I had asked where can I get the AUTOOL battery tester. I went on the Amazon site like someone suggested. While on there I had seen the FOXWELL tester also. They both seam to do the same. Some models more than others. I'm not looking to spend a lot on one but, can someone tell me which one out of the two would be the better choice. Yes, I did read the reviews on both, pros and cons. I'm sure to get a lot of answers that would be favoritism on ether one. With that being said, thank you in advance!
From what I've seen all the cheapies seem to work the same way, approximating the remaining battery life by taking into account battery capacity (that you have to enter into the device), voltage, and internal resistance. I use mine in combination with an old-school resistance tester to get a pretty good idea of a battery's overall condition.
for a second, I thought I saw "which battery tastes better?" 😆
I also still have a battery hydrometer which used to be good for spotting weak or dead cells, but modern batteries are sealed so I haven't used it in ages.
A really good electronic battery analyzer costs $$$$. Not cost effective if you're not a shop owner. It's cheaper and easier if a battery is at all suspect to just replace the stupid thing.
you can always head to a battery dealer and have them test it for you with a pro tester for free. For the amount of times you actually need one ... it's not worth buying in my opinion.
Thank you both, MountainManJoe and Chuck Tobias, for your input on my question about the battery testers. Yes I know that the analyzers are $$$$, that is why I was looking at the tester instead. If I may, and if it's OK to do so, I need to ask another question while on the subject and responding to you. What exactly, if any, exactly what is the difference between the two? Analyzer vs Tester.
Thanks again, I hope it's OK for me to ask while responding.
What exactly, if any, exactly what is the difference between the two? Analyzer vs Tester.
I'd say the tester is an inexpensive gadget that checks a few aspects of the battery and guesses at the remaining life according to a lookup table or simple algorithm, and does simple voltage tests of the electrical system. It's a quick "go/no-go" indicator.
An analyzer is a much more expensive device that does in-depth probing and analysis of the battery to arrive at a more accurate report of its actual condition rather than using a programmed guess. It also does a more thorough analysis of the the charging system, checking for things like alternator ripple and other issues not revealed with simpler tests.
Qualitatively it's like the difference between a simple filament-type vacuum tube tester which just does a basic tests for a burned out filament and maybe shorts and gas versus an expensive mutual conductance tube tester that does much more thorough testing and can find many types of internal faults. (Just possibly I'm showing my age here...)
difference between the two? Analyzer vs Tester.
Nothing meaningful. Ignore the matketing jingo, and focus on technical specifications/features instead.