I have a jet ski and car batteries I use this on. All you have to do is hook up the jumpers to your battery and plug it in. It will tell you all you need to know and charge it for you. This was the selling point for me. 👍👍👍
Um, the 6v-2v mode is called the battery "tender" mode. Or maintenance mode. Not "tinner" mode. Intuitive use of this charger leaves a lot to be desired. I was wanting to activate the regenerative mode. Supposedly, its is automatic on this charger. Probably more so in the 6v-2v mode. In my past experience, I've found a good heavy charge will help bring a dead non-chargable battery back to life. It seems to burn the sulfides off of the plates better. Then you can go to a lower charge for a full charge. I bought this because my mom confiscated my new Black & Decker 15A charger with Recondition mode. It worked but was slow to charge and I wasn't overly impressed with the recondition mode. Stanley and another company sell the exact same unit, just different colors. If you by one of these, buy the 30A version. Much better and faster charging unit. Harder to come by but worth it. I bought this unit SC1282 for the desulfinate mode. I was taking my batteries to Oriellys and Autozone to have them charge them. Almost everytime, "bad battery" would you like to buy a new one? Nope! I think their charges are setup to show a bad battery for sales reasons. Employee knows no difference and they hopefully sell a battery. Put this on a Duralast Gold battery(AZ) that they said was bad. Only charged to 9.8V. Put it on 6v-2v overnight. Next morning 100% charged. Dropped it on the car and it spun the starter over like mad in a 2009 Chrysler 300. These batteries are located in the trunk and have a long cable pretty much from tail light to headlight. It takes a good battery just to spin these cars over let alone really spin it hard. Saved me $200+ on having to buy a new battery. I have at least 10 more batteries to charge so we'll see how it goes.
The % your are trying to see is actually the % of charge, not remaining life (expectancy). To get that you will need a good digital load test machine that tests the battery in a working state. You are correct about this being not very intuitive. But thank you for the review. It did answer a few questions about mine (same one). One word of personal advice/ opinion, find a local battery dealer vs parts house/big box store if you are not versed in batteries. Today's cars and equipment will/can suffer if the wrong type is installed and may void warranties. I'm a certified diesel tech. and have first hand experience on that issue. Your local battery store is trained by their suppliers where as parts houses get trained by co-workers and videos. At the very least, your supporting a local business owner.
Thank you so much for this video. My neighbor has the same model and it works great, so I ordered one. When I went to charge my battery, the % charged indicator did not work in the 30A boost mode. I went back over to my neighbors house to double check if his showed % in 30A mode and it did!! I thought my charger was defective. Googled the internet, searched youtube, called customer service - no luck It's the weekend so I was getting ready to send back to Amazon and decided to try youtube one more time. I found your video with the exact problem I was having! Thanks again! Now I don't have to go through the hassle of sending it back and probably getting another one with the same problem. 😅
how about a simple instruction on how to hook this up to your battery in your car? The older model Schumacher I have in front of me does not have a ±, just colors. Is the red the positive feed on the battery charger?
I've figured out your problem with it not reading on the 30 amp boost mode. This unit will not charge in the 30 amp boost mode when the battery reaches 90 percent or higher. It will only allow you to charge at the lower charge rate until it reaches 100% which is why it shows the percentage when you switch it to the lower rate. So when the battery is over 90% it wont boost charge. I opted for the dedicated marine charger from this manufacturer which is the SC1280 which charges at 15 amps until it reaches 100%. If the 1281 had the 15 amp selection it would make it the perfect charger. It sucks that they don't make one. Also if someone is looking for a smart charger make sure it will charge if the battery is near dead as some chargers will not. These ones mentioned will charge a dead battery. Hope this helps someone.. Please let me know if it did, thanks.
@@SkyHawk2849 Yes it charges a dead battery and yes the boost mode will shut off at 90 percent and automatically go into to slower charging rate till it reaches 100 percent.
Yes I found out the hard way about not all chargers will charge a dead battery. Bought a step down below this one was 60.00 Walmart. Looked like a good charger. Would not charge a dead battery. What is the purpose of a charger not charging a dead battery 😡. So I returned it and bought this on for 80.00 it worked.
Fun story, let's talk about Alternator Testing. This unit "tests" the alternator output while the vehicle is running. 1. Connect the unit properly. 2. Plug into ground 120V AC outlet. 3. Start the vehicle, rev to 2000 rpm for 30 seconds and turn on headlight and/or other accessories. 4. Read the voltage on the digital display, 13.4-14.6v output means alternator should be good. 14.6 might be a problem. Readout only, there is no outright indicator for it. This is paraphrased from the user manual.
Best review that explains the 62A CHARGE and % relationship. 30A BOOST mode never gets to CHARGED/MAINTENANCE either - weird that it doesn't auto switch to 6
You are absolutely right about these chargers. I have the SC1282, even the user manual is not clear on the led lights. For me when I first turn it on, I have 2 led lights that goes to green, but there is nothing the manual that says anything about this. I called Schumacher support and it didn't really help.
