Ring RSC804 4A Charger & Battery Maintainer review on Workshop Wednesday - Tool of the Month

Today on Workshop Wednesday it is the first wednesday of the month so it is Tool of the Month time! We have decided that on the first Wednesday of the month we will look at a tool we have purchased. We often buy tools for the workshop, some new and some secondhand.
The tool we look at today is a Ring RSC804 4A Charger & Battery Maintainer. Amazon link to purchase the Ring RSC804 4A
amzn.to/3ZM5Ffe
This is a Amazon affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I receive a small commission from qualifying purchases. There is no extra charge to you but it is a huge help in supporting my channel. If you are not interested in any of the items listed, please follow one of the links to Amazon to start your normal Amazon search. If you purchase something in this way it stll gives me a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
We already have a selection of battery chargers but wanted to buy something that would maintain a battery once charged. A lot of different battery maintainers are available and some have lots of fancy options. We wanted something basic that cost less than half the price of a replacement battery. We review the Ring charger and maintainer and report on it's usage over a number of weeks.
This video is intended for entertainment purposes only.
#WorkshopWednesday
#ToolOfTheMonth
#batterycharging
#ringtool
Episode WW25

[@HuntingFarmerOfficial]

The user manual reminds me of a children’s book…lots of pictures and not many words! 😂 Looks like a good option to keep your batteries topped off and ready to go 👍

[@GardenTractorBoy]

You are not wrong :-) We are looking forward to seeing how we get on with them. Take care

[@muhammaduddin9268]

Good thinking I brought this from Amazon.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. Take care

[@TheCanadianBubba]

These jump backs and maintainers are great to have ! Best days to you and your family over the holidays 👍 Merry Christmas !

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. I expect units like this are essential in your climate. Take care

[@tractortalkwithgary1271]

You got some really nice stickers there Joseph. Very nice 👍🏻 I think my trickle charger is a Schumacher. I go from one unit to another in the winter to maintain a charge in each battery. We used to remove the batteries from units that we weren’t using. We would take them down to the basement and set them on a board for the remainder of the winter. Nice job Joseph

[@GardenTractorBoy]

The stickers are great, I am very pleased. It is interesting how you maintain a number of battery's, we are thinking of trying to hook up more than one battery to the maintainer and see how that goes. Take care

[@EverydayProjects]

That's a great idea to maintain the charge in seldom used batteries and it's reasonably priced. I use a small solar panel type to help maintain a charge in a battery on a recreational trailer that's stored outdoors. One thing to keep an eye on to ensure long battery life is the fluid (electrolyte) level. The caps of most "sealed" or maintenance-free lead acid batteries can be opened to add distilled water to the proper level. When a battery is under charge it causes water in the electrolyte to decompose into its constiuent gases (hydrogen & oxygen), reducing the volume of electrolyte over time. These off-gasses are also flammable which is why you'll often find a vent hood to the outdoors over batteries in stationary or shipboard applications. Keep up the good work!

[@GardenTractorBoy]

A solar panel charger is a great idea especially with the cost of electricity over here. Thanks for the tip about fluid level. Take care

[@grebe3696]

Excellent film, with all the information needed and answered my question regarding going on to maintenance mode. Thank you.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and commenting. Take care

[@gatorsworld]

The maintainer looks to be very good. We don`t have Ring chargers here in Canada but we have some that do the same thing but of a different design. For us here it's good in the winter when we store a battery to keep a maintainer on them. I`ve seen a big increase in the life of the batteries since I do that....CHEERS

[@GardenTractorBoy]

That is interesting to know, thanks. I expect with your weather they are even more useful. Take care

[@TheAyrCaveShop]

That's a nice looking charger...it's a lot of work keeping up with battery maintenance. Those should really help out. Nice bunch of stickers...more channels to visit now. Good one Joseph, Cheers

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We are looking forward to seeing how we get on with these maintainers. Take care

[@twinbrookacres]

Nice review. Looks like a good product. My best charger is at least 50 years old. It has outlived newer chargers. But I could use another. I will look into the Ring charger/maintainer. Thanks for sharing.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. If your best charger is 50 years old I expect it will last forever, older tools were built so much better. Take care

[@suejackson6206]

Thanks very much for explaining the charging functions, we found the manual minimal. Your video definitely helped. We was going to get the larger charger, to charge the van, but was advised to get the smaller unit as it only puts max 4A into the battery - we was told anything higher would cook the battery over time.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

I am very pleased it helped. We have charged some large batteries and found the 4A charger did the job very well and I think you are right, it would be very easy to cook the battery with anything bigger. Take care

[@WaynJul]

That Clarke is a beast. I use a couple of battery maintainers for my RV and my trolling motor battery.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

You are right, it is a beast and at least you did not get to see me struggle to lift it onto the table :-) Take care

[@KillingItCountry]

I’ve always found that you can tell a charger’s quality by its weight! The light ones never last for me!! Nice review guys!

