ESI 710 500 Amp Carbon Pile Load Tester

Heavy duty clips, and good instructions! Easy to read analog meters

I needed a tool to check the status of my 12v batteries. This one not only checks the voltage but performs a "load" test. A very useful tool to have if you have motorcycles and other toys with 12v batteries. Works on Lithium batteries too.

Arrived well packed and in great condition. All in good order with no loose parts. This particular model is better than some of the others i've seen due to having several scales on the amp meter. The amp meter has scales showing the CCA and the AH, so calculating the "half CCA" or the "3X AH" is not necessary. Easy to use, and certainly fits my need perfectly. For those who complain about the thin material of the enclosure, or the cheapness of the parts, then go and buy the equivalent tester from Snap-On, and pay for the quality. As for the current draw increasing during the load test: As the carbon pile heats up, it's resistance goes down, thus (given ohms law) the current draw will increase. This is a very normal reaction to heat and resistance (This is most likely why the test is only 15 seconds to minimize this effect). To overcome this would require a very large carbon pile with LOTS of surface area, and perhaps a fan. This would make this tester very expensive and large. So for the money....I'll stick with this one!

I've never trusted modern digital battery testers. This gives you a much better idea of how a battery will handle a load.

works great

good

This unit works well. It has found faulty batteries and alternators which my much more expensive battery taster failed to find. I gave it four stars due to its cheap case. I have been using it regularly for several months with no problems.Update: After many months of daily use the positive clamp has lost its spring and will no longer hold tight enough to accurately test batteries. I'll be looking for higher end model to replace this one. It is a cheap option for the do it yourselfer. I wouldn't recommend for regular professional use.

In an age where you can't get anyone competent on the phone, its refreshing that there still is a company that will allow you to have a conversation with someone that understands the products well. Quality wise, (excluding the real garbage) most manufacturers products aren't that different. The difference is in the customer service. Steve from Electronic Specialties patiently had a long conversation with me and educated me on certain aspects that I wasn't aware of. Oh, by the way, GREAT LOAD TESTER!