Battery Chargers
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Feature Set
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Ease of Use
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Power
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Value
Final Thoughts
With this Optima Digital 1200 battery charger, you almost get the old RonCo guarantee: “set it, and forget it.” The charger does all the thinking for you, all you have to do is select which type of battery you’re charging. You also get a backlit LCD display, so you can easily read the state of charge, even in the dark. This is a must have for all those expensive toys, like boats, RVs, and UTVs.
User Review
( votes)There’s more science to charging batteries correctly than just clamping on the leads and plugging in. The Optima Digital 1200 battery charger uses software and variable charge rates to successfully and safely charge batteries. In addition to charging batteries, it will also maintain your battery’s charge as well.
Optima Digital 1200 Battery Charger Features
Maximum output for the Optima Digital 1200 is 12 Amps, so it will get a quick jump on your dead battery. But, that’s not the real glory in this charger. If you need a quick jump, get a jump box. This charger, you can put on your battery, and walk away. For days, if you need to.
Related Review: Optima Digital 400 Charger
When you first hook up the leads on the battery, you must select the type of battery. Is it an Optima glass mat battery, another brand AGM (glass mat), typical flooded (lead acid), or motorcycle? Then, the Digital 400 analyzes the battery’s state. It will determine whether the battery is 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% charged. Based on this, the Optima then safely charges the battery to an optimum charge.
Once the Digital 1200 charger has reached the charge peak, it then shifts into Maintain mode. This not only trickle-charges the battery, but it will also continue to monitor. Keeping a battery in a constant state of Charge or Discharge can reduce the life. The Maintain mode lets the battery discharge a bit, then shifts back into charging. This maintains and conditions the battery to always have the best performance.
Final Thoughts
We really like the performance, features, and simplicity of the Optima Digital 1200 battery charger. I’ve forgotten plenty of batteries on charge in my shop, only to come back and they’re blazing hot, and swollen. You don’t have to worry about that with this Optima charger. It is true that you can buy a lot of other chargers for less than $200, but not that will include these features. This is not a hard item to recommend, and we have already put it to use in our shop…many times.
Check out the Optima Digital 1200 battery charger here.
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