- Digital meter displays battery charge status and test results
- Features retractable handle for easy portability
- System test helps diagnose problems
- Electronic push-button control switches help select between display mode, charge rate, or battery
- Accommodates 12-volt batteries only; Clamps are rated @ 75 Amps
As others have noted, the percent-charged reading can be grossly misleading. My experience is that when it shows 100%, you can expect to continue charging for another couple of hours before reaching full charge. Other than that, this charger works well. The biggest consideration with this product, however, is life expectancy. While this charger comes with a five year warranty, you are unlikely to get anywhere near that before it dies. This has been my experience with several Schumacher battery chargers. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing in the way of comparable items by other makers to choose from.
Buy Schumacher SSC-1500A Ship 'n Shore SpeedCharge Charger with included battery clamps Now
As my title states, this charger handles all four main types of large batteries: Lead Acid Auto Starter batteries, Deep Cycle Marine, AGM and Gel Cell. You select battery type and size and it takes care of the rest. When you first hook up the clips to the battery and plug in the charger, selecting battery type, it tests the battery and gives you the volts available as well as the percentage that battery is currently charged! Many times I've wanted to know that. You then select battery size and it starts charging. If you select 15 or 10 amps, when the battery is fully charged it goes into a maintenance mode automatically! You can leave the charger running forever and it won't over charge the battery. Also if your battery is damaged by sulfide build up, it detects that and runs a cycle to clean the battery and give it life again if it can. Wow. I wonder how many batteries I've replaced that could have been revived or kept alive by this charger?! This is going to save me a lot of money.
I purchased a new 850 cc amp deep cycle battery to use as an emergency power source for my amateur radio equipment (I'm a net control storm spotter for the National Weather Service Skywarn network). This brand new battery tested at 95% charged so I fully charged it (while using the radio) and it worked fine. Charged up to 100% and went into maintenance mode automatically. Took the charger to the farm and connected it to a dead tractor battery. Showed 11% charged and began building the charge immediately. Was up to 15% in about 7 minutes when I had to leave. I'll have to update this review later to let you know if it was able to salvage that poor battery.
I know of no other chargers that test the battery, charge all types of batteries and can safely be left on to maintain them as well. Go check out the cost of Gel Cell battery chargers and you'll find this is a deal.
BTW, if you forget to turn it from 'test' to 'charge', after 10 minutes or so this charger will automatically charge up the battery and keep it maintained for you! How easy is that?
Read Best Reviews of Schumacher SSC-1500A Ship 'n Shore SpeedCharge Charger with included battery clamps Here
I bought this charger to replace a 15yr. old manual charger that finally gave up the ghost. All I can say is that chargers have come a long way over the last decade and a half. This charger was about 1/3 the price of the one it replaced. It's easy to use and does a great job. I would prefer metal construction rather than the plastic, but given the price, that's a minor complaint. The fan is a bit loud, but I don't sleep in my garage so I don't see that as an issue either.
I've used this charger several times. Most recently to revive the battery in my wife's mini van. It was drained to less than 6v when my kids left the interior lights on. In the past, this would have been a death sentence for the battery, but the SSC-1500A was able to recharge it without any problems. It's been over 2 months and her car starts just fine. Considering it's winter in Alaska, that's no small feet for a battery that was drained as far as her's was.
The SSC-1500A was also able to breathe new life into a portable jump start battery that had recently started refusing to accept more than a 50% charge with it's included wall wart. I hooked the SSC-1500A's clamps to the portable batteries clamps, started the charge and left it overnight. The next morning the portable battery was back to full capacity.
I'll say it again, great charger for the price.
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So I purchased a Optima battery and I wanted a AGM compatible charger, so I purchased this. It did charge up a brand new Optima cell on the AGM mode, but here's the bad before the good, because there is simply more of it.
CONS: It does not shut off after charging. After fully charging a BRAND NEW Optima battery on the 10 amp AGM setting my 120 volt watt meter (kill-a-watt) indicated this thing was still drawing 77 watts after the 100% full and green charge light lit up.
I thought it may be a glitch so I reset everything, drained the Optima to 90% capacity and set the charger to the lowest 2 amp trickle charger mode( it says trickle right on the control panel of the machine). The watt meter indicated that the charger was consuming 60 watts! I consulted the instruction manual where it reiterates that the 2 amp mode is for maintenance and small motorcycle batteries so I shrugged it off as a inefficient charger and I come back 8 hours later to see that it had finished at 100% and that the charger was still dumping in 60 watts into the battery. I felt the battery and it was HOT!!! The whole 800 CCA Optima battery is at about 110 degrees Fahrenheit and is probably now ruined! I am not too happy with the charger so I placed a order for a Battery MINDer charger.
Now for the PROS:
It did charge the batteries, including a few small lawn tractor batteries that I had written off as heavily sulfated and they would not take a charge. My computerized battery tester indicated full capacity after charging and 24 hours later still indicated full charge showing very good results.
Summary:
While I wanted a "hands off" unattended charger that would not overcharge my batteries, I did not achieve that with this, but this still does charge better than my last Schumacher and it weights less than 5 pounds :o)
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My dad is 88 years young and drives once a week to the grocery store. "Sometimes" he will drive twice a week if he gets a hair cut or goes to the doctor.
His car battery was ALWAYS going dead and he would need a jump. This charger is GREAT! He plugs it up every two weeks and in a couple of hours his battery is charged to 100%.
This charger works as advertised. My dad (and I) are completely satisfied. If fact, my dad just said yesterday that every household should have one. That's what prompted me to write this review.
We've had this charger for 8 months and have had zero problems.
