Trickle Charger Comparison

[Nick1994]

So last year I bought a Black & Decker 1.2A trickle charger for cheap online. I hooked it up to my 14' Grand Cherokee's old battery (replaced a couple months ago proactively, 7/17 date, it's an H7 AGM) and did a couple little tests. It has kind of a weird charging pattern (but I don't know much about chargers). Also tested with my Noco Genius 1A charger.

What do you guys think?

Test 1: Black & Decker
Starting voltage was 12.63V on the battery, after 15 minutes I checked the voltage with the charger on, it fluctuated a lot from 14.2-14.7V back and forth, over and over again. Is this normal? I took it off the charger after this and let the battery sit all day.



Test 2: Noco Genius 1A
Starting voltage was again 12.63V. After 15 minutes of the charger set to flooded battery (just to see what would happen) it didn't appear to be charging much, it just sat at 12.84V.

Test 3: Noco Genius 1A
Right after the last test I switched to the AGM setting after unplugging the charger and checked after 15 minutes. It hovered around 14.84V. Very different to the Black & Decker's behavior.



Black & Decker:

Battery Maintainer / Trickle Charger | BLACK+DECKER

The BLACK+DECKER™ battery charger/maintainer features 6 volt and 12 volt charging selectivity. Use for battery maintenance, charging RVs, specialty vehicles, antique and classic cars, marine deep cycle batteries, motorcycles, lawn mowers, ATVs, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and more...

www.blackanddecker.com

 

[Escape08]

Hello, I looked the instructions online. There is a 6V & 12V switch. Make sure it is in the 12V switch

 

[Nick1994]

Hello, I looked the instructions online. There is a 6V & 12V switch. Make sure it is in the 12V switch

Yes it is.

 

[Escape08]

Maybe, battery is bad. Have the battery check. Is it still under warranty? Have it replace if it still is

 

[martinq]

I have the same charger (B&D) and the pattern you describe sounds familiar. What I think it might be doing is charging until it reaches a peak voltage and then cutting back to a lower rate (trickle). If the voltage drops too low it repeats this cycle but I thought my voltage readings were much lower than you describe.

I wonder if you have too much phantom power draw on the battery?

I'll try to do a test with it and report back when I have time.

 

[football]

I was looking at the genius 1 amp and it says its for small batteries under 30 amp hours. Your H7AGM has what, 120 amp hours?

 

[CharBaby]

My Schumacher Maintainer(~22 yrs old) will bring the battery voltage up slowly to about 13.8v and then monitor from there very slowly. When voltage drops to about 12.8ish, it kicks back on and repeats.

My NO NAME maintainer( Flo-Tec from my battery back-up sump pump 19 yrs old) will do just about the same. When battery voltage drops to ~12.8, it seems to kick back ON & OFF bringing the voltage up to 13.8v in a similar fashion to the Schumacher above.

I haven't monitored either one is some time but this is my best memory. And all I know is that my batteries last well past their life cycle by keeping them maintained regularly.

Recently, I bought an inexpensive Pittsburgh Float Charger from Harbor Freight for about $5(w/coupon) but it seemed to overcharge the battery well into the 14.5ish volts in which I thought was too high. So, I returned it. I wasn't sure that this was good but I really don't know.

 

[LeakySeals]

My Schumacher Maintainer(~22 yrs old) will bring the battery voltage up slowly to about 13.8v and then monitor from there very slowly. When voltage drops to about 12.8ish, it kicks back on and repeats.

My NO NAME maintainer( Flo-Tec from my battery back-up sump pump 19 yrs old) will do just about the same. When battery voltage drops to ~12.8, it seems to kick back ON & OFF bringing the voltage up to 13.8v in a similar fashion to the Schumacher above.

I haven't monitored either one is some time but this is my best memory. And all I know is that my batteries last well past their life cycle by keeping them maintained regularly.

Recently, I bought an inexpensive Pittsburgh Float Charger from Harbor Freight for about $5(w/coupon) but it seemed to overcharge the battery well into the 14.5ish volts in which I thought was too high. So, I returned it. I wasn't sure that this was good but I really don't know.

