Recommend Battery Charger?

[driver]

As the title says... I'm thinking of getting a battery charger for my Euro 2007.

Any particular brand/model to get or avoid? Is there a big difference between an expensive one and a cheap one? (I've never used or seen one before).

[yfin]

there is a charger called Battery Fighter which is pretty good

[xxb4xx]

if you can find any Arlec one, you're in with a winner.

can't go wrong.

[Type R Positive]

All the cheap ones I have got before (k-mart arlec) have gone to heaven fairly quickly.
I got a EPS 8 amp one now, and it has lasted well. Cost just over $100 I think from memory.

Things to watch are the amp rating, the higher the rating, the quicker the charge.
You also want one that will automatically go to float when the battery is fully charged.

The new CTEK ones look the biz, but they are bloody expensive for anything with a decent amp rating.

[HunterZero]

Does this look any good? Doesn't specifically say if it automatically switches from high amp charge to trickle charge when the battery is full.

Jaycar Charger (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MB3522&keywords=car+battery+charger&form=KEYWORD)

- HZ

[dtngo]

I used a mates charger (can't remember the brand) recently for my old car - there was a parasitic drain from the battery. The unit was around 15 years old and purchased from Kmart for $25 haha!

Repco have a few as well ranging from $75 to $150. Don't remember the brands though.

These things come in handy. I'll be watching the thread.

[driver]

Thanks everyone. Keep them coming.



The new CTEK ones look the biz, but they are bloody expensive for anything with a decent amp rating.

A mate at work uses CTEK (not sure which model) and recommends it. He said what you said... "bloody expensive"! It has trickle (is that what you call it?) charge too.

What's this "amp rating" business? What should I be looking for?

[willwen]

Supercheap auto has the cheap arlec charger for $30.

https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/store/Product.aspx?ID=89906

[HunterZero]

What's this "amp rating" business? What should I be looking for?

The rating in amps is how fast the charger charges the battery. Fast chargers typically range from 5A to 8A, higher amp numbers = faster charge. At that rate, it is typically an overnight job to charge a flat battery. A trickle charger will drop from the full amps charge to a 'maintenance' charge rate of around 1A to 2A, which will slowly top up a battery and keep it at full charge without overcharging it.

Good idea to invest in a multimeter, so you can check how 'full' the battery is. A battery that is 'flat' will sit at about 11.6V, and a fully charged one should register at around 12.6V. If your battery is less than 10V, it's probably permanently dead. Car batteries don't react well to over-discharging.

- HZ

[moo moo nel]

I use Supercheap Auto own brand "SCA" charger

charge my DC2 fortnightly

never have problem with it

[driver]

Thanks everyone! You guys are champs.

Will visit the local Supercheapauto to see the offers.

[HunterZero]

I ended up buying the Jaycar one. Unit feels pretty solid. Worked great, fully charged the battery in about 9 hours.

- HZ

[ROBERT]

If you are only using the car once a fortnight a thought for you may be what I do with my Cobra (which unfortunately gets left 2 or 3 weeks between runs). I purchased a SOLAR CHARGER from Supercheep for around $30. I plug it in via a cigarette type plug on return from a run. My battery is over 10 years old now and still spins the V8 motor over with gusto. Of course it needs to be exposed to reasonable light.