If you own multiple vehicles, you understand the frustration of a dead battery. The battery life of most vehicles and tools can be fickle when left alone for extended periods of time. Your solution is to use the best battery chargers to maintain their charge while not in use. For that, the Schumacher SP-200 Solar Battery Maintainer is an ideal candidate. You may also check our list of the best portable phone chargers available today!
Related: Read the Suner Power Solar Battery Maintainer review
Why We Like It – Schumacher SP-200 Solar Battery Maintainer
A great way to keep stationary vehicles and tools from experiencing a dead battery by maintaining them with just a small amount of wattage.
- Still works under cloudy conditions
- Water-resistant
- Friendlier to environment
- Charging chords are somewhat short
- Lacks status indicators
Performance
On the surface, the Schumacher SP-200 Solar Panel isn’t a powerhouse. It juices up a car battery or mower with just 2.4W. As a charger, that’s not much—but as a battery maintainer, it’s different. It’s built to provide just enough charge to batteries to keep them from dying when not in use, unlike the DieHard 71219 Battery Charger Maintainer that charges. Think of it like this: during the winter you turn your car on to heat it up beforehand. The SP-200 essentially keeps your battery “warm” and ready to go when it’s needed. If you’re on the go and waiting for the car to heat up, keep your other devices charged with one of the best portable chargers.
Design
Typical with solar chargers, the Schumacher SP-200 Solar Battery Maintainer does not need power for its operation; it uses solar energy, an environment-friendly alternative. Even under cloudy conditions the SP-200 works just fine, and it’s water resistant. It also has mounting screws. However, when it’s in use, the battery maintainer doesn’t have any indicators to tell you it’s actually working. It is, by the way, but it doesn’t let you know that, unlike the tons of information the Ampeak Battery Charger Maintainer Automatic provides. Lastly, the cables are a tad bit too short.
Value
The Schumacher SP-200 Solar Battery Maintainer is a pitiful $27 on Amazon. Considering what the Schumacher SP-200 is, what it offers, and how it offers its features, that’s definitely a very small price to pay to maintain the batteries of vehicles and other tools when they’re not in use—provided they’re 12V lead acid batteries. However, if straight car chargers are what you’re looking for, its brother, the Schumacher SC1281 Automatic Battery Charger is perfect.
Schumacher SP-200 Solar Battery Maintainer Wrap Up
Don’t knock the Schumacher SP-200 Solar Battery Maintainer for what it is: it doesn’t charge, but rather maintains batteries when not in use. That kind of feature prevents dead batteries when turning the key. It’s water resistant and works under cloudy conditions. That’s more than you can ask from a solar-based battery maintainer. Being friendlier to the environment is a bonus.
