Looking for 12v battery charger recommendations
 

What should I get? What brands/models should I avoid? I don't really need a "start" feature or a high charging rate. Something around 10 amps is probably fine.

10A is not a small charger. The last time I went shopping for one, I picked up a Schumacher model. They seem to be quite popular and fairly inexpensive. Mine is also a smart charger so it won't overcharge the battery which is nice. I don't think its the most efficient charger though since it does get on the warm side, even just sitting plugged in and not charging.

I really like the Soneil chargers. I use them on my riding lawn mower I converted to EV. They're also a smart charger. You plug them in and forget them. There is no pushing buttons to get them started which is nice. They are pretty efficient. They're more expensive too. Also, if you use them, don't keep them on board, or mount them with padding. I've lost a few of them over the years just due to failure, probably from all the bumps and jostling.

I use a deltran Battery Tender (plus?), which has a charge rate of about 1.25 amps. Perfect for motorcycle batteries, a little slow for car batteries, but I imagine it is very healthy for them. Lead acids don't like being charged quickly.

Hoping to see 4-5 years from my car battery, down south in the heat and under the hood in close proximity to pre-cats. Other than the heat, i treat my battery gently, very little accessory use, almost no accessory use with engine not running. I charge the battery with the charger mentioned above if I run the car through start cycles (like moving the car in the driveway) without driving the car, and I occasionally check the electrolyte level. So far so good. :thumbup:

Q: Exactly WHAT purpose do you plan?

(A) Battery CHARGING (quick, fast, recharge);
(B) Battery "trickle" charging (slow, long, non-use top-off);
(C) Battery "float" charging (quick, "burp" recharging during battery storage)?

There IS a HUGE difference.

My deep-cycle marine/RV battery (85 Ah) is getting weak at 3.5 years old. I can't drive without the alternator or EOC at night anymore. I've gotten much longer life from batteries in this and other vehicles. I'm wondering if I shortened the life of this battery. When I first got it, I wasn't grid-charging it and it got pretty dead a few times. Then I started charging it with various (low-power) unregulated power supplies that likely overcharged it. I had it up to 15v fairly often with a faint hissing sound coming from it. I'm hoping to make the replacement battery last a bit longer by using a proper charger. Ideally one with at least two charge rates, one for faster charging when necessary and one for trickle charging when there's time.

I also have a small solar panel connected at all times, but that does hardly anything.

For an onboard chargers, I really like the Soneils. Just plug them in and walk away. The one I used on most of my cars was their 5A charger. Its pretty robust compared to the others (metal case vs plastic). It also costs a bit more. However, it has lasted longer than any of the other ones too. I had their 7A charger that is cheaper, but went through two of them before settling on the 5A per the suggestion of the dealer I had been working with.

I have a pair of NOCO chargers, mainly because they do 6v/12v/24v, AGM and Lithium so they're future proof(model dependent).

Son1212SR? Looks pretty good from what I've read. More than I wanted to spend, but I'll consider it.

Should I even ask about Harbor Freight chargers? :D

Yeah, I believe that is the one. It looks like their product line has changed a fair amount since I checked them out last.

If you're interested, I'm not using mine and I don't foresee using it anytime soon. I'd be willing to sell it. PM me if you're interested.