I bought this charger I was impressed by the performance put it on repair battery done good job I wish they would I could have used 20 percent coupon off but it was a good deal for 52 bucks
For non-sealed batteries, you always want to check the water level before running recondition mode. If the water, aka reagent, is low then recondition mode will not work 100%. You need to fill each cell to the proper marked "full" level with distilled or DI water. Then and only then attempt to recondition. Most lead acid batteries will run a very long time as long as you maintain them, which includes checking water levels and also running recondition cycles a couple times a year. That will keep sulfate suspended in the water. What makes the reagent actually "reagent" is having sulfate dissolved in the water instead of crystallized on the lead plates. Battery acid is not an "acid" unless there is sulfate where it's supposed to be. If not, what you got is a lead-alkaline battery where you should have a lead-acid. The pH of distilled water without sulfate is 7. That is not an acid.
Have you tried charging any AGM batteries and if so what was your procedure, amp setting, etc? Also to turn it on and off do you just unplug it? What’s the “charge” button for, auto? I have to admit the manual isn’t very thorough. Thanks.
Yes biggest problem with HF is the 90 day warranty because they sell the cheapest tools and products around so you get what you pay for. I have this charger and have used twice in the last year so no problems. If I needed it more, I would have purchased a better one.
AMAZING charger! Took an AGM 95 ah battery that had been sitting out for years,read 2.3 volts.Ran a 4 hour recondition cycle 3 times a day for 5 days.Ran and passed a load test.Thats a 300 dollar battery.I paid 71 dollars delivered in Calf from SC,wasnt available locally.That recondition mode for sulfated batteries really works,just astounding.Already saved me 230 dollars and I have 5 more of these 300 dollar batteries I might be able to recover for my home battery back up system.Do the math,tell me this isnt a fantastic machine.
What settings and procedure did you use? The manual isn’t very thorough. I have a Group 31 Marine AGM I want to get charged. Also do you turn it on and off by just unplugging it? I plugged mine in, attached the clips, set amps to 2, and selected AGM. I guess it starts charging on its own then. Not sure what the “charge” button is for, auto? Thanks.
90 days warranty allows light duty innards to cater to weekend warriors who utilize item 5~6 times in the 90 days. Any more should get additional 1~2 year. Or get one with a real warranty already added into the price.
I don't use it very often... but I haven't had any problems with this unit... easy to use... and the price was great (be sure to buy on sale or with the 20% off coupon!!)...... and don't forget the free gift with purchase!! :)
I got one. One thing in the manual it does not really say... thus curious folks here input... when do you start the recondition mode? when bat shows half charged at least? or when you have it charged as far as it will go??? or???
I wonder why they have stopped selling this model completely. Recovery mode on a group 31 battery that was at 12.1 has been running for at least 18 hours. It's an old questionable battery I got in a vehicle I bought last january but pulled and put in new batteries I had from another. It then sat stored for about a year when I pulled it out and put the charger on it in recovery mode. My multimeter shows it at 14.38-14.4 volts every time I check it. The instructions don't say how long it takes, but if it's not done by late tonight, I'll probably pull the power on the charger to stop it, since there seems to be no way to manually stop it with the controls. Not sure if the battery is just to far gone and the charger doesn't know when to give up trying, or if it's just taking a long time due to the battery size. It isn't cold so that's not a factor.
Has harbor freight stop selling these? Can’t find on website. Yeah mine doesn’t put out the “numbers” claimed by harbor freight. I got a yr out of mine
Just picked one up, $70 plus tax. EDIT: This is supposed to be a 'smart' charger, but it would neither charge nor recondition my fully-drained car battery. I took it to Auto Zone, where they were able to charge it up to 60% in two hours. I'll put my battery on the Viking overnight (it's now charging) to finish off the job.
I connected to terminals and can't get rid of the "please put the clamps on" LCD screen... charger won't do anything... Sound possible if battery is 100% dead?
So they entirely pulled the 2/8/15 Viking charger off shelves and I'm not sure why. I'm reading they didn't work out for some people. failed instantly.
