[Mercedes] Portable battery charger

[Curley McLain]

My oldest charger is a 6 amp 6/12v Schauer my dad bought in maybe 1963 
or so.   I've had to take out and cut off both wires, as he liked to 
wrap them tight around the charger for storage.   THe wires break where 
it goes into the case.  (same as toasters)  I have repaired several 
battery chargers this way.  Only problem I've ever seen with the "Dumb" 
chargers.    I have a bunch of Schauer and Schumacher.  I bought one 
"smart charger" and found out it was worthless, so it sits on the 
shelf.   Ditto on the Schauer "dumb chargers" being great.

Ditto on the Battery MINDer.   They are great.   the HF ones are junk, 
or used to be.

> Jim Cathey via Mercedes <mailto:mercedes at okiebenz.com>
> December 14, 2025 at 11:38 AM
> For a traditional battery charger I buy: a traditional battery charger.
> Used, at yard sales. Mostly all you can get new now are 'smart'
> chargers, which will not charge a battery that is too low. Not useful
> if you left the lights on overnight or something. (Clue: an LED/LCD
> display is almost 100% a 'smart' charger. If it has a d'Arsonval meter
> [moving needle] it is almost 100% NOT a 'smart' charger.)
>
> My favorite is a Schauer. Has an auto shutoff mode. Selectable.
> I bought the first one at Sears 45 years ago. Eventually I found a
> second one at a yard sale so that I now have a backup. (I'm big on
> backups.) Both quite old now, both still working just fine.
>
> My neighbor has a smart charger. He used to have to come borrow
> mine once in awhile to get the process started. I eventually found a
> suitable yard-sale charger for cheap and got him his very own.
>
> For _tending_ a battery, I really like the Battery MINDer. I now have a
> bunch of them. At current battery prices, if it extends the service
> life even a year it pays for itself.
>
> -- Jim
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