Trickle charger

[cito quod fortis]

After many years service, my old trickle charger has died, so I'm looking to get a new one pretty quickly. I remember people saying CTEK & Optimate were the ones to go for, but looking at both websites, there seems to be several different ones. Can someone please suggest which is the best model to go for. I have an Odessy Extreme Racing 40.

Thanks Andy

[Verde]

I have a CTEK (Multi US 3300), the charger from Braille, and a Deltran Battery Tender and both the CTEK and the Braille are outstanding. The CTEK has a distinct setting for the Optima-type battery, but I use it with my Odyssey battery with excellent results. I have found that it won't restore a battery that has been grossly discharged, or at least that has been my observation. I have used the Braille charger on my Braille and others with great success as well, but I assume it is optimized for that brand and does not have any user accessible settings for other designs - though it may do so algorithmically. I would not recommend the Battery Tender as it seems to have a caused a problem with my Optima/car electronics in my Ford GT. And I have heard from others about the same issue, though many swear by them.
GL,
V

[Steve_D]

I've used the Optimate for years without issue.

Steve

[tjlees]

I have a optimate 6. It has recovered several batteries from the dead. It uses a 72 hour charge test cycle to get the battery back. Note it's best to take the battery completely out of the car, if is dead, since this allows the charger to give it the full beans ( up to 22v and big amps to recover it) which it won't do if it detects anything connected to it. For the ctek charger, one or two people have posted that it has fried their battery, though I suspect this is an isolated case.

[3Dee]

I invested in a CTEK MSX 10 when my optimate charger went south and I had a big problem with my 13 month old Yellow-top that insisted on only retaining 6 volts and nothiong seemed to rescue it. I had a big charger - quick start unit the size of a truck also, but even that would not persuade the yellow-top to defribulate!!!

Must admit I was very very dubious about the CTEKs ability to resurrect the battery from the grave....but it has special charge settings for these type of battery (AGM & Gel).

Well all I can say that is without any fuss at all, the battery charged to full capacity without any drama - and frankly seems MUCH stronger in delivery of power for starting than ever before. And.... if left for weeks, retains pretty-much the same as before.... I can't praise these modern chargers enough....
Trow away your old chargers and invest... that's my opinion.

[F.C.]

3Dee said:

I invested in a CTEK MSX 10 when my optimate charger went south and I had a big problem with my 13 month old Yellow-top that insisted on only retaining 6 volts and nothiong seemed to rescue it. I had a big charger - quick start unit the size of a truck also, but even that would not persuade the yellow-top to defribulate!!!

Must admit I was very very dubious about the CTEKs ability to resurrect the battery from the grave....but it has special charge settings for these type of battery (AGM & Gel).

Well all I can say that is without any fuss at all, the battery charged to full capacity without any drama - and frankly seems MUCH stronger in delivery of power for starting than ever before. And.... if left for weeks, retains pretty-much the same as before.... I can't praise these modern chargers enough....
Trow away your old chargers and invest... that's my opinion.

+ 1 What he said.