Looking at buying a battery load tester. Can't find the old school, metal, analog one I used to have. Are the cheap digital ones ($25-50) any good or a better option than the cheap analog ones? Recommendations?
Battery Load Tester Recommendation
- Thread starter HowAboutThis
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HowAboutThis................. How about this? 
For sale since I have 2. Rare with cover.
Essentially the same as the more common Sun VAT40. Snap on bought out Sun.
Heavy long all copper 3 gauge Belden cables. 40 year old school.
Not shop used and abused.
An old link but still useful info:
https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/threads/battery-load-tester.416565/
For sale since I have 2. Rare with cover.
Essentially the same as the more common Sun VAT40. Snap on bought out Sun.
Heavy long all copper 3 gauge Belden cables. 40 year old school.
Not shop used and abused.
An old link but still useful info:
https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/threads/battery-load-tester.416565/
Last edited:
I have one like this, I'm old fashioned, I like a real load, vs the pulse type.
https://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automo...SE_INSTALLMENTS:US_IHI_3M_HARDLINES_AUTOMATED
https://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automo...SE_INSTALLMENTS:US_IHI_3M_HARDLINES_AUTOMATED
I have that model.
Me too. Combined with an HF electronic impedance tester & a visual inspection, it's pretty much all you need.
So the best at testing is a carbon pile load tester where you dial the load to 1/2 CCA of the battery. Battery needs to be fully charged.
Most places use a conductive type of battery tester where the battery does not need to be fully charged. Like a Midtronics. A store or shop can test the battery without charging it first. They like that.
I got my carbon pile load tester at HF. I expect it's accurate enough. If you want it super accurate use the HF load tester but measure the voltage with a Fluke DVM while load is applied.
Nothing like the smell of a hot carbon pile load tester. Gives one the warm fuzzies that your battery was tested properly.
Most places use a conductive type of battery tester where the battery does not need to be fully charged. Like a Midtronics. A store or shop can test the battery without charging it first. They like that.
I got my carbon pile load tester at HF. I expect it's accurate enough. If you want it super accurate use the HF load tester but measure the voltage with a Fluke DVM while load is applied.
Nothing like the smell of a hot carbon pile load tester. Gives one the warm fuzzies that your battery was tested properly.
I have a few! I have a cheap digital tester that graphs voltage while I run the starter, so I can see the lowest dip from the biggest amp draw when the motor just starts turning. V311B. I think it has some other tests like AC ripple but haven't played with it in a couple years.
Also have the 100 amp resistive load "Sizzler" that honestly I like a little better. Many modern gear reduction starter motors are 1100 or 1200 watts, which at 9 volts (ya gotta count the dip) is around 140 amps, so this tester is more applicable than you may think.
Also have the 100 amp resistive load "Sizzler" that honestly I like a little better. Many modern gear reduction starter motors are 1100 or 1200 watts, which at 9 volts (ya gotta count the dip) is around 140 amps, so this tester is more applicable than you may think.
Dad would bring one of those hand held heavy duty versions once a year from work. Before we used it we did the full overnight charge with the old heavy Silver Beauty fan cooled charger.
About 8 years ago I bought a Solar BA-9 capacitance tester. Most dealers were using a version of that at that time. Used it a the firehouse one morning and a couple guys cars said theirs was "bad". They said it starts fine no issue, that thing is a POS. A short time later temperatures dropped and their cars didn't start when they tried middle of the night to respond to a fire. They all bought new batteries after that.
My sons car went from being "ok" but on lower end of CCA to "bad" in a short time. I ordered the battery from Costco that day but it was 5 days out to get it. 2 days later at school not enough power to start the car. We weren't worried since we knew the new one was coming and he had the jumper pack to help himself.
I bought the BA-9 and CTEK 7002 charger based on reviews and the battery videos from Kent Bergsma on YT with the Mercedes. Also Optima Batteries doing the recovery videos using a CTEK charger.
About 8 years ago I bought a Solar BA-9 capacitance tester. Most dealers were using a version of that at that time. Used it a the firehouse one morning and a couple guys cars said theirs was "bad". They said it starts fine no issue, that thing is a POS. A short time later temperatures dropped and their cars didn't start when they tried middle of the night to respond to a fire. They all bought new batteries after that.
My sons car went from being "ok" but on lower end of CCA to "bad" in a short time. I ordered the battery from Costco that day but it was 5 days out to get it. 2 days later at school not enough power to start the car. We weren't worried since we knew the new one was coming and he had the jumper pack to help himself.
I bought the BA-9 and CTEK 7002 charger based on reviews and the battery videos from Kent Bergsma on YT with the Mercedes. Also Optima Batteries doing the recovery videos using a CTEK charger.
The stores use the Midtronics because they can test a less than fully charged battery and are quick. And print something to show the customer. Not because they are better. The ones that dump a big load are the gold standard.
The Solar tester is a conductance not capacitance battery tester. Unless you pay $400 the conductance battery testers do not do temp compensation. Which is needed in the winter.
My HF carbon pile tester has a couple of scales on the voltmeter to do a rough temp compensation.
I used to have one from the late 1990's that looked similar to this. Used to smell bad when load testing. I believe I got it at Sears. Don't know if this one is the similar Harbor Freight style.
https://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-612v-battery-load-tester-61747.html
I was also looking at this one until I can find the old analog one. It's in a box somewhere, I'm sure, after moving last year. Then I can have two options once I find the old one.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-digital-battery-and-system-tester-58759.html
On another note, OEM Toyota battery is about 8 years old, still seems to be going strong. Called the dealership to see about their replacement batteries and was told they're basically an Interstate battery but with an 84-month warranty (pro rated). The price is only about $10-ish more than Costco, but the longer pro rated warranty seems like a selling point to me once I need one. I was going to just stop by an autoparts store and borrow their load tester but then realized that's annoying because you've driven the car and aren't getting a test from "cold" to see what it's actually at. I have a multimeter and it's showing decent voltage at the terminals. Not amazing, but satisfactory.
