Battery maintainer recommendations

[Bogeyman]

Admin edit: Moved these posts to a new thread, originally from the COVID discussion here.

I might just remind everyone that your DD is used to being driven regularly.
Especially if your car is newer you might consider putting a tender or smart charger on it to prevent premature deadness...

 

[gsxr]

I might just remind everyone that your DD is used to being driven regularly.
Especially if your car is newer you might consider putting a tender or smart charger on it to prevent premature deadness...

Excellent reminder. I have maintainers attached to most of my cars, but don't have enough for each... have to move a couple every week or so to different vehicles. Batteries don't like being deeply discharged.

 

[Kyiv]

I have maintainers attached to most of my cars, but don't have enough for each... have to move a couple every week or so to different vehicles. Batteries don't like being deeply discharged.

What's your favorite maintainer?

 

[gsxr]

What's your favorite maintainer?

I prefer maintainers that also have full-time desulfation... some models (like high-end stuff from CTEK) will only desulfate after a week of charging. (!?) Anyway:

I've used several of the PulseTech Xtreme Charge (link) over the years with generally good results, it's a 2.0A maintainer. They also sell a widget that will cycle the charger across 4 different batteries/vehicles, if you want 1 unit to maintain up to 4 (click here for the bundle)... cheaper than buying 4 units, but still kinda pricey.

For a bit less, the BatteryMINder 1510 (link) has similar functionality with a bit less output (1.5A), and it's a "wall-wart" design. I just bought one about a year ago, so far it's been working well. They have a 2.0A version (link) for a few bucks more than the PulseTech, however my complaint with this unit is it doesn't support AGM! They sell an AGM-specific version for another $10 (link). This makes no sense, because their 1.5A and high-end 2/4/8A verion (link) both support AGM automatically. It isn't clear if the 2.0A AGM unit is specifically for Optima/Odyssey only. There's also a splitter available for using these with multiple batteries/vehicles.

On a tighter budget, there's some new entries into this market from NOCO with very affordable pricetags. I haven't tried one yet but I'm tempted. The 1.0A (link) costs the same or less than other brands which lack desulfation (i.e., BatteryTender), and NOCO also has 2A, 5A, and 10A versions at higher prices. Only thing that isn't clear is if the desulfation works continually or not. NOCO seems to imply that it will desulfate when it thinks the battery needs it, not necessarily continually. PulseTech and BatteryMINder both desulfate continuously *and* have indicators when desulfation is in progress, which NOCO lacks.

YMMV, etc.

EDIT: PulseTech, BatteryMINder, and CTEK all have 5-year limited warranties; NOCO has a 3-year limited. Harbor Freight Viking has a 90-day warranty. Deltran Battery Tenders claim 5-10 years but apparently have fine print which effectively make the warranty useless (click here for details); not sure if other brands have similar warranty issues.

 

[JC220]

I have a couple CTek chargers that I really do think can extend the life of a battery. Since most of my fleet can sit around all year I have to have 6 - 8 battery tenders to hand.



Currently 2no Ctek, 4x Nocos and some other Sealey brand items. And an old school 12v battery charger in the event a battery gets so discharged a smart charger wont kick in. (And I use the "dumb" charger for rust removal electrolysis!)

 

[alabbasi]

I probably have 10 of these right now. They're very good, and cheap! I might go and get another one this weekend.

4A Fully Automatic Microprocessor Controlled Battery Charger/Maintainer

4 Amp Fully Automatic Microprocessor Controlled Battery Charger/Maintainer

www.harborfreight.com

4A Fully Automatic Microprocessor Controlled Battery Charger/Maintainer​

Microprocessor technology gives this 12 volt car battery charger the power to charge most 12v batteries including deep-cycle, gel and AGM batteries. Fully automatic microprocessor control feature adjusts the amperage rate to charge and maintain batteries quickly and safely with one press of a button. High frequency current pulse can be used to recondition car batteries that are weak, sulfated or deeply drained.​

​

• Microprocessor control adjusts current to match battery type and condition
  • High frequency technology is over 20% more efficient and over 50% lighter than conventional charging systems
  • Winter mode for specialized battery charging in winter weather conditions
  • Large easy-to-read LCD display shows full range of readouts including voltage/amperage, charge capacity and includes "bad battery" indicator
  • Automatically switches to maintenance mode when battery is charged
  • Heavy duty 7 ft. 14 gauge cables
  • 90-day warranty

 

[2phast]

I use the CTEK .08 with the 10 foot extension module, allows me to direct wire to my two batteries and plug the charger into a socket mounted in the rear of the trunk area. Did a unboxing of it here.

 

[RicardoD]

I think when I went dow this road I ended up with CTEK, the MUS 4.3 but can't remember why.

 

[gsxr]

I have an older version of the CTEK MUS 4.3 too. It's very, very nice... my only gripe is that it dosn't begin desulfation mode until it's been charging for 7 days. Not really an issue for most people though.

 

[nocfn]

Here is mine

 

[ace10]

This is the one that 036 owners need.

A perfect match for the Porsche-designed, Porsche built car.

Porsche Lifestyle - Tequipment Accessories - Porsche Classic Parts

shop.porscheusa.com

And what a bargain!

 

[Jlaa]

I have a couple CTek chargers that I really do think can extend the life of a battery. Since most of my fleet can sit around all year I have to have 6 - 8 battery tenders to hand.

View attachment 100954

Currently 2no Ctek, 4x Nocos and some other Sealey brand items. And an old school 12v battery charger in the event a battery gets so discharged a smart charger wont kick in. (And I use the "dumb" charger for rust removal electrolysis!)

I use the CTEK .08 with the 10 foot extension module, allows me to direct wire to my two batteries and plug the charger into a socket mounted in the rear of the trunk area. Did a unboxing of it here.

I think when I went dow this road I ended up with CTEK, the MUS 4.3 but can't remember why.

View attachment 101046

I have an older version of the CTEK MUS 4.3 too. It's very, very nice... my only gripe is that it dosn't begin desulfation mode until it's been charging for 7 days. Not really an issue for most people though.

FWIW, @gsxr and I were discussing falling down the rat hole of chargers today. One of the models we discussed was the CTEK MXS 5.0. Its seems like a throughly featured charger with auto-desulfation on boot-up, and a de-sulfation mode that does not require the car battery to be disconnected (unlike the NOCO GENIUS5). Anyways, without getting overly nerdy on battery charging (which I have seen this group do on various threads) the CTEK looks to be a set-it-and-forget-it type of device, which I like. I don't want to think about chargers.

Then, we ran across this video, which shows a CTEK MXS 5.0 melting down (poor design). Ugh! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CD44RQO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Then I did a little sleuthing and I realized that there have been AT LEAST 3 different version of the CTEK MXS 5.0 ---- a 1049 version, a 1075 version, and a 1090 version ---- differences highlighted in the below chart. It seems they've backed off on the current rating (less heat?)

Anyways I'm posting this here for folks to peruse in the future.

 

[gsxr]

The PulseTech Xtreme Charge, my personal favorite for a mid-range maintainer / full-time desulfator / charger, has gone EOL and is OOS pretty much everywhere. I had expected the replacement to be out by now, but nope. I contacted PulseTech this morning and they responded within hours (great tech support):

"We are still developing the improved replacement for the XC100 and we do not have pricing or availability yet. Hopefully we will have products ready to sell early next year. We will keep you informed of any developments."​

EOL announcement from early 2021:

End of Life PulseTech XC100-P Xtreme Charge 12V Battery Maintenance Charger Desulfator

www.pulsetech.net