Schumacher SC-1200A SpeedCharge 12/8/2 Amp Charger/Maintainer/Starter/Tester

by Schumacher

Product Features

• 12 Amp fast charge to monitor battery condition and prevent battery damage
• 8 Amp medium charge to self-adjust charge rate and keep the battery in peak condition
• 2 amp slow charge to charge small and maintain large batteries
• 50 Amp clamps for top and side-mounted battery posts
• Electronic push button controls switches for selection of display mode, charge rate or battery type and retractable handle for easy portability and storage

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 12 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000BQSIWK
• Item model number: SC-1200A
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399 in Automotive (See Top 100 in Automotive)
  • #20 in Automotive > Replacement Parts > Batteries & Accessories

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Schumacher SC-1200A SpeedCharge is a fully automatic battery charger that uses advanced technology to charge up to twice as fast as conventional chargers. It offers 2-, 8-, and 12-amp charging modes to efficiently charge and maintain connected batteries. The 50-amp clamps are compatible with both top and side-mounted battery posts. Its easy-to-read LED indicators show battery charge status at a glance. Quickly charge and maintain conventional automotive batteries, deep-cycle, AGM, and gel cell batteries.

Multi-stage, automatic charging for 6V and 12V batteries

Multiple Charging Modes

Choose from 2-amp, 8-amp, and 12-amp charging modes to quickly charge all types and sizes of batteries. In 12-amp Fast Charge mode, the charger monitors battery condition and adjusts charge rate downward to prevent battery damage for car, truck, marine, RV, and farm equipment batteries. 8-amp Medium Charge is a self-adjusting charge rate that's ideal for everyday charging needs and for keeping your battery in peak condition. 2-amp Slow Charge is a trickle setting for charging and maintaining small batteries, such as those for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and lawn tractors.

Electronic Push Button Controls

The SC-1200A features easy-to-feel switches for selection of Charge Rate or Battery Type. Choose between regular, deep-cycle, or AGM battery type, while selecting Fast, Medium, or Slow Charge.

Sturdy, Built-In Handle

The built-in, retractable handle serves as convenient cord wrap for the 50-amp clamps and power cord, in addition to providing easy portability.

Microprocessor Controlled

Microprocessor Controlled Technology with multi-stage charging lets the Schumacher SC-1200A deliver added precision, safety, and battery life. This technology lets you charge your motorcycle, car, or utility vehicle batteries up to 2x faster than using conventional chargers.

Fully Automatic Operation

The SC-1200A automatically switches from Continuous Charge to Float-Mode Monitoring, which allows the charger to maintain the battery when fully charged. The SC-1200A resumes continuous charging when the battery becomes discharged.

Technical Specifications

• Input Voltage: 120V AC
• Output Voltage: 12VDC
• Output Power: 2A/8A/12A continuous
• Amperage Control: Push-button
• RoHS Compliant: Yes
• Energy Star Compliant: No
• Certifications: UL, CUL
• Warranty: 5 Year
• Dimensions: 7.6" x 3.5" x 9.8"
• Weight: 3.1lbs

Product Description

Schumacher SC-1200A functions as a charger, maintainer and tester with fully automatic microprocessor control. With 12Amp fast charge, it monitors battery condition and adjusts charge rate downward to prevent battery damage. With 8 Amp medium charge, it self-adjusts charge rate and keeps the battery in peak condition. 2 Amp slow charge to charge small and maintain large batteries. 50 Amp clamps are used for the top and side-mounted battery posts. This charger also features electronic push button control switches for different selections of display mode, charger rate or battery type. It also features a retractable handle for easy portability and storage.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exceeded expectation for the price, March 9, 2010

By 

Aodhhan (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schumacher SC-1200A SpeedCharge 12/8/2 Amp Charger/Maintainer/Starter/Tester (Misc.)

