Choosing an automotive battery charger

When you are in the market for an automotive battery charger, the first choice you'll face is whether to buy a bench-top model or portable model. The bench models are smaller than the portables and are lightweight, often around fifteen pounds. This makes them perfectly suited for use at your workbench or when you only need an automotive battery charger occasionally. However, for use with fleet vehicles or other large-volume applications, portability will be most important. While the portable versions are much larger, they are well-designed with built-in wheeled carts, making them extremely functional for getting around a car dealership or large service area. After this decision is made, you'll find both bench-top and portable models capable of charging 6-volt and 12-volt batteries. For 18-volt and 24-volt charging, you'll be best with a portable version designed for fleet maintenance. As an added feature, some models will offer a testing function that provides a snapshot of the battery's performance.

Battery testers range from basic versions that test batteries, alternators, and starters to the most advanced versions that are digital and offer bad cell detection and other features. The basic models will test 6-volt or 12-volt batteries on all vehicles. These models are durable and feature heavily-insulated safety clamps that attach to the terminals for testing. Fans of digital battery testers believe they are safer and easier to use than the traditional models. In addition, they often are lighter-weight, which could be important if portability is an advantage for your use. Digital versions also are capable of testing larger batteries. The downside is that for now, the digital models are slightly more expensive than the base models.

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