Recommend me a battery charger/conditioner

[Liquid Tuna]

I have a car I only use every few weeks. I keep it under a cover in the garage and want to attach it to a battery conditioner/charger. I use an Optimate on my bike which is very good. Can anyone recommend one for a car (or can I use a motorcycle one on a car as long as it's for 12v)?

[RESSE]

I have used the CTEK XC 800 and haven't had any problems with it (purchased in 2006).

http://www.ctek.nu/gb/en

[Liquid Tuna]

Cheers, I'll check it out.

[AdvanceRoadcraft]

Optimate. Used the Mark 3 for years and the Mark 4 I have now is superb both as a "top up"/trickle charger and to bring back totally shagged old batteries from the dead (with a bit of help from Batt Aid tabs.)

You can't go wrong. Best, B

[lescombes]

I buy the Aldi/Lidl Ctek alike ones when they are on offer....for customer classics...to either "build" in or for them to use free standing.....

[kambites]

My cheap Clark one is still going fine after about 11 years.

[E30M3SE]

AdvanceRoadcraft said:

Optimate. Used the Mark 3 for years and the Mark 4 I have now is superb both as a "top up"/trickle charger and to bring back totally shagged old batteries from the dead (with a bit of help from Batt Aid tabs.)

You can't go wrong. Best, B

+1.

[Viper]

ive brought quite a few opitmates, yes you can use the bike one on your car no problem at all

they now sell an expensive £80 'car' unit, but the £40 cheaper ones work fine as well on cars

[bqf]

I use an accumate - £35 from amazon - it even recovered an almost completely dead battery. Very impressed with it.

[Shaun_E]

A word of warning. Although my Optimate works fine on my Caterham (17Ah battery) when I used it on my camper van's much larger leisure battery (70 or 80 Ah), the Optimate got very hot - it is only rated to work with up to 50Ah batteries. I would suggest that if the battery you are charging is a decent size (over 50Ah say) then make sure you get a charger rated to deal with it. The Optimate 6 or one of their Accumate chargers would be better. CTEK come in different ratings as well so again check you get one that can deal with the battery you intend to use it on.

[Liquid Tuna]

Cheers for the advice!