Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 438
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers


At Harbor Freight, they have three different auto battery testers.

The one currently on sale is a 50 Amp tester for $10,
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93784

the 100 Amp tester is about $25,
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90636


and the 500 Amp carbon pile tester sells for $50.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91129


What's the advantage of the higher amp models? Are there any other
conveniences with the more expensive models?

I've always just checked the battery and charging system with a VOM.
If it read less than 12 V at rest, the battery was discharged or bad.
When running, if the system didn't read 13-14 V, it wasn't charging.
Will those battery testers tell me something else?

Thanks.

RWL

  #2   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 450
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

On Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:36:49 -0400, GeoLane at PTD dot NET GeoLane at
PTD dot NET wrote:


At Harbor Freight, they have three different auto battery testers.

The one currently on sale is a 50 Amp tester for $10,
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93784

the 100 Amp tester is about $25,
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90636


and the 500 Amp carbon pile tester sells for $50.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91129


What's the advantage of the higher amp models? Are there any other
conveniences with the more expensive models?

I've always just checked the battery and charging system with a VOM.
If it read less than 12 V at rest, the battery was discharged or bad.
When running, if the system didn't read 13-14 V, it wasn't charging.
Will those battery testers tell me something else?

Thanks.

RWL

They will tell you the maximum output of the alternator/generator, as
well as the load capacity of the battery.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

  #3   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 129
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers


clare at snyder.on.ca wrote in message
...
On Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:36:49 -0400, GeoLane at PTD dot NET GeoLane at
PTD dot NET wrote:




I've always just checked the battery and charging system with a VOM.
If it read less than 12 V at rest, the battery was discharged or bad.
When running, if the system didn't read 13-14 V, it wasn't charging.
Will those battery testers tell me something else?

Thanks.

RWL

They will tell you the maximum output of the alternator/generator, as
well as the load capacity of the battery.


To expand: even a near-dead battery can look good with a voltmeter, but will
fail under load.
The same thing holds true for alternators- with a voltmeter, the alternator
may seem to be charging, but in reality is only capable of a few amps of
output.

For as often as they fail, it's cheaper to drag the suspect component to the
local parts store and let them test it.

-Carl (who misses the Sun VAT-40, the best starting/charging system tester
ever made)


--
The future isn't what it used to be.


  #4   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,146
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

On Sep 13, 11:36 pm, GeoLane at PTD dot NET GeoLane at PTD dot NET
wrote:
...
Will those battery testers tell me something else?
RWL


They will detect high internal resistance, which means low cranking
capacity. So will starting the engine with the headlights on and
watching how much they dim.

jw

  #5   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 200
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers



"Robert Swinney" wrote in message
...
Right on, Jim. No one with a modicum of common sense ever needs a formal
battery tester. HF sells
them to the chumps, though.



Tell me how to test a battery out of a vehicle, or a battery with no vehicle
around! $10 or $25 does not seem like allot of cash to drop for one of these
testers. I have considered picking up one myself. Also consider if you have
a bunch of batteries around it may be worth having the tester to may your
life easier. We had one where I worked a few years back, but then we were
testing deep cycle batteries pretty often and it was near impossible to load
test them as they were not used in a machine where we could put a high load
on them. Between the load tester and a hydrometer we could get a pretty good
idea if a battery was good or not.
Greg



  #6   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,380
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

On Sep 14, 6:06 pm, "Greg O" wrote:
"Robert Swinney" wrote in message

...

Right on, Jim. No one with a modicum of common sense ever needs a formal
battery tester. HF sells
them to the chumps, though.


Tell me how to test a battery out of a vehicle, or a battery with no vehicle
around! $10 or $25 does not seem like allot of cash to drop for one of these
testers. I have considered picking up one myself. Also consider if you have
a bunch of batteries around it may be worth having the tester to may your
life easier. We had one where I worked a few years back, but then we were
testing deep cycle batteries pretty often and it was near impossible to load
test them as they were not used in a machine where we could put a high load
on them. Between the load tester and a hydrometer we could get a pretty good
idea if a battery was good or not.
Greg


You are correct.

Us "chumps" who have lead acid batteries in many non-automotive
applications use load testers all the time.

TMT

  #7   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 954
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

On Sep 13, 9:36 pm, GeoLane at PTD dot NET GeoLane at PTD dot NET
wrote:
At Harbor Freight, they have three different auto battery testers.

The one currently on sale is a 50 Amp tester for $10,http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93784

the 100 Amp tester is about $25,http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90636

and the 500 Amp carbon pile tester sells for $50.http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91129

What's the advantage of the higher amp models? Are there any other
conveniences with the more expensive models?

I've always just checked the battery and charging system with a VOM.
If it read less than 12 V at rest, the battery was discharged or bad.
When running, if the system didn't read 13-14 V, it wasn't charging.
Will those battery testers tell me something else?

