Selecting the best battery tester out of a sea of competing products is one of the hardest things I’ve done as a DIY auto mechanic and freelance automotive writer. All the car battery testers I’ve been blessed to own (or test) have one (or two) things that I like. So, how do I single out one and declare it the best automotive battery tester there is?
It turns out, it isn’t rocket science. The best car battery tester is the Ancel BA101.
The above is simple, short, and straight to the point; it’s also the simple, uncomplicated answer. However, the details are much more than just declaring that the Ancel BA101 is the BEST automotive battery tester there is in the market today.
Naturally, questions like: how did this conclusion come about? What questions were asked (and answered)? What special qualities does the BA101 possess? What are the advantages of using the named battery tester, etc. have validly, no doubt, started forming in your mind.
The questions are legion too. However, like the lone, singular answer, their answers are also simple and straight to the point.
First things first however: why do you need an automotive battery tester and why does it matter that you get the best car battery tester available for the bucks today?
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Article Outline
Why Do You Need a 12 Volt Automotive Battery Tester?
I have a plethora of OBD II scanners and code readers that have come to my home garage in the course of my time as a DIY mechanic.
However, of these scanners and code readers, the TopDon TopScan has remained my go-to code reader when I need to review the condition of a new vehicle with the intent of figuring out what its owner may be hiding (or trying to hide).
This is usually the case with used car inspections, prior to buying.
Now, the choice of the TopScan, in the sea of other code reader readers and scanners is deliberate: the unit is small, portable, and powerful enough to tell me all that I need to know (in a simple and precise fashion).
Powered with bi-directional abilities and the power to scan up to ten (10) different modules such as the ABS, transmission, airbags, and the Theft Deterrent System, there is nothing that a potential seller hides that the unit doesn’t bring to the fore.
Unfortunately, for many years, there wasn’t anything specifically for the starter batteries (plus other systems in the unit – the alternator and starter itself), and OBD II code readers/scanners, generally, did not (and still do not) scan starter batteries, starters, and alternators.
What this meant was simple: you could inspect a used car, successfully and give it a ‘pass mark’ as a mechanic.
That used vehicle you had given a pass mark wouldn’t reach its destination because of a faulty alternator, bad starter battery, or a starter that won’t turn over the engine.
Such a failure won’t only undermine the pre-purchase work done (and class same as ‘non-professional’), it will also likely strain relationships between the new owner and the shop/mechanic.
Secondly, before the advent of automotive battery testers and their wide adoption, it was common to drive and park a vehicle overnight and the next day, have the battery refuse to start the vehicle.
This was very common in the winter and easily brought all manner of frustration.
Batteries at the end of their service life still managed the warm summers but when the harsh winter cold came on, they packed up like some used tent.
With a good battery tester, it’s easy to simply hook the unit to your starter battery and get the health of your battery, displayed on a screen.
Knowing the State of Health (SoH) of your starter batteries makes it easy to know when they’ll likely pack up and prepare for the replacement before that time, avoiding the embarrassment that comes with a bad starter battery (or any of the components in the vehicle starting system).
Third, buying starter batteries themselves, like used cars, is tricky business. Brand new starter batteries, sitting on the shelves, need to be periodically charged – or they begin to degrade badly.
The challenge was, (and remains that), a badly degraded starter battery could (and still can) start your vehicle without any noticeable challenges.
However, down the line, that starter battery will pack up, forcing you to buy another sooner than later. At that point, the battery will likely be out of warranty – meaning that you’ll be doing so out of pocket.
For starter batteries, the fresher they are, the better. Or, at least, they should be charged, periodically – an impossible fact, given the volume most retailers deal with and the fact that some brands completely seal their products to protect product integrity.
Why risk it?
Finally, a car battery tester doesn’t only test the starter battery: the starter itself (responsible for turning over the engine) and the alternator (responsible for charging the battery and powering the electronics in the vehicle when in use) are also subjected to tests by an automotive battery tester.
These three (3) components: battery, starter, and alternator are all instrumental to the starting and proper operation of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine.
If any should fail, the entire system collapses like a pack of weak cards.
With the best car battery tester you can find for the bucks, such a situation can smartly be averted and a smooth motoring experience had.
That treated, why insist on not just any battery tester but the very best?
Why You Should Get the Best Car Battery Tester Available
Like a portable jumper or an OBD II code reader, a good battery tester could easily save you a ton of stress and in some instances, may even be the difference between life and death.
If you need to get away quickly – and your vehicle fails or your battery packs up in freezing conditions, you may not make it out of that scenario without some ‘scratches’; if you’re unlucky, the story is likely to turn south.
Given the centrality of the issue and the accuracy the tests you conduct need to be, this isn’t something you joke with and expect to get any form of reasonable results.