It failed catastrophically for me. It went up in smoke on the corner of the circuit board where the output is connected. I suspect something internal shorted because there was massive burn damage and I consider myself lucky it didn't start my house on fire.
I haven't seen it listed on their website for about 6 months. I bought one with coupon ($38) 3 years ago. Picked up a 2nd open box sidewalk sale for $22 2 months back. I figure what the heck, it's been a great charger for me and was worried they would discontinue it. I use the smaller 4 Amp Viking for trickle charging. Found the 2/8/15 Viking was better than the 4 Amp at reviving a battery that had been sitting for 1 year.
Mine was good while it worked but then while I had it on repair on a battery that wasn't in terrible shape, the charger went up in smoke. It completely burned up the entire corner of the circuit board where the output relay is and I consider myself lucky it didn't burn my house down.
really??? It looks similar and has a similar description but are we sure they are the same? The HF site has better ratings. Do you think it is just the end users.
For safety, that's common for battery chargers and for jump starting. If you misread the battery terminal labels, or they are labeled wrong, etc. then you are connecting to the negative terminal and ground (aka safe, but non-effective). If you connect to both terminals, mistaking the polarity, then fireworks are possible. While modern chargers are incorporating an additional safety of detecting the reverse polarity condition, not all do, and that protection can fail, hence the recommendation to continue connecting to terminal and ground.
I have used it more than most and it still works great. no real complaints for the money. It could use bigger clams but literally that's it. Again great for the money!!!
I'm trying to resuscitate a yellow top Optima that's at 7 volts. There's a trick to connect a good wet battery to the Optima with jumpers then it tricks charger into thinking the Optima has more volts so it charges. Do you know if this will work by itself with a yellow top with low voltage? I know most chargers won't charge unless it's around 10 volts.
It inst a bad idea to try it with your jumper. make sure you do a low voltage charge . I actually had a yellow top i tried to recover but it was at 5 volts by itself it did not want to try to recover it. it kept saying it was a bad battery and stopped charging .
@@Xxmeca421xX Wait, your didn't tell us, how did it recognize the low 7v or "dead battery" before it revived it? Did you do as you mentioned where you parallel the battery with a juiced up one and "tricked it" to start reconditioning the bad one?
yes it does after its done charging. but once i hook it back up after a few days it will be a little lower due to discharge. have you tried load testing your battery to see the condition of the battery
This has happened to me before as well man. The battery i was trying to charge had to low of a voltage for the charger to register it. Needless to say that battery was junk i tried with other chargers it wouldnt work due to how far gone the battery was . Not sure if this is what happened for you but just giving some feedback is all.
Most Harbor Freight percent off one item coupons exclude Viking and other premium brands. Do look for coupons that specifically list the Viking charger or Viking brand. I recently got the 4 amp Viking model for $24.99. It has been working so far. Much better than the little $10 charger, which was not keeping up with the persistent loads within the vehicle.
Junk. Had 3 units and all failed within 6 months. The fan starts squeaking then stops. Took it apart and uses the world's cheapest fan with a brass bushing. Do not buy. Typical HFT crap.
Poor Review - If you want a really great review: Read the one in May 2018 Kitplanes Magazine! Covers the desulfating modes, ect. with oscilloscope current graphs. Explains the "winter" mode.
To read the article you must be a paid subscriber to the magazine's website. www.kitplanes.com/issues/35_5/shop_talk/Aero-lectrics-Harbor-Freight-Charger_22093-1.html
Can anyone summarize Winter Mode? Can't believe they couldn't devote a single sentence in the manual to explain what it does...or define a temperature that would benefit from Winter Mode.
@@PowerScissor Higher temperatures mean a lower charging voltage, and lower temperatures require a higher voltage (approximately 3 millivolts per degree C in both directions).
