Battery Chargers

[huskertko]

I am going to be getting a small boat in a couple weeks with TM.  I have never needed a deep cycle battery so I have no idea what I need for a charger.  I have seen chargers for $27 upto $100+, what should I look for in a charger, what is absolutely necessary and what is "fluff" that I may be able to get by without?

Thanks

[jdw174]

Most decent battery chargers these days have a switch for deep cycle batteries.  A 10 amp rated charger will work fine most of the time, but again, some chargers allow you to make the choice on the amps.  Check out what's available at Wallyworld or your local auto parts store.

[Jig Man]

I have used 2, 6, 10, and 20 amp chargers.  I like the 10 best.  

A note on your battery, get reserve amps as many as you can.  They are what make a battery last all day.

[Way2slow]

Very few chargers have "fluff" as you call it.  You pretty much get what you pay for, buy a cheap charger, you get a cheap charger.  Most any charger worth having is going to cost you around $50 or more

Do yourself a favor and don't buy one of those cheap, automatic cutoff chargers.  You want go get a charger that say's it a 10 amp or 12 amp Smart charger, Intili charger or something along those line.  What you are looking for is a high frequency charger that drops into a float mode when the battery is fully charged and you can leave them connected indefinetly without damaging your battery.  Actually, it's best to leave your battery connected a good, high frequency charger that goes into a float mode.  They work just like your better onboard chargers.