[Princess Auto] 100A Battery Load Tester ($15)

I have same model. I paid $20. Works ok

Battery Test Capability 200 to 1,000 CCA

Bummer, does not work on motorcycle batteries.

roofster wrote: ↑ Battery Test Capability 200 to 1,000 CCA

Bummer, does not work on motorcycle batteries.

It will work fine as it is only a 100A load. Just that the scale will not show below 200A, but it is pretty obvious the condition of the battery by watching the needle

.. Princess autos new flyer is out?

roofster wrote: ↑ Battery Test Capability 200 to 1,000 CCA

Bummer, does not work on motorcycle batteries.

To properly load test a lead acid battery you need to apply a load of 1/2 of the Cold Cranking Amp rating of the battery. In other words a battery with a capacity of 600 CCA would need to be tested with a load of 300 amps.

Contrary to what the description say this will only test a 200 CCA battery, because it only applies a 100 amp load.
I realize there is a scale up to 1000 CCA but with only a 100 amp load applied it is just guesswork with the higher capacity batteries.

If you want to really be able to test up to 1000 CCA batteries you would be better off with the 500 amp model.
https://princessauto.com/en/detail/500a ... -p8494007e

For those that need to do load testing only on rare occasions, Canadian Tire does it for free (so I've heard).

If you want to use a tool to check batteries, I would suggest getting this instead: https://www.amazon.ca/Battery-eOUTIL-Di ... r_1_4_sspa

If you don't have a multimeter, you can go for this one that measures crank voltage as well as charging voltage: https://www.amazon.ca/Professional-100- ... ref=sr_1_5

Yes, these are not $15, but if you are going to use something to test batteries, this is what many mechanics use as it helps to rule out bad plates and other things. If you really want to save money, just go to your local Part Source and most locations do a FREE battery test for you.

Load testers used to be very popular for cars years ago but the newer testers are far better. Even UPS systems these days have a test mode that simulate a load test. Not sure what applications this load tester would really be used for that would give you certainty in your testing.

hightech wrote: ↑ If you want to use a tool to check batteries, I would suggest getting this instead: https://www.amazon.ca/Battery-eOUTIL-Di ... r_1_4_sspa

Is this accurate?

Like basically I need something to tell me the status so I can replace my battery when I need it to work in cold temps. Right now seems to start fine but go into the mountains lots where the temperature goes quite a bit lower.

roofster wrote: ↑ For those that need to do load testing only on rare occasions, Canadian Tire does it for free (so I've heard).

They do. I brought a battery there and they used their expensive hand held tester. You can pay for their more advanced tester if you like.

danascully wrote: ↑ Is this accurate?

Like basically I need something to tell me the status so I can replace my battery when I need it to work in cold temps. Right now seems to start fine but go into the mountains lots where the temperature goes quite a bit lower.

These things are accurate enough for the things most of us do. As they are not calibrated to any extent, you can't use them to compare batteries tested with different testers but you should be able to use the same tester to compare different batteries given that those batteries are tested under the same conditions - ie. same temperature.

I've found that while these testers will test CCAs - how many amps a 12V battery can supply at 0F without dropping below 7.2 V - they won't adjust for different ambient temperatures so the same battery that will test X at 70F will test Y at 30F.

As for your particular use case, it should work fine to tell you the general health of the battery - ie approximately how many of the rated CCAs are left in your battery at that point in time in those conditions. A battery that test well should perform well in lower temperatures given that the battery is fully charged.

tatung wrote: ↑ They do. I brought a battery there and they used their expensive hand held tester. You can pay for their more advanced tester if you like.

That hand held tester is basically a conductance battery tester which is similar to the one the @hightech linked to.

hightech wrote: ↑ If you want to use a tool to check batteries, I would suggest getting this instead: https://www.amazon.ca/Battery-eOUTIL-Di ... r_1_4_sspa

If you don't have a multimeter, you can go for this one that measures crank voltage as well as charging voltage: https://www.amazon.ca/Professional-100- ... ref=sr_1_5

Yes, these are not $15, but if you are going to use something to test batteries, this is what many mechanics use as it helps to rule out bad plates and other things. If you really want to save money, just go to your local Part Source and most locations do a FREE battery test for you.

Load testers used to be very popular for cars years ago but the newer testers are far better. Even UPS systems these days have a test mode that simulate a load test. Not sure what applications this load tester would really be used for that would give you certainty in your testing.

A use case where these conductance testers won't work too well for is when the battery suffers from a high level of self-discharge. One of my friends recent tried to return a battery to CT for high self-discharge (ie the battery would be dead after two or three days of just sitting there) but since CT's policy was to test all batteries with a conductance tester and only ones that fail the test will be considered for warranty replacement, he was out of luck as the battery after charging produced enough CCAs to pass the test.

craftsman wrote: ↑ A use case where these conductance testers won't work too well for is when the battery suffers from a high level of self-discharge. One of my friends recent tried to return a battery to CT for high self-discharge (ie the battery would be dead after two or three days of just sitting there) but since CT's policy was to test all batteries with a conductance tester and only ones that fail the test will be considered for warranty replacement, he was out of luck as the battery after charging produced enough CCAs to pass the test.

Interesting. What would cause a battery to self-discharge after a few days? Would that not mean that one of the cells is bad or low on fluid? I suppose one can use a battery hydrometer to test this assuming the battery is not completely sealed.

roofster wrote: ↑ For those that need to do load testing only on rare occasions, Canadian Tire does it for free (so I've heard).

I've heard the same but it's a royal pain to unbolt/lug/re-bolt...? Do they have a portable one like mentioned here?

craftsman wrote: ↑ A use case where these conductance testers won't work too well for is when the battery suffers from a high level of self-discharge. One of my friends recent tried to return a battery to CT for high self-discharge (ie the battery would be dead after two or three days of just sitting there) but since CT's policy was to test all batteries with a conductance tester and only ones that fail the test will be considered for warranty replacement, he was out of luck as the battery after charging produced enough CCAs to pass the test.

...but you're describing a case where a tester is not required. You already know the battery is bad. The real problem here is CT trying to weasel their way out of honouring the warranty which seems to be a common issue with them and batteries.

Can a multimeter be used to load test a battery?

bizzyseller wrote: ↑ Can a multimeter be used to load test a battery?

If you have two people, one person can read the meter while another person starts the car. The person reading the meter needs to record how low the voltage drops when cranking the engine (it shouldn't go below 9.6V). Ideally you'd disable the ignition to prevent the car from starting.

anatman wrote: ↑ If you have two people, one person can read the meter while another person starts the car. The person reading the meter needs to record how low the voltage drops when cranking the engine (it shouldn't go below 9.6V). Ideally you'd disable the ignition to prevent the car from starting.

Thanks.

I think this device, how unsophisticated it is, will suit me needs!

Thanks OP!

anatman wrote: ↑ If you have two people, one person can read the meter while another person starts the car. The person reading the meter needs to record how low the voltage drops when cranking the engine (it shouldn't go below 9.6V). Ideally you'd disable the ignition to prevent the car from starting.

You can get a car charger and cut the wire off, then hook to the smoke ignite plug ? This should be the battery voltage to mearsure inside the car?