Customer Reviews

Black & Decker VEC1086BBD Smart Battery 6/4/2 Amp Battery Charger

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I purchased this charger to charge the battery on my lawn tractor, that's all (although this will work for all of my vehicles too)! I didn't want a portable unit to jumpstart a vehicle or charge other accessories (this is just a vehicle batter charger like the box says). This charger is very simple to use with a one-touch button interface to get things going. I don't know anything about charging batteries or jumping vehicles but I was able to set this up and start charging in about 1 minute.

The included instructions are easy to follow and the charger is ready to go right out of the box. Connect the terminals per the instructions for what you are charging; plug the charger into a standard wall outlet (check for fault light indicating an incorrect connection) then press the one and only button to toggle to the desired amp level (explained in the instructions).

The amp levels are easy to see so selecting the correct one is easy to do. This charger is also fully automatic and will properly charge the battery on it's own at it's own pace for best performance and battery safety. The charger will tell you when it's done charging or if anything is wrong (if that's the case it will display the fault light or will just shut down).

I really like the foolproof design and features (the cables store in the back of the charger) of this simple easy to use charger. I'm not a very handy guy and electricity does make me a little nervous, but using this charger has been a great experience and a joy to use. Whether pro or beginner if you need a battery charger but are a little intimidated by the experience try this one you'll love it!

This unit works very well for topping off a battery that is low or maintaining the charge on a battery in storage. However, if the battery is fully discharged, the units automated protection feature will give a fault status and refuse to charge it until you use some other method to force a partial charge on the battery.

When I first opened the box it looked like a toy, being very small. But I used it to recharge my 2 deep cycle batteries for my RV and it gets the job done just fine. There is some fan noise but that doesn't bother me. I would recommend this product and by the way the warranty was even longer than was stated on the Amazon page.

I charged a dead car battery using the VEC1086BBD. When used correctly this unit revived a battery that had been dead for a year after a 1.5 hour charge.

READ THIS IS YOU'VE HAD PROBLEMS CHARGING A CAR BATTERY W/ VEC1086BBD:
(and the instructions didn't help)

-Once you have attached the leads to the battery with the proper polarity and plugged the charger into an AC source, the charger will make a humming noise, but it is NOT charging yet.

-Activate the unit by depressing the button (there's only one button) and repeat to cycle through the 6/4/2 amp settings. If it goes into fault
Press the button again repeatedly if needed until it gets out of fault mode. Press firmly and deliberately!

Additional button presses will cycle to your desired current setting (6A or 4A).

The GREEN LED must be lit or the device is not charging! This may all sound obvious but it was a REAL PAIN and a GIANT waste of time to figure this out.

Warning: **If you rapidly and repeatedly press this button you may cause the circuit breaker in your house to shut off power in your home. Not a big deal though. Just go reset the house breakers.

One more thing I noticed:
After you set to 6A/4A/2A, observe the unit for about 30 seconds until it has stabilized. Check on it periodically thereafter. This is because the unit drifts sometimes into fault mode--by itself.

Hope this helps.

I stored one of my vehicles over the winter and needed a battery charger to juice the life back into it. At first I was looking at a jump starter but what I really need was a simple battery charger. This little guy did its job with no problems. If I did have one gripe about this, it was that it took about 12 hours for it to charge. The higher output/amp chargers can charge faster but I wasn't in a rush to get my car going. All I needed was to charge it overnight and its done. Theres no need to buy a replacement battery again! Unless its really old..

Worked perfectly for a year or so, then died.
My old (Old Fashion) battery charger, which wasn't a Black & Decker, lasted for 23 years!! Yep, it wasn't one of these new digital advanced jobs like the one above. It just charged a battery...period! Unfortunately that company is out of bussiness. Probably run out of bussiness by these new CHEAP things that just don't last.

After finding out what it would cost to mail this Black & Decker back, wait, etc. It was cheaper to just buy another one.
What ever one I choose, it won't be Black & Decker.

We've owned this charger for two months. I ordered this to charge up a spare battery. We use this battery to pump up tires, jump start cars and for emergency use when there is power out. The charger charges up the battery nicely. I always use the slowest charge setting. It will stop once it is fully charged. I am very satisfied with this product.

This charger does exactly what it is supposed to do. I use it on my lawn mower and four wheelers. Its light easy to handle and suits that purpose well. It is well worth the price.

Have this hooked up to a generator and have not had any problems for a couple of months. Woo Woo.

I was very pleased with this charger. I was considering a portable charger but was advised that it may not work if the battery is too low. My van would not start after some cold weather and my battery was so low that the interior lights were out. After reading info about other chargers I decided on this one. I read the directions connected it and it did the job. I called Black and Decker and they were very helpful with any questions I had. This is a small price to pay for the convenience, certainly better then having to call a tow truck. It's portable and lightweight, stores easy.I never charged a battery in my life and I was able to do it.