Automotive Battery Charger Recommendation

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I have an old metal case Schumacher Model SE-82-6 that is a 6/2 amp, 12/6 volt dual rate and is no longer working. I presume these units are not repairable and I would like to hear recommendations for a new replacement. Looking at Schumacher's website there are a multitude of products. I don't need to jump start the USS Missouri but I think I'd like some additional amperage. I use this for my lawn tractor battery, my neighbor borrows it for his cars (which is fine with me) and various cars in my fleet including one that is parked for extended periods in an off site location with a power source. Thanks!
 
They still make them-- I have an Everstart that seems suspiciously similar. Wonder what broke on yours; they are a very simple "buzz box" with a transformer and little else.

Once you get to above 10 amps you're in "fast charge" territory where the instructions read to monitor for boiling, perhaps remove vent caps etc. I'm not in that big of a hurry.

Their website is a hot mess with 100-ish chargers, all slightly different. Great way to get paralysis of analysis!

The ones with 50 amp starting might be useful that one day when you're at your remote location and want to get that car going quickly. Five minutes might give enough of a surface charge to kick it over.

I'd get one with the fewest computers possible. Sometimes with a really dead battery the computerized ones don't cooperate.
 
At the very least, take your old Schumacher apart and look at it. There's really not much to them, the biggest replacement parts would be the transformer and the diodes and you can repair them with cheap replacement parts.
 
Just a thought!
Maybe you should look into a Battery Maintainer/Battery Tender. They're on sale everywhere(HF, AAP etc).
These turn on when voltage drops(at a certain point) and shut off again when proper voltage is reached.
As you may/maynot know, these keep batteries up to snuff all the time and can be left on the battery during storage.
I also keep a battery charger in stock for those times when I need to actually charge a battery or to loan out to friends/family as you do.
 
Stick with Schumacher ,, good customer service , I have had 4 or 5 different units in my garage for 20 + years , I use the smart battery tender for my equipment parked for a winter nap that I bought at Blaines farm and fleet on sale last year for 9.99 each. I also have 2 other units that can jump start if needed ,,,, if you have power at a remote location the smart charger /maintainer would be an excellent choice for what you have parked including your lawn equipment
 
Harbor Freights Viking quick charger is actually pretty good. Ive had this one at my house for a year and use it often on the M cars since they mostly sit. Has 2/8/15 amp charge rates, Winterization and battery conditioning modes. With the coupon I think its 30$. Ive also had this Schumacher for a while at the shop, this one gets beat up as our backup charger when our Snap On DTAC is cranking away on another battery (85 amps max!) Its only 3/12 amp but its serve me well for 3-4 years in a shop.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0009IBJE4/ref=psdc_15707061_t2_B0756NVGHY
 
I have had great luck with the Ctek line. I currently have the CTEK (56-674) Multi US 25000 8-step, Fully Automatic 12 Volt 25 Amp Battery Charger \. A little pricey but well worth it IMO.
 
Schumacher has a lot of great choices. I would think you want an "engine start" feature, the ability to charge at 20 Amps or more, an "intelligent" charge mode that can use modern charge technology to optimize the battery, perhaps a battery re-conditioning mode. There also might be a feature to optimize a deep cycle battery. On the other hand, if you are looking for old school brute 200 A amperage look at the FRO 1335.
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Originally Posted by Trav
I have the Pro Logix PL2320 for a couple of years now and its been great. Napa has the 2310 on sale now, same unit just lower jump start amps.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SORPL2310


This was the line I was thinking of when reading this, I have battery minder, battery tender, ctek and an OptiMate.

When non-routine, non maintenance charging is being done, some of the niceties aren't as critical. I was a fan of the Schumacher chargers because they offered a voltage readout, which is important to me.but they always overvoltage too far...

So a I went with the prologix like that and have been pleased. For other applications I like other chargers better, but to quickly get 20A into a battery, a I don't think there's much bette for the price.

