Car Battery Charger 12V/6V - Trickle Charger, Maintainer for Automobile & Marine Batteries (AGM/Gel/Deep Cycle) - SC1280

This Schumacher charger is absolutely fantastic! It’ve used it on everything – lawnmower, motorcycle, car, camper, and even marine deep cycle batteries – and it performs flawlessly every time. The controls are simple and intuitive, and it charges batteries surprisingly fast. I especially appreciate the versatility – it handles LiPo, AGM, and submerged lead-acid batteries with ease. The built-in overcharge protection gives me complete confidence. Truly a top-quality, reliable charger!

I did a little of research, shopping, looking for the best charger, brand and features. I have a 25yr old large charger on wheels that I realized was not charging correctly. This charger reads the battery, if bad automatically goes into repair mode. If good starts charging at the level needed, shows the % charged then shuts off when at 100%. No overheating. Most I found in this price range we unknown names. Schumacher has been around for years very reliable so far.

The Schumacher Electric Car Battery Charger is very light, which makes it easy to carry, store, and move around when needed. Despite the low weight, it feels well-built and charges reliably. It’s straightforward to use, does exactly what it’s supposed to, and is perfect for keeping a battery topped off or bringing a low battery back to life. Bottom line: Lightweight, easy to use, and dependable—great charger for the money.

UPDATE: DO NOT USE AS CONTINUOUS battery "tender" because there is no way to change the default setting it uses when it is initially plugged into the wall. NOT recommended because if you have a power failure in your house, when your electricity comes back on, this thing begins charging at high current, selected for an AGM type of battery. Does not matter if you previously set it to low power/"GelCell," for example, as a trickle-type charger. The risk is that you will cook a smaller battery, or one that is a traditional Sealed Lead Acid like most vehicles run, because this unit defaults to the higher voltage and current of an AGM. Previous review follows. This model has a few problems, starting with a bad cooling fan or a bad thermal sensor that allowed the unit to overheat. The blower failed to come on, and the plastic housing got very warm on the bottom, although the charging took place as normal. I returned it for an exact replacement. On the substitute one, the fan turns on when the inside needs cooling. The fan will shut off unless needed. The date code on the defective fan was 2022, and the replacement is 2023. Next up, I consider the level of automation a problem. I wish it had a "manual" mode that would let the user select and match some specific charging functions. For example, when first turned on, the unit defaults to an "AGM" type of battery at the unit's maximum 15 Amp charging rate. This could be a problem, because it's possible the user intends to charge a small AGM, gel cell, or a small lead-acid battery, for which the high current is not appropriate. The default should be on the safer, lower current setting, or it should be programmable by the user as the "default." The directions do not explain how the automatic "desulfation" function is initialized. The user must assume the automatic charger simply analyzes and "knows" a desulfation is needed. With no indicator to tell the user the function is underway, I don't trust that it is, or is not, being done. A query to the manufacturer was not answered. Earlier, instead of answering my question of how the cooling fan is turned on, I was told it was against the law to open the case. (not true) Design problem is next: The digital display is incomplete while charging. It will show a generic "12V" setting when that voltage of battery is connected, but fails to show the actual voltage measured at the clamps. There does not seem to be a way to have the display alternate between actual voltage and the percentage of charge that has been reached. The unit has the ability to measure the real voltage, and does so when initially powered up. It should be easy to assign the real voltage to the display while charging is underway, instead of a dummy "12V" The older model SC-1200A is much better. I have opened and repaired my 2009 example of the SC-1200A after a noisy fan bearing started acting up every cold winter. A $8.00 replacement fan from Amazon, mounted inside on the circuit board and frame, like the original, and it's back in service. When power is lost to the SC-1200A, it does NOTHING but come on and display the actual voltage at the battery clamps. It waits for you to initiate the charge rate and type of battery by pushing the selected buttons. Very nice & safe. The SC-1200A is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, if you can find one.