Can u please let me know about the 100Amp engine start please ? Does it mean we can keep it on that option and it will supply 100 Amps helping the weak battery to jump start the car ? B'cos usually CCA is around 650 Amps.
The 100 amp engine start boost, only provides the 100 amps when the charger detects the current draw from the starter. That setting won't charge your battery at 100 amps. Also, it only applies the amps for 3 minutes, then you have to wait 3 minutes before you can use it again.
Thanks for sharing this info. I also couldn’t figure out how to see the %. Last night I charged my battery (11.6V) at 30A. The next morning it still said charging. It never went to charged/maintenance mode. Do you know if this is normal? I measured the battery with my voltmeter and it was already at 12.8.
This is what mine does as well...It'll keep charging at 30A until I stop it, or switch it to maintenance mode. I once read a comment from someone on here saying they were able to receive a % reading while on 30A charge (I think it should). This same subscriber suggest mine was built on a Monday or Friday. Lol, if that's the case; sounds like yours was built on a Monday or Friday as well. Who knows. Thank you for your comment. :o)
Thanks for the reply. I found out and also read here that the 30A setting is only to boost it in prep to start it with the 100A setting. The 2A/6A setting charged my battery at 100% and automatically shut down. It is also the only way I can get the % reading.
How long does it take to charge your battery? Mines been sitting on charge for over a day on any battery i put it on and never reach fully charged mode. I put an ammeter on to see how many amps it pulls and it always less than one amp.
On the 30-amp charge; only about 20 to 30 minutes at the most. Are you sure you're charging from the 30-amp mode? Your battery might be bad..perhaps it's not holding a charge. You could take your battery to a local auto supply store, they'll charge and test it for you at no charge in most cases.
@@fixintodoitall It's not the battery. It finally charged on the other setting. The charger 30A boost is not working. When it's in that mode the wattmeter/minder shows its only pulling like .006 amps. I managed to trickle-charge it on the tenner setting as it was working but barely. It was pulling like only 30 watts at it's highest point the whole time. Took two days. This is probably one of those "just out of warranty" things too because I bought it a couple years ago and never really used it until lately. =(
@homesteader9 I charged my battery at 30A overnight and it never went to charged/maintenance. I thought it was supposed to automatically switch to 2A/6A. I measured my battery’s voltage with an anmeter and it was at 12.8V.
This is a good question. Your battery will charge while connected to your car--However, there is always the risk of causing damage to other electrical components within your car; so I would not recommend charging your battery while connected to anything else...this is the safest way. This unit is also a jumpstart as well. Obviously you'll need to have this battery connected if jumpstarting. But if I have the time and means, I would disconnect and charge first, just to help avoid damage to other electrical components on my vehicle.
My charger I bought Model SC1282 doesn't want to charge my car battery. I press START and the orange light turns on for 10 seconds. It says charging then the light turns Green saying "Charged". Not sure why it keeps doing that. So I had to take the battery to Autzone to get my battery charged.
I think the word you are looking for is "Tender mode" it is a mode designed to tend to the battery as it needs charge and shuts off when it don't. I don't trust battery tenders.
@@fixintodoitall thank you. I guess I should've rephrased it. What will happen if I do use an extension cord? I dont have any other means of plugging it in
I think you'll be fine if you use an extension cord if it allows higher amps to pass through. Make sure your extension cord is 12 gauge or 10. 14 gauge might not allow enough amps to pass through for the charger to properly work. This is my guess as to why Schumacher discourages an extension cord. Too hard for most to identify the difference between a 14 gauge vs 12 gauge unless you see it on the package when purchased from a retailer. For example, I don't even know if Walmart sells 12 gauge extension cords. Might have to get one from Home Depot, Lowes or Menards, etc.
My Schumacher SC1281 died it was left in a rain charging. Is there something easy to test that could be an easy fix on it or is it good for the landfill?
When you say % of battery life, do you mean battery life, or do you me the % of charge that is in the battery? I assume the latter. Also when you are saying tennor, I'm assuming you are saying tender? As in a battery tender?
Haha, yes, Tender! I'm in Utah, no accent, but our D's & T's are silent in this region of Utah & Idaho. ;o) I was referring to the 'charge' that is in the battery. Thank you for comment.
My SC1281 will have a humming, humming, humming noise when plug in the charger with no load. And those humming, humming noise will go away once connect to the battery and start to charge. Is this normal for everyone? Thank you.
I hooked my SC1281 today for the first time. While charging at the 30a setting, my display will read the volts, then the %, then the volts, then %, etc... My Sc10030A's had a separate button for % and volts. All these manufactures are making 'new and improved' products while decreasing useful options. It really sucks. I hate 'new' stuff.