@@joeltrace1362 Yes, I understand the effects of temperature on charging voltage of Pb batteries. I'm wondering what "Winter Mode" does exactly. Since it's obviously not detecting temperature, and you have to manually press the button...the user should be told what the mode does. For example it raises the charge voltage by 'X' percent, or 'X' volts, etc. How else are you supposed to know when it's appropriate to use it or not? They take all the time and cost to add the feature, a dedicated button to enable the feature...and can't be bothered to add one line of text saying it raises voltage by 'X'. After hours of testing with different batteries and a DMM, my conclusion is....it's all over the place on what amount it decides the raise voltage...and sometimes it does nothing at all...go figure.
I bought this charger I was impressed by the performance put it on repair battery done good job I wish they would I could have used 20 percent coupon off but it was a good deal for 52 bucks
For non-sealed batteries, you always want to check the water level before running recondition mode. If the water, aka reagent, is low then recondition mode will not work 100%. You need to fill each cell to the proper marked "full" level with distilled or DI water. Then and only then attempt to recondition. Most lead acid batteries will run a very long time as long as you maintain them, which includes checking water levels and also running recondition cycles a couple times a year. That will keep sulfate suspended in the water. What makes the reagent actually "reagent" is having sulfate dissolved in the water instead of crystallized on the lead plates. Battery acid is not an "acid" unless there is sulfate where it's supposed to be. If not, what you got is a lead-alkaline battery where you should have a lead-acid. The pH of distilled water without sulfate is 7. That is not an acid.
Have you tried charging any AGM batteries and if so what was your procedure, amp setting, etc? Also to turn it on and off do you just unplug it? What’s the “charge” button for, auto? I have to admit the manual isn’t very thorough. Thanks.
Yes biggest problem with HF is the 90 day warranty because they sell the cheapest tools and products around so you get what you pay for. I have this charger and have used twice in the last year so no problems. If I needed it more, I would have purchased a better one.
AMAZING charger! Took an AGM 95 ah battery that had been sitting out for years,read 2.3 volts.Ran a 4 hour recondition cycle 3 times a day for 5 days.Ran and passed a load test.Thats a 300 dollar battery.I paid 71 dollars delivered in Calf from SC,wasnt available locally.That recondition mode for sulfated batteries really works,just astounding.Already saved me 230 dollars and I have 5 more of these 300 dollar batteries I might be able to recover for my home battery back up system.Do the math,tell me this isnt a fantastic machine.
That is awesome! Did you get the other batteries recovered?
What settings and procedure did you use? The manual isn’t very thorough. I have a Group 31 Marine AGM I want to get charged. Also do you turn it on and off by just unplugging it?
I plugged mine in, attached the clips, set amps to 2, and selected AGM. I guess it starts charging on its own then. Not sure what the “charge” button is for, auto? Thanks.
90 days warranty allows light duty innards to cater to weekend warriors who utilize item 5~6 times in the 90 days. Any more should get additional 1~2 year. Or get one with a real warranty already added into the price.
I got mine for $36.00. So far, so good.
I don't use it very often... but I haven't had any problems with this unit... easy to use... and the price was great (be sure to buy on sale or with the 20% off coupon!!)...... and don't forget the free gift with purchase!! :)
Can't use the 20% coupon. Read the fine print on the coupon
Buying one today thanks for the review
I got one. One thing in the manual it does not really say... thus curious folks here input... when do you start the recondition mode? when bat shows half charged at least? or when you have it charged as far as it will go??? or???
Its the litle fan always need to work when you conectec the terminals?.. my one just quit the fan..but its said is charging.
I wonder why they have stopped selling this model completely.
Recovery mode on a group 31 battery that was at 12.1 has been running for at least 18 hours. It's an old questionable battery I got in a vehicle I bought last january but pulled and put in new batteries I had from another. It then sat stored for about a year when I pulled it out and put the charger on it in recovery mode. My multimeter shows it at 14.38-14.4 volts every time I check it. The instructions don't say how long it takes, but if it's not done by late tonight, I'll probably pull the power on the charger to stop it, since there seems to be no way to manually stop it with the controls. Not sure if the battery is just to far gone and the charger doesn't know when to give up trying, or if it's just taking a long time due to the battery size. It isn't cold so that's not a factor.
they havn't. I just bought one
@@coachgeosame.
