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

• Simple to use, versatile, fool proof, great value for novice or pro!

  
  By A35LU9RG45QFEB on 2007-06-25
  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!
  
  
  

• Get the Battery Tender instead.

  
  By A30C6OS1CDL0G6 on 2008-01-01
  I saw the price and decided to go with the Black and Decker instead of a Battery Tender and what a mistake. One problem is that it will not charge a completely dead battery. I had to take my lawn tractor battery out and bring it over and add some juice from my car battery before the charger would charge it. When you turn it on it sounds like it is working by the fan noise but you need to make an amperage selection manually and I am not always sure which one to select without getting the manual out. I recently used it to charge my dead car battery and it keeps giving me fault warning and not sure why. The Battery Tender is truly the best charger you can get for your vehicle because it works everytime I have used it and and is truly "plug and Play".
  
  

• Handy little charger

  
  By A2N6150OZPM8IY on 2007-12-02
  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.
  
  

• Not too shabby

  
  By A67XD52THSXER on 2007-05-12
  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..
  
  

• Good charger for the price

  
  By A294DBZJMX67JP on 2007-07-23
  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.
  
  
• Seems to work as advertised
  By A3KB58OXM7J81T on 2007-10-17
  Have this hooked up to a generator and have not had any problems for a couple of months. Woo Woo.
  
  
• Gets the job done
  By A1JADQWRUNGGDU on 2007-11-11
  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.
  
  
• Nice Little Charger
  By A2ZQOB45CMEA3T on 2007-12-24
  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.
  
  
• Works perfectly
  By A1K28NKC627LWK on 2007-12-26
  I bought this charger to re-charge my ride-on mower battery which was drained. I charged the battery overnight and I could instantly start my mower. This charger has a cooling fan which runs when it is plugged in. It produces a bit of noise but is no big deal.
  
  
  
• a really good value
  By A3E6JBXN9KFHRX on 2007-10-28
  a very high tech charger includes a cooling fan to keep the electronics stable and long lasting ,well thought out and accurate charge and float rate .I am inpressed the price is worth every dollar.
  
  
• SCC, Miami, Florida
  By AC5LMDDA71UAC on 2007-11-03
  Wow! Used it for my generator battery just like another buyer did. Great little unit. Can't believe the price and savings on shipping too! Very happy, so long eBay!!
  
  
• Should be called "Plug-in Battery Charger"
  By A3MLVWFK8JZXI0 on 2008-06-04
  I purchased this product thinking it would save me from being stranded on a deserted road with a dead car battery. Not so. Not till I purchased it, unpacked it, and thoroughly scrutinized the manual that I discovered that the charger needed to be plugged in to an outlet to work; in other words, it's only useful if you're within extension-cord distance from your home. A lot of the reviews on this site for this product are from people using it to charge small recreational vehicles, mowers, etc. If you want to use this product for your car, forget it. It also requires a very specific type of extension cord; in the "preparing to charge" portion of the instructions, users are instructed to "clean the battery terminals" and then "add distilled water to cells until battery acid reaches level specified by battery manufacturer." The manual also suggests removing the battery from the vehicle in order to charge it, in some instances. I didn't intend to become a car mechanic by purchasing and utilizing this charger. Find a portable one; this one's not worth the trouble.
  
  
• Does not do as advertised.
  By A2XPPVVO52VHBK on 2007-11-06
  I bought a new battery for my lawn mower. Also bought this charger to replace a 20 year old one. Followed the instructions for charging a small lawn mower battery at the low rate setting for over 24 hours. The charger indicated that the battery was charged after that period and apparently had stopped its action. However, the battery failed to have sufficient charge level to start the mower. I had to resort to a booster to start the mower. I would use the mid level charging rate in the future.
  
  
• Excellent for our needs
  By A3HMDD1T8XNKWN on 2008-01-18
  I was suprised how small and lightweight the charger was. The one I had back in the 70s with 2 amp was large, bulking and inefficient. This one was very simple. Attach, plug in, push button. Charging. No problem no fuss no muss and no worry. It charged very well however I didn't realize how low the battery was. It's rate was excellent but due to the snow storm we had to delay until this snow is over. I don't need to use it right now anyhow. It has until Tues to do the job. If I hook it up after the storm it should be done in a couple hours because it did so well this a.m. I recommend it esp for those who don't want to be a battery charger nerd but who is happy being a battery charger dummy. And I did hear the fan.. barely. Well I think I heard the fan..
  
  
• Does what it is supposed to do...
  By A3EUK7QLXDPW66 on 2008-01-20
  If you're looking for an inexpensive 12V lead-acid battery charger this one works great.
  
  I use it to keep several sizes of 12V batteries charged during the off season (2 scooters & JD lawn tractor).
  
  Note: Once in a while, I get a "fault" reading which can be easily cleared by reconnecting the charger or by selecting the next higer amperage rating for the battery. The charger automatically drops the amperage to the lower level in a short time.
  
  Overall, it works great.
  
  
• Black and Decker Battery Charger
  By A1YQZY021RVJWW on 2008-03-04
  This product works great, and is well worth the price. My only concern is the plastic case, will it hold up over time?
  
  
• NOT EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED
  By A3KJKGOHCV0RWE on 2008-03-10
  I purchased this product on-line because description stated it had multiple ways to connect including a cigarette light plug. The unit I inspected at the local Wal-Mart did not. This unit came exactly like the one at Wal-mart.
  Good small battery charger but only has cable clamps.
  
  
• DOES EXACTLY WHAT IT SHOULD!
  By A1FJWAN4QX5UO9 on 2008-05-19
  I bought this for my riding mower, because the battery is not what it used to be. I hooked the charger up, and yes it's alittle loud but the mower is not near the house so that's not an issue for me. I let it charge over night and it started like a champ. The next time I went to cut the grass...you guessed it it was dead, so I hooked it up for about 20 mins. which gave me just enough juice to turn the engine over.
  Great product!
  
  
• Great for starting riding mower
  By A1CMU2WXIWGGEW on 2008-06-18
  I bought this item specifically for my riding mower which had been sitting all winter long. Plugged in the charger for a couple of hours and the riding mower started right up.
  
  
• IT WORKS
  By A2L3DHMZCMHKVI on 2007-04-24
  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.
  
  

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