Absorbed Glass Mat is the type battery most garden tracker’s and Motorcycle. Thx guy You loose 1% of your battery every month if not used ! #alwaysuseatender
It's simple . It shows the percentage of charge as it charges.. You don't have to do anything. What seems odd to me is how it charges a 6 volt battery. It goes off and on constantly and keeps showing 12 volt
Mine lasted less than 1 year. Now it does not start, no lights, no nothing. No fuse so it's not even serviceable. They don't make anything to last anymore.
If it's new, return it, exchange it for another, or get your money back. If it's too late to return, my only guess would be perhaps the power source is no good, tripped or something might be wrong with your cord to your unit. Maybe you fried the main board to this unit. It's really hard to say, it could be so many different scenarios. Good luck. Thank you for your question and for your support!
got one last week it sucks"bought a new deep cell marine as well can't keep a charge a light bulb 2 different inverters two different battery's 2 different light fixtures' Whats your bet it's the charger ?
@mike, I would follow those instructions. Disconnect your car battery before recharging your car battery. This is the safest option for the electrical on your car.
Mines says “ 0.0 “ does that mean it’s fully charged ? And do I have to plug in the charger to use it to boost my car ? I need to jump my car right now as we speak
19% is an indication your batter is 'BAD' ... most likely will not hold a charge. If a batter gets below 50% is bad. Might need another battery. You can take your battery to a local auto parts store, and they will test it for you to confirm if your batter is no good or rechargeable. Good luck.
@@fixintodoitall I bought a used Schumacher SC1281. When I plug it in to charge the unit itself ... no lights come on. I was expecting to see a light showing it charging ... or center LED light turn on telling me something... like how much current charge holding within unit ... something. Result ... nothing lights up. I plug directly into wall outlet ... nothing. Wait a minute or two ... still nothing. Plug into a different outlet know is good outlet ... nothing. Push START/STOP button ... nothing. I'm afraid may have purchased a broken unit. Your thoughts ?
I think it would have been nice if you would have shown all the features on this battery so that people that have this type of charger or perhaps find his charger more appealing if they saw all the different features that this charger offers and also the safety features as well should have been explained that this unit has or doesn't have for the people that charge their batteries at home not in a professional capacity but in a do-it-yourself capacity
i got the nearly identical $40 model SC1323 its a real pain to get it charge... maybe my connections arent good enough, but eventually it starts charging if i keep trying... horrible little machine.
I know you're biggest complaint is about the percentage of a battery. I'm speculating that manufacturers or programmers are lazy. so they assume certain voltage everyone knows what the percentage of a battery if they have a chart. And that's what I go by. I use a multimeter to check voltage and use a chart (downloaded from Google) to check battery percentage.
New out of the box mine don’t work. You plug it in. Clamp it to the battery. The way it goes !! Set it to the battery type and on 30amp. And hit start. And it says on then it instantly goes to off. I’m thinking it’s a piece of shiz. ?? Don’t think I’m doing anything wrong.
Sounds like it's not working correctly. I'd take it back to the retailer and either exchange or return it. I'm still pretty happy with my Schumacher; I wish the features were a little more straight forward, regardless it keeps my batteries charged. Thank you for sharing!
@@fixintodoitall I meant that I wanted to see the cord that charges the charger - I can’t find one anywhere- I apologize -my frustration did make my comment seem gruff
A standard battery is a lead acid battery. It has the caps on the top so you can see into the plate chamber to view the amount of electrolyte in each cell. AGM and GEL batteries do not have removable caps. The difference is the charging voltage. Standard batteries can handle upwards of 15 volts while charging. The AGM and Gel batteries cannot take the higher voltage and the charger will regulate the voltage with the selector switch.
@@thonatim5321 Thanks for the video, well done. There are two main types of flooded lead-acid batteries: Standard (used mainly for starting) and Marine/Deep Cycle. from the outside, they look the same but inside they are much different mainly the plate size. the most confusing part of this charger, (I have the SC4 model which is very similar). The battery type selection for a non AGM or Gel is standard (flooded Battery) the confusion is there is a big difference between a standard car battery (standard) and a deep cycle Battery (both flooded lead acid) therefore the charging requirements are different. the manual explains that the Standard Type selection is"Used in cars, trucks. these batteries have vent caps this type of battery is designed to deliver quick bursts of energy.........Standard batteries should not be used for deep cycle applications. So even though this charger is described as an automatic charger for Marine/ Deep Cycle it doesn't have a selection for that type of battery other than AGM or Gel which shouldn't be used for a flooded deep-cycle either. ive been using the Standard type selection so now i am wondering if i have been damaging my flooded Deep Cycle batteries. Ill give Shumacher a call to try to get an answer. There must be something very simple and obvious that i am missing
@@thonatim5321 Thanks for the video, well done. There are two main types of flooded lead-acid batteries: Standard (used mainly for starting) and Marine/Deep Cycle. from the outside, they look the same but inside they are much different mainly the plate size. the most confusing part of this charger, (I have the SC4 model which is very similar). The battery type selection for a non AGM or Gel is standard (flooded Battery) the confusion is there is a big difference between a standard car battery (standard) and a deep cycle Battery (both flooded lead acid) therefore the charging requirements are different. the manual explains that the Standard Type selection is"Used in cars, trucks. these batteries have vent caps this type of battery is designed to deliver quick bursts of energy.........Standard batteries should not be used for deep cycle applications. So even though this charger is described as an automatic charger for Marine/ Deep Cycle it doesn't have a selection for that type of battery other than AGM or Gel which shouldn't be used for a flooded deep-cycle either. ive been using the Standard type selection so now i am wondering if i have been damaging my flooded Deep Cycle batteries. Ill give Shumacher a call to try to get an answer. There must be something very simple and obvious that i am missing
I have an older Shumacher battery charger, model XC75W. The button interface is older and I think slightly more intuitive. But in general Schumacher has mediocre customer support and documentation that is very lacking in their products.