Has harbor freight stop selling these? Can’t find on website. Yeah mine doesn’t put out the “numbers” claimed by harbor freight. I got a yr out of mine
Been looking for same thing
Just purchased May 31, 2022.
Just picked one up, $70 plus tax.
EDIT: This is supposed to be a 'smart' charger, but it would neither charge nor recondition my fully-drained car battery. I took it to Auto Zone, where they were able to charge it up to 60% in two hours. I'll put my battery on the Viking overnight (it's now charging) to finish off the job.
You have to connect another 12 volt to trick the charger into outputting voltage. Ya learn something new every day..
What do you do when it keeps saying please attach cables?? When they are attached right?? Ed
The battery does not have enough voltage to register or the battery is bad due to a dead cell / open circuit.
Have some question ,you cobection cable to Electricitty or not , dont understanding
Got mines for 40 and it's doing me justice thanks
How is the Battery charger holding up? I just bought one.
I have one and No complaints here
How long does it take to recondition a battery with this charger?
I bought me one of these fory 100ah agm sla battery was down to 60 % it worked great nice little charger
I connected to terminals and can't get rid of the "please put the clamps on" LCD screen... charger won't do anything... Sound possible if battery is 100% dead?
That could be a possibility
Add a little charge via a jumper cable then connect the charger. Worked for me.
I'm going threw the same thing. And the battery just hit a year old
Thinking about getting this bad boy.
Do you have to recharge battery after doing the recondition?
So they entirely pulled the 2/8/15 Viking charger off shelves and I'm not sure why. I'm reading they didn't work out for some people. failed instantly.
It failed catastrophically for me. It went up in smoke on the corner of the circuit board where the output is connected. I suspect something internal shorted because there was massive burn damage and I consider myself lucky it didn't start my house on fire.
I actually just bought this today at my HF store. It is reconditioning a deep cycle as I type
I haven't seen it listed on their website for about 6 months. I bought one with coupon ($38) 3 years ago. Picked up a 2nd open box sidewalk sale for $22 2 months back. I figure what the heck, it's been a great charger for me and was worried they would discontinue it. I use the smaller 4 Amp Viking for trickle charging. Found the 2/8/15 Viking was better than the 4 Amp at reviving a battery that had been sitting for 1 year.
Just bought one at Harbour Freight May 31, 2022.
Just bought one. Wasn't on sale, but still priced better than the competition.
Mine was good while it worked but then while I had it on repair on a battery that wasn't in terrible shape, the charger went up in smoke. It completely burned up the entire corner of the circuit board where the output relay is and I consider myself lucky it didn't burn my house down.
Thanks for the warning!
walmart has same charger for 40.00 it's under the everstart brand
facts.
really??? It looks similar and has a similar description but are we sure they are the same? The HF site has better ratings. Do you think it is just the end users.
Did the charger make a whining noise at all? I just bought one and during the repair cycle it is making a high pitched whine.
no it was pretty quiet
All I hear is the fan running.
Why does the manual insist on connecting the negative to the chassis?
For safety, that's common for battery chargers and for jump starting. If you misread the battery terminal labels, or they are labeled wrong, etc. then you are connecting to the negative terminal and ground (aka safe, but non-effective). If you connect to both terminals, mistaking the polarity, then fireworks are possible.
While modern chargers are incorporating an additional safety of detecting the reverse polarity condition, not all do, and that protection can fail, hence the recommendation to continue connecting to terminal and ground.
If my car has a dead battery and I'm stuck off the road, will hooking this up to my car battery jump it?
Chad Grimes no it will not you are looking for a jump pack. This is to charge batteries not jump starts.
you want a jump box. this plugs up to the wall
Mine has a fan in it.
Does this charger run on batteries or a power outlet?
Power outlet
No complaints as of yet, Ray? Been using it often? You have any updates for us?
I have used it more than most and it still works great. no real complaints for the money. It could use bigger clams but literally that's it. Again great for the money!!!
Does this charger have a start feature ?
No it does not.
