I was looking to get a new car battery smart charger to replace an older Ctek charger unit that had a broken mode selection button.
The requirements were to be a smart multi-step charger with the ability to charge different types of 12v or 6v batteries. The ability to log and fine-tune charging options was also important so the charger must have Bluetooth. The Topdon TB6000 Pro ticked all the boxes and more. So I thought I would write a review as I was very impressed with the features.
Table of Contents
Topdon TB6000 Pro Charger review
As I have lots of different types of batteries to charge in my client’s vehicles, boats, lawnmowers, jet skis, and ATVs, the Topdon TB6000 was perfect. It has 6 Battery charging modes: 12V/6A Normal, 12V/1A Repair, 12V/6A Supply, 12V/3A Small, 12V/6A Lithium-ion battery, and 6V/3A Normal.
This is an easy selection process just by pressing the large round button once to select the battery type.
A cool feature is that you also have the ability to change different voltages. This is if you have an odd battery voltage of 6v, 8v, 10v, 12v, and 14v. So in effect, you have 5 different chargers built into one smart charger. WOW
Now it does look complicated but there is only one button to press to select the voltage and charge rate. Double-pressing the button will start the charging process.
If you really want to get into trends, reports, data, testing, and battery condition you will need to use a smartphone with Bluetooth and the TB6000pro app for more in-depth charging and testing.
| Voltage at Battery | State of Charge Capacity |
| 12.65V+ | 100% |
| 12.50V | 90% |
| 12.45V | 75% |
| 12.35V | 60% |
| 12.25V | 50% |
| 12.06V | 25% |
| 11.90V | Discharged |
I like that the display will show you real-time charging voltage, capacity, and current. This will refresh every 2 seconds. This is handy to see how depleted/full a car battery is. For reference check out the 12v battery voltage chart.
Once the charger is connected to the phone via BlueTooth, you can customize the charging process and parameters.
There are so many extra features and setting on the Topdon TB6000pro app that will not apply to the average user. But for advanced battery charging these features and settings can make a vehicle battery last for a very long time. I just stick to the standard settings it works well for me.
Topdon TB6000 Pro features
TOPDON TB6000Pro is a professional-grade automotive battery diagnostic charger. It is designed to help mechanics, technicians, and home users diagnose and fix car, truck, boat, motorcycle, and vehicle battery problems. This Smart 6 Amp 2-in-1 Car Battery Charger & Tester is one of the most feature-rich on the market today.
It features a bright LED display, for basic voltage and current readings or you can connect a smartphone via Bluetooth to the APP Intelligent Management app. This will display a pre and post-data report. Extra information is also available such as CCA, Internal Resistance, and Voltage, which gives you the state of the battery and if it needs replacing or reconditioning.
It is compatible with all 6V & 12V lead-acid, deep-cycle batteries, flooded, gel, AGM, maintenance-free, WET, CAL, EFB, 12V lithium-ion, and LiFePO4 batteries up to 100-2000CCA.
TOPDON’s patented 9-step charging means that car batteries are charged at the correct voltage to prevent overheating and damage.
Below is a chart that describes the different types of 12v/6v batteries that this smart charger can charge.
Topdon TB6000 error codes explained
TB6000Pro’s smart safety features, you can protect against reverse polarity, sparks, short circuits, overheating, and overvoltages. Great for people that are a little unsure of how to charge a car battery.
When the following errors occur, it will display the corresponding error code:
Er1: Short circuit or reverse polarity
Er2: Overtemperature
Er3: Charging timeout
Er4: The battery is damaged, please switch to 12V Supply
mode to attempt to recover the battery.
Er5: Wrong mode, please select 12V charging mode.
TB6000 pro-Bluetooth app
For the iPhone, please go to the Apple App Store and search TB6000Pro.
For Android, please go to the Google Play store and install the Topdon TB6000Pro apk.
Once the app is installed you can turn on the Bluetooth in Control Center or Notification Panel.
Open the TB6000Pro APP and tap the Bluetooth icon to establish a connection with the charging unit.
Standard and Bluetooth charging modes
Standalone Charing Mode
- When TB6000Pro is connected to the power supply, the charging modes will keep flashing. Press the Mode Switch Button to toggle between the modes.
- Once you’ve selected the mode, press twice quickly to confirm the charging mode. You can also use a smartphone to start the charging process with the TB6000pro app. Follow step 13.
- After the confirmation, it will automatically start the charging process from step one.
- Check the battery’s initial state, voltage, state of charging, and state of health to ensure the stability of
the battery before charging. - Charge the battery with a pulse current to break down the sulfates that have built up over time in the aging battery to extend life.
- Charge the battery with a low current to prepare for high-current charging.
- Charge the battery with three stages of constant current that gradually rise to optimize charging.
- Charge the battery with a preset current until it reaches 80%.