I believe the reason you can only see the % of battery charge (tender mode only) is because a higher amperage (from supply) would be misleading- as the supply is “supporting” the battery terminal voltage. (My qualification is a bachelor degree in electronics and having been in the industry for 30+ years. Not bragging- just sharing my credentials).
@Daniel Lang I guess you're right--It came out wrong! My mistake in not spending the time editing/correcting it. Awfully critical from someone who's never produced a RUclips video themselves. I'll tell you what, you win the 'Biggest Jerk' award from the 'Fixin To Do It' channel. Congratulations! Don't forget to share this award with your mom. I'm sure she'll be proud. 😂
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I have a jet ski and car batteries I use this on. All you have to do is hook up the jumpers to your battery and plug it in. It will tell you all you need to know and charge it for you. This was the selling point for me. 👍👍👍
Thank you for sharing!
Um, the 6v-2v mode is called the battery "tender" mode. Or maintenance mode. Not "tinner" mode.
Intuitive use of this charger leaves a lot to be desired. I was wanting to activate the regenerative mode. Supposedly, its is automatic on this charger. Probably more so in the 6v-2v mode.
In my past experience, I've found a good heavy charge will help bring a dead non-chargable battery back to life. It seems to burn the sulfides off of the plates better. Then you can go to a lower charge for a full charge.
I bought this because my mom confiscated my new Black & Decker 15A charger with Recondition mode. It worked but was slow to charge and I wasn't overly impressed with the recondition mode. Stanley and another company sell the exact same unit, just different colors. If you by one of these, buy the 30A version. Much better and faster charging unit. Harder to come by but worth it.
I bought this unit SC1282 for the desulfinate mode. I was taking my batteries to Oriellys and Autozone to have them charge them. Almost everytime, "bad battery" would you like to buy a new one? Nope! I think their charges are setup to show a bad battery for sales reasons. Employee knows no difference and they hopefully sell a battery.
Put this on a Duralast Gold battery(AZ) that they said was bad. Only charged to 9.8V. Put it on 6v-2v overnight. Next morning 100% charged. Dropped it on the car and it spun the starter over like mad in a 2009 Chrysler 300. These batteries are located in the trunk and have a long cable pretty much from tail light to headlight. It takes a good battery just to spin these cars over let alone really spin it hard. Saved me $200+ on having to buy a new battery. I have at least 10 more batteries to charge so we'll see how it goes.
Thank You! That ws driving me nuts. For all the information in the instructions, that was a major oversight.
Glad my video helped, thank you for your support!
Sweet video. Thank you for taking the time to do this.
You're welcome! Thank you for your support in this channel.
On a standard battery setting did you remove the caps from the battery? Do you know to use it in the engine start mode?
The % your are trying to see is actually the % of charge, not remaining life (expectancy). To get that you will need a good digital load test machine that tests the battery in a working state.
You are correct about this being not very intuitive. But thank you for the review. It did answer a few questions about mine (same one). One word of personal advice/ opinion, find a local battery dealer vs parts house/big box store if you are not versed in batteries. Today's cars and equipment will/can suffer if the wrong type is installed and may void warranties. I'm a certified diesel tech. and have first hand experience on that issue. Your local battery store is trained by their suppliers where as parts houses get trained by co-workers and videos. At the very least, your supporting a local business owner.
Excellent review. Just bought one.
Can it revive a dead battery with low volt?
Thank you video was so helpful
Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you so much for this video. My neighbor has the same model and it works great, so I ordered one. When I went to charge my battery, the % charged indicator did not work in the 30A boost mode. I went back over to my neighbors house to double check if his showed % in 30A mode and it did!! I thought my charger was defective. Googled the internet, searched youtube, called customer service - no luck It's the weekend so I was getting ready to send back to Amazon and decided to try youtube one more time. I found your video with the exact problem I was having! Thanks again! Now I don't have to go through the hassle of sending it back and probably getting another one with the same problem. 😅
Thank you for sharing and for your support.
