Car battery charge recommendation for home use...

[VAGslag]

For years we've been using my Dad's oldskool (literally 40+ years old!) charger, and it's been fine I suppose...

When I was a mechanic we had one of the high end CTEK chargers, and it was the absolute nuts. Especially the recondition setting, capable of saving almost any "dead" battery. Seeing as they're over 300 quid, I recently purchased a CTEK MXS 5.0 as it also has a recondition setting on it...

HOWEVER! . . The recondition setting is pony, seems to have little to no improvement to the batteries charge holding capability and barely seems to even give the battery a thorough charge.

And on top of this (now this is the ridiculous bit) the MXS 5.0 won't charge a battery that is showing under 2.5v :-/ (!?) What's the fuking point in that!? . . So when I leave something on (like the other day), I first have to use the charger that's almost twice my age, and THEN it's ok to use the CTEK!!!

I've had a word with the seller and luckily he's agreed to give me a refund... My dad has also been looking at chargers but he doesn't like the idea of smart chargers (too oldskool perhaps, sure he could be swayed!)

Either way, we need a new charger! . . To save any more drama has anyone got any recommendations? Would be interested to know what other people use and to what effect.

Thanks in advance!

[minos316]

I use a ring one 12ah rating. Has a hi and low setting so you charge small motrocycle batteries as well. Dont see the point in spending £300 on one. When you could get a battery and 5 spares with that sort of money.

[ch427]

I use a halfords one hung on the wall and have extended the cables to simplify battery connection when needed
Use a plug in timer if the car spends long periods sat idle, saves spending hundreds on a ctek or similar.

http://www.halfords.com/motoring-travel/bulbs-wipe...

[kurt535]

minos316 said:

I use a ring one 12ah rating. Has a hi and low setting so you charge small motrocycle batteries as well. Dont see the point in spending £300 on one. When you could get a battery and 5 spares with that sort of money.

Bought a Ring 20 (?) for @£62 on Amazon. 3 settings: small batteries, larger batteries and a dead battery start mode. I also run a ctek to stop the battery going flat in the first place!

[VAGslag]

Thanks for your input gents, we went with the Ring 20 amp (model RCB320) in the end... And it keeps the old man happy as it's got an amp meter on it! lol