternator especially if you drain your cells a lot. I will also still say a KIPS is a very good idea as you can leave it hooked up and just plug it in when you want to charge and you will not have to worry about your batteries getting over charged or remaining stagnant on a maintainer.

 

[lostdaytomorrow 10+ year member]

I have seen tons of people charge up banks from one set of terminals on a battery in a bank (which isn't the best way to do it), much the same way I see some hook 3 or 4 amps up to 1 or 2 sets of teminals in a bank. Many of the top chargers that competitors use are 20-25 amp max to charge up much larger banks than you have (some use multiple chargers), which leads us back to what I originally stated do you want a charger or a boiler? Chargers I have used range from 150 amp power supplies to 45 amp power supplies (KIPS included which is not a normal PS is ment to be put on batteries), CTek, 16v and 12 v Kinetik and the one that I own is an itty bitty Schumaker 2-4-6 that I cycle 2 times to charge my 1400. If I need more I have access to bigger. You also have to pay attention to using extention cords and the length of the extension cords. How these chargers work is they sense the battery and put out what it sees the battery needing. You do not want a charger that tries to shoe horn a charge into a battery especially when over charging them is destructive. If you read as much as you have stated for the life of me I can not figure out how you would come to the conclusion that you did. The shortest stage in charging an agm is when it is putting the most power into it, the last 20% or so is always the slowest but as far as longevity goes in terms of lifespan it is pretty important.

You can't possibly expect your batteries to accept 50 amps for an hour and not keep rising in voltage. Your charger is doing it's job correctly by stepping down the amperage once your battery goes to a high voltage state. Use what you have now.
BTW I have a $70 charger from Walmart that charges 15amps max and does about the same as yours on the AGM setting...just a little slower.

Some agm chargers are better than others I never said there isn't better, its just that many people will not buy a $100 charger or a $350 charger if they only have $100-$400 in AGM cells. Some chargers will take a battery up to 93% some to 98% either or is still better than just an alternator especially if you drain your cells a lot. I will also still say a KIPS is a very good idea as you can leave it hooked up and just plug it in when you want to charge and you will not have to worry about your batteries getting over charged or remaining stagnant on a maintainer.

Thanks for the input fellas. It really does look like I was missing the big picture here. I had read a few shitty articles and finally did some more reading on Termpro that explained charging a lot better.

Looks like i'll be returning this one to Sears that was 100, and get a smaller Schumacher or Vector charger and save some money. Really no need for much over 10-20amps unless the batteries are severely drained or there are big banks being charged.

Thanks for the guidance audiolife and soundstreamer, and I hope this thread is helpful to others in the future.