Float chargers?

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So looks like the Mustang will be staying in storage status for a while yet. Currently I've been topping the battery up every other month or so with my digital Schumacher charger but thats becoming a PITA. Looking at automatic float chargers and comparing the two below. Obviously the Battery Tender is a known entity but is the Junior up to the task? How does the much more affordable Black and Decker fair?

Black and Decker
Battery Tender Jr
 
Buck, I've been using several of Tender Jr's for years with outstanding results. Don't know anything about B&D, but for few dollars difference, why chance it?
 
While Amazon has tons of excellent reviews, if you read the single negative review by Thomas P, it casts doubt if the B&D unit has any "smarts". He actually monitored the charger with a multimeter and it seems that it just cycles on and off regardless if the battery is low or not. According to him, it never settles in to just a float mode. Take it for what it's worth.

https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER...iews&pageNumber=1#reviews-filter-bar
 
I love my Jr.

I own several Battery Tender models as well as a couple Schumacher models, and an older Craftsman.

The Jr. should serve you well.
 
Definitely get the Battery Charger Jr. It will charge at 0.75 amps until the battery is 100% full. More than enough for a car battery.
 
I've used the B & D unit with no problems keeping my son's Corvette's battery topped off while in storage and also to keep my zero turn mower charged over the winter. What else can I say. It works as intended.
 
I prefer the Battery Tender Plus+ http://products.batterytender.com/Chargers/Battery-TenderR-Plus.html

It can put out 1.25 amps which is enough to bring a battery back from the dead, in addition to a float or trickle charging. Plus they have a 10 year warranty (save your receipt). Although they list at $71, shop around as I was able to find them for approx $40.

eBay from Pep Boys- https://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Tender-Plus-Plus-12-Volt-1-25-Amps-021-0128/161472308581?epid=1473238899&hash=item25987fe565:g:E64AAOSwtDdaaPKZ&frcectupt=true
 
A 1996 car will have several things that constantly draw current while parked. Disconnecting the car will save a lot of stress on the battery during long-term storage. Your charger won't have to fight the car constantly drawing current, which can mess up its logic which works most optimally when there is only a battery connected.
 
Originally Posted by buck91
So looks like the Mustang will be staying in storage status for a while yet. Currently I've been topping the battery up every other month or so with my digital Schumacher charger but thats becoming a PITA. Looking at automatic float chargers and comparing the two below. Obviously the Battery Tender is a known entity but is the Junior up to the task? How does the much more affordable Black and Decker fair?

Black and Decker
Battery Tender Jr


You want a Battery Minder. Preferably one with high and low temp compensation.
 
Originally Posted by Donald
buck91 said:
You want a Battery Minder. Preferably one with high and low temp compensation.


I will only use Battery Minders from now on. They're about $45 a pop online, but I have had batteries die while under the care of both Battery Tenders and the cheap Harbor Freight clones. The Battery Tender failure was especially bad as it cost me a $200+ deep cycle battery on my trailer. The LED stayed green the whole time, indicating the unit was working and the battery was fully charged, however the battery had dropped to 7 volts.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Anduril
Originally Posted by Donald
buck91 said:
You want a Battery Minder. Preferably one with high and low temp compensation.


I will only use Battery Minders from now on. They're about $45 a pop online, but I have had batteries die while under the care of both Battery Tenders and the cheap Harbor Freight clones. The Battery Tender failure was especially bad as it cost me a $200+ deep cycle battery on my trailer. The LED stayed green the whole time, indicating the unit was working and the battery was fully charged, however the battery had dropped to 7 volts.


That stinks- since it measures voltage I wonder how that happened. I have heard of counterfeit Battery Tenders though.
 
Battery minders are great. There's a junior/mini one that has a temperature probe and that's the one you want.

A higher rated one will work the same but revive discharged batteries much faster.

Originally Posted by Anduril
Originally Posted by Donald
buck91 said:
You want a Battery Minder. Preferably one with high and low temp compensation.


I will only use Battery Minders from now on. They're about $45 a pop online, but I have had batteries die while under the care of both Battery Tenders and the cheap Harbor Freight clones. The Battery Tender failure was especially bad as it cost me a $200+ deep cycle battery on my trailer. The LED stayed green the whole time, indicating the unit was working and the battery was fully charged, however the battery had dropped to 7 volts.


The tender failure is strange, I've had one running for years. On my truck the obd scanner continually wakes up with a battery minder but is fine with the tender under float.

But owning minders, a tender, and two cteks (including a 25A), IMO a battery minder plus a 20A solar pro logix is the best value.
 
I've been looking at this Battery Minder at Northern Tool for over a month, ~$25 and it's newish to NT. So you're asking why haven't I pulled the trigger? I have the non temperature compensated version the linked one replaced, and it's been great for occasional use on several cars and a lawn mower. I also have a $5 off NT coupon that would make it $20 with in store purchase. I think last day of sale is the 27th. I don't see any NT in your area, so you would need to add ~$7 shipping. I'm thinking it's still worth that.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332201_200332201
 
Originally Posted by Sayjac
I've been looking at this Battery Minder at Northern Tool for over a month, ~$25 and it's newish to NT. So you're asking why haven't I pulled the trigger? I have the non temperature compensated version the linked one replaced, and it's been great for occasional use on several cars and a lawn mower. I also have a $5 off NT coupon that would make it $20 with in store purchase. I think last day of sale is the 27th. I don't see any NT in your area, so you would need to add ~$7 shipping. I'm thinking it's still worth that.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332201_200332201


Seems like the best bang for the buck even compared to the $20 HF charger.
 
Originally Posted by dlundblad
...Seems like the best bang for the buck even compared to the $20 HF charger.
I would agree. A temperature compensated maintainer charger for ~$25-$32, from BatteryMinder, seems hard to wrong with. I paid ~$20 with a coupon for the previous version, it's not that old and has served me well.
 
I love my Deltran Battery Tender Jr. Use it on an infrequently used car that I keep in a garage. Also used it to charge a battery while I waited on a replacement alternator (this took like 2 days). Also used it to top off a new battery before I installed it. Also used it to keep a riding lawn mower battery charged over the winter. That lawn mower started way easier than it ever had for it's first start of the spring, and all I did was top off the battery around once a month over the winter. This is important because this particular riding mower doesn't have a pull to start. Electric only. $20 at Home Depot on their Black Friday sale. Not sire if ti was for sale again on Spring Black Friday. I actually like it better than my Schumacker, which is great at charging, but then cuts off.
 
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