Best battery charger for farm/ranch use?

[Lucky_P]

Well, after 25 yrs or so, my old 2/10/50Amp battery charger is evidently kaput...Have had it on two different vehicles with dead batteries in the past week or so, for a couple days at a time... and it did nothing other than hum...

Googling 'best 12v battery charger' brings up a whole bunch of little battery keepers and jumpstart units... but not really what I think I'm looking for... need one to charge tractor/truck and small engine equipment batteries - and ability to jumpstart a truck or tractor would be a plus... neither the 50A jump feature on the old charger - or on the power station we bought used (with power inverter, air compressor, etc.) ever pushed enough juice to crank a tractor or minitruck here.

Open to recommendations for a good one, under $200... under $100 even better.

 

[bird dog]

Open it up first and see if something has come loose or corroded up. The copper wire inside over time will corrode some over time just like the connection on a battery. Heat builds up, the wires get brittle and burn in two.

I inherited one on this old farm I bought. The previous owner decided to just leave everything that was broke. It would do the same, hum but no spark. Evidentially someone in the past had hooked it up backwards and fried a couple wires inside. An easy fix. Even the timer started working again after a spraying of some lubricant.

Most of the ones today are China crap.

 

[hurleyjd]

Well, after 25 yrs or so, my old 2/10/50Amp battery charger is evidently kaput...Have had it on two different vehicles with dead batteries in the past week or so, for a couple days at a time... and it did nothing other than hum...

Googling 'best 12v battery charger' brings up a whole bunch of little battery keepers and jumpstart units... but not really what I think I'm looking for... need one to charge tractor/truck and small engine equipment batteries - and ability to jumpstart a truck or tractor would be a plus... neither the 50A jump feature on the old charger - or on the power station we bought used (with power inverter, air compressor, etc.) ever pushed enough juice to crank a tractor or minitruck here.

Open to recommendations for a good one, under $200... under $100 even better.

I have this one and it is the second one I have owned. STANLEY BC50BS about $60

 

[Atimm693]

Check the leads. Sometimes the wires break inside the clamps. You can cut the wire, flip the clamp over, and recrimp them.

None will actually boost equipment. You can only get about 100 amps out of a 120v outlet, and usually the leads they come with not carry near that.

I have this one, but mine is branded Mac tools. Had it for 7 years.

https://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automotive-Pro-Logix-PL2310-Maintainer/dp/B007ESQW08/ref=asc_df_B007P7ABE6/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312462950315&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14703649569813896216&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023412&hvtargid=aud-802037562948%3Apla-437175813518&psc=1&ref=&adgrpid=70635887228&th=1

 

[ClodHopper37869]

I've got 2, both 50 + year old Schumachers, nuff said

 

[regolith]

Wouldn't be without a jump-starter but it's difficult to get a tractor-sized one cheap - I have one for 4WD trucks that usually starts the tractor but not in cold weather apparently.
I've got a very old little charger... same situation I'm not even sure it works, not that useful anyway since there aren't accessible power outlets to use it with here.

 

[shaz]

definitely tear into it before you chunk it out. Sounds like your transformer is working and that's the big ticket item in a charger.

 

[callmefence]

We've got a Craftsman 2/60/200 amp if ircc. It's been good enough. Been left out in the rain several times. Usually a few minutes on the 60 then switch to 200 amp for start gets it done.

 

[hurleyjd]

Keep a good battery on those tractors and you may not need a battery charger. Do not forget to turn the key off.

 

[greggy]

I am not sure what your market has......but 100 bucks wont get jack in as far as anything good down here....

I prob have 10 or more chargers, you realky cany have one f2fg o do all, not even if you do that sort of thing everyday.

I have some rudimentary, but, belt out a lot of power old chargers, they are good for real fast chargi g.....but they cost me thousands 39 plus years ago !

I tend to use multi stage chargers mostly now...cause if I forget them, they mostly wont fry a battery, all older ones will easily fry them....

8amp decent multi stage is prob where your at.....or get the best cteck for your budget....

It is hard to tell how some units will perform.......

 

[greggy]

Geez I hate aito correct....see what I mean .? I am not that bad at English....

 

[JW IN VA]

I use a charger made by Schmacher. Farm and Ranch 1236 with 6 and 12 volt capability.I read somewhere once o not charge a battery too quickly so I keep a low amperage and charge overnight.I also have a small maintainer I bought from Northern Tool which has a feature which desulfinates batteries as it charges.For batteries tat don't get a lot of use,I like to plug it into them from time to time and freshen the charge.During cold weather,I'll hook it to the tractor battery overnight once or twice weekly.There may be models which would do both but I bought the smaller one when I was low in cash then added the other.

 

[cfpinz]

A bit off subject, but I keep one of these on all of the tractors and anything else that doesn't get used regularly. Even keep one on the feed truck that gets used daily. Makes the biggest difference in the world as far as battery life and ease of starting.

http://www.batterytender.com/Battery-Tender-Junior-12V-0-75A

 

[greggy]

Yes, a very small regulated trickle charger, or, you can get small regulated solar as well.

If you have a barn or shed where most stuff is parked, I would make a bank, run cables, and have andserson plugs and leads to plug into each vehicle with a battery.