Best Battery Chargers 2016

[sanddrag]

We've been very happy with our Autometer BusPro 660 chargers and I would highly recommend them.

I spent days straight extensively researching chargers from every vendor in every industry sector and market and that's what I came up with as a best fit for our application.

I wanted something either 5 or 6 amp that was at least a 3-station multi-bank, had no user controls or buttons whatsoever, and had good red-green status lights. There are not too many chargers that meet all those requirements.

We also have a DualPro RS3 that we're happy with, but it's an epoxy-potted brick so if and when anything goes bad, it's off to the scrap heap.

On the Autometer, the voltage of the batteries coming off it seems a but less than other chargers, but this doesn't seem to affect our performance, and is probably a good thing for the longevity of the batteries.

If you order direct from AutoMeter, be sure to tell them you're a FIRST Robotics team. I'm not aware of any discount, but it would be good for them to know about our application for their products.

[swootton]

We've been using 4 of these for the past 3 years. Working in the automotive industry lead me to these. 2 amps for topping off at the shop and 6 amps at the competition.
http://smile.amazon.com/CHARGE-4506-12V-Smart-Charger/dp/B004RTJOH0?ie=UTF8&keywords=4506%20battery%20charg er&qid=1465490955&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

Yes they have buttons but they work great, are small in size and <$30 each.

[Bkeeneykid]

Originally Posted by swootton

We've been using 4 of these for the past 3 years. Working in the automotive industry lead me to these. 2 amps for topping off at the shop and 6 amps at the competition.
http://smile.amazon.com/CHARGE-4506-12V-Smart-Charger/dp/B004RTJOH0?ie=UTF8&keywords=4506%20battery%20charg er&qid=1465490955&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

Yes they have buttons but they work great, are small in size and <$30 each.

Wow! That's a really great price. I've also been looking at new battery chargers for our shop. I know they say they are rated for 6 amps, but I'm skeptical due to the low price. How long have they lasted?

[AllenGregoryIV]

Originally Posted by Bkeeneykid

Wow! That's a really great price. I've also been looking at new battery chargers for our shop. I know they say they are rated for 6 amps, but I'm skeptical due to the low price. How long have they lasted?

We haven't used that specific charger but use a charger that was pretty cheap. It use to cost from $22-30 depending on where we bought it and we haven't had one die yet. So don't let the price scare you too much. This is the charger we use at events for those wondering, but it's out of stock at the cheaper places amazon has them for $40

[snoman]

+1 clint we have 2 of these and love them

[Janna3]

Originally Posted by swootton

We've been using 4 of these for the past 3 years. Working in the automotive industry lead me to these. 2 amps for topping off at the shop and 6 amps at the competition.
http://smile.amazon.com/CHARGE-4506-12V-Smart-Charger/dp/B004RTJOH0?ie=UTF8&keywords=4506%20battery%20charg er&qid=1465490955&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

Yes they have buttons but they work great, are small in size and <$30 each.

Hi, did you add Anderson connectors to the ends of these or just use the clamps for charging?

[swootton]

We added Anderson connectors to them and plug them directly into batteries.