 Very impressive | | Review Date: January 19, 2009 | | Reviewer: A Research Shopper, PA, USA | | This is the 4th or 5th battery charger I've owned over the years. I remember the ones that used to "cook" your battery. This one is amazing, and so simple to use. You hook it up, input the battery type and size, and let it go! The digital read out lets you know what it's doing and will actually go up to 16 v or so to try to desulfonate the battery. The little cooling fan kicks in (internal) as the electronics do their analyzing. It will maintain a charge -- no cooking any more. Well made, works well, I'm glad I purchased it. Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge Charger/Maintainer |
Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge Battery Charger | | Review Date: February 8, 2009 | | Reviewer: J. Heideman, | | So far so good.....I have only had this charger a couple of weeks. My only use so far was to charge and check several batteries I keep in my barn for the winter. So far I am very pleased with its performance. It seem to work just like the instructions indicate. I have used it on two small quad runner batteries, two spare car batteries, and 2 deep cycle trolling motor batteries. They all went through the initial diagnostic check, and then when I switched it they went into the charge mode. One of the small batteries went into the desulfating mode, then the charge mode and now seems to working better. Charger seems to built very well, and came vey well packaged for shipping. |
fast or slow charge with jump start | | Review Date: June 17, 2009 | | Reviewer: Chris J. Crash, New York | Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge Charger/Maintainer
I have had various 12v battery chargers. The ones that I have usually bought were trickle charge types. My first one did not have a sensor and I blame that for killing a 1 year old garden tractor battery. My second unit that I bought for $30 or so had a sensor to avoid overcharging. It lasted 10-15 years but it started to have problems. It just seems to stopped charging altogether when its 'trouble' light came on. It started becoming frustrating when all my automotive batteries started to die about the same time and the charge just did not work. Thank the lord that I now have what appears to be a really good unit.
So far I have successfully used the Schumacher SC-8000A to trickle charge my garden tractor battery, jump start my car, rapid charge my diesel truck (which as diesel owners know, has two batteries), and rapid charge an auxiliary battery (an Optima YellowTop). I did try to jump start my diesel truck and it did not work. I only tried to crank it once and I wasn't sure that it would work. Once you crank it, the unit prevents you from trying again for several minutes. I was not in a hurry so I rapid charged it myself. So far I am satisfied. I am hoping that it continues to work well and lasts a long time. Time will only tell. |
Best Battery Charger for the Money | | Review Date: January 6, 2009 | | Reviewer: C. Landers, Shelbyville, TN | I bought this battery charger for myself about a year ago and love it. It is very versitile for a small charger. I bought my brother one for Christmas and he loves it too. Best battery charger you can buy for the money.
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Good for Deep Cycle batteries | | Review Date: December 19, 2009 | | Reviewer: Caveat, Denver, CO | Bought this to maintain Deep Cycle batteries for my RV and Electric trolling motor
I like the 3 stage charging and seems to charge twice as fast as my old charger
The float/maintenance mode also works like a battery tender
Overall a good value |
great product | | Review Date: April 28, 2008 | | Reviewer: P. J. Carlson, | | Very high quality. Works very well on all my batteries from car, truck, tractor to motor cycle, atv and lawnmower. |
As advertised ... GREAT unit!!! | | Review Date: June 11, 2010 | | Reviewer: J. S. Durko, Long Island, NY | | Hands down, the best battery charger I've ever owned! Handles multiple settings well (deep cycle, etc.), and easy to use. Very pleased with this purchase. |
Right on the money! | | Review Date: June 20, 2010 | | Reviewer: Peter H. Stehmer, Wellsboro PA | | This battery charger is excellent. MOst impressive is the quick charges it gives, I also like the percentage readout you get regarding how much the battery is charged. Its handy and does the job for reasonable money. |
Works perfectly | | Review Date: July 20, 2010 | | Reviewer: J. Nyeh, | | It's very simple to connect and use. There's not much to say but that it does the job as described as I haven't had problems using it thus far. Still, I suggest you know the type of battery that is in your vehicle before using the charger, otherwise, you might just break it. I have an Optima Yellowtop, which is a gel-type battery. So that's why I specifically looked for a charger that will do both acid and gel so to make it worth the purchase of a charger. I haven't charged my Vespa yet but I expect it will do the job just as well too. |
Schumacher SC-8000A charger | | Review Date: July 23, 2010 | | Reviewer: GGQ, | | A very good product. I am very well pleased with this charger. I have used it many times and it has always performed great. Very well satisfied. |
Charger works great | | Review Date: February 2, 2009 | | Reviewer: D. Sparks, GA USA | | Great charger to use on small and large batteries. The digital display really helps you out, esp when your used to stick meters. |
Very good charger | | Review Date: September 27, 2009 | | Reviewer: Keith, L.A., Calif. | | Bought the 7500A model to charge my grampa's car that hasn't been driven since the beginning of the year and wow. At first, the 1st charge stopped after 3-4 hours with the digital display flashing all 888888's. I unplugged the machine then left for the day came back the next day around noon and the completely dead battery that wouldn't crank or click the solenoid start after a few gas pedal pumps and cranking. The car then cranked and started another 3 more times for the afternoon's car positioning in and out the garage. I later decided after ready to go home to leave the charger connected and in maintain mode til the next day which has yet to come. Anyhow this charger is really compact and handy around the house instead of wheeling out a full sized charger and not being able to hide the damn thing if you wanna leave it outside for an extended amount of time. It can be easily hidden under the car too. Can't think of any really negative comments other than the battery clamps could be bigger and the cables could be longer. |
Nice and user friendly | | Review Date: June 7, 2008 | | Reviewer: Jay, Orlando, FL United States | | This is a nice and easy to use charger. Very pleased with it so far. |
SC-8000A | | Review Date: April 7, 2009 | | Reviewer: WDT3, | The meter accuracy on the SC-800A was within 0.05 volts, and the charging algorithms appear to work well, although they are not described in the instructions.
