Recommended battery charger for under £100

[Arfur Dealy 823]

I'm looking for a new battery charger, what can you recommend for under £100 or preferably less than £50

[Nick M.K. 574]

CTEK MXS 5.0

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FC42HAA/ref=asc_df_B00FC42HAA58582951/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22110&creativeASIN=B00FC42HAA&linkCode=df0&hvadid=226613731662&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11445807865684957321&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006611&hvtargid=pla-303286758601&th=1&psc=1

[Arfur Dealy 823]

3 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

CTEK MXS 5.0

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FC42HAA/ref=asc_df_B00FC42HAA58582951/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22110&creativeASIN=B00FC42HAA&linkCode=df0&hvadid=226613731662&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11445807865684957321&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006611&hvtargid=pla-303286758601&th=1&psc=1

Thanks Nick, I don't understand these new style chargers....I'm used to the red square box type thingy's..... what is the pros /  difference in these whizzy modern things...it doesn't even look like a battery charger ?? I know, I'm showing my age..... 

[DHill 16]

I just bought a similar CTEK to the one Nick posted upon his recommendation on another post, went for the CT5 Start/Stop battery charger, absolute brilliant piece of kit, most of my cars are start/stop AGM type so it's perfect for that. Already paid for itself (£79 from Amazon) 

[Nick M.K. 574]

8 minutes ago, Arfur Dealy said:

I don't understand these new style chargers

Modern batteries like to be charged slowly. 

This charger / maintainer will need good 4-5 hours if not longer to charge a battery fully but does it so slowly that it doesn't wear it as it charges it. 

With your stock inside a unit the charger will be in use all the time, shifted from car to car every day. 

If you have one with an old battery it can actually revive and improve it using one of the charging modes. It uses pulsating current which removes layers of sulphur (or sulphate, not sure) from the battery plates. You absolutely need to have one. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by Nick M.K.

[twerp 69]

The £14 ones from Aldi / Lidl are very nearly as good as the CTEK - and at such a low price you can afford a few of them to have on the go at the same time

[NOACROSS 414]

Genius as always Nick. I’ve just ordered one too, as was getting really cross with old one not being able to charge a flat battery unless it had power in it/on it! Aghhhh!

£68 delivered and Amazon Prime. 

[Nick M.K. 574]

9 minutes ago, DHill said:

Already paid for itself

A 30 car site will save the money by not running the engines in the first month alone :-)

[MrV 66]

+1 Nick

[It's me 611]

56 minutes ago, tradex said:

This, good smart chargers. 

Have a Clarke 140 amp battery bender too

#metoo

the one thing in the ctec favour is someone said on here that it will charge a flat flat battery,the aldi one wont do that so i have to use my battery bender on it for a few hours first,the aldi ones when in stock were £12 wall mountable and a real good piece of kit,i wont buy any silverside stuff from lidl as no matter what it was i bought there it failed within weeks

[Arfur Dealy 823]

Thanks Nick just bought it.  

[twerp 69]

31 minutes ago, boring dave said:

#metoo

the one thing in the ctec favour is someone said on here that it will charge a flat flat battery,the aldi one wont do that so i have to use my battery bender on it for a few hours first,the aldi ones when in stock were £12 wall mountable and a real good piece of kit,i wont buy any silverside stuff from lidl as no matter what it was i bought there it failed within weeks

I have a basic £20 old Argos battery charger for that

[Nick M.K. 574]

23 minutes ago, Arfur Dealy said:

Thanks Nick just bought it.  

You are like me, an easy decisive buyer. 

Imagine a world where all punters buy cars like that :-)

 

Meanwhile:

“Hi Nick, thank you for the close up video. We are ready to pay a deposit to hold the car but we have done an AA car check (which we always do when buying a used car) and an alert has come up regarding a previous plate and outstanding finance ??. Are you able to provide the VIN chassis number, V5 serial number and V5 document issue date as these have been asked for the additional checks by the AA Car Check. Many thanks.”

[Area 51 33]

5 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

You are like me, an easy decisive buyer. 

