What Battery Charger/conditioner?

[GLPoomobile 958]

Don't want to spend much more than £50, ideally less. Need to keep my Volvo battery topped up whilst it's off the road for a few months (need to leave it connected).

 

I know I could get a basic trickle charger quite cheap, but I'm thinking if I can get a battery conditioner that actually works, without breaking the bank, then it'll be a worthy investment. My old Alfa battery (since replaced) will charge but doesn't hold the charge for long, so I'd at least like to give it a go as it's useful to have a spare. And I might as well see if I can inject some life in to the 205's battery as well. Obviously the charger will need to be well enough made to last years, to be classed as a worth while investment.

 

CTEK and Accumate seem to be the obvious choices. Accumate looks more agricultural, but I guess the price premium on the CTEK is just in the fact they look more compact and neater.

 

Opinions please.

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

Hi,

 

I use one of these on my Vespa and 205. It comes with a flying lead which you can permanently attach to the battery and then connect up without having to lift the bonnet or fiddle around on the Vespa trying to find the battery!

During the winter it is permanently connected to the 205. Very compact and waterproof too.

 

http://www.ctekcharg...tek-mxs-3.6.php £36.99

 

Much cheaper now than when I first got it!

Edited August 26, 2012 by Simes

[jorg 11]

I would recommend a CTEK charger too. I have the same one as above permanently attached to the battery in my 306 rally car, it has never let me down yet.

[GLPoomobile 958]

http://www.ctekcharg...tek-mxs-3.6.php £36.99

 

Much cheaper now than when I first got it!

 

That's ex-VAt though. Not much difference between that and the Accumate in price.

 

The CTEK listing says it can recover batteries from 2v, whereas IIRC the Accumate will go as low as 1V. But then the CTEK says it can recover sulphated batteries whereas the Accumate cannot.

 

I realise that you can never fully rescue a sulphated battery, but if there's any chance at all of bringing my Alfa and 205's batteries back to some sort of useful state then I'd like to give it a go. I'm slightly dubious about the CTEK claim in that respect.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Dilemas. The CTEK gets fantastic reviews on Amazon inc people saying it's rescued duff batteries. But I can get the Accumate cheaper from The Green Reaper (who I've boght stuff from before).

 

My head tells me to go with the CTEK, whilst my wallet tells me to go with the Accumate!

[24seven 104]

Go with your head. That's what it's for. If your wallet is wrong then you'll only end up paying more for another one. Besides if it'#s talking to you in the first place you should probably get a new wallet while you're on Amazon...

[AlexRS2782 136 1 Cars]

Bought a CTek charger a few years ago when i owned a Caterham R300 which rarely left the garage. Always did the job it as bought for. Used it since on my old Exige S and my FRS and more recently used it on a battery on my Saxo VTS track car which had gone flat after standing some time. Saved the battery which is still working in the car a month or so on

[Turbo7379 3]

If you have a Lidl near you they sometimes have a rebranded ctek charger available for £16.99.

http://www.lidl-ni.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_ni_ie/hs.xsl/index_23407.htm

It's currently on offer here in Ireland but it's likely that it's just been or coming on offer on the mainland. I have one & it's an amazing piece of kit.