Thanks.

RWL


They give you a better idea of how the battery performs under load.
The higher amperage ones just have a better load resistance. I've had
one of the cheapies for years, works well for separating sheep from
goats. I've had batteries that will take a charge, look good on a
voltmeter statically and still won't spin the starter. Probably
cracked links or something like that internally, too much internal
resistance. You can also use them for determining if it's a bad
battery you have or a bad charging system, or both. A voltmeter will
just tell you if your voltage is below par, doesn't tell you if you've
got a shorted battery, duff regulator or a failed alternator/
generator. Sometimes a bad charging system will take out the battery,
replacing the battery just leads to another dead battery.

Stan

  #8   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,146
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

On Sep 14, 7:06 pm, "Greg O" wrote:
"Robert Swinney" wrote in message

...

Right on, Jim. No one with a modicum of common sense ever needs a formal
battery tester. HF sells
them to the chumps, though.


Tell me how to test a battery out of a vehicle, or a battery with no vehicle
around! $10 or $25 does not seem like allot of cash to drop for one of these
testers. I have considered picking up one myself. Also consider if you have
a bunch of batteries around it may be worth having the tester to may your
life easier. We had one where I worked a few years back, but then we were
testing deep cycle batteries pretty often and it was near impossible to load
test them as they were not used in a machine where we could put a high load
on them. Between the load tester and a hydrometer we could get a pretty good
idea if a battery was good or not.
Greg


I repaired power wheelchairs for a while and used a hydrometer and
load tester to estimate battery condition, but I knew what to look
for. Cranking with the headlight on is a simple quick check of battery
and *wiring* condition that even people who can't read a voltmeter can
use. And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure Volts on an
Amps range.

Old, cynical electronics joke: DANGER! 1 MILLION OHMS!

jw

  #9   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 506
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

Jim Wilkins wrote:And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure
Volts on an
Amps range.

Boy is that hard on the movement.:-)
...lew...
  #10   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12,924
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

Jim Wilkins wrote:

On Sep 14, 7:06 pm, "Greg O" wrote:
"Robert Swinney" wrote in message

...

Right on, Jim. No one with a modicum of common sense ever needs a formal
battery tester. HF sells
them to the chumps, though.


Tell me how to test a battery out of a vehicle, or a battery with no vehicle
around! $10 or $25 does not seem like allot of cash to drop for one of these
testers. I have considered picking up one myself. Also consider if you have
a bunch of batteries around it may be worth having the tester to may your
life easier. We had one where I worked a few years back, but then we were
testing deep cycle batteries pretty often and it was near impossible to load
test them as they were not used in a machine where we could put a high load
on them. Between the load tester and a hydrometer we could get a pretty good
idea if a battery was good or not.
Greg


I repaired power wheelchairs for a while and used a hydrometer and
load tester to estimate battery condition, but I knew what to look
for. Cranking with the headlight on is a simple quick check of battery
and *wiring* condition that even people who can't read a voltmeter can
use. And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure Volts on an
Amps range.

Old, cynical electronics joke: DANGER! 1 MILLION OHMS!

jw


DANGER! 1 MILLI OHM
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida


  #11   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,475
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 11:54:53 -0400, the renowned "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:

Jim Wilkins wrote:

On Sep 14, 7:06 pm, "Greg O" wrote:
"Robert Swinney" wrote in message

...

Right on, Jim. No one with a modicum of common sense ever needs a formal
battery tester. HF sells
them to the chumps, though.

Tell me how to test a battery out of a vehicle, or a battery with no vehicle
around! $10 or $25 does not seem like allot of cash to drop for one of these
testers. I have considered picking up one myself. Also consider if you have
a bunch of batteries around it may be worth having the tester to may your
life easier. We had one where I worked a few years back, but then we were
testing deep cycle batteries pretty often and it was near impossible to load
test them as they were not used in a machine where we could put a high load
on them. Between the load tester and a hydrometer we could get a pretty good
idea if a battery was good or not.
Greg


I repaired power wheelchairs for a while and used a hydrometer and
load tester to estimate battery condition, but I knew what to look
for. Cranking with the headlight on is a simple quick check of battery
and *wiring* condition that even people who can't read a voltmeter can
use. And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure Volts on an
Amps range.

Old, cynical electronics joke: DANGER! 1 MILLION OHMS!

jw


DANGER! 1 MILLI OHM


Do not touch! Surface temperature 300°K!

(yes, I know you're supposed to use the ° with Kelvins anymore)


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
  #12   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,146
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

McCain stopped by the VFW the other night and told some insider jokes
that few people got.

Naval Aviation: "I tried to join the Marines first, but my parents
were married."

A fellow POW: "He's so old he can hide his own Easter eggs."

jw, in NH

  #13   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12,924
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

Jim Wilkins wrote:

McCain stopped by the VFW the other night and told some insider jokes
that few people got.

