How to choose a battery charger
Black & Decker makes a wide array of battery powered tools. That’s why they sell the battery and charger separately…so if you already have any B&D tools you can share the batteries between them. Also, their chargers can charge both 12v and 20v batteries, so one charger can work with different size batteries.
There are 4 sizes of B&D 20 volt batteries for the Alligator. They will fit many other B&D tools, too.
How much power a battery holds is measured in amp hours (Ah). Amp hours tell you how many branches it can cut before the juice runs out. Or it can tell you how long a leaf blower can blow.
Higher Ah = more expensive, runs longer, runs cooler, a bit heavier and takes longer to charge.
Lower Ah = cheaper, shorter run time, a bit lighter, and charges faster
Bigger is usually better.
Inside each battery is actually several smaller batteries. A bigger battery has more of them. That means the workload is shared. It’s like 2 people working together rather than 1 person. So it can take heavy work more easily without overheating. Running cooler is a lot better for battery life, too. But of course, you will have to take extra weight and longer charging time.
But sometimes having 2 small batteries is better. You can use one while charging the other or use both at once (like if you have a lopper and a trimmer).
Prices change a lot. but you can see which ones give you the most amp hours (Ah) for your hard earned dollar. Notice that some of the batteries come in a 2-pack.
So imagine how you will be using your tools, compare prices and then make your choice.
There are two B&D chargers. Both charge 12v and 20v batteries.
They have the awkward names of the model BDCAC202B and model LCS1620B chargers.
Let me simplify this: let’s call them the big charger and the little charger.
The main difference is how fast they charge.
That is measured in amps. The more amps, the faster your battery gets recharged.
The little charger produces 0.4 amps.
The big charger produces 2 amps.
This means the big charger can charge your batteries 5 times faster.
You can save a few dollars buying a non-Black and Decker charger.
I’ve been getting by using the little B&D charger for years, but I have two batteries so I can be using one while charging the other. It all depends on how you work!
Check out the current prices and decide what’s right for you.
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