OP, wouldn't you have to raise steam in order to start the MISSOURI? Not sure a battery charger can do that...
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Here is my charger I use to top up my RV and boat batteries over the winter, and top up one of my cars that is not used a whole lot. I only use it at the "2-5 amp Optimal" setting and it optimizes the charge. Takes about a day to complete it.
There are lots of other brand versions of it.

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I have a ? that does 2/10/ 75 amps. It was an Xmas gift. Used mostly on 2 A when a light is left on. I also have 3 sets of heavy duty jumper cables kept in the cars, and 2 HF .5 A maintainers that I shift around my batteries. One tow will cost you more than a home charger/jump box/maintainer. You have a car, you should have some sorta stuff to deal with a dead battery Dealing with someone who is learning this the hard way over on the E-28 forum.
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I had a Schumacher I purchased from Sam's Club. Used it a couple times and within 2 years it was dead. CTEK is great quality. I just purchased the 25000 as mentioned above. Although it's Made in China, but to Swedish specs. There is no getting around Made in China today, unless you build everything yourself.
 
In 2007 I bought a schumacher sc2500a. 2/12/25 amp settings.

I noticed quickly that it could easily take the battery well above 16 vlts and the battery would be fizzing up storm. it would not Always do this though, sometimes it would attain mid 14v range, hold it for a short while, then revert to float voltage, and throw the green light.

Unfortunately for the schumacher I Own a temperature compensated hydrometer, and that green light indicated only that the charger quit too early, that the battery was still far from being fully charged.

I found this Schumacher to be totally unreliable as sometimes it would blast the battery well past a safe voltage, pumping 12+ amps and forcing the voltage up into the mid 16v range, and the next time it would stop charging when the battery was only ~92% charged, and I could not get it to actually fully charge the battery, unless i would unplug the charger, load the battery to reduce its voltage, then restart the charger, multiple times.

92% charged is more than good enough to allow even a sulfated capacity compromised battery to start a car.

Do not delude yourself into thinking that any green light full charge indicator means the battery is actually fully charged. Perhaps charged enough, but the lead acid battery lasts longest when it is truly fully charged, often, and those cycling batteries deeper will get more than 2x the longevity by charging to 100%, as opposed to 95%.

I now use a Adjustable voltage power supply capable of providing 40 amps to achieve any voltage between 13.12 and 19.23 volts, and I use an Ammeter or hydrometer to determine just how long 14.4 to 14.7v is to be held, and thistime varies widely, depending n the battery, its size/ health/age/ temperature, and almost NO automatic smart charger accounts for any of these variables, and is simply guessing when to end the higher voltage absorption stage.

"smart' chargers are largely marketing BS, but if a green light gives the consumer warm and fuzzies, then so be it.

Most are certainly more than good enough for intermittent garage duty, but someone actually cycling a battery deeper regularly will not be well served by these garage chargers, as they will almost never be able to truly fully charge the battery, and as such the battery will lose capacity much much faster.

My Sc2500a still works, but its voltage display and all the LEDS no longer work. but its voltage display was always more than 0.35v off. I have a wattmeter on the output leads to see just what the charger is trying to accomplish, but I do not trust it to leave it unattended on any battery I care about. So y automatic smart vharger is not to be trusted, and my manual charging soure, the adjustable voltage power supply, which needs to be turned down or removed once the battery is full, is a million times better and more reliable. Yes there is a dnager of overcharging the battery by leaving it at too high a voltage for too long, but I equate remembering to turn it down or off to driving, saying Gee I hope I can remember I am supposed to stop at stop signs and redlights when I reach one
 
I have the Prologix and I really like it. In the under $100 arena, its probably one of the best.

I also have an ancient 2/10/20/50 amp that I practically never use. I did use it once when I had to get to work, and my battery was dead, to jump start the car, at 50 amps. 4 minutes of charge and it started right up.
 
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