Battery charger

[moggie1947]

Need to replace my (very) old 12v battery charger, so would like any recommendations please?
It is only used for charging the batteries on my couple of Classics, so does not need to be anything fancy with loads of options with different battery types.
Would like a trickle charge option though?

Thanks

 

[Matchless]

Lidl recently had a nice small charger, there may well be some left, seemed to be suitable for most or all battery types,

 

[Ashley Burton]

I've got a Ring Intelligent Battery Charger & its been brilliant! Was only £38 also

 

[bert]

Halfords ones are good and pretty cheap. I've got 2 of them and they cover std and sealed types so are good for gel and leisure batteries too.

 

[Shox Dr]

While not cheap, you cant beat Opimate chargers. Plug it in, forget about it. Battery will always be fully charged.

 

[Bullet2012]

Do you need a charger ? Maybe just a conditioner , I have one of these https://www.airflow-uk.co.uk/product/battery-conditioner/
They are based at Challow Station near Faringdon

 

[8ob]

The trickle/conditioner type chargers won’t charge a dead battery, I use an ordinary charger to bring them up a bit and then leave them on with the trickle charger. Mainly because I don’t like leaving my good charger out in the elements and most of these small chargers seem to be sealed/water proof.

Bob

 

[qwakers]

While not cheap, you cant beat Opimate chargers. Plug it in, forget about it. Battery will always be fully charged.

this.

tried many types over the years. but the halfords ones are good for the price too.

 

[Kram]

Have a lidl one, never got it to work it is expensive rubbish.

Not what youve asked for... but I use a RC lipo charger, it has many options but is very simple to use. This has saved many dead batteries, and the discharge function allows some measure of how degraded the battery is.
Mine is an Imax B8, this is very similar
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-accucel-6-80w-10a-balancer-charger-lihv-capable.html?wrh_pdp=1

 

[voipio]

C-Tec chargers are highly regarded, and include trickle charge once the battery charge has been brought up to where it needs to be.

 

[Onoff]

Got a metal cased Hilka one. RAC branded one is the same:

 

[tlovatt]

I use an Aldi one, it was £10 on offer and will charge at 3.8A or 0.8A, recognises all battery types and I used some of the Optimate accessories to add a permanent lead to the car which come out into the scuttle so I can plug it in without opening the bonnet. As my car is now doing about 2 weeks to the gallon and its battery management is not the best (JLR) I often put it on charge at 0.8A for a few days. I do also have a rapid charger / main powered boost starter but it is a lot easier to regularly use the trickle charger and they can actually just be left plugged in. The unit is mounted on the wall in my garage and I have a 6m long lead off it.

 

[Alan Reynolds]

My neighbour's wife has a Volvo that she doesn't drive, so the battery goes flat. I gave him one of my old fashioned basic chargers. It's not charging he says. Well it wouldn't would it. He'd clipped the leads on ar$e about face. He thought red was earth, really? Anyway it went reverse voltage so we had to fit a new battery and I painted the positive terminal bright red, idiot proof. Nah. he unplugged it and then didn't switch it back on. The battery was down to 2.7 volts. It had no intention of coming back up even with three chargers on it. So stuck it on the Iveco and got some life in it then charged it with the three chargers over three days. Success! I've now wired it in to a wall timer that comes on for 1/2 a day. All I've got to do now is find a way of warning him NOT to reverse out of the garage with it STILL attached. Life gets tedious don't it.

 

[moggie1947]

Do you need a charger ? Maybe just a conditioner , I have one of these https://www.airflow-uk.co.uk/product/battery-conditioner/
They are based at Challow Station near Faringdon

Wow, that sounds like the one that I need--and I am 4 miles from them! Never knew they existed?
Thanks to all replies--great site this. Also mugged up on a brake line repair that I have to do on the"modern".

Can I ask for a supplier of brake line joiner fittings in this area please?

 

[mtt.tr]

I hate modern chargers, yet to find one you can force to charge a dead battery which sometimes brings them back to life

 

[Bullet2012]

Wow, that sounds like the one that I need--and I am 4 miles from them! Never knew they existed?
Thanks to all replies--great site this. Also mugged up on a brake line repair that I have to do on the"modern".

Can I ask for a supplier of brake line joiner fittings in this area please?

pop in and see Rob, might get expensive though, battery conditioner, triple layer car cover, Airchamber

 

[Bullet2012]

Can I ask for a supplier of brake line joiner fittings in this area please?

A possibility is http://www.patrickedwardsmachinery.co.uk/

 

[Bullet2012]

Or try Richard at Manor Garage up on the old Dairy industrial estate

https://www.manorgaragewantage.co.uk/

 

[LandRoverTom]

I had an optimate charger/maintainer for the bike, after it being on it all winter, went to start it on a nice sunny day for a ride an nothing! Where ever I bought it from very kindly took it back as faulty and I bought a CteK charger/repairer/ maintainer and after having it on the repair setting for a couple of days (just to be sure) the bike started beautifully.

The Ctek charger now deoes the rounds between vehicles - I keep toying with buying a second one to save moving it...

Edit: I should have said that the Ctek runs through its many stages automatically. It checks the battery first and skips steps it desn't need and finishes on float/trickle charge once fully charged

 

[tom2207]

I use a Sterling Power trickle charger on my bikes that may lay for six months , they do the whole charge from flat , de sulphate and condition thing , on all types of batteries , Love them .
Ive a cheap lidle ine too , similar thing , but it has to be set you cant just plug it in and let it go .
The sterling ones just re set them selves and away they go .. one of my bikes has a battery thats ten years old now and never causes any grief , but it is a Yuasa .