Black & Decker VEC1087CBD Smart Battery 10/6/2 Amp Battery Charger | 
| Brand: Black & Decker
Category: Automotive Parts and Accessories
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $43.99
as of 7/30/2010 02:25 CDT details
You Save: $16.00 (27%)
New (6) from $43.99
Seller: kjkrisay1
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 6241
Media: Tools & Hardware
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 7 x 7 x 8
MPN: VEC1087CBD
Model: VEC1087CBD
UPC: 617977108761
EAN: 0617977108761
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | Spark-resistant design for added safety | | • | Reverse hook-up warning alarm to prevent damage to vehicle or electronics | | • | Features easy connectivity for battery clips and ring terminals or vehicle DC plug | | • | Two year warranty | | • | Spark resistant reverse hook-up protection |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
* Fully Automatic Electronic
* Five Minute Charge To Start-4 1/2 Hours To Full Charge
* Three Stage Automatic Rapid Charging
* Light Weight, High Efficiency Design
* Heavy-Duty Cables And Clamps
* Charging Complete Indicator
* Reverse Polarity Protection (No Spark) For User
* Compensates For Low Ac From Extension Cord Use
* Microprocessor Control (Digital Smart Control)
* Digital Diagnostics & Fault Codes
* High Frequency Power Conversion Technology
* Automatic Float Mode Monitoring
* Compensates For Low Ac Extension Cord Use
* Reverse Polarity Indicator
* Vehicle Alternator Check
* Ul Listed
* 5 Year Limited Warranty
Amazon.com Product Description
When your car battery goes dead, a jump-start is only a quick fix for the problem that may reoccur. The solution is to recharge the battery, using a product like the Black & Decker Smart Battery Charger. Fully Automatic Charging
The Smart Battery Charger is fully automatic and electronic, with a Digital Smart microprocessor control and an LED indicator for selecting your charging rate. The three stage automatic rapid charging operates at 10 amps, 6 amps, and 2 amps, with an average 5 minute engine start time and 4.5 hour full battery charge. 
The Smart Battery Charger features 3-stage technology. View larger. | 
This device also features a reverse hook-up warning alarm. | 
The LED display lets you know when the battery is fully charged. | Works with Any Vehicle
The Smart Battery Charger is ideal for any 12-volt lead-acid battery types, including those that power cars, boats, lawn mowers, RVs, ATVs, and more. State-of-the-Art Technology
It uses a 3-stage automatic high-frequency charging technology to build the battery back up to its normal output level, making it more efficient at charging than conventional model chargers. Built-in Safety Precautions
The Smart Battery Charger also has a spark-resistant reverse hook-up and overcharge protection circuit built into it to insure that the clamps are not accidentally affixed to the opposite terminals, which would damage the battery. The automatic float mode monitoring tells the unit when the battery is ready to avoid overcharging. Warranty
Black & Decker offers a full 2-year warranty.
What's in the box
The Black & Decker Smart Battery Charger unit and heavy-duty cables and clamps.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Perfect June 27, 2007
R. Blacher (Lake Worth, FL)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Works as expected, easy to use, a life saver for a dead battery.
As someone noted, the fan is a tiny bit noisy but, who cares? It's in the garage with the car.
Great value for the money May 26, 2008
TwistedPretzel (Boston, MA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The first thing I noticed about this charger is that it was much smaller than I expected. This is actually a good thing, in my opinion, since it takes up little space and doesn't actually weigh very much. As another reviewer noticed, the positive and negative battery clamps are not the same as in the photo. The ones in the photo appear to be made of copper and seem to be of higher quality, but that said, the ones that are on the charger are just fine and get the job done.
The charger rates are roughly 10, 6, and 2 amps, but there is definitely variance during the charge (perhaps these rates are averages during that stage.) I noticed on a couple EverStart Marine lead-acid batteries that the initial few hours of charge were at over 12 amps (according to the charger's LED readout.) This is definitely a plus as it should facilitate faster charging.
Of the 5 batteries that I have charged so far, 1 was a car starter battery, 3 were flooded deep-cycle/marine batteries, and 1 was a glass-mat "solar" type.
The only battery it sort-of had trouble with was the "solar" one. When I initially tried to charge it at the 10-amp rate, the charger reported an "Open Cell" error. So I tried again at the 6-amp rate, same error. Then again at the 2-amp rate and it worked fine and fully charged the battery.
I'm assuming that this "solar" battery is heavily sulphated. I suspect a new glass-mat type battery would work just fine.
The "voltage check" function works fine, but only when the unit is powered. It would seem to me that the volt meter function should be able to work without needing to be plugged in, but this isn't a big deal.
The only real disappointing feature was the "alternator check". While it does appear to work, according to the manual, it only works properly when your battery is pretty much fully charged. And let's face it, one really only needs to check the alternator when it's discovered that the battery in your car is dead for some unknown reason. There's probably a good technical/engineering reason for why the alternator check works this way, but it wasn't explained in the manual.
Performance-wise, it appears to charge fully depleted batteries in 8 hours or less. Half-discharged batteries in considerably less time, naturally.
Normally, I'd say this only deserves 4 stars, but at forty clams, it's a great value. So I say it's worth 5 stars.
These chargers are good but have some caveats July 8, 2010
David
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Good battery charger that tries to do the least damage to the battery when charging while also trying to post the least risk of fire hazard. Most battery chargers can be annoying, especially these smart chargers but they do what they do mostly to protect the user and the battery. Most batteries have issues with charging because the voltage is too low and or you choose too fast of a charge rate. Charging severely discharged batteries is difficult whether it be a smart or a dumb charger.
Here is the procedure for charging 12v batteries that are very discharged with a standing voltage of less than 9V. First you attach the battery charger to the dead battery. Then, with some jumper cables, attach a mostly charged battery (around 12v) to the dead battery in parallel using the jumper cables (Positive to Positive, Negative to Negative). The charger should detect a voltage of 12v, then charge at the lowest rate (2 amps) with this configuration for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, you should be able to disconnect the "good" (charged) battery and be able to continue charging the "bad" (discharged) battery at the lowest charge rate. If you're desperate to get things up and running ASAP, wait until the battery is charged up to 11.8V then if you want, you can choose a higher charge rate. Don't choose a fast charge rate when bringing a severely discharged battery up to 11v otherwise you'll receive error codes.
Error codes are very common and you pretty much have to play around with it until it begins to charge.
Battery chargers don't allow for charging of severely discharged batteries as a precaution because they don't want people charging 6V batteries accidentally or creating sparks by having it output 10a of electricity when there isn't anything hooked up. I've successfully charged about 15 car batteries with about 8 of them below 3V, some as low as 0V with this method. These chargers work great, it's just that you have to understand how they work in order to get them to do what you want.
best for the $$$ February 14, 2009
George A. Mulrooney (Swainsboro Ga.)
I've had one for about 2 years. What I like is that it's inexpencive and it will let you know the condition of your battery before you charge it.
I have used it on my lawn mower and my cars. Not that I have alot of trouble :) but I know it's ready when I need a boost or for charging.
It's even got a quick referance chart attached to it so you won't need to keep going to the owners mannal.
Purrrrrfect March 28, 2010
Thomas J. Hanlon
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
Have not used it yet, But being Black and Decker i am
sure that i will have many years with it.
|
|
|
