Best/Cheapest 6V Battery Charger

agroubik

agroubik

New member
Hello all!

I'm new to Ford Barn and have a quick question that I was hoping someone might be able to help me with.

I'm looking for a quality 6V battery charger at a low price to trickle charge my Super Start battery. I was wondering if anyone has any chargers they recommend or any that I should steer clear of. I've seen some cheap (~$30) 6V/12V chargers, like the NOCO Genius 1, which seem like a good deal - I just don't know how reliable/high-quality they are.

Any input is much appreciated!


P.S. For those wondering, I have a 1931 Roadster Pickup that was left to me by my grandpa. I'm in college right now so my schedule is pretty tight, but when I have the time, I enjoy working on it and driving it!
 
I have a NOCO Genius 1 and it's been reliable over the winter. I like the quick-connect standard they use, which let me bolt a permanent set of leads to the starter. Then I just crack the hood and plug in the charger when I need it. No more clamps.
 
Depends how you want to charge: fast vs. maintainer. I use a Schumacher 1.5 amp maintainer. It senses and charges either 6/12 volt. Sells for about $35. These are good units. Never had one go bad. When my Optima red top 6V is low, it will charge it up in about 6 hours.
 
Battery Tender by Deltran. By far the best battery charger and maintainer I have ever used. Like everything else, the price has gone up. But you can get a Battery Tender Plus 1.25 Amp Charger/Maintainer that does both 12 or 6 Volts from Walmart for $50.00 right now. Sometimes I see them at Costco for less. They also can be had in 750 ma, 3.0 amp and 4.5 amp.
I have used them for years and never had a failure.
Tom L.
 
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Dirtrack49 said:
Battery Tender by Deltran. By far the best battery charger and maintainer I have ever used. Like everything else, the price has gone up. But you can get a Battery Tender Plus 1.25 Amp Charger/Maintainer that does both 12 or 6 Volts from Walmart for $50.00 right now. Sometimes I see them at Costco for less. They also can be had in 750 ma, 3.0 amp and 4 amp.
I have used them for years and never had a failure.
Tom L.
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X2 on the Battery Tender. If my car is going to sit a while I use a Battery Tender Jr. I have been using them for years and never had a problem.
 
A trickle charger is much better for the battery than a fast rate charger. Get a .75 amp trickle charger or better yet a battery maintainer. Yes, if the battery is low it will take longer to charge, but it'll deep charge a battery which is better for the battery. I use a .75A and leave it on for a few days periodically through the winter months.
 

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I bought 2 "Blackened Eccher" (Black & Decker) maintainers on Amazon 2 years ago because they were the cheapest, about $18 apiece at the time. Still going strong, one on 6V, one on 12V. I keep them attached whenever the car is parked.
 
I tried two different 6/12v chargers but found they only had trickle charge for 12v. It won’t provide jump start power but I like the one I ended up with for trickle charge.

CTEK (56-191) UC 800 6 Volt Fully Automatic 4 Step Battery Charger
 
Dirtrack49 said:
Battery Tender by Deltran. By far the best battery charger and maintainer I have ever used. Like everything else, the price has gone up. But you can get a Battery Tender Plus 1.25 Amp Charger/Maintainer that does both 12 or 6 Volts from Walmart for $50.00 right now. Sometimes I see them at Costco for less. They also can be had in 750 ma, 3.0 amp and 4 amp.
I have used them for years and never had a failure.
Tom L.
Click to expand...

X3 on Deltran 12V/6v Battery Charger/Maintainer. I bought mine at Costco Warehouse and I noticed you can buy it on their website.

David Serrano
 
I also have used the Harbor Freight charger pictured with BillCNC and Mercman for about 3 years now. Works great and shows you the charge level.
Paid about $25 for it...watch for a sale.
 
I use Battery Tender and NOCO. NOCO's have made it through 3 winters, and Battery Tenders are now on 15 years. Both types have served me well. Schumacher failed after 1-2 seasons. I have tenders on 10 antique cars and 3 other yard care tools.
 
Can you start the car while the charger is attached to the battery, or at least check that it's working by turning on the lights or honking the horn?
 
I have both a Schumacher and Battery Tender brand of maintainers. They both do equally well in my opinion. I ran a pigtail from the battery and have the connector mounted near the starter. That way I don't have to access the battery under the floorboard in order to hook it up. Also, do not start the car with it connected, the generator will fry the charger. Speaking from experience.........
 
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