new battery maintain system - and cheap charger-

I don't think you got "suckered" into buying them. AFAIC they are perfect for the intended purpose. The $5-6 HF maintainers don't charge and are 'dumb'. This one does and is smart.

How could any 1-2 amp charger be a 3 stage? This charger @1.2 amps could do absorbtion and float but how would it do bulk at this output?

That being said, it sure alters voltages and clicks a lot while doing it's job. I am thrilled to death with these things, and reached battery nirvana! ...at least for now.

Played w/ one of these thru the day, In my opinion, it is not a 3 stage, and it has no auto shutoff. It operates the same as the Schumachers and the Deltrans, all being 2 stage. The Stanley (Baccus Global) has the lowest float voltage at 13.1. It charges at 14.5 max just before going to float. It could make a good hot weather float charger. Lowes said they are a close out, and will not be selling them anymore.

Really ?? I just ordered 3 of them.....in order to get free shipping.
My local store didn't stock this item, so had to order it from 150 miles away. And they would not ship it to this local store. Nor would they ship it to my house, except w/ a Lowes delivery truck for $79. So then he told me if I bought 3, he could ship it free,.......so, I got suckerd right into that one !

The charger seems to try to keep the battery at 13.2v after it is charged up. It has relays that click during operation.

These maintainers are a lot different than the HF maintainers that were hooked-up before. If consistency is a good thing, these maintainers have it in spades. Every maintainer is between 13.18 and 13.21 volts with all 8 batteries fully charged and when the relay clicks, assuming in the charge state.

I found out they are made by the same company that made Vector chargers and inverters, both of which have blown out on me. The post above said Black&Decker and Stanley are one, Black and Decker bought Vector in 2006 here.

If you are a HAM, unplug these maintainers. They are incredibly noisy.

Stanley and Black & Decker are now one company StanleyBlack&Decker. I checked their web site and searched for battery chargers and found nothing. It looks like they may be getting out of the battery charger business.

Edit:
It appears that Stanley and B&D automotive products are now made by Baccus Global.

Muddydogs wrote:
It looks like Lowes and a couple other places are using the new charger specifications to describe the old model charger.

It looks like they don't know what they are talking about, whatever specs they use :)...
It still says "3-stage", "auto shut-off" and "maintainer" in the same description.

OK from what I can find it appears that the charger in the above pic is old stock and has been replaced by a new charger with the same number, BC209, the new charger is 2 amps and 3 stage. It looks like Lowes and a couple other places are using the new charger specifications to describe the old model charger. Looks like the new chargers are all Yellow instead of the yellow and black.

I just picked up 2 of these chargers, not sure about it being 3 stage as it doesn't say anything about stages in the directions. Output marked on the unit is 1.2 amps. When hooked up to a battery setting at 12.4 volts I'm getting a charge reading of 12.79 volts.I also don't see anything about an auto shut off in the directions.

I guess I will see if I can find any info online about the unit but either way I needed something cheap to charge my 6 battery's once a month or so as I was getting tired of doing it with 2 chargers. I don't leave my battery's on a maintainer as its really not needed if the battery is just setting around in storage. I have a 2005 and a 2007 group 27 kirkland battery's that by this forum should be dead and gone by now that still maintain a charge and handle trolling motor duties just fine, these battery's are kept charged when used, charged at the end of the season, stored indoors during winter and charged every couple months during the winter just because.

RJsfishin wrote:
It says "auto shut off" I would hope it has a "stay on" mode, or else its kinda useless as a maintainer.

Ditto. "Stay-on" or "float" is the last of 3 stages. If it's auto shut-off, then it's not a three stage.

It says "auto shut off" I would hope it has a "stay on" mode, or else its kinda useless as a maintainer.