Easy to use, reliable, effective

The Schumacher 1280 is an automotive battery charger, but it is also much more. First, like most battery chargers in the $50-100 range, it allows you to charge your battery at 2 "speeds": the first, at 3 amp, is intended as a traditional "trickle charger," one that can be used to keep your battery in optimal condition and thereby extend its life and reliability. I live in a cold climate (Minneapolis) and tend to use my car only to get around town, sometimes not using the car at all on some days. This combination means my car doesn't get the sort of highway miles to keep the battery fully charged month after month, and the demands of getting it to crank up on subzero mornings is demanding. Buying this charger is bringing me peace of mind and will be financially rewarding over the long haul. Second, my Schumacher has allowed me to get my recently drained battery up and running in impressively short time. I bought it largely for this purpose--after I drained a 4-year twice this summer, replaced it, and then did the same recently with the new one. In its 15 amp mode, my Schumacher successfully desulfinated my current battery (i.e. a necessary first step to clean up the crap that accumulates inside a battery) and then charged it fully in about 6 hours. I had read that this process might well take 24-48 hrs. if done with a lower-amp charger, or might involve leaving a car overnight at a shop if I'd done it there. Most importantly, though, my Schumacher did this while giving me detailed information that let me follow the process and let me an important bit of information about the state of my battery once it was fully recharged. Its well lit LED display tells you when it begins the desalination process, the % charged as it does its thing, and the final voltage of the battery once it's done. The first two of these eliminate the guessing you'd experience with comparably priced charger. (On others you plug it in. . . and blindly wait). The voltage at the end of the process gives a good assessment of the state of the charged battery. In optimal condition, a battery should have 12.6-12.8 volts (mine was 12.6!); if its losing its abilities as a battery, it will have 12.0 volts or less. In a nutshell it tells you what to expect from your battery going forward. Going forward I'm planning to keep track of how my battery's charge and voltage change over time. For me, I'm hoping the pattern will provide clues whether something beyond my forgetfulness with inside lights has been at play.) The display also tells you if it can't successfully complete the desulfation process, in which case you'll know your battery is a goner; if you improperly hooked up the charging cables; when it's completed charging and successfully shifted to standby mode, thereby assuring you its not overcharged your battery; and more. The whole process more or less proceeds seamlessly. You simply turn the charger on (or wait for it to come on automatically after 30 seconds), choose the amperage (3 amps or 15 amps), and indicate the type of battery you own (most of us own standard wet cell batteries with fill-up ports on the top; this isn't hard to figure out). I should also note that I chose the Schumacher 1280 only after going online and looking at a couple of websites that I knew and trusted (Car and Driver; CNET). Both spoke glowingly about Schumacher's reputation and the advanced-for-its price range features that its 1280 and near sib 1281 offer in their price ranges.

Great charger. We use this for our vehicles and our riding lawnmower. Our lawnmowers battery was completely dead and this got it up and running really quickly. It is light weight so I can move it anywhere. The instructions were easy to use. Definitely a great buy and good value for the price I paid.

Good price point and easy to operate especially for someone knowing very little about auto mechanics. Simple instructions and had my car battery charged in a few hours from being completely dead. This is a 2011 car with all bells and whistles with very little driving so a dead battery is common and this charger fits the bill perfectly. I like the fact that it prevents overcharging. Easy to use and I would recommend. I am a 74 yo lady and if I can use this anyone can.

I need to change this item

Excelente producto funciona muy bien mantien mi batería de la moto cargada cuando no la uso por dos o tres semanas y se comporta excelente solo le agregaría la función de ciclo profundo que no lo tiene pero buena relación calidad-precio y además Schumacher es garantía de equipos

Very poor instructions Charger trip my home circuit breaker waiting for Amazon to pick up return item Not recommended

Mon conjoint est satisfait. Polyvalent et sécuritaire.

La calidad de los componentes es excelente, su funcionalidad es muy buena, había utilizado de esta marca de menor capacidad y era bueno, pero este es ecepcional