This one? I was thinking about buying this https://www.harborfreight.com/4-amp...ntrolled-battery-chargermaintainer-63350.html

 

[JHZR2]

So last year I bought a Black & Decker 1.2A trickle charger for cheap online. I hooked it up to my 14' Grand Cherokee's old battery (replaced a couple months ago proactively, 7/17 date, it's an H7 AGM) and did a couple little tests. It has kind of a weird charging pattern (but I don't know much about chargers). Also tested with my Noco Genius 1A charger.

What do you guys think?

Test 1: Black & Decker
Starting voltage was 12.63V on the battery, after 15 minutes I checked the voltage with the charger on, it fluctuated a lot from 14.2-14.7V back and forth, over and over again. Is this normal? I took it off the charger after this and let the battery sit all day.



Test 2: Noco Genius 1A
Starting voltage was again 12.63V. After 15 minutes of the charger set to flooded battery (just to see what would happen) it didn't appear to be charging much, it just sat at 12.84V.

Test 3: Noco Genius 1A
Right after the last test I switched to the AGM setting after unplugging the charger and checked after 15 minutes. It hovered around 14.84V. Very different to the Black & Decker's behavior.



Black & Decker:

Battery Maintainer / Trickle Charger | BLACK+DECKER

The BLACK+DECKER™ battery charger/maintainer features 6 volt and 12 volt charging selectivity. Use for battery maintenance, charging RVs, specialty vehicles, antique and classic cars, marine deep cycle batteries, motorcycles, lawn mowers, ATVs, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and more...

www.blackanddecker.com

How is starting at 12.63v a “test”? That can be fully charged or at least nearly under certain conditions and batteries.

If you look at my charger test results, you’ll see that many chargers let the voltage creep up at constant current, then shift down to a lower current level and repeat. I suspect that is what you’re seeing.

The first NOCO test I think you confused the charger. If you started at 12.63, it probably assumed the battery was full and was trying to leave it. By selecting AGM, it had an expectation of a higher voltage so it charged it a bit.

 

[y_p_w]

I'd point out that most of what we see today isn't trickle charging, but rather maintaining. Trickle charging means keeping a low current when it's charged which turns out to not be the best way. But modern charging systems will sense when full and cut off the charging current, then monitor. If it gets to a certain level then it will start a top off charge until full again. It depends on the charger, but mine (a 3A/12A with maintain) will show that it's charging (yellow) and slowly blink green when it's monitoring.

A variable voltage is pretty normal these days, although I'm not sure if it's because it's desulfating, or if it's something else. However, I'm pretty sure that all of these newer firmware controlled chargers do that.

 

[billt460]

I'd point out that most of what we see today isn't trickle charging, but rather maintaining. Trickle charging means keeping a low current when it's charged which turns out to not be the best way. But modern charging systems will sense when full and cut off the charging current, then monitor. If it gets to a certain level then it will start a top off charge until full again. It depends on the charger, but mine (a 3A/12A with maintain) will show that it's charging (yellow) and slowly blink green when it's monitoring.

A variable voltage is pretty normal these days, although I'm not sure if it's because it's desulfating, or if it's something else. However, I'm pretty sure that all of these newer firmware controlled chargers do that.

This is exactly what I'm funding out with my Genius 1 on my Toyota Camry battery that is 4 years old. (2018). This is an original flooded lead acid battery. When my Genius 1 is plugged in, it will remain in "top off mode" for as long as 48 hours. (Pulsating green light). Before it goes into "Float Mode", and just monitors the battery condition, (solid green light) at 100% charge.

It is most likely trying to desulphate or "repair" the battery to return it to a 100% charge. This will happen every time I drive it. From what I understand, the alternators in many of these newer vehicles do not fully charge the battery to 100% charge.

This is supposedly somehow linked to CAFE mileage standards. Because the less power the alternator has to put out, the less rotational resistance it provides, which equals better MPG. And most people won't notice the difference between a 100% charged battery, or a battery that is only charged to 80% capacity. Both will spin over a starter with enough gusto.

When I drive my Jeep, which has a new AGM battery, (about 3 months old), it only remains in "top off mode" for about 3 to 5 hours before going solid green, (float mode), after being driven. As opposed to the 48 hours the older Toyota battery requires for the same charge. Most likely because it's a new battery that has not sulphated to a enough of a degree to require the charger to "repair it". And in the process take so much time to top off to 100% charge.

 

[Donald]

As someone pointed out this is a battery maintainer not a trickle charger although a lot of people would call it a trickle charger.