@@fixintodoitallwas the battery 95 percent of of 100 percent when you switched it from 30 a to 62a
My battery said 12.2 on 30 a charge how long should I let it charge
Thank you very much !!
how about a simple instruction on how to hook this up to your battery in your car? The older model Schumacher I have in front of me does not have a ±, just colors. Is the red the positive feed on the battery charger?
I've figured out your problem with it not reading on the 30 amp boost mode. This unit will not charge in the 30 amp boost mode when the battery reaches 90 percent or higher. It will only allow you to charge at the lower charge rate until it reaches 100% which is why it shows the percentage when you switch it to the lower rate. So when the battery is over 90% it wont boost charge.
I opted for the dedicated marine charger from this manufacturer which is the SC1280 which charges at 15 amps until it reaches 100%. If the 1281 had the 15 amp selection it would make it the perfect charger. It sucks that they don't make one. Also if someone is looking for a smart charger make sure it will charge if the battery is near dead as some chargers will not. These ones mentioned will charge a dead battery. Hope this helps someone.. Please let me know if it did, thanks.
So this model charges a dead battery? And when using the boost on a dead battery will it shit off on its own or do you have to keep monitoring it?
@@SkyHawk2849 Yes it charges a dead battery and yes the boost mode will shut off at 90 percent and automatically go into to slower charging rate till it reaches 100 percent.
@@Inp3erp3tuity Thank you for the fast reply. When do we know when to use the 30 amp boost?
@@SkyHawk2849 When you need it charged fast... if you can afford to wait put it on a lower rate..
Yes I found out the hard way about not all chargers will charge a dead battery. Bought a step down below this one was 60.00 Walmart. Looked like a good charger. Would not charge a dead battery. What is the purpose of a charger not charging a dead battery 😡. So I returned it and bought this on for 80.00 it worked.
I never used it but my neighbor asked me if I had a jump.start cable and I had this, and it worked!
Thank you for your comment!
Thank you for this video. It’s perfect!
Gotta move to 2amp to get % !!!!!!!! EXACTLY What Flummoxed Me - And Why I Stopped By - B R A V O Sir !
Good instructions
It was very confusing. Thank you for posting this video.
All the best.
Thank you for your feedback and support!
Fun story, let's talk about Alternator Testing. This unit "tests" the alternator output while the vehicle is running. 1. Connect the unit properly. 2. Plug into ground 120V AC outlet. 3. Start the vehicle, rev to 2000 rpm for 30 seconds and turn on headlight and/or other accessories. 4. Read the voltage on the digital display, 13.4-14.6v output means alternator should be good. 14.6 might be a problem.
Readout only, there is no outright indicator for it. This is paraphrased from the user manual.
Thank you for sharing!
I think there’s something in the manual that GEL option is for gel and deep cycle, double check that.
Best review that explains the 62A CHARGE and % relationship. 30A BOOST mode never gets to CHARGED/MAINTENANCE either - weird that it doesn't auto switch to 6
Thank you for your kind words and your support!
You are absolutely right about these chargers. I have the SC1282, even the user manual is not clear on the led lights. For me when I first turn it on, I have 2 led lights that goes to green, but there is nothing the manual that says anything about this. I called Schumacher support and it didn't really help.
Thank you great video.
Can u please let me know about the 100Amp engine start please ? Does it mean we can keep it on that option and it will supply 100 Amps helping the weak battery to jump start the car ? B'cos usually CCA is around 650 Amps.
I have not tested that option. I believe it will. Thank you for your question.
The 100 amp engine start boost, only provides the 100 amps when the charger detects the current draw from the starter. That setting won't charge your battery at 100 amps. Also, it only applies the amps for 3 minutes, then you have to wait 3 minutes before you can use it again.
Good instruction and helped with my new charger. Like he said the instructions are not great at explaining the buttons and display.
Thank you
Nice video, thanks. Do you know if it has a repair mode or it would revive a battery of the volt is really down?
I don't know about a 'repair' mode. I would imagine a lot of it would depend on the condition/life of the battery.
Yea I had a previous model and it's kinda like that one and you check the percentage by presing the select button
Thanks for the video, helps me to understand as well.
The model under review is the SC1281, but your title says SC1308. Are these two models equivalent?
Yes!
These battery chargers are often times confusing
Thanks for sharing this info. I also couldn’t figure out how to see the %. Last night I charged my battery (11.6V) at 30A. The next morning it still said charging. It never went to charged/maintenance mode. Do you know if this is normal? I measured the battery with my voltmeter and it was already at 12.8.
This is what mine does as well...It'll keep charging at 30A until I stop it, or switch it to maintenance mode. I once read a comment from someone on here saying they were able to receive a % reading while on 30A charge (I think it should). This same subscriber suggest mine was built on a Monday or Friday. Lol, if that's the case; sounds like yours was built on a Monday or Friday as well. Who knows. Thank you for your comment. :o)
Thanks for the reply. I found out and also read here that the 30A setting is only to boost it in prep to start it with the 100A setting. The 2A/6A setting charged my battery at 100% and automatically shut down. It is also the only way I can get the % reading.
