Advice on Car charger

Aimanu on 01/07/2022 - 13:18
Last edited 01/07/2022 - 15:50

Hi,

I need a good battery charger. The device should (safely) charge battery from zero volts for normal household cars like SUV, sedan, etc. I need this as a peace of mind while going out of town. Also, I have encountered situations where remaining away from home in travels, coming back home I find the car left at home is with flat battery!

I have today bought one- SCA 10 AMP 7 Stage, and paid $185!

Then reading about different battery chargers later, I feel that I should take some expert opinion and thus reaching out to you guys. I am not sure whether I should return this one and go for something else?

I have also found people talking about the ctek- battery chargers and those are apparently good (better?). If so, then which one should I go for (within the same/similar budget as above)?

I am a layman - no knowledge about these devices at all, so in your advice, if you can include the specific product versions, etc. that will be really appreciated.

Thank you!

Automotive Car Charger

Comments

  • GordonD on 01/07/2022 - 14:07

    Its like any tool, I would think that only someone who was going to use it a lot would spend that much money to get the best. And someone who wasn't would just spend enough to buy a charger that was good enough so it was there on the rare occasions it was needed. The battery shop I bought my last replacement battery from only sells ctek chargers, but, hey, for $185 you can buy a new battery. So I just bought a no-name one off ebay, that cost me a fraction of that. It does the job to get me going when I have needed that. I'm sure its nearly as good as a ctek. The general rule in buying stuff is that the second cheapest one available usually is nearly as good as the best. And the whirlpool rule is don't ask an expert what to buy, because they will try to persuade you to buy the best, with every possible feature, no matter what it costs, or whether you actually need them or would use them.

  • JimB on 01/07/2022 - 14:23
    +1

    I have a Ctek mxs 5.0. Paid around $100 odd for it.

    Good smart charger.

    Sure you can buy cheaper but it comes with a 5 year warranty and is recommended by the experts.

    The only thing I have read about smart chargers is they sometimes have issues charging a very flat battery. Draining a battery to it is very flat will destroy it's life.

    • Aimanu on 01/07/2022 - 14:32

      Perhaps a very dumb question -

      Assuming just like other devices, is 5.0 for Ctek the version name?
      If so, what is the Ctek mxs's current version now in 2022?
      I tried searching but could not get an answer.

      • JimB on 01/07/2022 - 14:38
        +1

        The Ctek mxs 5.0 hasn't changed for many years.

        The 5.0 represents the output- 5 amps.

        Ctek mxs 7.0 - 7 amps, etc.

        5 amps is fine for overnight charging/reconditioning.

  • neo on 01/07/2022 - 14:30

    Some reading:

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/ctek-mxs-5-0

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/10137322/redir

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/9196361/redir

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/9200879/redir

    I have the CTEK 5 and it saved many car batteries over COVID. Would probably get the Victron next time for monitoring on my phone.

  • Euphemistic on 01/07/2022 - 15:06

    1st question is why do you want a fancy charger? If the battery voltage is low enough it’s likely been damaged and not be able to fully charge. Yes, some chargers can supposedly reverse some of the damage but if it’s a one off you are probably better off replacing the battery. If it’s for an occasional use battery, a cheap charger will do, but need to be done regularly before the battery goes completely flat.

    • Aimanu on 01/07/2022 - 15:23

      Looking to own one device as a peace of mind.
      Also, I have encountered situations where remaining away from home in travels, I find the car at home with flat battery. Then I land up needing to call up roadside assistance.

      • reno on 01/07/2022 - 15:55

        for traveling, get a portable jump starter. that would save you in place of roadside (that said, if battery is dead, jump starter won't do much)

        • jamesorion on 01/07/2022 - 18:17

          I've jumped several cars with my Gooloo charger over the past couple of years and it is still going strong. A few days ago I had it fail to start a car (large van) for the first time. The driver ended up having to call roadside assist. When they eventually arrived, they couldn't get it going either, and in the end had to replace the battery to get him on the road again. The next day I randomly ran into another person who needed a jump start. Luckily the Gooloo worked on his so it must have just been it wasn't good enough to start a car with a totally dead battery.

      • Euphemistic on 01/07/2022 - 17:36

        Sounds like for your usage case pretty much any basic charger will do. A jumper pack might be a more portable solution, provided after you charge the battery with a decent drive afterward.

  • Daniel Plainview on 01/07/2022 - 16:30

    @Aimanu
    As Phil said in The Sopranos,"A couple of three things…"

    • you paid too much for that charger and it's more than a normal home user requires

    • periodically using a charger for your cars battery is a GOOD idea for most folks - if you read up on lead acid batteries, they have 3 phases of charging - long story short, driving around even on long trips won't provide the IDEAL charge method they like - whereas a charger will - this will extend the life - especially if like many folks you're doing a lot of short trips and using electrics in the car a lot e.g stereo, heating

    • you do not need a fancy or fast charger (slow is actually better for lead acid batts), look at the popular charger deals on here and pick something from there - should spend more than around $80-100, all the extra functions on expensive chargers are of dubious value.

    • regardless of what charger you get your battery will generally last 5yrs on average - if you get more you're lucky, less you're unlucky. Personally I view these as a consumable, like an oil change and change over around this date as the cost of a flat & callout far exceeds the residual value in a battery plus you can replace with a quality unit when they're on sale rather than having to buy whatever the best price is when you need it.

