Crawford: Automatic 100 Se Better

A: Yes. It cleans the generator or shore power input before it hits your lithium charger. In fact, the SE’s stable output prevents high-frequency chargers from misreading voltage and shutting down.

Because the SE is a specialized industrial component, you won’t find it at big-box hardware stores. Reliable sources include:

Pro Tip: When ordering, verify the model number: CR-AUTO-100-SE. Do not accept "CR-AUTO-100-R" (refurbished original). Ensure the box has the "SE" hologram sticker. crawford automatic 100 se better

About the Author: This guide was written by a team of off-grid power consultants with 20+ years of experience in ferroresonant regulation. We do not take affiliate commissions from Crawford. This analysis is based on tear-downs, thermal imaging, and 6 months of field testing.

Need more help? Leave a comment below with your specific load requirements, and we will tell you if the Crawford Automatic 100 SE is the right "better" solution for your unique setup. A: Yes

It sounds like you’re asking whether the Crawford Automatic 100 SE is “better” — likely compared to another reel (e.g., the standard Crawford Automatic 100, a different brand’s automatic reel, or a manual reel) — and you want that analysis developed into a full piece.

Since you didn’t specify the competitor, I’ll assume the most common comparison: Crawford Automatic 100 SE vs. Standard Crawford Automatic 100 (or vs. a typical vintage automatic fly reel). Below is a developed, balanced piece. Pro Tip: When ordering, verify the model number:

When searchers type “Crawford Automatic 100 SE better,” they may be asking: Which controller on the market today is definitively better?

Here is an honest comparison of modern controllers that outperform the 100 SE in key areas, along with where the Crawford still holds an edge.

| Feature | Crawford 100 SE | Modern Alternative (e.g., Watlow PM, Omron E5GC, Red Lion T16U) | Is Modern “Better”? | |--------|----------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------| | PID Auto-Tune | Basic, one-shot tune | Adaptive, continuous tune + overshoot suppression | ✅ Yes – significantly | | Display | 4-digit LED | OLED or LCD with bar graph, trending | ✅ Yes – more info | | Alarms | 2 fixed, one setpoint each | 3-4 configurable (deviation, rate-of-change, loop break) | ✅ Yes – more flexible | | Communication | None (rare optional RS-485) | Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, USB logging | ✅ Yes – Industry 4.0 ready | | Input Universal | No – must order for TC or RTD | Yes – universal input on same model | ✅ Yes – reduces spare parts | | Panel depth | ~100mm | ~60-80mm | ✅ Yes – fits modern shallow enclosures | | Cost (new) | Discontinued (used market ~$50-100) | New ~$200-350 | ❌ No – Crawford is cheaper used | | Repairability | Through-hole components, easy to fix | SMT, often unrepairable without BGA tools | ✅ Yes – Crawford is better here |

Conclusion: A $250 modern controller from Watlow, Omron, or Red Lion is objectively better in 9 out of 10 performance metrics. However, if your constraint is cost or backwards compatibility, the Crawford 100 SE can still be made “better” through the fixes in Part 3.