How long does it take to charge your battery? Mines been sitting on charge for over a day on any battery i put it on and never reach fully charged mode. I put an ammeter on to see how many amps it pulls and it always less than one amp.
On the 30-amp charge; only about 20 to 30 minutes at the most. Are you sure you're charging from the 30-amp mode? Your battery might be bad..perhaps it's not holding a charge. You could take your battery to a local auto supply store, they'll charge and test it for you at no charge in most cases.
@@fixintodoitall It's not the battery. It finally charged on the other setting. The charger 30A boost is not working. When it's in that mode the wattmeter/minder shows its only pulling like .006 amps. I managed to trickle-charge it on the tenner setting as it was working but barely. It was pulling like only 30 watts at it's highest point the whole time. Took two days. This is probably one of those "just out of warranty" things too because I bought it a couple years ago and never really used it until lately. =(
@homesteader9 I charged my battery at 30A overnight and it never went to charged/maintenance. I thought it was supposed to automatically switch to 2A/6A. I measured my battery’s voltage with an anmeter and it was at 12.8V.
Thanks for the video. Does the battery need to be disconnected for the car, or the equipment before hooking up the charger?
This is a good question. Your battery will charge while connected to your car--However, there is always the risk of causing damage to other electrical components within your car; so I would not recommend charging your battery while connected to anything else...this is the safest way. This unit is also a jumpstart as well. Obviously you'll need to have this battery connected if jumpstarting. But if I have the time and means, I would disconnect and charge first, just to help avoid damage to other electrical components on my vehicle.
@@fixintodoitall How do we know if the charger itself needs to be charged?
@@mikemowr8982 it has to be plugged in so there is no charging it
This might be a dumb question but did this have to be plugged in to work? Is it start by any chance
Yes, it needs to be plugged into an electric outlet.
My charger I bought Model SC1282 doesn't want to charge my car battery. I press START and the orange light turns on for 10 seconds. It says charging then the light turns Green saying "Charged". Not sure why it keeps doing that. So I had to take the battery to Autzone to get my battery charged.
That's interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Do you have to have this machine plugged in all the time or does the machine charge itself
This machine needs a power source at all times when in use. No battery in it.
I have a different charger but do I use the 20amp that's what mine have or the 6 -2a
Are you happy with yours?
What is the input voltage of this particular unit? 110 or 220? Or is ot in autovolt? In can be 110 and 220? Thanks in advance.
Mine is powered by 110.
I think the word you are looking for is "Tender mode" it is a mode designed to tend to the battery as it needs charge and shuts off when it don't. I don't trust battery tenders.
I had the other one didn’t have the 100 boost . That one there showed the percentage charge the hole time charging. You think this one do the same
I honestly do not know. Please let me know what you find out. Thank you for your question and for your support!
Any idea what the difference is between the models 1280 and 1281?
No idea. Thank you for your question.
My old one gives you that % readings. They made the new ones more difficult to use.
Oh the lousy ways to save a buck.
Did you plug it into an extension cord? The manual on the sc1300 says not to
Good question, no.
@@fixintodoitall thank you. I guess I should've rephrased it. What will happen if I do use an extension cord? I dont have any other means of plugging it in
I think you'll be fine if you use an extension cord if it allows higher amps to pass through. Make sure your extension cord is 12 gauge or 10. 14 gauge might not allow enough amps to pass through for the charger to properly work. This is my guess as to why Schumacher discourages an extension cord. Too hard for most to identify the difference between a 14 gauge vs 12 gauge unless you see it on the package when purchased from a retailer. For example, I don't even know if Walmart sells 12 gauge extension cords. Might have to get one from Home Depot, Lowes or Menards, etc.
@@fixintodoitall Most cords have the gauge stamped along the outer plastic covering on the cord.
My Schumacher SC1281 died it was left in a rain charging. Is there something easy to test that could be an easy fix on it or is it good for the landfill?
I honestly don't know, let me know what you find out--Good luck!
When you say % of battery life, do you mean battery life, or do you me the % of charge that is in the battery? I assume the latter. Also when you are saying tennor, I'm assuming you are saying tender? As in a battery tender?
Haha, yes, Tender! I'm in Utah, no accent, but our D's & T's are silent in this region of Utah & Idaho. ;o) I was referring to the 'charge' that is in the battery. Thank you for comment.
My SC1281 will have a humming, humming, humming noise when plug in the charger with no load. And those humming, humming noise will go away once connect to the battery and start to charge. Is this normal for everyone? Thank you.
I've never had that problem. Have not heard of anyone else having this problem either.
You probably know it by now, but the noise is coming from the cooling fan , cooling the inside chips .
I hooked my SC1281 today for the first time. While charging at the 30a setting, my display will read the volts, then the %, then the volts, then %, etc...
My Sc10030A's had a separate button for % and volts. All these manufactures are making 'new and improved' products while decreasing useful options. It really sucks. I hate 'new' stuff.