I have several Battery Minder chargers and maintainers. I think they are very good products but not cheap.

A battery maintainer with temp compensation should be considered unless the battery will be in a room with a reasonable temperature like a basement.

 

[JHZR2]

As someone pointed out this is a battery maintainer not a trickle charger although a lot of people would call it a trickle charger.

I have several Battery Minder chargers and maintainers. I think they are very good products but not cheap.

A battery maintainer with temp compensation should be considered unless the battery will be in a room with a reasonable temperature like a basement.

And trickle isn’t even really a good description. Trickle chargers ruin batteries. Float charging is what is necessary. It is a temperature compensated voltage that offsets the self discharge and keeps the battery at a point where if removed, it settles to 100% SOC.

Trickle can provide an over potential that shouldn’t be there with float.

 

[brianl703]

A correctly designed trickle charger is voltage regulated so it won't exceed about 13.5V

Cheapie trickle chargers are not voltage regulated. Do they still even make these anymore?

 

[jhs914]

I had that model of B&D charger to keep the battery on my zero turn mower charged. It only lasted about a year before is stopped working. It kept the battery topped off while it worked though.

 

[y_p_w]

A correctly designed trickle charger is voltage regulated so it won't exceed about 13.5V

Cheapie trickle chargers are not voltage regulated. Do they still even make these anymore?

I've got a Schumacher 1A manual charger in my garage. I don't really use it for much except maybe getting it going if I need to bring back a battery that my "smart charger" doesn't even recognize as being a 12V battery. With the automated system, it seems to think that 7V on a 12V battery means that it's looking at a 6V battery that's charged. A 1 AM manual charger seems to be enough to get it going to at least 10 V - enough that the "smart charger" starts doing its thing. Don't know where to get a new one as mine has been discontinued by the manufacturer. However, it's designed for a proper load. I've checked it open circuit and it's something like 16V. But properly connected and it's down to about 13V.

I also have a 1.5A traditional maintainer with a heavy transformer and a 6V/12V switch. If I could only find it. Might be in my trunk buried somewhere.

 

[billt460]

So..... Has there been any type of "rating" done on these battery tender / maintainers, as to which one is the cats meow? I have both the Battery Tender Jr., as well as a couple of Noco Genius 1 models.

Just based on features, the Genius 1 wins hands down. It has settings for flooded, AGM, as well as Lithium Ion. It also has a 6 volt and a 12 volt setting. It also has a "boost setting" that allows it to charge a completely dead battery, producing 0 volts.

While the Battery Tender Jr. is strictly 12 volt, with no additional settings for different type batteries. Considering the Noco Genius 1 is also a couple dollars cheaper than the Battery Tender Jr., really makes it the clear winner in my book.

The Genius 1 also claims to be able to desulphate a battery with it's, "topping off mode" that takes the battery to 100% charge. How well it does this, I have no idea..... If it does it at all.

Another thing I like about the Genius 1 is it offers a better connecting harness, along with a whole slew of different adapters and extensions, with different size eyelets to make a solid hookup to your battery that much easier.

But as far as how "good" they are, both do the job at keeping a battery charged and maintained. This would be a good comparison for, "Project Farm". It would be interesting to see how they all stack up against one another.

 

[repairman54]

As someone pointed out this is a battery maintainer not a trickle charger although a lot of people would call it a trickle charger.

I have several Battery Minder chargers and maintainers. I think they are very good products but not cheap.

A battery maintainer with temp compensation should be considered unless the battery will be in a room with a reasonable temperature like a basement.

Temp compensated BatteryMinder/conditioners on my sleds and M/C's. I get 10 yrs out of the batteries in them. Stored in unheated buildings and the 10 yr. old batteries get pulled for age and not for being unable to crank up. Doubling or tripling the life of those expensive powersport AGM batteries more than pays for the maintainers.

 

[LeakySeals]

I have a batteryminder 1510 connected to a 2006 Escalade. Its been connected approximately two months. I just checked with a voltmeter and it’s at 13.57-13.58. Is that what it should be?

 

[henni]

Into the Bin with all my old chargers/maintainers and the only thing entire family fleet now uses are CTEK MUS units (varying models, some with ability to connect simultaneously to several cars at once)

All our generators, mowers, cars or other battery equipped systems use CTEK Quick Connect couplers

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www.ctek.com