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. It is only just possible to lift our big Clarke one which must be a good thing. We were impressed by how robust the new ones are. Take care

[@tractortalkwithgary1271]

Full watch and a thumbs up 👍🏻

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you very much. Take care

[@barryewalt3606]

Good video Joseph, very good information on the products and cool stickers.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you very much. We are hoping that with this charger/maintainer, we will not need to buy so many new batteries. Take care

[@tinkeringtaylor3053]

good and handy special for this time of year ❄❄

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks, I am sure it will work well now it has turned cold. Take care

[@daveshsb]

Great video Joseph! I use trickle chargers on my Honda ATV and my boat. They work very well. I use a cheap version from Walmart. I like your charger as it offers much more in terms of options...must importantly it can charge a battery and at different levels. My cheap version only charges to maintain and would struggle to charge a dead battery. Thanks for sharing!! Take Care!

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks, we are looking forward to seeing how we get on with these. Take care

[@RobWills81]

Excellent clear review - I have one of these on order 👍

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you very much, I am glad it was helpful! We have be using ours for about four months now and we are still pleased with them. As I mentioned in the video, the instuctions are odd so if you get stuck or have any question let me know and I will try to help. Take care

[@gravelyman]

Hello Joseph. I use a charger similar to your Clarke. Good review on the new one. I like the bigger clamps than some of the smaller chargers have. I found it helpful to dis connect the battery terminals when not in use for awhile. Good helpful video 🔧👍

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank for the tip about disconnecting batteries. The bigger clamps are great, we have just fitted some to our jump leads. Take care

[@larrybl]

Nice charger! You have seen my home made set-up, and my other chargers. I still like the old skool ones that use a transformer. Take care.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We are hoping to try hooking more than one battery to one charger/maintainer and see how that goes. Take care

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

I can see where those chargers can come in handy, Nice review.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We always seem to be buying batteries so I guess the test will be to see how many batteries we buy next year. Take care

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Hello Joseph, A very good review... I have a couple of old car that I don't drive to often and this would be very useful for them... many thanks for the review. Take care. Paul,,

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We are hoping that this will help reduce the number of new batteries we buy for our equipment. You have reminded us that we really need to fit one on our Land Rover 90. Take care

[@mr1pearl]

I bet my chargers are both 30 + years old , still work . Don't know if I'll buy new it would take me a month to figure it out 😆 I see you got stickers from all the cool guys 😎

[@GardenTractorBoy]

I am surprised the old green charger still works, it has had a hard life. The stickers were fantastic. Take care

[@James-ct3wc]

A very good/detailed video thank you 👍

[@GardenTractorBoy]

I am pleased you found it useful. Take care

[@bigsonslawncare]

Mine is like the green one you were tapping on but this one looks much more durable and updated.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

I can't believe that green one is still working, you would not believe how many times it has been dropped or had things dropped on it. Take care

[@bigsonslawncare]

@@GardenTractorBoy Sounds like my Stihl blower BG 55!dropped dragged and smacked and it continues to work🤣👏🏽

[@stevesas632]

Thanks for this great review. I think i will go for one of these albeit the 6A model as it will best suit my BMW battery 70aH AGM & my motorbike battery as well. I was looking at the Ctek chargers, but they are double the price.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks you. We recently charged a Land Rover battery from flat with one of our 4A ones, I guess a 6A version would have been quicker to get to full charge but it worked well. We also looked at Ctek chargers before buying two of these, the Ring units are basic but they have the essential features at a good price. The only additional feature we would have liked is the ability to maintain multiple batteries at the same time but I don't think the Ctek ones can do that either. Last time we looked Ring were doing a promotion on Amazon, it is worth checking the price by searching on Amazon or follow the link in the description of this video. Take care

[@RustyGlovebox]

I like those battery maintainers. Sure makes it nice for the battery to be up when you go to use the equipment. I don't have the same brand but it has steps to follow when using.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We are looking forward to seeing how we get on with these over a longer period. Take care

[@GrampiesWorkshop]

How's she goin'? These 'new tech' battery chargers/maintainers are pretty nice. They sure do a better job than the older style ones. I have ruined batteries in the past using older style battery maintainers as they overcharged and over heated the batteries. I haven't heard of Ring brand chargers before but this looks like a real nice unit!!! Thanks for posting and take care!!