- Trickle charge the battery until it reaches 90%.
- Remain the voltage at the preset value until the charging current drops to 12.5% of the maximum value and keep charging the power to 95%.
- Charge at 12.5% of the preset maximum current until the battery is charged to 100%.
- Check if the voltage is lower than the preset value. If it is turn back to step 8. EN I 14
- Bluetooth Charging Mode
- Once you’ve confirmed the preparation steps are done, plug the adapter into a wall outlet and attach the clamps to the battery terminals.
- Open the TB6000Pro, and tap Smart Charging/Quick Charging.
Smart Charging:
Under this mode, a battery test is automatically performed before and after charging. Simply enter basic battery information and select the desired charging mode, then tap Start charging. A charging report will be automatically generated during the process.
Note: Smart Charging is only applicable for 12V lead-acid
batteries (Li-ion or 6V batteries are not supported). - To ensure the accuracy of test results, only use the battery clamps to connect to the battery terminals under Smart Charging mode. Quick Charging: Under this mode, 6 charging modes are available, as well as DIY Mode. You can choose the preset charging mode to charge directly or customize the charging mode according to the condition of the battery
Topdon TB6000 pro battery testing
A cool feature of this 2 in 1 smart charger is that it can test your vehicle charging circuit. This will quickly let you know if your battery is bad or if your alternator has failed. Saves you precious time from testing your car alternator manually. It can also test the battery under load called a cranking test. Battery health is also available and it will test the internal resistance, voltage, CCA, and other categories of your car battery.
Please note that the battery testing function is only applicable for 6V & 12V lead-acid batteries. So it won’t be able to do your Lithium batteries.
I like that you don’t need to have the socket plugged into a wall outlet to use the battery testing functions. It draws all the power it needs for the tests from the vehicle battery. This makes it nice and portable.
Please refer to the below table for specific battery standards and test ranges that can be performed on the TB6000pro.
Don’t forget to input the battery capacity value and tap Battery Test to start the test.
After several seconds, the test result will be displayed on the screen.
To conduct a cold cranking test or charging test, please follow the on-screen instructions.
Where to buy the Topdon TB6000 pro
Amazon is the best place to purchase the Topdon TB6000 pro battery charger and tester. The ease of returns if anything goes wrong makes for a simple process. Plus it makes sure you are receiving a genuine product.
The 3-year warranty means you are safe if there is an issue. I use mine every other day and it has been great.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do you select the charging mode?
A: You can select the charging mode according to the battery type and capacity. We recommend that the current value should not be greater than 20% of the battery capacity value. For example, for a 20Ah battery, we recommend that the current is not greater than 4A.
Q: Will TB6000Pro stop charging automatically after the battery is fully charged?
A: Yes. TB6000Pro adopts 9-step smart charging. When the battery is fully charged, it will automatically stop charging without the risk of overcharging. If you still leave the battery connected, the charger will keep monitoring the battery status and will automatically start charging when the battery voltage falls below its target threshold.
Q: Can TB6000Pro charge multiple batteries simultaneously?
A: Yes. Please correctly connect these batteries in series or parallel before charging. They should be of the same type and capacity size.
Q: Is REPAIR mode applicable to all battery types?
A: No, it only applies to the lead-acid type batteries. It can’t be used for lithium batteries.
Q: Why can’t some batteries be used normally after repair?
A: Some batteries can be beyond repair as they could be damaged, have warped internal cells, or have sulfation on the internal plates.
Q: Why can’t some batteries be charged?
A: Generally, a 12V battery with a voltage lower than 9V and left for a while at this voltage is damaged. It will be unable to be charged normally. If the battery is damaged or Er4 error is reported you can select the 12V Supply mode to try and recover battery charging. Batteries should not be left in a discharged state.
Q: Why does battery voltage drop to about 13V after it is charged to above 14V (or when charging stops)?
A: The voltage of a fully-charged 12V lead-acid battery is between 12.65V and 13.4V. For effective charging, the battery voltage will go over 14v during the charging time. Therefore, the battery voltage will drop and settle to around 12.9v when the charging stops.
Conclusion
I really like Topdon products and they are bringing out cool car testing, charging, and diagnostic products every year. If you are after a cheap 12v or 6v car battery charger then check out the Topdon TB6000 pro. It is one of the most feature-rich at a great price point.
If you have any charging issues let me know. Just remember to never let the battery voltage fall under 9v or damage can be done to your battery. Keep them charged up always.
Topdon is a reliable company and I have their powerful JS 3000A jump starter so check out that review if you are after a reliable jump pack.
I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair and maintenance jobs.
I love fast toys like Motorcycles, Cars, Jetskis, Boats, and Computers so writing about them is easy. Working on them is fun.
To keeps costs down I do all my own mods, repairs, and servicing. These skills I want to share with everyone. DIY is a skill everyone can learn.
