Who Makes Harbor Freight's Battery Testers & How Much Do They Cost?

So many of our daily gadgets rely on batteries. From something as small as a computer mouse to the bulky units needed to run a car, we can't seem to get away from our need for them. That's why it can be such a hassle when they start dying on us and why owning a battery tester's not a bad idea.

Through Harbor Freight, consumers have a fairly decent selection of testers available to them. Since it's a retailer and not a designated manufacturer, you're also going to have several brands to choose from. This can either simplify your shopping if you subscribe to brand loyalty or complicate it if you've never shopped for a battery tester before.

Whether you need one designed for large-cell batteries or a handheld unit to help go through your drawer of leftover AAs, Harbor Freight isn't short on options. But before dropping what could be over $100 on a battery tester, you'll want to familiarize yourself with who makes the product, what you should expect to spend, and which brands tend to receive the best reviews.

When it comes to battery testers, Harbor Freight carries two brands that you'll come across often: Viking and Cen-Tech. These names may not carry the same weight as tool brands like Craftsman and DeWalt, but they serve a similar purpose for Harbor Freight as the flagship brands for this specific niche. You'll come across a few other brands while shopping for battery testers, such as Thunderbolt Magnum. However, Cen-Tech and Viking are the two you're most likely to end up choosing between.

Cen-Tech deals exclusively with tools an electrician may need, from the battery chargers you're shopping for to circuit testers and more. Viking, on the other hand, only sells tools related to batteries, like testers, jump starters, and jumper cables. Since neither brand has much name power outside of Harbor Freight stores, determining exactly where they're manufactured is difficult to pinpoint. According to the retailer, though, it purchases its tools wholesale directly from the manufacturer, and the tools found in its stores "come from the exact factory that other brands buy their tools from."

What you'll spend on a battery tester depends less on the brand you buy and more on what type you need. While many sell for less than $100, some of the higher-powered testers, jump starters, and chargers can retail for as much as $340.

The least expensive tester you'll find is Cen-Tech's 12V Alternator/Battery Checker for $4.99. Despite its smaller size and low price, this model checks car batteries with a pair of insulated clamps attached to 28-inch cables. The tool doesn't offer a detailed look at the life of the battery but warns you if it's "Good," "Low," or "Bad." The next one up is a Household Battery Tester from Thunderbolt Magnum for $5.99. This is different from Cen-Tech's 12V, as it's used for testing small batteries like AAs, AAAs, and 9Vs rather than car batteries.

You won't find a Viking battery tester until you get to the $40 price range. The 4Amp Fully Automatic MIcroprocessor-Controlled Battery Charger/Maintainer is a leap above Cen-Tech's most basic model, complete with an LCD screen that makes it easy to read the battery's capacity and voltage, as well as any defaults. Viking's battery testers are geared toward providing solutions for faulty batteries, as exemplified by the 12V Digital Battery and System Tester that sells for $39.99.

For the most part, user scores across Cen-Tech and Viking battery testers average out to be about the same, even between cheaper and more expensive models. Cen-Tech's 12V tester has over 200 reviews and a score of 4.5 stars, with many of the one-star reviews noting that the handheld unit falls apart rather quickly. One of Viking's highest-rated testers, the 135 Amp, 6/12V Battey and System Load Tester, has 160 reviews and a 4.9 user score. There's only one negative review, and it simply states that it's not compatible with all motorcycles. Even as the price goes up, the user scores for both brands remain relatively consistent.

When it comes to professional reviews, there aren't many to judge by. The KevReviews YouTube channel gave Viking's $30 1V handheld tester a thorough inspection and was "thrilled" by the results. Another channel, Jason Fixed It, ran a Cen-Tech 12V tester through a gamut of tests and was also positive about his experience. Based on the few professional reviews and the more abundant user reviews, both Cen-Tech and Viking appear to provide a positive user experience and are worth considering the next time you're in the market for a battery tester.