Naval Aviation: "I tried to join the Marines first, but my parents
were married."

A fellow POW: "He's so old he can hide his own Easter eggs."

jw, in NH


That joke is old enough to be senile:

Little Jim Dickens, on the 'Grand Ole Opry': "I'm so old that I can
hide my own Easter eggs."


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
  #14   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,600
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

According to Jim Wilkins :

[ ... ]

use. And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure Volts on an
Amps range.


Only once per multimeter. :-)

Old, cynical electronics joke: DANGER! 1 MILLION OHMS!


Or:

Caution! High Impedance

:-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
  #15   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,600
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

According to lew hartswick :
Jim Wilkins wrote:And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure
Volts on an
Amps range.

Boy is that hard on the movement.:-)


And the internal shunt. :-)

I've seen a summer hire blow the shunt (epoxy housing, packed
with sand) in the amps plugin in an old HP Digital voltmeter. The rest
of it survived, and they were able to find a replacement precision
shunt.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---


  #16   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 812
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers



DoN. Nichols wrote:

According to lew hartswick :

Jim Wilkins wrote:And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure
Volts on an

Amps range.


Boy is that hard on the movement.:-)



And the internal shunt. :-)

I've seen a summer hire blow the shunt (epoxy housing, packed
with sand) in the amps plugin in an old HP Digital voltmeter. The rest
of it survived, and they were able to find a replacement precision
shunt.

Enjoy,
DoN.


On the later Simson 260s a factory fuse was added in the shunt circuit
to save the rest of the meter from damage. I soldered in some of the
older meters that our company used.



John

  #17   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 812
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers



wrote:

On Sep 13, 9:36 pm, GeoLane at PTD dot NET GeoLane at PTD dot NET
wrote:

At Harbor Freight, they have three different auto battery testers.

The one currently on sale is a 50 Amp tester for $10,
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93784

the 100 Amp tester is about $25,http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90636

and the 500 Amp carbon pile tester sells for $50.http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91129

What's the advantage of the higher amp models? Are there any other
conveniences with the more expensive models?

I've always just checked the battery and charging system with a VOM.
If it read less than 12 V at rest, the battery was discharged or bad.
When running, if the system didn't read 13-14 V, it wasn't charging.
Will those battery testers tell me something else?

Thanks.

RWL



They give you a better idea of how the battery performs under load.
The higher amperage ones just have a better load resistance. I've had
one of the cheapies for years, works well for separating sheep from
goats. I've had batteries that will take a charge, look good on a
voltmeter statically and still won't spin the starter. Probably
cracked links or something like that internally, too much internal
resistance. You can also use them for determining if it's a bad
battery you have or a bad charging system, or both. A voltmeter will
just tell you if your voltage is below par, doesn't tell you if you've
got a shorted battery, duff regulator or a failed alternator/
generator. Sometimes a bad charging system will take out the battery,
replacing the battery just leads to another dead battery.

Stan



I wouldn't waste my money on a load meter.. you have one built into the
car, the headlights, heater fans and the starter itself. With the
engine running and the accessories turned on you should be able to see
14 + volts at the battery terminals. If you don't you have a bad
charging system. If your engine starter cranks slow, crank it for 10
seconds and feel the power cables to the starter.. If they are hot you
have a bad starter or engine that is tight. If they are cool you either
have a bad battery or a bad connection in the power wiring. If you have
a bad connection you can feel the hot spot at the terminal but watch out
you might get a burn. You could also put the volt meter on the battery
and turn on the accessories with the engine off. The voltage should not
go below 12 volts with a good charged battery.


John


  #18   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12,924
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

According to Jim Wilkins :

[ ... ]

use. And I know a few mechanics who would try to measure Volts on an
Amps range.


Only once per multimeter. :-)

Old, cynical electronics joke: DANGER! 1 MILLION OHMS!


Or:

Caution! High Impedance




DANGER!!! 1000 milivolts!!!


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
  #19   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 22
Default OT - Harbor Freight car battery testers

Checking electric is like checking how much water you get out of a
water pipe...
A little pipe with a lot of pressure will give the same amount of
water as a big pipe with low pressure...
So you need to check how big the pipe is (amps) and how much pressure
you have (volts) to know how much water
(electric) you will get... So you need to check both amp output and
volts on your battery...

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Harbor Freight DMM Jim Yanik Home Repair 5 June 5th 06 04:09 PM
Harbor Freight tmurf.1 Home Repair 30 May 26th 06 08:31 PM
Harbor Freight does it again... Pete C. Metalworking 58 January 11th 06 05:36 AM
Harbor Freight DC Jimmy Woodworking 12 November 18th 05 06:11 PM
More on Harbor Freight DC mac davis Woodworking 11 November 22nd 04 09:20 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:56 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"