Can somebody recommend a good auto charger?

[zmoz]

I need a good, reasonably priced, automatic battery charger. Something with a 2/4/6 amp setting and a trickle charge would be nice. I recently bought a schumacher "speed charge" charger, which fits the bill, but the thing won't start charging a battery unless it's at least 50% discharged...and I like to top my batteries off as often as possible. Can anybody recommend a good charger which will top off 75%+ charged battery?

[whatsnext]

Are you sure the Schumacher is operating properly. Mine will start charging just fine even when starting at 90%.

John........

[zmoz]

Yes, I think it's working ok. Not charging until 50% might be an exageration, but it definately will not top off a slightly discharged battery. The manual even says to "turn your headlights on to drain the battery" if it finishes charging too soon.

[nothing to lose]

That's why I hate those smart chargers, they are brain dead!

Mine will give an error and not turn on if the battery is too low (dead), I have to jump the car to charge the battery, then use the charger.

Energy efficient means uses power when turned off, Smart means brain dead. Must be the yuppie kids making products that think "That's BAD Dude" means great and cool

 I just love those "Smart" things.... NOT

Harbor Frieght still sells the old fashioned ones that work when turned on!

If you want low amps, 2/4/6 etc.. check them, I think I saw them in the Springfield store, catalog, and online. Various amp sizes, not as HIGH as I wanted though, I wanted 40amps for larger banks and batteries. Thinking about buying one though so I can charge the batteries enough that the "Smart Charger" will turn on.

Real pain if the car lights are left on and the battery charger won't work till AFTER I charge the battery.

[Peppyy]

I have been hearing the warnings about the smart chargers but I bought one anyway.

http://www.acehardware.com/sm-ship-shore-supreme-12-amp-battery-charger-maintainer--pi-1296402.html

So far I am rather impressed by it. It brought my bank (450ah) up from 12.8 to 13.8 overnight. Today I ran my 1/2" drill off the bank for a few minutes and it topped them up again so I would say it watches the voltage pretty close.

Well vented and quiet. Easy to read coded led indicators. Red, power. Flashing red, polarity. Orange, charge. Flashing orange, desulfier. Green, maintaining charge. Flickering green, Monitoring/ toping up. Rapid flashing, error, can't charge or try again.

3 modes. Manual charge, Automatic, low maintainence / deep cycle and maintainence free settings.

Claims it will start desulfizer mode at anything above 1 volt. Will periodically check amperage and voltage and keep trying as long as there is improvement. I haven't tried any old ones yet but you can bet I will as soon as I have some RE going into the bank.

I would buy another one