Anyway, thoughts on those two amazing Harbor Freight deals? LOL
https://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-612v-battery-load-tester-61747.html
I was also looking at this one until I can find the old analog one. It's in a box somewhere, I'm sure, after moving last year. Then I can have two options once I find the old one.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12v-digital-battery-and-system-tester-58759.html
On another note, OEM Toyota battery is about 8 years old, still seems to be going strong. Called the dealership to see about their replacement batteries and was told they're basically an Interstate battery but with an 84-month warranty (pro rated). The price is only about $10-ish more than Costco, but the longer pro rated warranty seems like a selling point to me once I need one. I was going to just stop by an autoparts store and borrow their load tester but then realized that's annoying because you've driven the car and aren't getting a test from "cold" to see what it's actually at. I have a multimeter and it's showing decent voltage at the terminals. Not amazing, but satisfactory.
Anyway, thoughts on those two amazing Harbor Freight deals? LOL
the cheap digital ones measure the resistance of the battery, and determine the maximum cranking amps from that, maybe adjusted for temperature. It's a useful measure but not complete as it gives no clue about the capacity of the battery.
With the old school ones you load the battery and can monitor if the amps drop over a short time, like they would with severely reduced capacity. But it's much harder to tell if the cranking amps are still in spec.
Both have their place imo.
I bought that cheap digital one just now. Battery shows 60% charge with more CCA than it's rated on the sticker (359 and rated 356). My wife's shows 67% charge with 539CCA and it's 550 rated on the sticker.
In the past I used a voltmeter and could never get them to hold a full charge, according to info I found online. They're both driven 55+ miles per day highway speeds. So I can't imagine they aren't getting charged up
Ideas?Oddly, I threw a multimeter on them just now and I'm getting 12.5 and 12.51. Which the Internet shows is 85-90% charged. So, no idea what the digital gauge does.
f355spider
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I own a carbon pile tester, and prefer the simplicity of the electronic testers. I have a Schumacher BT-175 tester (had for about 14 years) and an Ancel BA 101 I got just this summer. The Ancel gives more detailed information than the Schumacher, but the pass/fail and CCA readings match closely between them both.
The results from the electronic testers are close enough to what I read with my old school tester that they seem fine for my needs.
I check all my cars about every 6 months to keep ahead of any battery issues. That Schumacher has easily paid for itself multiple times over, as I only replace batteries when they start to have weak readings, rather than pre-emptively replacing every 5 or 6 years. I got 14 years out of the battery on my Tundra. One BMW is 6.5 years on both batteries and another BMW has 5.5 years on its battery. All test just fine, no replacement needed.
The results from the electronic testers are close enough to what I read with my old school tester that they seem fine for my needs.
I check all my cars about every 6 months to keep ahead of any battery issues. That Schumacher has easily paid for itself multiple times over, as I only replace batteries when they start to have weak readings, rather than pre-emptively replacing every 5 or 6 years. I got 14 years out of the battery on my Tundra. One BMW is 6.5 years on both batteries and another BMW has 5.5 years on its battery. All test just fine, no replacement needed.
My Accord has a DieHard silver in it the dealer installed 4 years ago. I did run it low a couple times and it doesn't have much reserve time if leaving something on like interior light if working on something. It only has/had 425 CCA when new. This morning it tested at 12.67V and 320 CCA which said OK - Recharge. I'll check in the morning again as it will be 40F tonight and I haven't started it since getting home Friday morning. It has been cranking slower on these cooler mornings after sitting at work.
I have a new Honda 500 CCA sitting in my garage, probably install next week when I'm off. Got it on a good prorate when my daughters CRV needed a battery before going back to school. I had a larger Interstate from Costco I planned to put in Accord so just put it in hers instead.
I don't worry too much with the Accord as I have a jump pack, old school cables and it's a 6MT so I can always give it a light push, drop in 2nd gear and let clutch out.
I have a new Honda 500 CCA sitting in my garage, probably install next week when I'm off. Got it on a good prorate when my daughters CRV needed a battery before going back to school. I had a larger Interstate from Costco I planned to put in Accord so just put it in hers instead.
I don't worry too much with the Accord as I have a jump pack, old school cables and it's a 6MT so I can always give it a light push, drop in 2nd gear and let clutch out.
New vehicles have things like electric steering, brake assist and so on that love amps. Fact is your alternator is not large enough to keep it topped off. One crank and the battery is already in the hole. Alternators never charge a battery fully anyway. Even on old cars.I bought that cheap digital one just now. Battery shows 60% charge with more CCA than it's rated on the sticker (359 and rated 356). My wife's shows 67% charge with 539CCA and it's 550 rated on the sticker.
In the past I used a voltmeter and could never get them to hold a full charge, according to info I found online. They're both driven 55+ miles per day highway speeds. So I can't imagine they aren't getting charged up
Tank any vehicle. Drive it for say 20 minutes. Connect a Battery Tender up. Is goes straight to amp mode with the amber light on. But I just drove it.........
I'd sure like to find me an 'oldie but goodie' like yours.
Nothing like MADE IN AMERICA by hard working people who care about the product they make.
Marked for reference.
That brings back memories, thanks for posting!HowAboutThis................. How about this?
For sale since I have 2. Rare with cover.
Essentially the same as the more common Sun VAT40. Snap on bought out Sun.
Heavy long all copper 3 gauge Belden cables. 40 year old school.
Not shop used and abused.
An old link but still useful info:
https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/threads/battery-load-tester.416565/
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