Any recommendations for a not too expensive charger that will be ok for smaller & mid sized batteries?
Cheers.
I’ve been using a CTEK MXS 5.0 to keep my BMW 3.0 topped up and occasionally reconditioned for years. My car sometimes sits for weeks and then does only a short journey, so this keeps it topped up. It’s screwed to the wall on my drive and I have a QR clip onto the battery. I just park, clip and leave it.
My local car bits and pieces shop recently sold me one of these to charge up a near 20 year old Honda civic that spends a lot of time parked outside my house. Dead simple to use, but I guess the proof will be when the car starts (or not!) on Boxing Day for the trip to the in laws!
I've got a NOCO G7200 Not "cheap" (it was about £75 even in a sale), but has revived a couple of seemingly dead batteries so has paid for itself.
The clip is proprietary, and while you can buy various adapters, they're expensive so I just cut the cable and crimped on some insulated spade connectors so it can connect to some other various adapters I had lying around. When I get around to it the plan is to wall mount it and fit some 4-pin XLR connectors on fused leads run around the garage/drive to each of the cars so it can charge them all simultaneously.
CTEK MXS 5.0.
Easy!
CTEK MXS 5.0.
Easy!
Ditto.. same here. Use it for my van and leisure battery. THe recond mode is pretty good actually
Mine is just a £10 battery charger (can't remember the brand) almost similar design to RING link posted above that I bought from TK Maxx.
For the past few weeks I have used mine 3 times and for the past few years I have used mine many times. It works fine.
I use the Ring Smart charger available in Halfords for £75. I favoured the smart features over the raw grunt of a more powerful dumb charger. I also have a cheaper charger, but when you actually need it for a flat battery rather than maintenance charging, it just trips out as the battery demands too much current.
It's fixed two golf cart leisure batteries that I accidentally discharged after leaving my camper for two weeks, took a week in recovery mode but got them back from about 2.5v each to 6v when they wouldn't take a charge from a normal charger.
My main 110ahr battery was flat last week and it got it from 10.5v to a point it would start the van, in about 90 minutes.
It also does some diagnosis and maintenance functions such as telling you the CCA/cranking amps of the battery (drop test) which I think is the same sort of test the AA it a garage would use to see how healthy it is.
Another CTEK MXS 5.0 user here. Lead permanently connected to battery with just a single connector to connect to charger. Works great.
Another CTEK MXS 5.0 user here. Lead permanently connected to battery with just a single connector to connect to charger. Works great.
Exactly what I have - the quick attachment lead is brilliant.
Ring RSC804. https://www.ringautomotive.com/en/product/RSC804
Around £20. Built like a tank and no reason to spend more.
papamountain
Another CTEK MXS 5.0 user here. Lead permanently connected to battery with just a single connector to connect to charger. Works great.
Yep its a great unit.........
As long as you remember to actually plug the thing in to the car & then find 2 months later the car is dead as a dead thing. With a solanoid release bonnet/frunk and a non functional door lock I now have a very secure car that even I can't get going again!
I've got this one; https://www.ringautomotive.com/en/product/RSC612
Seems to work OK although it's a bit bulky. Doesn't have interchangeable leads though so I'm going to dig out some old RC car connectors and make some.
It's £60 at Hellfrauds at the moment.
CTEK MXS 5.0 here as well.
In my car, I found that by moving a fuse, I could make the 12V socket permanent live rather than switch live.
This means it's a simple case of plugging in the 12V accessory plug.
Ctek MXS 5.0 here too, wired to the battery terminals too (cigarette lighter charge wasn’t reliable enough - too much car drain) on the car that stays in the garage for most of the winter
Everyone loves Ctek, they're really good. Cheaper from Louis-moto, a motorbike shop on the continent, that's where I got mine
I also have this one, under a different brand- it's a classic chinese rebrandy thing:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aibeau-Maintainer-Automatic-Functions-Batteries/dp/B07VB37368/ref=sr_1_6?crid=22YS45XHAIWYS&keywords=battery+charger+12v&qid=1671830438&quartzVehicle=29-10519&replacementKeywords=battery+12v&s=automotive&sprefix=battery+charger+12v%2Cautomotive%2C82&sr=1-6
Not as good as the Ctek, the repair modes definitely aren't as effective but it does the job and was cheap.
Noco seem like a decent option too- never used one, a mate swears by the 1A one as long as you don't need fast charge- it's got all the same features as their 5A model including the force charge and reconditioning for £40, whereas the cheaper Cteks lose some features/controllability. The more expensive nocos don't seem to compare as well though
use the Ring Smart charger available in Halfords for £75. I favoured the smart features over the raw grunt of a more powerful dumb charger.
I've got this one after an eBay shop screwed up and blanked me trying to get it rectified...... Did mean I had to buy another 25 quid solar charging panel for the dash but I was ok with that.
It's pretty darn good. Many features of higher up the ctek range......
Which features have I used ..... *Recover* *cold charge* and *measure battery % age *
As a driver of old vehicles though - Considerably better value than a dumb charger.....
I bought a Norco charger during lockdown. It’s very good, discrete, fit and forget for both cars. I’m surprised that Autoexpress didn’t include Norco in their test.
One of our cars still has the original 18yo battery in it, it lasts much longer after several reconditioning cycles.
Has anyone mentioned the CTEK yet?
It's hassle free and easy to use.
I was trying to post a link above but failed, Cotswold BMW on there e bay store are selling the ctek mxs 5 charger for £65.
Thanks all.
Went for the Ring 804 in the end.
Looks very similar functions on my old charger.
All change!
Lidls had their charger back in stock for £15 so bought one last week.
Sent the 804 back.
Battery was too flat to charge with that one so I've now ordered a CTEK MXS 5.0 as well lol. 🙂
I've got the Maypole 7428.
8 amps, smart multistage charging with recovery etc. Really good for £34.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maypole-MP7428-Electronic-Battery-Charger/dp/B01MA30T62
Where from chap?