Schumacher Electric Fully Automatic Car Battery Charger & Engine Starter - 6V / 12V Battery Charger & Maintainer - for Standard, AGM, Gel & Deep-Cycle Batteries - Reverse Hook-Up Protection - SC1281

This is an affordable, easy to use battery charger with a jump start feature. Both options work well. I mainly use the 3 amp trickle charge. The jump starter works well too if you need it. Good brand. I have had several and they last a long time.

This charger was easy to use and worked perfectly. My truck doesn't get used much in the winter and the battery was dead this spring. When I put this charger on it, it read 19% charged and started charging. Within 15 minutes, the bad battery light came on and the charger automatically when in to repair mode showing SUL for Desulfurization. The directions said this could take 8-10 hours so I left it on overnight. When I checked it in the morning it showed that the battery was at 100% and there was a green light for fully charged. Worked great!

Works really good for a S5 80 Mercedes keeps the battery. My charge really good and very reliable.

UPDATE:DO NOT USE AS CONTINUOUS battery "tender" because there is no way to change the default setting it uses when it is initially plugged into the wall.NOT recommended because if you have a power failure in your house, when your electricity comes back on, this thing begins charging at high current, selected for an AGM type of battery. Does not matter if you previously set it to low power/"GelCell," for example, as a trickle-type charger. The risk is that you will cook a smaller battery, or one that is a traditional Sealed Lead Acid like most vehicles run, because this unit defaults to the higher voltage and current of an AGM.Previous review follows.This model has a few problems, starting with a bad cooling fan or a bad thermal sensor that allowed the unit to overheat. The blower failed to come on, and the plastic housing got very warm on the bottom, although the charging took place as normal. I returned it for an exact replacement. On the substitute one, the fan turns on when the inside needs cooling. The fan will shut off unless needed. The date code on the defective fan was 2022, and the replacement is 2023.Next up, I consider the level of automation a problem.I wish it had a "manual" mode that would let the user select and match some specific charging functions. For example, when first turned on, the unit defaults to an "AGM" type of battery at the unit's maximum 15 Amp charging rate. This could be a problem, because it's possible the user intends to charge a small AGM, gel cell, or a small lead-acid battery, for which the high current is not appropriate.The default should be on the safer, lower current setting, or it should be programmable by the user as the "default."The directions do not explain how the automatic "desulfation" function is initialized. The user must assume the automatic charger simply analyzes and "knows" a desulfation is needed. With no indicator to tell the user the function is underway, I don't trust that it is, or is not, being done.A query to the manufacturer was not answered. Earlier, instead of answering my question of how the cooling fan is turned on, I was told it was against the law to open the case. (not true)Design problem is next:The digital display is incomplete while charging. It will show a generic "12V" setting when that voltage of battery is connected, but fails to show the actual voltage measured at the clamps. There does not seem to be a way to have the display alternate between actual voltage and the percentage of charge that has been reached. The unit has the ability to measure the real voltage, and does so when initially powered up. It should be easy to assign the real voltage to the display while charging is underway, instead of a dummy "12V"The older model SC-1200A is much better. I have opened and repaired my 2009 example of the SC-1200A after a noisy fan bearing started acting up every cold winter. A $8.00 replacement fan from Amazon, mounted inside on the circuit board and frame, like the original, and it's back in service. When power is lost to the SC-1200A, it does NOTHING but come on and display the actual voltage at the battery clamps. It waits for you to initiate the charge rate and type of battery by pushing the selected buttons. Very nice & safe.The SC-1200A is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, if you can find one.

Durable battery charger works fast good price.

I bought this battery charger because my previous, very old, charger finally stopped working. I purchased a different battery charger first but then realized that it would NOT charge a completely dead battery. This was one of the very few battery chargers on the market that will charge a completely dead battery. A battery charger that won't do this is worthless to me as I usually only get out my battery charger when I have a dead battery. Other than that this battery charger is very easy to use, reads out the charging current and battery voltage and even estimates how much the battery is charged. It will automatically shut off when the battery is fully charged as well. When it detects that the battery is "sulfated," a condition where a battery will not charge properly, it goes into a mode to repair the battery. This is very handy for older batteries. It will charge as low as 2 amps to maintain a battery in storage and as high as 30 amps for a very fast charge. It also provides a 100 amp battery boost which is the equivalent of a "jump start" to start a near dead car battery immediately if you are close enough to a power plug to plug it in. The battery charger is also very rugged and, of course, quite heavy too. If you drop it, no worries. It has some advanced features to diagnose a bad car alternator but I have not used this yet.

Purchased this due to needing it for my new car. It is great & simple to use