The consequences of getting things wrong remain best imagined and what no one should attempt risking.
How I Selected the Ancel BA101
Before I decided on the Ancel BA101 as the best car battery tester amongst many other automotive battery testers, I used a number of metrics and factored in many things.
Below, I share why the Ancel BA101 beats other car battery testers to take its rightful place as the automotive battery tester of choice here on ThrottleHolic.
Why the Ancel BA101 Beats Other Car Battery Testers
Anyone can claim that a tool they use or have heard of is the best among other options. The difference between such a wild claim and a valid one remains the ability to substantiate.
So, here’s me saying you shouldn’t pay (too much) attention to my words alone, but instead, look at the proof I’m offering.
This will help you come to an independent conclusion, yourself:
1. Accuracy
Accuracy is the currency with which an automotive battery tester is measured. When the interest is the best car battery tester money can buy, the bar is raised even higher – and getting readings right remains of the essence.
The Ancel BA101 is rated, officially, to be more than 99% accurate. However, during my tests, use, and comparison, I consistently found it to be 100% accurate. The few times I didn’t get a straight 100%, I got 99.99% – which I find supremely impressive.
My methodology was simple – as is everything else I do. I compared the values the BA101 gave with what my multimeter offered.
I was stunned at the level of accuracy the little battery tester offered.
2. Price
The second metric I used and the basis for selecting the BA101 as the automotive battery tester of choice here at ThrottleHolic is its retail price.
Generally, there are other battery testers that are at par with the offer the BA101 provides, and for some, they even offer some functions/features the BA101 doesn’t have.
However, the difference is that these options do not retail anywhere near the entry-level, affordable price that the BA101 does; they are usually professional use, super expensive models that cost an arm, a leg and sometimes, even a kidney.
The BA101 was chosen because it gives a no-nonsense professional reading on a budget, entry-level price.
It’s essentially, picking the output of the professional code readers without the annoying price tags.
3. Ease of Use/Storage
I’m a DIY mechanic and self-styled petrolhead. I’m also an automotive freelance writer. With these advantages, I’m generally more familiar with cars than the average vehicle owner.
However, that said, I understand the pain and frustration of getting a tool that is unnecessarily complex; one that needs special training to use or enjoy.
As one who hates complex vehicles and engines, I also hate, with passion, tools that aren’t made in a simple and straightforward manner.
The Ancel BA101 battery tester ticks this box, with ease. The unit is intuitive and practically guides the user on the next steps to take with its easy-to-use layout and display.
With this reality, a professional mechanic, a DIY petrolhead, and a regular vehicle owner (who also doubles as a non-car person) can all easily use the battery tester without any special recourse to even the included manual and get valid results, across.
For instance, the ‘Quick Test’ option uses only the Ampere-hour (Ah) rating, clearly written on the body of the battery, and returns results in mere seconds.
After tests, the small, portable size aids in storing it either in the glove box or any of the tight places available in the vehicle, garage, or home.
4. Testing Variety
Finally, the last metric that crowned the BA101 as the best car battery tester money can buy at the moment is the variety of testing standards available.
From the EN, to SAE, CCA, to Ah, and everything else in between, there’s an option (rating) for every battery irrespective of where such a battery is manufactured, used, or the standard deployed to rate it.
In my BT705 review, for instance, I made clear mention that the unit is great. However, the absence of the Ampere-hour (Ah) testing standard reduces its overall appeal, especially for users in regions where the metric is the most commonly used.
With the best car battery tester, the Ancel BA101, you get ALL the possible rating standards – irrespective of your region on the option you’re comfortable with.
It’s a bet you can’t lose.
Honorable Mention
Having clearly established that the Ancel BA101 is the best battery tester available in the market today, is there an option that is a good, honorable mention?
Yes – the Foxwell BT705.
Though lacking in some of the features that have made the BA101 my automotive battery tester of choice, it nonetheless, is solidly built, also very accurate, and importantly, comes with its own case, negating the need for a third-party case to store it.
If you’re looking for something else besides the expressly recommended, you should take a look at it.
A Video Is Worth a Million Words
Final Words
Like an OBD II code reader, a battery tester is non-negotiable, if you own or drive a vehicle today.
However, the market is saturated with options that have features you won’t find necessary or units that won’t serve you in the long term.
This is where the Ancel BA101 comes in and shines through.
It is:
- Dead accurate.
- Is retailed at a reasonable price point.
- Is easy to use and store and importantly,
- Comes powered with a variety of testing standards.
Looked at carefully, it is no surprise that the Ancel BA101 is the best car battery tester you can buy for your vehicle’s battery at the moment.
Click here to check out the Ancel BA101 on Amazon yourself.