Looking and adding a battery load tester to the toolbox, are the HF Viking units any good? Any thoughts on their analog vs digit options?
Battery load testers
- Thread starter buck91
- Start date
They both have their places but HF is overpriced.
Temu, $13. Same thing at HF $18.
Electronic one for $13 seems supsiciously similar to one I've got that I like.
The digital ones usually have cool things like graphs of voltage while you're starting the car. The carbon pile testers are no BS, if the battery works on one, it'll start the car.
Temu, $13. Same thing at HF $18.
Electronic one for $13 seems supsiciously similar to one I've got that I like.
The digital ones usually have cool things like graphs of voltage while you're starting the car. The carbon pile testers are no BS, if the battery works on one, it'll start the car.
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This is what I use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ANF1D7U
Viking seems similar. Not sure I like the printer on it, but I guess I could just ignore it.
Viking seems similar. Not sure I like the printer on it, but I guess I could just ignore it.
A carbon pile load tester is the gold standard but the battery needs to be fully charged.
The conductance testers are good but the carbon pile tester put a heavy load on the battery and measures the voltage.
The conductance testers are good but the carbon pile tester put a heavy load on the battery and measures the voltage.
I have the matco analog trigger pull. I dont trust the digital ones.
This is why I use the old style analog with a load tester:
They went to conductance battery testers because they can test a battery without it being fully charged. With a load tester it should fully charged. So convenience and speed for the auto store trying to sell you a new battery.
With a carbon pile battery tester you can smell that it did a good job testing the battery
I have the 100amp HF load tester, although I feel a bit cheated. When I put a clamp meter on it to measure the load, it only measured 65 amps. If I bought another load tester, I’d probably get the type where you can adjust the amp load rather than it being fixed.
Another one with a sky high CCA:
I have an old pile tester from HF. Bought it a long time ago. Don't need it often but it is nice to be able to put an actual load on the battery.
Someone on Youtube did a test of the electronic ones and every single one of them came back with different results with low repeatability. I thought about getting one but they don't seem accurate.
Someone on Youtube did a test of the electronic ones and every single one of them came back with different results with low repeatability. I thought about getting one but they don't seem accurate.
I have the Viking 1000Amp carbon pile tester. It is heavy and expensive, but I trust it 50X more than my $30 Ancel digital tester.
I have had the same matco analog tester for fifteen years. Never let me down. Im sure is a rebranded tool, but the tool truck had it when I needed it
I've got that one. Believe it's an OTC. I got it years ago on a Warehouse Deal for cheap. It's never given me problems and has always been accurate, ie if it says a battery is weak or bad, it always has been proven right.
I've always considered a fancy digital one that can print a report, but I've got other tools I want more.
