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shopping for a battery charger
Hi all,
I seem to find myself in the market for a battery charger about every other year nowadays, and am wondering if there are still battery chargers available that are built to the same standards as they were "in the good old days". I've been looking at various chargers online for a few weeks now, checking reviews on Amazon, and nearly every single product out there has a multitude of negative reviews regarding its longevity and overall durability. Almost everything out of China these days is built to fail within 6 months or 6 uses, whichever comes first. I would like to have a 2-5-15-50 amp charger with at least a 50 to 80 amp start function. Seems like everything made by Schuemacher these days has horrible longevity and low quality components, compared to how they used to be built when they were USA made. Many other companies use the same Chinese manufacturer(s) to private label their products, but inside is all the same crappy components like a PC board with shoddy soldered connections that crack or warp, and a fan that disintegrates with months, casing the charger to overheat and permanently disabling it. Have any of you forum members bought a battery charger recently that you were actually impressed with? If so I would really like to hear your opinions and recommendations of what to buy and what to avoid. Thanks in advance!
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2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins Turbo Diesel 4x4 1994 GMC S-15 pickup 4.3 5MT 1985 300 SD 1978 300 CD 1962 220-S Fintail - awaiting restoration |
#2
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Wonder if you could find an old Sears charger? I have had mine for 40 years now and it still works great. That instead of buying new.
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#3
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I still pickup one or two each year at yard sales. Around a dollar or so. You expect them not to be working and they usually are not.
Usually a very easy internal fix. Then I just give them away. Not many heavy units like you mention out there for me to grab. I never seem to find them. It is almost the same fault on all the Chinese chargers in the under 100 dollar range here. Actually they are a rip off for what they are mind the reliability factor. Built to fail is not an unreasonable expectation. They could be made much better for pennies at the manufacturing end. My best charger has got to be 50-60 years old and besides upgrading the rectifiers and showing the handling wear over the years is as good as new. Even the current is totally adjustable. Has both voltage and current meters.. |
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Schuemacher usually offers a 5 year warranty on their product. Why not have them send you a new one?
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With best regards Al |
#5
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I would love a good charger too.
140 batteries are big, and I usually have to take it to the shop to get the battery charged.
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___________________________________________ 2010 Toyota matrix '93 500 SEL A bad addiction. Takes all of my cash. '12 Volvo S80 T6 Needed something that wasn't as hard to deal with as my bad addiction '18 Mazda Miata No more boring cars for everyday transport! |
#6
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I love my CTEK charger, I've used it for reconditioning dead batteries and maintaining my motorcycle battery in the winter.
Definitely recommend these. CTEK Battery Chargers - The World's Smarter Battery Charger |
#7
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I've had a $50 Schumacher 2/10/50 charger for a number of years now that gets used/abused fairly often. Its been rained on, snowed on, dragged around the block & filled with gravel and still works great even though the cover is currently just taped to the housing.
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1991 300D |
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Quote:
I have also bought a charger / desulfator and it works very well! Battery chargers are important to me. I also have two large ones at 24V and another at 36V for the fork lifts. And I have an OLD Sears 6v 9V 18V made about 1939, that still works although I have replaced the cords. It's a cool one.
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Strelnik Invest in America: Buy a Congressman! 1950 170SD 1951 Citroen 11BN 1953 Citroen 11BNF limo 1953 220a project 1959 180D 1960 190D 1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr 1983 240D daily driver 1983 380SL 1990 350SDL daily driver alt 3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5 3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6 |
#9
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I have given up on finding charges that last. Harbor Freight for me. Watch for coupons and get a 50/20/2 amp charger for $29.95.
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