I observed that the voltage was generally limited to 15.5 for regular, 16.0 for deep cycle, and 14.7 for AGM batteries. The 30 amp capability is in the form of a long timed pulse of about 2 minutes followed by 12 amps for a similar time period, then repeating until the voltage has risen enough that it isn't required. The amperage isn't constant, it tapers down to limit the voltage in typical CC/CV fashion, although the algorithm appears to actually be more complex. For instance, on a particular AGM battery it went to 15.5 volts near the end of the charge (95%) with current at about 1.5 amps for about 30 minutes and then stopped (completed). I suspect that this was an automatic attempt to condition the battery. A DieHard 71227 charger (Schumacher makes the DieHard 71227 charger) did the same thing. After three discharge cycles, it stoped doing the "high-voltage treatment". Also, in AGM mode it went to 15.5 volts briefly during one of the 40 amp cycles. Although the instructions for DieHard Platinum and Odyssey batteries say to choose a charger with <14.8 volts, this charger was obviously designed with these batteries in mind.
Two small negative notes. If a battery has voltage close to zero, the safety features won't let it operate. Also, if the AC power cycles, it will come back on as a charger set for 2 amps in regular battery mode after 15 minutes. I wouldn't recommend leaving an AGM battery connected in maintenance mode. It's odd that the charger doesn't store the last used settings in the microprocessor's eeprom, or just use battery power to keep the processor running.
Overall, it's a nice charger. I hope some of the tech info above helps. |
Nice charger | | Review Date: July 21, 2008 | | Reviewer: Pascoes, Pennsylvania, USA | | Good charger. Well built except for the two flimsy plastic cable retaining posts on the back. I will probably make some modifications after the warranty is over. I've been wrapping the power cord on the rear posts & wrapping the hook-up cables around the top handle (the instructions don't mention that option). The charge percentage reading is very helpful but not always accurate (can be fixed by unplugging & starting charge process over if you are not sure the reading is correct). I haven't used the alternator check yet. I found the start feature to have too short of duration... just a few seconds then the charger has to cool down for several minutes before you can use the start feature again. Overall I am please with my purchase. |
SC-8000A | | Review Date: June 2, 2010 | | Reviewer: Choppermike, OK | | Have used this charger several times to recharge Marine battery. Works great. The cable holder could have been designed better. |
Can't Use 2-Amp Setting for Car Batteries | | Review Date: August 16, 2009 | | Reviewer: Elizabeth, | The Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge Charger/Maintainer is not meant to be used as a 2-amp trickle charger for an automobile, but that was not clear until I received the item and read the instruction manual.
I ordered this to be a trickle charger/maintenance charger for my Mazda Miata's small battery and to jump start it when needed. It is a small battery by car standards, but per Schumacher Model SC-8000A, a "small" battery is defined as "those commonly used in garden tractors, snow mobiles and motorcycles."
By Schumacher standards, my battery is a "regular"/"larger" battery and per the instructions, it will charge my Mazda Miata car battery at 12-30 amps. It is not meant to charge my car's battery at the 2-amp rate. The instructions for the Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge Charger/Maintainerinstructions state:
"The 2A rate is not intended to be used as a trickle charger for larger batteries."
I am returning it and instead getting the Battery Tender Plus, which with its slow 1.25-amp charge will not harm my car's battery. From speaking with mechanics and Mazda, it doesn't sound like a good idea to charge my Miata's relatively small battery (when compared to the size of other car batteries) at a rate of 12 amps to 30 amps. I realize the Battery Tender Plus is not a jump starter, but it is a trickle charger, and I need a trickle charger that won't harm my battery.
Here are the instructions as printed on page 9 of the instruction manual for the Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge:
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"CHARGE SET BUTTON
Use this button to set the maximum charge rate to one of the following:
*SMALL BATTERY: Provides a charge rate of up to 2A. Intended for charging small batteries such as those commonly used in garden tractors, snow mobiles and motorcycles. ***The 2A rate is not intended to be used as a trickle charger for larger batteries.***
*REGULAR BATTERY: Provides a charge rate of up to 12A-30A depending on the battery. Use for charging normal or large batteries. Not intended for industrial applications."
