hard to find a charger to do this these days. I have some newer chargers but I have an old sears 2/10amp that totally jams. (I have commented in these type threads before). It is old line late 70s early 80s or something. Might be time to get something new for when they old guy kicks it.
KendallP wrote: If you're new to this thread, please read it before you comment. This thread is not intended for discussion. We get it. Some people hate everything Harbor Freight. This is mainly a thread for those who have already decided they want one and are looking for a deal.
We use this beast mainly as a manual equalizer. In this post, one of our members, mena661 recently (late June '11) measured 18.88A at 15V from this "10A" charger while equalizing a massive bank of 4 Trojan L-16s! This charger appears to be WAY underrated!
Reviews on the Harbor Freight site are not stellar. We suspect that the problem likely lies with a possible failure of the "Automatic" function. As I said, we use this charger chiefly in manual mode as an equalizer and would never leave it unattended.
Enter the following code (courtesy of Highways Magazine) and get it for $29.99.
93178705
This is the charger that our own mexbungalows calls, "...superior in both construction and performance to a 10-amp Schumacher, or a 10-amp Craftsman charger that I own and it is a fraction of the price."
This is the best price I've seen. I waited for months to nab it at $29.99, and here it is for $25.99. You can "Add To Cart" online and then enter the coupon code in the coupon box for the discount.
It has both automatic and fully manual modes ("Start" mode makes it manual for all Amperage settings.) It has a 2A and 10A setting, as well as a 55A "Start" setting. Mex reviews it via a couple of posts in this short thread.
I have also found it to be something of a powerhouse. On the 10A setting, once they're full, it can easily equalize the heck out of my 3 - group 27s all at once and reach voltages in the 17s.
Once again, the reviews on the Harbor Freight site are not stellar.
As always... YMMV.
(NOTE: If you're looking for a good 10A charger for whatever reason, this appears to be a good choice. Many of us in the "Tech Issues" forum have discussed proper battery equalization, which often requires a whole lot more voltage than our safe little converters are willing to provide. This charger is great for that!
But if you're hoping to replace your 60A converter and are expecting an equally fast charge rate, well, then perhaps you might consider looking elsewhere. That or buy 5 or 6 of these. For some reason, this didn't go without saying.)
.
The down side is it is an automatic shut off charger. I have two and bought them thinking I was getting manual chargers because I did NOT read before buying. They work but only in auto mode the best I can learn.
a. When the battery is fully charged, the Battery Charger will automatically go to standby and the green LED will remain lit.
6 V / 10 A mode:
b. The Battery Charger will supply current to the battery at a constant rate. To prevent damage to the battery, it must be promptly disconnected when charging is complete.
I tried to find a wire to cut to make it a manual 12v charger but it seems computerized. Found at manual charger at True Value Hardware.
Lots of info to weed through in that post. But since you quoted me, I'll go ahead and highlight, in red, the pertinent portion that you must've missed. The subject charger most definitely IS an auto AND manual charger...
Gale Hawkins wrote:
KendallP wrote: If you're new to this thread, please read it before you comment. This thread is not intended for discussion. We get it. Some people hate everything Harbor Freight. This is mainly a thread for those who have already decided they want one and are looking for a deal.
We use this beast mainly as a manual equalizer. In this post, one of our members, mena661 recently (late June '11) measured 18.88A at 15V from this "10A" charger while equalizing a massive bank of 4 Trojan L-16s! This charger appears to be WAY underrated!
Reviews on the Harbor Freight site are not stellar. We suspect that the problem likely lies with a possible failure of the "Automatic" function. As I said, we use this charger chiefly in manual mode as an equalizer and would never leave it unattended.
Enter the following code (courtesy of Highways Magazine) and get it for $29.99.
93178705
This is the charger that our own mexbungalows calls, "...superior in both construction and performance to a 10-amp Schumacher, or a 10-amp Craftsman charger that I own and it is a fraction of the price."
This is the best price I've seen. I waited for months to nab it at $29.99, and here it is for $25.99. You can "Add To Cart" online and then enter the coupon code in the coupon box for the discount. It has both automatic and fully manual modes ("Start" mode makes it manual for all Amperage settings.) It has a 2A and 10A setting, as well as a 55A "Start" setting. Mex reviews it via a couple of posts in this short thread.
I have also found it to be something of a powerhouse. On the 10A setting, once they're full, it can easily equalize the heck out of my 3 - group 27s all at once and reach voltages in the 17s.
Once again, the reviews on the Harbor Freight site are not stellar.
As always... YMMV.
(NOTE: If you're looking for a good 10A charger for whatever reason, this appears to be a good choice. Many of us in the "Tech Issues" forum have discussed proper battery equalization, which often requires a whole lot more voltage than our safe little converters are willing to provide. This charger is great for that!
But if you're hoping to replace your 60A converter and are expecting an equally fast charge rate, well, then perhaps you might consider looking elsewhere. That or buy 5 or 6 of these. For some reason, this didn't go without saying.)
.
The down side is it is an automatic shut off charger. I have two and bought them thinking I was getting manual chargers because I did NOT read before buying. They work but only in auto mode the best I can learn.
* This post was
edited 10/23/11 10:16am by KendallP *
I thought they just when into float mode when the green light came on.
I have used ours in the start mode (just charging and not trying to start an engine) but it would keep overheating
A blip:
Engine Starting
Note: This charger’s high-current output can help start vehicles with weak batteries. Some newer vehicles with onboard computers may be damaged from this process. Thoroughly read the vehicle owner’s manual before using this procedure.
Connect the charger to the battery 1. as discussed on pages 7 and 8, but leave the battery cables attached.
Set the charger to charge the battery 2. for 5-10 minutes according to the appropriate charge rate for the size of the battery as explained on the previous 2 pages.
Set the select function switch to 3. Start and the select switch to 55A.
(See FIGURE 1 on page 6.)
Try to start the vehicle. If it doesn’t 4. start in 12 seconds, stop and allow the charger to rest for 4 minutes. After resting, it may be beneficial to charge the battery as explained in step 2 before attempting Repeat this process until successful.
I will test our HF chargers and see how keeping them fulltime in boost mode checks out on the VOM since the manual does not address it charging fulltime in 12v but on in 6v mode.
Thanks for the other posted notes on this charger.
Once again... from the reddened portion of the post of mine that you quoted...
"("Start" mode makes it manual for all Amperage settings.)"
What current setting is the charger on when it overheats? 55?
I never run mine on 55A for more than a few minutes. And even if I did, if the batteries are full, the current will drop way below 55 and the unit will then run cooler than if you were trying to start a vehicle with a dead battery.
I almost exclusively use my HF charger on the 10A setting with the other switch turned to "Start." Call it a "hack," if it helps, but this has the effect of making it a manual charger and it runs barely warm this way for hours on end.
In the auto mode, I believe it completely shuts down once it considers the battery full. But again... no expertise on that function. Don't care. I don't use it in auto. Wouldn't trust it for that job. The switch never leaves the "Start," i.e. manual setting.
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