Battery Chargers Tested

October 2009

Buying a battery charger isn’t as simple as it used to be, as new technology has given motorists far greater choice. For less than £30, you can get a conventional device; but there are also smart versions, which tend to be tiny and more expensive.

Smart units are small as they have inverter-based electronics, instead of traditional transformers. This means they often alter the voltage at key points through the charging cycle to squeeze in as much current as the battery can safely take.

As a result, smart chargers usually work quicker, are safer for the battery, more able to resuscitate dead powerpacks and fine to leave on permanently to keep a rarely used car always ready to go.

Some have dedicated cycles for different technologies, such as absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, used on cars with stop-start systems.

Are they worth the extra? We plugged in 12 of the best chargers to find out.

After checking lead lengths, ease of use and the batteries each could handle, we tested our products on a discharged battery showing less than 4 volts.

We checked speed of charge, and at the end of the process, gave marks to those units which turned themselves off (automatic), or entered a conditioning cycle.

These conditioning cycles were also assessed. Trickle charging can be problematic with tired batteries, so we preferred pulse conditioning – this revives a battery to around 95 per cent, then cuts out and restarts when the level drops below 90 per cent.

Contacts

* Black and Decker 01753 511234 www.blackanddecker.co.uk

* Clarke 01992 565300 www.clarkeinternational.com

* CTEK 01380 722621 www.ctek.com

* Draper 02380 266355 www.drapertools.com

* Gunson 01926 815000 www.gunson.co.uk

* Halfords 08457 626625 www.halfords.com

* Manbat (Numax) 01743 460790 www.manbatbatteries.co.uk

* Ring 0113 213 2000 ringautomotive.co.uk

Verdict

CTEK’s XS3600 takes the win. We’ve always recognised what an advanced unit this is, but in the past it’s been let down by its cost. Now, it’s the most competitively priced smart charger available. Black & Decker’s BDV1084 charges faster, and so for bigger batteries it justifies its £10 higher price. Ring’s RSC4 is third. It’s nearly as capable as the CTEK, but not as sophisticated.

Top 3

1. CTEK Multi XS3600
2. Black & Decker BDV1084
3. Ring RSC4

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