Best Brand Battery Charger for AGM Batteries

[WP007]

I need to charge my AGM Group 27 batteries before putting them back into the boat. What is the best brand of charger and what brands should I avoid?

[CharlieJ]

Review the specs for your batteries; absorption voltage, float voltage, temperature coefficient, etc. and then check the specs of your candidate chargers to get as close a match as possible. Sterling has a new charger with several pre-programmed profiles and so does Pro-Mariner. The best, in my opinion, is by Victron.

Charlie

[Jeff Millar]

Mastervolt.com
Practical Sailor award
Looks good.
I am trying to learn the best way to charge my soon be have new ODYSSEY
House bank battery, consisting of 5 PC1800's
Each rated 214 AH, total of 1070 AH's

Perhaps we can share what we can learn.

[barnakiel]

WAECO, Mobitronic, Xantrex, Mastervolt, Sterling all good.

I guess anything 3/4 stage with adequate battery setting will do the job very well, if in slightly different time. But since it is prior to re-commissioning perhaps time is of no concern.

In the boat we have been using Mobitronic (Waeco). ( y.o. and going strong, except we have to change the ventilators now and then.

b.

[bchaps]

I'm replacing my original Lifeline Group 27 AGM batteries tomorrow...buying Group 31 Lifeline AGM's. If the originals lasted nearly 12 years, seems like a sound choice for replacements also. The dealer told me my case is not unique.

Bill

[antoche]

Just came accross this: http://www.federalbatteries.com.au/files/charging.pdf

[careka]

This is among the very best
Marine market

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by WP007

I need to charge my AGM Group 27 batteries before putting them back into the boat. What is the best brand of charger and what brands should I avoid?

I have three chargers on board a Pro Mariner for my 12 volt Gel bank. I also have a 48 volt bank for my electric propulsion system consisting of 4 12 volt AGM's in series. I have a ZIVAN NG-1 48 volt which charges the 48 volt bank and also doubles as a power supply to help move the boat along at 3 knots. I also have a Dual Pro 4 (they also make single, dual, triple units also) which will charge each individual battery in the 48 volt string to keep them in "balance" so that no single battery gets over charged or under charged and unblances the pack. All of the chargers have never failed me and I would recommend any of them. But, if you are paralleling any of your batteries and have a switch so that you can isolate the batteries when charging then I think the Dual Pro will be best choice because you can keep the batteries in balance and the will be at the same charge when you are done charging.