I need an Optimate. Any one have any tips for me?

[Thankyou4calling]

I need to get a battery conditioner for a car that is off road in my garage. It seems the Optimate is highly rated. Does any one have any experience of using them through the fag lighter as opposed to connecting direct to the battery terminals. Are they as simple and effective as they look? Thanks.

[mr_spock]

I use one for my bike and cars. It never seems to charge a large battery fully, but can sometimes recover a deeply discharged one. It's fine for maintaining a battery. Whether the fag lighter works is dependent on whether yours is switched through the ignition. I prefer to add a connector onto the battery and charge through that.

[ARH]

I have used one for 10 years or so on my austin seven, it takes days to charge a battery but does trickle charge ok. never had an issue with it.

[redtwin]

I have an optimate, but only use it to keep my motorcycle battery topped up. I also have a C-tek that doesn't seem to have any issues charging up a flat car battery. Stuck it on a car battery that wouldn't even spin the starter and within 2 hours the car would fire up with ease.

It was only a little 2 litre petrol 4 cylinder though, I doubt it would do so well on a massive diesel.

C-tek do different models, I can check which one I have if interested, but I paid more to get one that does supply power and higher voltage boost etc so you may not need those features.

As above, I would connect directly to battery terminals with the (usually!) supplied quick disconnect lead.

Edited by redtwin on Wednesday 17th November 08:15

[Westy Pre-Lit]

I use one for the Westy and wouldn't do without it.

It came with a connector that's permanently bolted to the battery so no messing about with crocodile clips, just a small plug. Not sure mine came with a cigarette lighter plug.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

I have two Optimates. They work well on my small motorbike battery and just as well on my cars.

If you have a very flat car battery they sometimes take up to three days to get a green light, but they get there in the end.

I can only comment that in ten years of using them on my vehicles, I've never had to buy a new battery. So I think that says it all really.

[y2blade]

I have three optimate chargers

1x optimate 3
2x optimate 3sp

I have one for each vehicle
My fireblade is on OEM battery, now 10 years old and still holds a charge fine if left off the Optimate (while away on holiday on it)

the charge rate is low and very kind to the battery, on a car it can take a couple of days to fully charge...better that than the cheapo chargers that blast your battery to full in about 30mins


I'd never buy any other brand tbh (Accumate and Optimate are one and the same)
the latest version is the Optimate 4 (I have no experience of that model though, sorry)
http://www.optimate.co.uk/

[mad4amanda]

I have the optimate 4 and wouldnt use anything else it is superb.

[BliarOut]

Wait till Aldi or Lidl have them on special