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We are very interested to see how we get on with this over time and if we can hook more than one battery to it. Take care

[@MrLandphill]

Hello from ice cold Michigan in the US of A. Thanks for the awesome review.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. It is great to think that my videos are being watched from lots of interesting places. It is very cold here at the moment too but I expect it is colder in Michigan. Take care

[@botabob]

Thanks for sharing your experience using a BT. You can check out how I wired my battery tender(BT) into my Kubota BX in video #35. I originally attached the directly to the battery, but I wasn't happy with the install. I connected the positive cable directly to the starter and the negative cable to the chassis. It turned out to be a very clean install in my opinion. Additionally, the BT quick connect can serve as a AUX power port. Enjoy the journey - cheers.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank. I have just watched your video and I really like your installtion. I really do not like the quick connector that came with our BT so I may look for an alternative and it would be great to also use it as an AUX port. Take care

[@mikemay8223]

Good presentation. Bought the mid sized unit about a year ago. Not yet used it ( don't want to talk it up) my car is a 19 plate so is in good order. I occasionally check it with a voltmeter though just to keep an eye. I suppose I ought to use it just to give the battery a boost during these colder months.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you. Since making this video we have continued with our testing and the unit does a great job of maintaining a battery that is on the edge, potentially giving it a lot more life. If you use your car every day and the journey is long enough to fully charge the battery you may not get any benefit from connecting it, but if you only use the car every few days for short journeys I am sure it will give your battery a much longer life having it connected when not used. Take care

[@joydivider42]

Thank you!.....I mainly do very short trips in my car so the older battery is not at its best reading 11.7v from cold. I have been looking at this unit for £25 on ebay. I bought a ring cigarette lighter voltmeter and a ring air compressor products so it's a brand name I like......bewildering choice of chargers but 4A will do me so I will probably get this

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We found many products that claim to do more but I am not sure what value those additional functions are. We continue to be very pleased with the units we bought and have found that the 4A unit covers all our needs, including charging a battery that had been drained flat on one of our cars the other day. Ring currently have a discount running on Amazon which is cheaper than the price you found on ebay. If you follow the link in our video description to the product you will see a good breakdown of the prices for the 4A unit and the others they sell. Take care

[@shirleytaylor3420]

Thank you X

[@GardenTractorBoy]

No problem 😊

[@VWcartel]

Excellent video, ring owe you some sponsorship because the instruction manual is a joke. Just to add maybe adding a cap to the permanent cable so the end doesn't get caked in rubbish.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you. I am not sure what they were thinking about with those instructions. Adding a cap to the permanent cable is a great idea. Take care

[@Chucklea9]

Hi great video, just one question. Once the LED screen says full, do you just leave it connected to maintain. If so, for how long? Many thanks

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. Yes, once it displays Full just leave it connected and it will switch to maintain mode by checking the battery regularly and add charge if it needs it. I believe it is designed to be left switched on until you next need the battery. On one of our machines we once left it connected for about three months. Take care

[@Chucklea9]

Thanks very much. Keep up the good work, your vids are great@@GardenTractorBoy

[@GardenTractorBoy]

@@Chucklea9 Thank you very much for the kind words and for following my videos. Take care

[@HuserHelpers]

Happy Holidays

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you very much. Same to you!

[@MissouriOldTimer]

it sure does help to have a tender on batteries during cold weather.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

We are hoping this will help with the equipment we do not use a lot. Take care

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

You are very welcome Joseph. Anything I can do to help your channel just let me know. Just a note about IP65. IP (Ingress Protection) level 65 is water RESISTANT, as is IP67. Only IP68 is WATERPROOF and can be submerged in water. IP65 will be just fine in rain and with a hose squirting on it occasionally. Take care.