Imagine a world where all punters buy cars like that :-)

 

Meanwhile:

“Hi Nick, thank you for the close up video. We are ready to pay a deposit to hold the car but we have done an AA car check (which we always do when buying a used car) and an alert has come up regarding a previous plate and outstanding finance ??. Are you able to provide the VIN chassis number, V5 serial number and V5 document issue date as these have been asked for the additional checks by the AA Car Check. Many thanks.”

Be good to see a screen grab of what they are talking about..

 

[Nick M.K. 574]

I am on my phone so will struggle with an image upload but in a nutshell:

they want to view a £2850  2007 Mini on Sat and I have of course offered to reserve it with a small deposit. 

Their AA Check shows that a private plate that was on the Mini 12 years ago (for 7 months!) now has finance against it on a 2018 Discovery. 

They are very rattled by this to my complete amusement :-) 

i have explained everything and they are transferring the deposit after I sent them a WhatsApp video to show them some kerbing on the alloys. 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

2 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

 

 

Meanwhile:

“Hi Nick, thank you for the close up video. We are ready to pay a deposit to hold the car but we have done an AA car check (which we always do when buying a used car) and an alert has come up regarding a previous plate and outstanding finance ??. Are you able to provide the VIN chassis number, V5 serial number and V5 document issue date as these have been asked for the additional checks by the AA Car Check. Many thanks.”

Yes of course, totally normal with a main Dealer PX, the vehicle registers take a while to be updated. I can completely reassure you of the cars genuineness, please call me to discuss fully.  Cheers Nick @ "guaranteed happy cars"

[Nick M.K. 574]

The previous private plate that now shows finance was on my Mini from Feb to Nov 2007! And the AA Check explains that quite well. 

The car is too old for my stocking plan but if it was on it they would see it on their AA Check and run for dear life...

[ExCouncilJobsworth 27]

2 hours ago, twerp said:

The £14 ones from Aldi / Lidl are very nearly as good as the CTEK - and at such a low price you can afford a few of them to have on the go at the same time

Do they still sell them? And if so what are they called?

How long does the CTEK take to charge up and how often does it need a recharge? Cannot seem to find this info anywhere?

If you're just starting up cars in your unit wont it be easier to just have a happy shopper euro car parts battery and some jump leads? And charge the battery once a while?

[Nick M.K. 574]

The CTEK needing a recharge? You just plug it in the wall, it doesn’t need a recharge. 

Starting up cars in the unit? What do you mean? Leave the battery to drain and die, then jump start? 

 

[ExCouncilJobsworth 27]

2 hours ago, Nick M.K. said:

The CTEK needing a recharge? You just plug it in the wall, it doesn’t need a recharge. 

Starting up cars in the unit? What do you mean? Leave the battery to drain and die, then jump start? 

 

Oh my bad. I thought it was a small jump starter. 

But why not just run the engine every now and again? Wouldn't this suck up a lot of electricity?

[Nick M.K. 574]

What did you do in that council? 

[ExCouncilJobsworth 27]

3 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

What did you do in that council? 

Closed bent car dealers down

If they didnt comply I burnt their places down and pissed on the ashes

[Area 51 33]

3 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

Yes of course, totally normal with a main Dealer PX, the vehicle registers take a while to be updated. I can completely reassure you of the cars genuineness, please call me to discuss fully.  Cheers Nick @ "guaranteed happy cars"

Exactly as you say, had a Bavarian touring off private plates last year, the private plate went on to RR Vogue owner used finance to get into it.. the same thing happened, private plates picked up the finance - new plates took a while to catch up with the touring.... Pain how slow things can be really when speed in turning a vehicle can be everything to us.

 

[Mark101 536]

6 hours ago, Nick M.K. said:

CTEK MXS 5.0

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FC42HAA/ref=asc_df_B00FC42HAA58582951/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22110&creativeASIN=B00FC42HAA&linkCode=df0&hvadid=226613731662&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11445807865684957321&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006611&hvtargid=pla-303286758601&th=1&psc=1

Is this different would you say to my two Oxford charger/maintainers - one permanently on the Vespa the other a mower?

 

[Nick M.K. 574]

I can’t answer Mark. I don’t know what an Oxford charger is :-)