This Schumacher PS-2100MA DSR ProSeries Battery Charger was purchased to charge my 12 volt lead-acid batteries for my vehicles and mowers. My mowers & truck are not used during the winter, and need to be kept charged during storage in order to extend their product life.
Wanted a unit that could be used to recharge a 12V lead-acid battery rated for fast rate charge from 10 to 15 amps, slow trickle charge of about 2 amps, and also be used for jump starting an engine. This type of charger would be able to recharge a battery using the 3 steps recommended for lead-acid batteries - I wanted to be able to do so in both automatic and manual modes. I had heard that a Jump Start current of 100 Amps is recommended, but that would not need more than 200 Amps for jump starting most engines.
In order to properly recharge a lead-acid battery, a 3 step method is recommended (Bulk, Absorption, & Float Steps). The first step of Bulk Charging applies maximum voltage & current amp rating of charger until about 80 percent of the battery energy capacity has been obtained by the charging step. The second step of Absorption Charge the voltage is held constant (e.g. 14.4 Volts) and the current declines until the battery has been 98 percent charged. The third and last Float Charge step required a regulated charging voltage (of not more than 13.4 volts) and a low current (usually less than 1 amp) until the battery is 100 percent charged. See the following link for more details about lead-acid batteries:
[ http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html ].
Also wanted the charger to be of good quality, have an analog Amp Meter (preferably having an Amp Scale & Percent Charged calibration), and metal case. I decided to select this unit because I thought that it met all of my design criteria. The Schumacher DSR ProSeries unit was selected over their lower cost SE series because some customers had received new Schumacher SE series chargers that were damaged.
But after I received my charger I discovered that the charger's title & description were misleading. The site's photo shows the meter to be calibrated for both Amps and Percent Charged. This photo is out of date. The actual meter on my unit only had a 0 to 12 Amp scale - but no Percent Charged scale. The 2 Amp & 15 Amp charging modes were only for automatic charging of 12V batteries, and could not be used in manual mode charging of 12V batteries. The manual mode charging was for charging 6V batteries only. And there was no way to charge 6V batteries using the automatic mode. Plus, the "100A 12V, 15A 12/6V, 2A 12V" text on the unit as seen on the site photo is correct. However, my unit was mislabeled with the following text: "100A 12V, 15A 12V, 2A 12V/6V". This charger also had a transformer hum - but this noise was most likely below 85 decibels. (This is just a guess since I don't have dB meter.)
Then I noticed that my charger wobbled about 1/4 inch as it rocked back and forth on its 4 metal foot-rests. On closer inspection, I discovered that the 4 foot-rests for my charger were not on the same plane. One of the foot-rest had been pushed in and the sheet metal was bent at this location. Based upon the condition of the retail box & shipping box, it appeared that this charger had been placed in the retail box in this damaged condition, and was not due to shipping damage.
So at this point I decided to send this unit back for a refund. Will keep looking for a battery charger that meets what I want. At the present time, all of my lead-acid batteries are 12 volts. Don't expect to buy anything that used a 6V battery. But would still like to find a unit having both automatic and manual charging modes (for 12V batteries using the 3 step method), and capable of jump starting a vehicle with a dead battery.
Follow-up
After more searching for a battery charger that met my desired features, had to re-evaluate my needs and priorities as follows:
1) Dropped Manual Mode Charging feature. Main advantages for a manual mode charging are that:
A) manual mode charging will work better for deeply discharged batteries than some automatic chargers,
B) manual mode chargers tend to work better with power supplied by portable generators, &
C) manual charging mode is more likely to outlast the electronic circuits of automatic charging mode.
2) Dropped Jump Start feature. If batteries are kept charged during long term storage, the need to jump start an engine is greatly reduced. Can always use jumper cables to jump start engines if do not have time required to re-charge a dead battery.
3) Added Desulfation Circuit feature. A buildup of sulfate crystals on battery plates are a major reason for reduced battery performance, reduced full charge level, and shortened battery life. If a battery charger can encourage the breakdown of sulfate crystals, this feature is a desirable tradeoff for other features.
4) Dropped Analog Ampere Meter feature. Expect analog meters to be more likely to outlast digital or LED amp meters. But analog versus digital is the last priority. Nor could I find any chargers in my price range and higher priority design features that used an analog amp meter (calibrated in ampere units).
Ended up buying an Interacter fully automated 12 Volt 10 Amp battery charger which has a desulfation circuit and a ladder type LED Amp meter (Model Professional Series 1210 for SLI/flooded type lead-acid batteries). This model can also be converted from the normal mode battery type (SLI/flooded) for use with Gel, cell absorbed electrolyte or liquid electrolyte. However, the battery type mode is factory set (with use of internal DIP switches). And only Interacter Authorized Service Technicians are authorized to change the charger's battery type charging mode. This is rather inconvenient but not an issue at this time since all of my current lead-acid batteries use the normal mode charging.
| Manufacturer | Schumacher |
|---|---|
| Brand | Schumacher |
| Item Weight | 16.25 pounds |
| Item model number | PS-2100MA |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | PS2100MA |