    • It is notoriously difficult to get PROPER testing on your battery - as voltage, load and even capacitance testing all have their flaws. BUT you can generally get very good testing done free at places like SCA or Repco - capacitance testers are usually used and these are very accurate. Flaw is you generally drive there and to test properly the battery needs to be charged and rested for several hours - but it will be indicative of your batteries health.

    • batteries are pretty simple - so you essentially get what you pay for i.e the cheap ones tend to die young. So try and buy quality brands when they're discounted.

    • its concerning if your car is flattening your battery on trips - unless they're quite long trips - I'd look at whats draining so much power or perhaps disconnect the battery prior to leaving - I suspect your current battery is near the end of it's lifespan if this is occuring.

    FWIW I use a pretty basic 3 stage charger - run it around once a month, you don't even have to disconnect the battery for most chargers nowadays - runs for 6hrs or so - do overnight or on weekends for offpeak power and is super simple. Best of luck.

    • Aimanu on 01/07/2022 - 19:37

      Thanks for the detailed info - really appreciated.
      Wonder if you have any suggestion in particular. I have found searching Internet in this regard is too overwhelming to zero down to one.
      Earlier, I was looking at the following one but again, I am not sure. Then, people talk about CTEK 5 as well…..

      If there are better/comparable ones available within or around $100 or so, that will be nice!

      https://www.outbackmarine.com.au/victron-blue-smart-ip65s-ch…

      • Daniel Plainview on 02/07/2022 - 13:29

        Thats more than fine - same with the Ctek - but there's MANY others so you really can't go far wrong, I'd just get whatevers on special as long as it's a multistage smart charger. Pay more if you like but as I said basic is just as good as super fancy features for charging a lead acid battery. Sorry busy day and I have no doubt you'll find umpteen choices with just a few clicks, isn't something you can stuff up.

  • brendanm on 01/07/2022 - 17:17
    +2

    If your battery is it 0v, it's stuffed.

  • muststop on 01/07/2022 - 18:11

    Any recommendations for a permanently attached charger or solar charger for a sprinter based campervan that gets used once in a while? Like most modern vehicles it slowly drains the battery. I had a look at some of the solar chargers on Amazon and I'm worried that a lot of them are not regulated in any way.

    • Euphemistic on 01/07/2022 - 21:20
      +1

      Years ago I was told by a friend in the solar industry that most small panels (20w or less) don’t really need a regulator. No harm in adding one though.

      If you are concerned pay a little more and get one from a reputable supplier.

      Then you need to consider if you want the panel to provide power while camping off grid and consider how many Wh you’ll consume and get enough panel wattage to replenish the battery. Most regular campers would get away with around 150w which will need a regulator.

    • Daniel Plainview on 02/07/2022 - 13:31
      +1

      As stated, a dedicated solar charger will be putting through so little amperage that it doesn't require regulation - so I think you can buy just about anything with complete confidence.

  • the Unforgiven on 02/07/2022 - 15:13

    Do you want a fast charger? A slow charger? Or both? It is all in the amps

    • Aimanu on 02/07/2022 - 22:06

      If the difference in $$ is not too much, then fast charger sounds tempting!
      Anything in particular you have in your thoughts?

      • the Unforgiven on 02/07/2022 - 22:43
        -1

        No, that is why I am asking you.
        A trickle charger at 2A will be cheaper than a 10A charger, but when you want to charge a discharged battery, it will take a day instead of a few hours. I had a mate who made me a 10A & a 100A for fast charging; he did the 100A without asking me, everytime I used it, it triggered the safety.

        I would choose something around 10A. I don't ever know if you have a bike or anything else that has a battery. Hang on, I shall have a look. I know there is a good brand that was doing the rounds a couple of years ago, I bought one, but I had to wait as it was out of stock all the time. I will go in the shed & into the boot of the car in this lovely 5 degree weather. Then I will check on a few things & get back to ya. So don't buy anything yet - OK

      • the Unforgiven on 02/07/2022 - 23:37

        I found my battery charger. It is only 5A, it is cheaper than 10A, that's for sure; that is all you need.
        It is a grouse charger, have a look at the reviews, or you can trust a mechanic (me)
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzJFJBqb-e0
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xxKQozjNI0

        The cheapest I found is on Amazon AU for $118.18 & it comes from Pommie Land
        If you want to to pay $11 more, you can get local & this mob will give you a cooler bag
        https://www.mytopia.com.au/ctek-mxs-5-0-12v-5-amp-smart-batt…
        These 2 won't:-
        https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/163159009160?epid=25039892661&ha…
        https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/401757716786?epid=1139790824&has…

        This charger will let you know if you put the leads on the wrong way (I think by memory), it will charge car, bike & something else. It goes through stages of regeneration so it will coax your battery back to life (if it has any left). It goes through all these cycles to make sure your battery is looked after. It will automatically regulate the amperage to suit the condition.
        That's enough for my arthritic fingers, I am going back to my lubricating drink/s. Just buy the thing, you won't regret it; just do a quick check to see if you can find a better price at camping stores, I checked other places except them. If I bought one, it must be good; I am a pensioner, we get the best value for money (I know what I was looking for being an old mechanic)

        • Aimanu on 03/07/2022 - 10:51

          That's great! Thanks for the detailed info.
          Much appreciated!

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