TOPDON TB6000 Pro Battery Charger: Long-Term Review

Going back to my youth growing up on a farm, my grandfather would always say that having the right tools was very important, and having those tools be good quality was a vital part of being successful. He never saw the value in having a tool that wouldn’t last and/or could get the job done. One thing he always had handy was a good, high-quality battery charger. As an adult with a small hobby farm of my own, and a lot of stuff like ATVs, boats, vehicles, and yes, even tractors around my place, I can attest that having a quality battery charger is a must. When I decided to test out the TOPDON TB6000 Pro, I thought, why rush it. Let’s see if it can handle some serious usage. What I found surprised me.

Why spend more?

Heeding my grandfather’s advice, I went out a few years ago and paid several hundred dollars for a quality battery charger that analyzes the battery and charges it depending upon what is best for the longevity of the battery. It also would read out and let me know if the battery was toast. That charger has held up pretty well, and its only downfall is that it is a little on the bulky side and can be a pain to use on occasion.

Here’s why I find this a little funny. The TOPDON TB6000 Pro is a fraction of the price with an MSRP of just $99.99 and it does more than the other charger I bought. Lots more. Not only does it do more at a fraction of the price, but also it is a fraction of the size, making it easier to use. If my grandfather were still around, he’d definitely get a chuckle out of this.

Charge smart

The TOPDON TB6000 Pro has a smart charging system that analyzes the battery. This charger goes a step beyond with pre-and-post report abilities that can generate a report comparing the condition of your battery before and after it has been charged. This is great information to have, as it lets you keep a record of how long your battery is likely going to last before needing replacement. You can save the reports, too, giving you a record to look back on.

The TB6000 Pro tests your battery’s state of charge, state of health, CCA, and additional functions using the Kelvin method. It provides detailed charging tests and cranking tests for 12V lead-acid batteries. It works with 6V/12V lead-acid and 12V lithium batteries, something some chargers cannot handle, as Lithium batteries charge different.

The nine-step smart charge system that TOPDON created not only charges the battery, but also cleans the sulfates out of the system and acts as a battery maintainer, repairing your car battery. It has a similar, specialized smart-charging mode for lithium batteries. It uses what TOPDON calls pulse-width modulation to break down sulfates in the battery which cause a loss of ability to hold a charge. Pretty cool stuff.

Using the TB6000 Pro

Like I said at the start, I have a lot of different batteries I use the TOPDON with. I have two batteries from my boat, one for starting the motor and running the basic electronics, and a second battery system for the trolling motor. These batteries get abused as I like to fish. The TB6000 Pro has helped me keep both batteries fresh through the winter and ready to go when I pull the boat out of storage in a few days.

I also have several ATVs which get used a lot, so normally, I don’t worry too much about the batteries, but when one broke down due to a belt going bad, I decided to park it until I could go through the engine. I pulled the battery out and have used the TB6000 Pro on it to keep it fresh, too. ATV and SxS batteries are not cheap, so maintaining it is a must. The last thing you want is to get stuck trailside with a dead battery.

Another use came up when my sister called and said her battery was dead. I took over my TOPDON Jump Surge JS2000 jump starter, but before I used it, a hooked up the TB6000 Pro and ran a report. We ended up using the JS2000 to get her car to town, where we replaced the battery.

Next up is the lawn mower battery, which I forgot to remove before storing the mower for the winter. It was fine when I ran a report, but it was down a little, so I have it charging back up to be ready for the first mowable grass of the spring. We even used to charge the battery up on a 1946 John Deere tractor that we used to move a chicken coop. It does it all.

Final thoughts

I’ve been using this battery charger for several months now and have been extremely impressed with how simple it is to use, especially for its small size. It does more than another charger I own that is bigger and cost more. I cannot find anything to complain about, and it’s my job to look for something like that. They like to say that it adds credibility to a review if there is something that I can claim is a negative. Well, in this case, you’ll all just have to accept the fact that I can say this is a product I’d recommend 100%. In the six months that I have had it, it has been flawless. If you want a solid-performing battery charger and tester that costs less than $100, you can’t go wrong with a TOPDON TB6000 Pro.