Forgetting to remove the negative connector before storing my vehicle for the winter; the internal sytems and alarm drained the battery, and of course it was sulfated. This unit worked like a charm. The battery was down to 8 volts/15%. The SC-1200a properly began to charge, then desulfate, and slowly was able to get the battery back to 98% before I removed it to start the car. This took approximately 17 hours (700 CCA Battery), which isn't bad for a dead/sulfated battery using a charger costing less than $50. The plus is you can use it to maintain your battery on a vehicle you do not drive much. Keeping your battery charged above 98% can greatly extend the life. How long it will the charger last running 24/7? ...I do not know yet. I have only had it maintaining the battery for 3 weeks, but still no problems. It does have a cooling fan which probably should be cleaned/vacuumed occaisionally; and I've never felt the unit being hot to touch. Not sure what problem the first reveiwer had, or if the unit he had was defective or dropped before he purchased it. For a $50 charger which maintains and also desulfates a battery, you cannot beat it.

59 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Yep, Dumb Charger, October 3, 2006

By 

K. Elhardt (Cary, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I was hoping to find the Schumacher model 7000A 2/20 Amp charger to review, but this 1200A is just a variation on the same thing. Looks identical too. After reading bad reviews of Schumacher and Vector it's clear these companies can't do anything right. Seems any product that has a microprocessor is programmed by the incompetent. Let me tell you about Schumacher speed chargers.

They won't charge batteries that don't already have a significant charge. If your battery drops below 10 to 11 volts, forget it. You'd have to have a manual battery charger as backup for when this won't charge, which eliminates the need for this thing in the first place. The explanation from the company is that the charger has to feed off the voltage in the battery, blah, blah. The purpose of a battery charger is to charge batteries, period. Then I was lied to by the tech and told if I hold down a certain combination of buttons when plugging the unit in, it would go into manual 2A mode (where the processor doesn't decide it won't charge your battery), but I sat there on the phone with him doing just as he said, and turns out no such feature exists. The manual doesn't mention anything like that either.

The charger is totally unpredictable. It almost always goes into desulfate mode. It has never completed a charge after coming out of desulfate mode, but ends in an error. Needs to be unplugged and plugged back in to start charging again to "completion". However completion doesn't seem to get the battery to 100% power, more like 80%, if that. Sometimes it won't charge at 20A and drops down to 2A. Don't know why. And according to the manual, desulfate mode can take up to 10 hours. So much for speed charge. Need to get into your car and go somewhere? Well you may need to wait until the next day.

It has a retain mode where the charger can sit there and monitor your battery and charge when needed. Figured I'd just leave the thing on my car almost permanently. But those who programmed the thing don't understand setting upper and lower thresholds. What it should do is charge up to the upper threshold, then when the battery drops below the lower, it charges to the upper again. I therefore expected it to turn on once a day or whatever. Instead it's turning on and off every several seconds, with the fan and relay clicking on and off. That's a good way to ware out the unit in no time.

It has a 70A engine start feature just incase you don't have enough juice to quite start your car, but if the battery is low enough where the charger won't charge it, the engine start feature won't work either.

My last car battery was probably only 1.5 years old before it wouldn't even take a charge. I'm beginning to suspect the damn charger might be responsible. When going into desulfate mode for instance, I see the voltage climb up to well over 16 volts. I don't know if that's good for the battery.

The simple act of charging a battery can be turned into a stressful nightmare with this crappy charger. Stay far away from Schumacher. It's clear they can't build a realiable charger, nor does it appear they've actually tried out their own products before dumping them onto the public.

55 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Stay away from this charger!, October 11, 2007

By 

real review - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schumacher SC-1200A SpeedCharge 12/8/2 Amp Charger/Maintainer/Starter/Tester (Misc.)

Stay far, far, far, away from this charger. I walked away from tested, good, low charge battery being charged on the 8amp setting connected to a 750CCA regular car battery and when I came back a couple hours later it was boiling and still trying to charge! I checked the charge voltage and it was at 16 volts (measured with a Fluke meter)! Bad, very bad, charger and not automatic or smart at all.