Customer Reviews

Duracell D2A 2 AMP 12V Battery Maintainer / Charger

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I wanted a charger to keep my car battery charged (but not overcharged!) while I am absent on multi-week trips. So far the Duracell 2 Amp charger seems to be working well.

It is a three-stage charger. The specification says that depending on the current state of the battery, it will do a fast charge to around 80%, then a slower charge to almost full, then finally move to a lower voltage "floating" charge to keep the battery near 100% without overcharging.

I used a multimeter to watch the charging process. My battery was mostly full to start with, so the charger started charging at 14.1 volts (the slow charge mode) and then after a few hours moved to 12.7 volts (for the floating charge). These both seem appropriate voltages. In particular, the floating voltage of 12.7 volts should be safe for long-term battery maintenance.

After about two days on floating charge, my charger's red charging light finally went off. Over the next couple of weeks, when I checked the charger, the red charging light was mostly off but I occasionally noticed it on. It looks like the charger is moving between off and floating charge as needed for sustained maintenance.

I'll have to see how the charger holds up under long-term use, but so far everything looks good.

Update November 2010: I've been using this for two years now and I continue to be very happy with it. It's pleasant to come back from a four week absence to a fully charged car battery, with zero hassles!

I use this with my classic motorcycles and it's taken a beating. Gotten soaked and dried out. Fallen to the concrete floor on numerous occasions, and it's still running like a swiss watch.

All the connectors are great too.

This product is great!! It also has a low price.

I bought this for the cold winters here in Iowa. I have older cars they are 96, 92, 01. I just connect them through the lighter option connection and switch them every day.

My cars always start now. No problems at all.

This charger/maintainer is perfect for older cars that tend to lose their charges during cold sub zero cold nights.

Would highly recommend!!!

Product works as described. Connect and forget. Plenty of connection options,I especially liked the connector covers on the ring terminal connectors.

I have several chargers already, but decided to pick one up for $10 during a holiday special. The D2A is a rebranded unit made by Xantrex Technologies ([...]) Nowhere on the box or in the manual does it mention being a microprocessor controlled unit (only on Amazon description). Also on the back of the box it mentions being a 3 stage charger, but actually it is only 2 stages (bulk/float). The float voltage seems high, compared to my Yuasa charger - I hope that doesn't damage the battery. This charger will cycle on and off every 5 min or so in float mode (probably ok). When it goes into float mode, the red LED does not shut completely off, but has a faint glow. Also, when connecting the leads to the battery, there is definite sparking sometimes, which means it is pumping current out on initial connection (A high quality microprocessor controlled charger will do a "soft start" with no sparking.

I just picked up a SEM-1562A (Aug 2010) and so far it works better than the D2A (better build quality, three LED status lights with more status modes including blinking LEDs). It has a soft start feature and does not spark on connecting to battery.

The Cigarette Plug/Power Outlet Plug is the best feature. Most battery retainers come with clamps requiring the user to open the hood and clamping the leads to the battery and a body part. This unit plugs directly into the cigarette lighter/power outlet. As the amperage is greater than the drain on the battery (the battery is always draining because it is hooked up to the car), the electrical flow goes toward the battery and it keeps fully charged! No brainer to use. Note: if the power light does not light up when it is plugged into the AC send it back right way via Amazon.com return.

The battery charger works fine but the small print tells you to disconnect the charger when the battery is fully charged. That isn't what I bought a "Battery Maintainer" for. I wanted to set it and forget it till I needed the vehicle that was being charged. What I ended up doing is putting the charger on a timer and let it charge the battery for 4 hours a day. That kept the charge up to where it would start the car even after sitting for a long period of time.

Use this on my '96 Porsche 993. I really don't know how other 911s of that vintage are, but my particular money pit...er, I mean 'car'...is notoriously cruel to batteries, draining them down to nothing if the car sits for more than a week. The Duracell went into service almost two years ago and it's been as close to a godsend as I've ever experienced in the upkeep of this car. Definitely been well worth its modest price.

The lighter socket connection is how I connect this trickle charger to the car, and it's great. No fussing with the trunk carpet (the battery of a 911 is up front, under the carpeting) or being careful feeding the wires out of the trunk when I latch down the lid (both the trunk light and cabin lights will stay on unless the lid is completely and properly latched in place). The convenience factor is simply immeasurable. Definitely this maintainer has been one of the best buys I've ever made for the car.

I just received this unit and am trying it for the first time. Intended for my garaged Honda S2000 in the winter when weeks go by without use.

When I received it, I thought I may have received the wrong product. The Duracell packaging I received clearly states that the 2A model "maintains motorcycle batteries", and for my use I should get the 6A model at a minimum. However, the description on this page says the 2A device is good for vehicles and RV's. Which is right?

***Here is what the packaging clearly shows***
2 A model: ATV, Snowmobile, personal watercraft, lawn tractor, farm engine equipment, motorcycle.
6 A model: Compact car (and all of the above)
12 A model: Minivan, SUV, Truck (and all of the above)
25 A model: RV (and all of the above)

Operating temperature: 32F to 104F.

Secondly, the alligator style clips are exactly the same length and not covered with insulating material. This allows the cables to touch each other, and in fact guarantees they will touch each other when dangling. If you follow the instructions and only plug the device in after attaching the cables, it shouldn't be a problem, but still they should make the cable goof-proof by making the leads different lengths or covering them better. They provide wall brackets to mount the device on a wall, and do not include an on/off switch. So plugging/unplugging seems like an unnatural way to use the product.

I connected it to a healty battery, car was recently used a few days ago. Garage is around 45F. The charger brought the battery up to 14.4V over 6 hours and then I finally went to bed. In the morning it was charging (LED Lit) and the voltage was 14.3V. A few minutes later the charger was off and the battery voltage was falling to 13.3V. So it appears it was in the maintenance mode, but I'm surprised it took so long to get there considering the battery wasn't discharged. I figure this has something to do with the charger's low current. It did terminate properly, which was my worry with a charger made for smaller batteries.

I give it 5 stars because it is working adequately in my application and it was under $20 shipped. However, I am tempted to deduct something because the product's packaging and the Duracell website does not match the description here. I am concerned somebody might be misled into buying something that doesn't work for them because of the description on this page.

PLEASE SEE CUSTOMER IMAGES -- I HAVE UPLOADED PICTURES OF THE ACTUAL PACKAGING.

Make sure that you understand what a trickle charger is before you buy this, expecting it to revive a dead battery. This item is quiet, works as advertised, compact, cool to the touch. Instructions were adequate. I use the connection to the cigarette lighter, and it works just great - no hassle with an open hood, etc. I use it on my Porsche, which means that the battery is not directly accessible for any of the other connection options anyway.

A perfect option for someone who doesn't use the car for a few weeks and needs a "connect and forget" approach to keeping the battery viable.