Great comment...I concur for the most part.
And what happened to the Ampere display? Gone with the wind.
mine is on standard and 6-2a charge and it just says “SULL”, any idea what this means ?
Might have to call Schumacher on that one.
@@fixintodoitall it ended up being a sulfated battery and didn't work anymore so I'm glad I tried it out!
Can we jump start the battery in case of emergency without plugging it in.
No. It'll need a source of electricity. Thank you for your question!
Absorbed Glass Mat is the type battery most garden tracker’s and Motorcycle. Thx guy
You loose 1% of your battery every month if not used ! #alwaysuseatender
Thank you for your comment!
It's simple . It shows the percentage of charge as it charges.. You don't have to do anything. What seems odd to me is how it charges a 6 volt battery. It goes off and on constantly and keeps showing 12 volt
Mine lasted less than 1 year. Now it does not start, no lights, no nothing. No fuse so it's not even serviceable. They don't make anything to last anymore.
There was a bad batch of SC1283 Schumacher replaced mine.
Bummer. Mine is still working just fine. Maybe yours was made on a Friday, mine was made on a Monday, who knows. Thank you for your comment!
How do you get to de-sulphate mode?
This model does not offer desulphate.
Does this have a desulfation mode?
This particular model I have does.
How to trouble shoot why it won't come when I plug it on
If it's new, return it, exchange it for another, or get your money back. If it's too late to return, my only guess would be perhaps the power source is no good, tripped or something might be wrong with your cord to your unit. Maybe you fried the main board to this unit. It's really hard to say, it could be so many different scenarios. Good luck. Thank you for your question and for your support!
got one last week it sucks"bought a new deep cell marine as well can't keep a charge a light bulb 2 different inverters two different battery's 2 different light fixtures' Whats your bet it's the charger ?
What did you find out Friend?
It keep on saying bad battery is it still charging?
Unless it's an error, it shouldn't be. Bad batteries cannot charge.
Does it HAVE to be connected to an outlet to work? Its not portable?
Yes, it needs a power source.
@@fixintodoitall well shit thats not what i needed but its the fastest charger ive seen so im not returning it lol
@@fixintodoitall my instructions say to not have the charger connected to an AC outlet while connected to the car battery. Am i missing something?
@mike, I would follow those instructions. Disconnect your car battery before recharging your car battery. This is the safest option for the electrical on your car.
Do this have to be plugged up
yes
WOW
Yes
Mines says “ 0.0 “ does that mean it’s fully charged ?
And do I have to plug in the charger to use it to boost my car ? I need to jump my car right now as we speak
Mine doesn’t show that. Yes, it’ll need to be plugged in an AC source to jump your car. Good luck!
Mine gives a % in the 30 amp mode
Maybe yours was made on a Friday, mine was made on a Monday, who knows. Thank you for your comment!
I just got it. Starting charging. Showing battery 19% but the car can’t start???
19% is an indication your batter is 'BAD' ... most likely will not hold a charge. If a batter gets below 50% is bad. Might need another battery. You can take your battery to a local auto parts store, and they will test it for you to confirm if your batter is no good or rechargeable. Good luck.
Excuse me but why did you use a battery that was already charged? What did you show us?
I did a video showing the functionally of the charger. I didn't think anybody would want to spend the time watching it charge.
@@fixintodoitall
I bought a used Schumacher SC1281. When I plug it in to charge the unit itself ... no lights come on. I was expecting to see a light showing it charging ... or center LED light turn on telling me something... like how much current charge holding within unit ... something. Result ... nothing lights up. I plug directly into wall outlet ... nothing. Wait a minute or two ... still nothing. Plug into a different outlet know is good outlet ... nothing. Push START/STOP button ... nothing. I'm afraid may have purchased a broken unit. Your thoughts ?
@@cjandie1903 You don't charge this unit. You must leave it plugged in to charge a battery
I think it would have been nice if you would have shown all the features on this battery so that people that have this type of charger or perhaps find his charger more appealing if they saw all the different features that this charger offers and also the safety features as well should have been explained that this unit has or doesn't have for the people that charge their batteries at home not in a professional capacity but in a do-it-yourself capacity
Thank you for the feedback.
i think he explained it thoroughly
I bet you are fun at parties
How do you know when it charges on a slow charge 4wheeler
Show me how it look on a low charge with a new atv battery
6v12 battery
Your voice sounds very familiar it's driving me crazy. Can you help me figure out where I've heard you from?
i got the nearly identical $40 model SC1323 its a real pain to get it charge... maybe my connections arent good enough, but eventually it starts charging if i keep trying... horrible little machine.
Thank you for sharing your feedback.
I know you're biggest complaint is about the percentage of a battery. I'm speculating that manufacturers or programmers are lazy. so they assume certain voltage everyone knows what the percentage of a battery if they have a chart. And that's what I go by. I use a multimeter to check voltage and use a chart (downloaded from Google) to check battery percentage.