I'm trying to resuscitate a yellow top Optima that's at 7 volts. There's a trick to connect a good wet battery to the Optima with jumpers then it tricks charger into thinking the Optima has more volts so it charges. Do you know if this will work by itself with a yellow top with low voltage? I know most chargers won't charge unless it's around 10 volts.
It inst a bad idea to try it with your jumper. make sure you do a low voltage charge . I actually had a yellow top i tried to recover but it was at 5 volts by itself it did not want to try to recover it. it kept saying it was a bad battery and stopped charging .
ray rod well I went and bought the Viking charger and put it in repair mode. It's at 13.5 volts Right now and climbing.
glad it worked for you
@@Xxmeca421xX
Wait, your didn't tell us, how did it recognize the low 7v or "dead battery" before it revived it?
Did you do as you mentioned where you parallel the battery with a juiced up one and "tricked it" to start reconditioning the bad one?
@@DonnieDarko1 that charger had no problem seeing it. I have used the dual battery method since then tho.
Does the charger ever read 100% after charging your batteries? After about 10 hours mine still said 80%
yes it does after its done charging. but once i hook it back up after a few days it will be a little lower due to discharge. have you tried load testing your battery to see the condition of the battery
Dang. I just paid $80. 😢
I bought it used it one fucking time now when I tried to use it it says put the clamps on battery. They are and it won’t work
This has happened to me before as well man. The battery i was trying to charge had to low of a voltage for the charger to register it. Needless to say that battery was junk i tried with other chargers it wouldnt work due to how far gone the battery was . Not sure if this is what happened for you but just giving some feedback is all.
Can it charge car battery.
Yes it can
15 percent off coupon avl till 24th i believe
Most Harbor Freight percent off one item coupons exclude Viking and other premium brands. Do look for coupons that specifically list the Viking charger or Viking brand.
I recently got the 4 amp Viking model for $24.99. It has been working so far. Much better than the little $10 charger, which was not keeping up with the persistent loads within the vehicle.
So youre saying its a decent unit for the money
50$ to be able to charge/sustain batteries and recover them i think it is worth it. I believe you also have 60 days to return it if you dont like it.
20 % off Coupons NOT accepted on this item
Yep. No coupons accepted for all Viking line products.
It's on sale for 38 bucks
Not bad brother! Dont forget you can always use a coupon !:)
the 20% off coupons don't work with HF's Viking brand.
Well that sucks
Maximaniac72 what the!!!
Junk. Had 3 units and all failed within 6 months. The fan starts squeaking then stops. Took it apart and uses the world's cheapest fan with a brass bushing. Do not buy. Typical HFT crap.
Poor Review - If you want a really great review: Read the one in May 2018 Kitplanes Magazine! Covers the desulfating modes, ect. with oscilloscope current graphs. Explains the "winter" mode.
Uncle Ray do you have a link for that?
To read the article you must be a paid subscriber to the magazine's website.
www.kitplanes.com/issues/35_5/shop_talk/Aero-lectrics-Harbor-Freight-Charger_22093-1.html
Can anyone summarize Winter Mode? Can't believe they couldn't devote a single sentence in the manual to explain what it does...or define a temperature that would benefit from Winter Mode.
@@PowerScissor Higher temperatures mean a lower charging voltage, and lower temperatures require a higher voltage (approximately 3 millivolts per degree C in both directions).
@@joeltrace1362 Yes, I understand the effects of temperature on charging voltage of Pb batteries. I'm wondering what "Winter Mode" does exactly. Since it's obviously not detecting temperature, and you have to manually press the button...the user should be told what the mode does. For example it raises the charge voltage by 'X' percent, or 'X' volts, etc. How else are you supposed to know when it's appropriate to use it or not? They take all the time and cost to add the feature, a dedicated button to enable the feature...and can't be bothered to add one line of text saying it raises voltage by 'X'.
After hours of testing with different batteries and a DMM, my conclusion is....it's all over the place on what amount it decides the raise voltage...and sometimes it does nothing at all...go figure.
Junk
Why would you use the F word?
No body wants to hear that.
Thumbs Down