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Other things I noticed about this product:
1. To operate the Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge Charger/Maintainer, you must know what kind of battery you have. The SC-8000A has 4 settings: 12V Regular, 12V Deep Cycle, 12V AGM/Gel, and 6V Regular. My Miata battery is a 12V AGM/Gel, but I had to do a lot of research to determine what type of battery I had. You can't just go by whether or not the battery has vent caps. With the Battery Tender Plus, no research is necessary. Just connect the positive and negative clamps to your battery and you are set.
2. When using the Schumacher SC-8000A, if it is a negative-grounded system, you connect the red (positive) output clamp to the positive post, but the negative clamp *cannot* and *must not* be connected to the negative post. You have to connect the negative clamp to, according to the SC-8000A's instructions, "a heavy, unpainted metal part of the chassis or engine block, away from the battery." And "DO NOT connect clamp to negative battery post, carburetor, fuel line or sheet metal part." Since my Miata's battery is located in the trunk, near no engine parts nor other metal parts, there is nothing to clip the negative clamp onto besides the trunk, which I can't do since it cannot be connected to a "sheet metal part." There is nothing else for the negative clamp to be connected to in my trunk. (The same holds true when using the SC-8000A for positive-grounded systems and connecting the positive clamp: you cannot and must not connect the positive clamp to the positive post.) This feels counterintuitive to me.
With the Battery Tender Plus, I can connect both positive and negative clamps to my battery's terminals. I don't have to worry about finding some other part of the car to clamp on the battery to. I don't have to figure out whether my system is a "negative-grounded system" or a "positive grounded system," which I must determine if I am going to use the Schumacher SC-8000A. Sure, the Battery Tender Plus won't jump start a dead battery, but at least it can maintain it.
For that matter, the Schumacher SC-8000A won't jump start a dead battery, either. Not without following the manual instructions I have included at the end of this review.
3. This Schumacher product is larger and heavier than I anticipated. The Battery Tender Plus is extremely small and lightweight. I don't like moving or carrying the Schumacher SC-8000A. It is too heavy for me.
4. The warning about washing your hands after touching the cables due to lead exposure is disconcerting. "Handling the cord on this product or cords associated with accessories sold with this product, may expose you to lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling."
5. IMPORTANT NOTE: ***For those who want to use this to jump a completely dead battery, per a Schumacher representative, it can be done using the following steps:
A. Connect charger to battery.
B. Hold down the charge rate button. While you hold this down, plug the charger in to electrical power source.
C. Let the button go once the charger is plugged in.
D. This sets it in "manual mode." Leave it on Manual Mode for about 2-3 minutes.
E. Unplug from electrical power source (while leaving it still connected to battery).
F. Replug back in to electrical power source. The surge inside will activate the charging mode in a completely dead battery.
Please see attached photos of the size difference between the Schumacher SC-8000A Speedcharge Charger/Maintainer and the Battery Tender Plus.
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Sophisticated charger, but... | | Review Date: May 21, 2010 | | Reviewer: S. Stewart, | This charger works well, in general, but its built-in computer seems to want to end the charging process prematurely, particularly for my deep-cycle batteries! It would nice to have more control over the process of charging deep-cycle batteries...
It does NOT get along well with my generator (we are off-grid), as it seems to be very sensitive to the frequency of its power source, and will shut itself off if the generator's frequency deviates too much from 60 Hz! |
WILL NOT CHARGE A COMPLETELY DEAD BATTERY | | Review Date: August 22, 2008 | | Reviewer: Rex, Los Angeles, USA | I bought one of these to charge the batteries of 2 vehicles that had been sitting for 7 months while I was away. I figured that with the ability to crank an engine for 5 seconds, I could probably get a vehicle started or at least charge the battery. The first attempt was on my car with a completely dead battery--no voltage at all. The charger wouldn't even recognize that it was connected to the battery--probably a result of a safety "feature" which may need to sense voltage to know it is connected to a battery. Since it didn't sense it was connected to a battery, it would not apply a charge or provide any cranking power.
Next I tried it on the battery of my truck which had a little voltage left, but not enough to start the engine. The 5 second starting power of the charger would not turn the engine over. It did, however, charge the battery overnight and the truck started right up the next morning. I then used the truck to jumpstart the car with the completely dead battery and allowed the car to run for about a half hour. This gave the battery enough voltage so that the charger could then recognize it was connected and supply a charge to the battery. After about 6 hours, the car battery was fully charged and a test indicated that the battery was not faulty.
After all this, I returned the charger to Amazon and bought a Sears premium one that had better specs for about the same price and was told it WOULD start a completely dead battery. Had some similiar looking control panel items to the Schumacher charger so may be same manufacturer. Haven't had a chance to try on completely dead battery.
If you buy the Schumacher SC-8000A, don't expect to charge a completely dead battery or crank anything other than a very small engine.
Shipment packing from Amazon was poor--it allowed the heavy charger to bang around in the box. When I turned the charger upside down, parts inside moved around--not a good sign. |
Not worth it | | Review Date: June 2, 2009 | | Reviewer: X. Zhang, Sacramento, CA | | I have a v6 4wd toyota highlander. The battery went bad and I wished that this charger could recharge the battery for some time. First of all, the unit cannot even jump start my highlander. It always starts blinking when recharging reaches about 60%. |
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