The SC10030A models (and previous as well) had a separate button to check % and volts. They made this 'new' model and deleted that useful option.
%656
Thank you for your comment!
New out of the box mine don’t work. You plug it in. Clamp it to the battery. The way it goes !! Set it to the battery type and on 30amp. And hit start. And it says on then it instantly goes to off. I’m thinking it’s a piece of shiz. ?? Don’t think I’m doing anything wrong.
Sounds like it's not working correctly. I'd take it back to the retailer and either exchange or return it. I'm still pretty happy with my Schumacher; I wish the features were a little more straight forward, regardless it keeps my batteries charged. Thank you for sharing!
Does this need to be plugged in to jump start a battery?
Yes
the wires get hot and the clamps are weak as hell.
Thank you for your comment!
Charging at 30 amps will shorten battery life.
not on a big battery it won't
Only on really small batteries
It would have been nice to see the charger- hence video
Please explain, thank you.
@@fixintodoitall I meant that I wanted to see the cord that charges the charger - I can’t find one anywhere- I apologize -my frustration did make my comment seem gruff
I have model number FRO1335 Schumacher. EXTREMELY CONFUSING!!! It sucks, it is useless. It says it's a " farm & ranch battery charger.
I have a deep cycle 12v 35ah Duralast battery. I believe it should be a Standard correct
A standard battery is a lead acid battery. It has the caps on the top so you can see into the plate chamber to view the amount of electrolyte in each cell. AGM and GEL batteries do not have removable caps. The difference is the charging voltage. Standard batteries can handle upwards of 15 volts while charging. The AGM and Gel batteries cannot take the higher voltage and the charger will regulate the voltage with the selector switch.
@@thonatim5321 Thanks for the video, well done.
There are two main types of flooded lead-acid batteries: Standard (used mainly for starting) and Marine/Deep Cycle. from the outside, they look the same but inside they are much different mainly the plate size.
the most confusing part of this charger, (I have the SC4 model which is very similar). The battery type selection for a non AGM or Gel is standard (flooded Battery) the confusion is there is a big difference between a standard car battery (standard) and a deep cycle Battery (both flooded lead acid) therefore the charging requirements are different. the manual explains that the Standard Type selection is"Used in cars, trucks. these batteries have vent caps this type of battery is designed to deliver quick bursts of energy.........Standard batteries should not be used for deep cycle applications.
So even though this charger is described as an automatic charger for Marine/ Deep Cycle it doesn't have a selection for that type of battery other than AGM or Gel which shouldn't be used for a flooded deep-cycle either. ive been using the Standard type selection so now i am wondering if i have been damaging my flooded Deep Cycle batteries. Ill give Shumacher a call to try to get an answer.
There must be something very simple and obvious that i am missing
@@thonatim5321 Thanks for the video, well done.
There are two main types of flooded lead-acid batteries: Standard (used mainly for starting) and Marine/Deep Cycle. from the outside, they look the same but inside they are much different mainly the plate size.
the most confusing part of this charger, (I have the SC4 model which is very similar). The battery type selection for a non AGM or Gel is standard (flooded Battery) the confusion is there is a big difference between a standard car battery (standard) and a deep cycle Battery (both flooded lead acid) therefore the charging requirements are different. the manual explains that the Standard Type selection is"Used in cars, trucks. these batteries have vent caps this type of battery is designed to deliver quick bursts of energy.........Standard batteries should not be used for deep cycle applications.
So even though this charger is described as an automatic charger for Marine/ Deep Cycle it doesn't have a selection for that type of battery other than AGM or Gel which shouldn't be used for a flooded deep-cycle either. ive been using the Standard type selection so now i am wondering if i have been damaging my flooded Deep Cycle batteries. Ill give Shumacher a call to try to get an answer.
There must be something very simple and obvious that i am missing
I have an older Shumacher battery charger, model XC75W. The button interface is older and I think slightly more intuitive. But in general Schumacher has mediocre customer support and documentation that is very lacking in their products.
Thank you for sharing and for your support!
I believe the reason you can only see the % of battery charge (tender mode only) is because a higher amperage (from supply) would be misleading- as the supply is “supporting” the battery terminal voltage.
(My qualification is a bachelor degree in electronics and having been in the industry for 30+ years. Not bragging- just sharing my credentials).
Just this work on tractor trailers
lmao of battery life. Can't believe you really thought this thing would tell you the life of the battery.
Thank you for your comment.
I got one hardly ever use it and now it won't do anything. Wasted money
I hope you got your money back?
After all - Reading The Instructions Is Overrated ...
I concur!
tender mode. not tenor mode. duh!
@Daniel Lang I guess you're right--It came out wrong! My mistake in not spending the time editing/correcting it. Awfully critical from someone who's never produced a RUclips video themselves. I'll tell you what, you win the 'Biggest Jerk' award from the 'Fixin To Do It' channel. Congratulations! Don't forget to share this award with your mom. I'm sure she'll be proud. 😂