[@henrymurawskibigdogrepair]

Joseph sitting in his Royal chair very posh mate keep the vibes coming and stay well

[@henrymurawskibigdogrepair]

Thank you for the shout out and you’re very welcome

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you very much for the offer and the additional information. If only you could explain to KZbin that using a wrench is not a child safety issue, the world would be perfect :-) Take care

[@180Floridalife]

The old charge never seem to fail the newer one I have had die after a year of service

[@GardenTractorBoy]

I think a lot of new equipment is like that which is why we like the old garden tractors. Take care

[@kimber1958]

Ring battery chargers are available in the US. They are very highly rated. They are always in a list of the top battery chargers available.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

It is interesting to know that Ring equipment is sold in the US and that they are highly rated. Take care

[@noelstractors-firewood57]

Great video Joseph. That is a neat tool. I wonder if a person could say wire a bunch of battery’s together and have them on a shelf, then hook the charger to one of the battery’s and because they are wired together would it keep the bunch charged. Be nice to have a few battery’s ready to go when ever you need them. As like you, I have many tractors with battery’s. Have a good day fellas.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. You have read my mind as that is exactly what we are currently testing. It is looking like it will work although we are making sure the total battery load does not exceed to capacity of the unit. Take care

[@joe18425]

Music sounds familiar (shhhh) Thanks buddy

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. The music is from the KZbin library. Take care

[@iantwizell3563]

good review, I actually bought this early December, I went for the RSC808 which on the box says 8amp, I dont understand the instructions they are rubbish, in particular the 'Charging' page, where it shows . . . .RSC804 MAX 4A RSC806 MAX 6A then RSC808 MAX4A . . . .is that a misprint??? Why isnt it 8A for cars as well as trucks?? Perhaps I just have to put it in truck mode for an 8A blast ! . . . . . .nothing at all about maintenance, I assume once battery is full it will just . . .keep it full, but how long can you leave it in that mode, I guess we will never know.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you. I agree the instructions are odd, I think they tried to make it easy but missed the mark. I just checked our instructions and for your unit and it also states that for "car" charging the max is 4A. We don't have that unit so cannot measure the charge rate to see if it is a misprint. If you need 8A of charge it does suggest that you need to put it in "Truck" mode, assuming your battery is large enough to take that level of charge until it is fully charged. We found that charging at a lower amps seems to work best but it takes much longer to get a full charge. We have one of our units connected to a battery that has been flagged as full for over 6 weeks now and as a maintainer we are assuming that it can be left in that mode for as long as required. I hope this helps, take care

[@PeteAnderson-xt6xi]

How is it holding up after a year? Quite a few reviews I read said they fail after a few uses or within a year.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

We have four now and have had them for 18months. One is connected all the time to the battery on a machine and it working fine, two are used twice every week to charge large batteries we have on wildlife cameras and they are also fine. The fourth one failed when it was just over a year old. Despite the failure we are pleased with the units, they are inexpensive and perform well. We are pleased we bought the 4A version, it is the cheapest model and it charges everything we have from the smallest 12v batteries to those on full size tractors and Land Rovers. I hope this helps. Take care

[@bobbo9549]

Hi Joseph, I use the same charger on my 1300 cc motorcycle to maintain the battery. I purchased a 3m extension lead so the charger remains in my shed with my bike out side. I also purchased a permanent connector similar that supplied but with a water resistant cover as the plug is more exposed to the elements when the bike is ridden. I purchased this after my dedicated bike charger failed, plus it is suitable, should the need arise to charge my car battery which has a stop/start battery which shouldn’t be charged by the older style battery chargers, so I have been told. An informative video.👍

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thank you for the kind words. I really like your idea of using a water resistant cover for a permanent connector, we need to look into something similar for one of our tractors. We have used these units for a while now and we are still very pleased with them. Take care

[@markwilliams3947]

Hi there, looking at buying on of these to charge my Mountfield ride on mower. Would I set it for 12v car or motorbike. Is there a difference ?

[@GardenTractorBoy]

For the 4A model (RSC804) we have the difference between 12v car and 12v motobike is that 12v Car charges at 4A and 12v Motobike at 2A. I would suggest that the setting you use depends on the size of the battery and if you are maintaining a good battery or need to charge quickly. We have ride ons with car type batteries (usually type 038) and ones with motobike batteries. We tend to use 12v car for everything except very small amp batteries and if we need to charge something quickly. I hope that helps. They are a good charger, if you follow the Amazon link in the video description you may find it is on offer. Take care

[@tramcrazy]

Looks like a useful charger. Are you planning to purchase multiple permanent cables so that you can leave them on the tractors? 🙂

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. We are hoping to try maintaining more than one battery from one charger but we may have to make up some cables. Take care

[@andrewholden2424]

Connected mine uo to a totally flat battery and its only charging at 12.4v. Is that normal for a totally flat battery?

