If you are one that works on cars regularly or even just a DIY mechanic, then having a battery load tester is an essential piece to have in your tool arsenal.
Many auto parts stores do offer a free load test for your battery however you have to have it removed from the vehicle and plugged into their load tester which is inconvenient and a hassle however perfect for people who really don’t tinker with cars.
Having your own load tester gives you the ability and freedom to check your battery in the car without removing it from the vehicle.
Here’s a list of the top 4 battery load testers for you to choose from.
FOXWELL BT705
Designed for 12V and 24V with a capacity range from 100-2000 cold cranking amps.
Works with a wide variety of batteries including regular flooded, AGM flat plate and spiral, as well as GEL and deep cycle batteries.
Displays the cranking time and cranking voltage
Digital tester with Backlit LCD
7.8ft long cable
Results can be printed to external thermal printer
Foxwell Battery Load Tester may be one of the more expensive ones (around $120) however it is true what they say in this case you get what you paid for. A load tester is designed to give you accurate results about your battery so you can decide if you need to buy a new battery or not; now there's no more guesswork. The electronics inside have been made with quality parts to provide fast and accurate readings.
The Foxwell is used by professional auto technicians and they have said that the readings do match up with the expensive industrial load testers that shops have.
All-in-all besides the fact that it is a bit pricey, this battery tester is a solid device to keep in your tool arsenal.
Pros:
Works with a wide range of batteries
Extra long cable for ease of use
Fast 5 second accurate testing time
Simple to use for even DIY mechanics
Comes with hard case
Cons:
Expensive
KONNWEI KW650
Works with 6V and 12V batteries
Testing Range of 100-2000 CCA (cold cranking amps)
Can test regular flooded, AGM flat plate and spiral as well as gel batteries
Digital Tester with color screen LCD
Will test alternator and starter motor condition as well
Has the ability to be updated
Will work with an external thermal printer
Konnwei KW650 has come up with a battery tester that has all the essential features needed for testing a battery along with a full color LCD display for a price that you can’t beat. You can buy this Konnwei for about half the price (around $60) of the Foxwell tester.
It is said that the Konnwei has a high precision amplifier as well as a STM-32 chip which produces accurate and fast results.
This battery tester also gives you the ability to update the software so that the results would continue to be accurate in the years to come.
The only real disadvantage that I can point out is only for people who have higher voltage batteries because this device cannot test 24V batteries unlike the Foxwell.
Pros:
Color LCD display
Fast and accurate results
Can be updated via computer
Reasonable pricing
Cons:
Does not work with 24v batteries
ANCEL BST200
Works with 12V batteries
Testing Range of 100-1100 CCA (cold cranking amps)
Can test regular flooded, AGM flat plate and spiral as well as gel batteries
Digital Tester with LCD screen
Has 2 test models out of vehicle or in vehicle testing
Polarity reverse protection
This small compact battery tester from Ancel is a less expensive tester that gets the job done right. If you are only going to be testing 12v batteries for cars and just want to know if the battery is good or not then this is the perfect tool for you that would fit with your budget (at around $45).
Most car batteries have a CCA of below a 1000 which would make this device perfect to use for the DIY at-home mechanic. Ancel BST200 may be a bare minimum when it comes to features however it does the job right. Ancel provides high quality internal components and a quality processor chip that produces a fast and accurate result for a fraction of the cost of competitors. However, don’t expect to see features like “live voltage graph” or alternator diagnostic check but expect to get the job done without emptying your wallet.
Pros:
Inexpensive for what you get
small and compact
Cons:
Can only test 12v batteries
Max CCA is limited to 1100 CCA (Most normal vehicles have batteries that are under 1000 CCA)
won't work with external printer
Schumacher Battery Load Tester
Analog Battery Tester with needle gauge
Can test 6v and 12v batteries
Very simple operation with just an on off switch and analog gauge
Durable all metal construction along with heavy duty battery clamps
We’ve been seeing some of the latest Digital Battery Load Testers but now here is a simple analog version for all the old school mechanics that hate everything digital. At only around $35 this battery tester is also one of the least expensive that does in fact get the job done without having all these complex processors trying to complete the same task.
Talk about simple, with only having literally just an on and off button it really does make it fool-proof for almost anyone. This load tester has the testing range from 100 to 1000 CCA which covers most vehicles consumers buy. It can be used on cars, small trucks, boats, motorcycles and more as it can be used in the 6v and 12v configurations.
Design is rugged and made to last with its fully body metal construction and heavy duty battery clamps.
Pros:
Simple to use
Affordable price
heavy duty construction
Cons:
Not for 24v batteries
no screen to display detailed information
does not work with external printer
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