This review and test of the Harbor Freight CenTech battery charger/starter helps to clarify a few things. Many of the reviews I've read or watched demonstrate a misunderstanding of the proper function and use of battery chargers like this one. The basic features are reviewed and tested along with internal build quality. Start mode and AGM mode are also explained and tested. This unit sold in early 2019 for about $27 with a coupon. They've gone up since 2019 and YGWYPF. The charger used in this video is still working for me as of Oct 2023 but has been replaced by HF with a very similar blue model. If you still think yours is not working, please see Notes below.

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Notes Below:
1) These are NOT portable jump starters. They have no internal battery. Like most battery chargers, they must be plugged in to work. They operate on a standard 110 volt A/C power outlet.

2) Start mode on these only offers a brief 50 Amp burst for working batteries. Most car batteries are 500 800 crankamps. 50 amps isn't enough to jump start vehicles with very low batteries. It will take AT LEAST a couple hundred amps. You must first charge the battery for a while using 10 amp mode for any hope of jump starting with only an additional 50 amps.

3) Completely dead batteries (below 3 volts) will not activate this or most chargers of this type sold today. That is clearly printed on this unit as shown in the video. For safety reasons, chargers are now all designed to cut power to the battery leads until they detect a minimum battery voltage (usually about 3 volts or so). If you find a charger with immediate power output at the clamps when plugged in without a battery, please tell us the brand and model in comments. To charge a "dead" battery requires bridging in a working battery to trigger the charger and keeping that second battery hooked up to the charger with the "dead" battery until the "dead" battery reaches an output voltage high enough to activate a charger on its own. OR you can use a portable jump starter with a builtin battery like the ones linked above.

4) I am aware of the many negative reviews of this charger at HF claiming it didn't work for the buyer. Most of those reviews are likely buyers unaware of information in this video and in the notes above but there are undoubtedly some bad units coming out of the factory. The unit in the video sold for $27 with a coupon and I tested it quickly after the purchase so I could return it if needed. It gets frequent use and is still working as it should more than four years later. I have no interest in, or business relationship with Harbor Freight.

Video Index:
0:15 Confused Reviews
0:33 Out of The Box/Instructions
0:50 Basic Features
0:57 Myth Number 1: "AGM Mode Does Nothing"
1:20 Myth Number 2: " No Output Means Defective Charger"
1:40 Cord Size and length
1:50 Verifying Zero Output with no Battery
2:00 Open it Up and Look Inside
2:14 Build Quality Internals
3:02 Compared to the Old Chicago Electric Charger
3:33 Low Voltage (8 volt) Battery Test (See Note 2 Below)
3:50 Trickle Charge Test
4:20 Charge Gauge Units (Not Great)
4:28 Connecting to a Battery
4:48 Myth Number 3: "Start Mode Won't Engage"
5:00 Test and Use of Starter Mode
5:20 Test of Charging Volt Range in "Regular" Mode
5:59 Test of Charging Volt Range in "AGM" Mode
6:28 Summary

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