[@GardenTractorBoy]

If when you connected the charger it displayed 12.4v that is not unusal for a flat battery, we have even had one register around 9v. The unit will take the battery up to full charge assuming the battery is able to take the charge. I hope that answered your question, if not let me know. Take care

[@pmas27]

Is there a force charge mode for battery with 1v or less?

[@GardenTractorBoy]

That is a very good question and you may need to contact Ring to get a definitive answer. It does not have a button to force a charge but I am unsure if it will attempt to charge a battery with 1V or less. We have connected a battery that displayed as low as 9v and it charge that battery. Take care

[@shirleytaylor3420]

On my 4A smart battery its keeps saying ER2? It won't go 🤔x

[@GardenTractorBoy]

I believe error code 2 is displayed when you have selected the incorrect voltage. Assuming you selected the correct voltage it suggest that the battery is dead. I would suggest connecting a known good battery to check the charger. I hope this helps, Take care

[@warwickdean]

This is the only thing I don't like about smart chargers, they all seem to emit that high pitched sound. Some people can't hear it at all. Good to know that's its less loud than your previous 👍🏼

[@GardenTractorBoy]

You are right, the high pitched sound is odd and can be annoying. It will be interesting to see how we get on with this unit over time. Take care

[@warwickdean]

@@GardenTractorBoy it kind of makes you wish that you were one of those elderly people who become deafened in the top frequency range eh 😂. Hopefully they serve you well, you aswell, take care my man

[@yjon34]

When I plug the device in, it gives me a reading of 0.9v… then when I attached it it gives me error 2. Anyone can help?

[@GardenTractorBoy]

I believe error code 2 is displayed when you have selected the incorrect voltage. Assuming you selected the correct voltage and you are getting a reading of 0.9v, it suggests the battery is toast. I would suggest trying on a known good battery to verify it is not the charger causing the issue. I hope this helps, take care

[@COUPEDUMMY]

Interesting i only get the charging indicator for a few seconds then it drops off. I can change modes without issue.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

That is very odd, I have not come across that before. It does sound a bit like one of the cables has a break in it. Does it do the same with a different battery? Take care

[@COUPEDUMMY]

@@GardenTractorBoy Unfortunately seems the one i have bought today is junk. Wont charge my battery past 5v. And the second battery i have charged has actually dropped voltage. deffo an issue with the unit

[@GardenTractorBoy]

@@COUPEDUMMY I hope you manage to get a return or replacement without too much hassle. Take care

[@giovanniabazia4394]

Hi, where is this charger built?

[@GardenTractorBoy]

It will probably to not be a surprise to know that it is made in China. Having said that, it does seem good quality. Take care

[@giovanniabazia4394]

@@GardenTractorBoy Hi, I purchased the charger. The instruction booklet was perhaps written by Donald Duck, but I must say that I tried it with my car battery and after 5 minutes, the word full came out, because my battery is only a year old, so it's still at maximum charge. Excellent product, simple and effective. I don't believe that made in China is always poor, in fact I'm writing to you with a Chinese computer that is 4 years old and very fast.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

@@giovanniabazia4394 I am very pleased the charger worked out for you, we are very pleased with the units we purchased. I agree, China does make some good products. You are not wrong about the instructions 🙂

[@Giantcatcher]

Is it silent ?

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Not completely. It emits a high pitched sound which is common on most battery maintainers. You do need to get close to the unit to hear it and not everyone hears the sound. Take care

[@kieranjones3696]

You need to cut your nails boss.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks. I keep them much shorter now. Take care

[@MargaretMoran-uj2rq]

I lost the will to live. Too long and drawn out with info that was not necessary.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks for the feedback. Take care

[@eddiewild7215]

Totally unnecessary comment when someone takes the time to help you.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

@@eddiewild7215 Thanks for your support. Take care

[@BLACKSTARR2006]

Those are not crocodile clips

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Thanks, you are right they are battery clamps. I guess it is a bit like calling al vacuum cleaners a Hoover. Take care