Draper | 11953 | User manual | CTEK here

PRODUCT TEST
Battery
Chargers
battery charger test in the
September issue? In the daft
timing stakes, surely that ranks
alongside Christmas carols blaring
out in shops in late August. We beg to differ.
You see, while battery failure is definitely
a mid-winter issue, it’s actually during
summer and autumn that the problems
leading up those failures start to manifest
themselves. That means, in theory at least,
that it is possible to take preventive action
now to avoid trouble later on.
As we all know, batteries are simple
chemical devices. The lead plates inside
them convert electrical current, from the
alternator or mains charger, into chemical
energy within the acid. The plates
work just as well the other way round,
converting the chemical energy back into
electrical current when needed.
Or, rather, the plates work well if they’re
in good condition. Over time, corrosion and
sulphation combine to make increasingly
large sections of the plates’ surfaces
inactive. Effectively, it’s as if the plate area
has shrunk, which obviously reduces a
battery’s ability to convert chemical energy
into electrical current and vice versa.
When the temperature drops in winter,
the ailing battery is hit with a double
whammy. Engines and transmissions
become heavier to crank over, thanks to
the very cold oil being more viscous. And
the freezing cold bites again because that
critical reaction between plate and acid is
also temperature-dependent, working much
more enthusiastically at higher temperatures.
So how do modern
chargers help?
Well, modern batteries, though excellent
in many ways, are very intolerant of abuse.
If left in a state of low charge for even
relatively short periods of time, sulphation
sets in on the plates and it’s difficult to
reverse. And thanks to stereo and ECU
memories, keyless entry systems and
security concerns, modern cars put a draw
on batteries like never before – even when
the car’s just sitting motionless on the drive.
So if a car isn’t used that frequently, or it’s
left parked up during the summer holidays,
attaching a smart charger and making
use of its maintenance charge mode is a
great way of preventing serious sulphation
from starting. Many smart chargers also
have desulphation cycles, which do a very
effective job of reversing damage.
No battery will last forever and eventually
corrosion will damage the plates excessively.
But it’s also true that overcharging, as a
result of using an old-fashioned charger
that boils the electrolyte until switched off,
JAMES STANBURY
tests 10 battery
chargers and explains
why now is the time
to give your battery
some TLC.
THE TESTS
PRACTICALITY
The first two points only went to chargers
with the longest leads, with an extra
point being awarded to any unit supplied
with permanently-attached easy-connect
leads. Another point went to all units that
were sufficiently well-sealed to allow safe
outside usage.
SPEED We watched the early
stages of each charger’s cycle on an
oscilloscope to check the smoothness of
output and to see if the charger began with
a plate-clearing pulsed blast. Two points –
one for smoothness, one for plate-clearing
– were up for grabs. Up to two further
points were available for chargers with
the highest current outputs, and an extra
point was awarded to units with manually
selectable boost modes.
FEATURES Modes for AGM,
reconditioning and maintenance charging,
plus the ability to work as a power supply,
all earned a charger an extra point each.
ACCURACY This final point
only went to chargers with an output so
accurate that they were safe to be used on
batteries still connected to a vehicle.
greatly increases the formation of corrosion.
By contrast, smart chargers automatically
switch to a safe conditioning cycle when
they detect a battery is close to full charge.
Most also have automatic diagnostic modes
that can warn you if a battery is suffering
from excessive self-discharge or from a
reluctance to accept decent charge levels.
Both problems are surefire warnings of
trouble just around the corner.
CTEK MXS 7.0
Although renamed and
slightly updated, this is
essentially the same
unit that won our last
charger test. It’s pretty
expensive, but CTEK
have created a charger
that’s a perfect trade
off between price,
performance and features. The maximum
current output of 7 amps takes all batteries
up to 150 AH in its stride, and charge speed is
further boosted by an initial voltage spike to clear the plates, plus dedicated
modes for cold weather and AGM batteries. On the practical front, it’s a
genuine bonus that the charger is safe to use even when the car’s battery
is still connected. And moderate weatherproofing means sheltered outdoor
usage – such as under a closed bonnet – is also possible.
26 Car Mechanics September 2013
PRICE
£99.99
CONTACT
01353 789800
PRICE from
www.halfords.com
WEB
www.ctek.com
PERFORMANCE
10/14
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
6/6
OVERALL SCORE
16/20
www.greatmagazines.co.uk/carmechanics
Ring Smart
ChargerPRO25
A bonus of switch-mode electronics is
that smart chargers don’t get as hot as
conventional units, so some – such as CTEK’s
MXS 7.0 – don’t need ventilation grilles
and can be considered fairly weatherproof.
WHAT’S
IMPORTANT?
PRACTICALITY
Short mains and battery leads have been
an annoyance with chargers for decades,
and decent length leads are essential for
all modern chargers, regardless of the
technology inside them. In fact, with so
many modern chargers doubling up as
long-term battery conditioners, it’s also
beneficial if an easy-connect lead is
included. These tend to be permanently
connected to the battery, and lead to a small
socket you position somewhere convenient.
This makes it possible to connect up the
charger without even opening the bonnet,
and can be a real bonus if a battery’s
situated in an awkward position.
SPEED It’s easy to assume that
the higher a charger’s maximum current,
the faster the charger will work, but that’s
not usually true. At any given voltage, a
battery will only draw in a certain amount
of current, regardless of how much is
available. However, boost modes – which
raise terminal voltage higher than ideal –
certainly speed up charge times. And there
are a couple of smart charger features
that are known to improve charge times.
Sophisticated units tend to give out a
high-voltage pulsed blast at the start of
the cycle, which removes loose sulphation
from the plates and consequently improves
the rate at which the battery converts
current to chemical energy. It’s also
known that the smooth output from a
smart charger is absorbed into the battery
easier than the more random output from
conventional chargers.
FEATURES Maintenance or
conditioning modes can keep a battery
healthy indefinitely and are very useful
for infrequently used cars. Desulphation
cycles are also great for reviving batteries
that are known to have been mistreated.
Dedicated modes for different battery
technologies can result in improved charge
times – AGM batteries, for instance, can
withstand a much more aggressive cycle
than conventional units.
ACCURACY Modern vehicle
ECUs are sensitive to voltage spikes, so
only the most accurate, tightly controlled
outputs should be used to charge a battery
while it’s still connected to the vehicle.
www.greatmagazines.co.uk/carmechanics
Obviously this costs a bit more than the
Best Buy. But what a lot you get for that
extra £35. A massive maximum current
output of 25 amps means all batteries up to
a whopping 500 AH are fair game – in other
words, pretty much any battery you’ll find on
a car, van, SUV or 4x4. And the unit wipes
the board in the versatility stakes, too.
Dedicated modes are available for calcium
and AGM batteries and, like the CTEK,
the unit boasts a desulphation recovery
cycle for tired batteries, plus
a power supply mode to run
12-volt accessories or to
keep a car’s voltage stable
during diagnostic work. Ventilation
grilles, unfortunately, prohibit
unsupervised outdoor usage.
RECOMMENDED
PRODUCT
þ
PRICE
CONTACT
£134.99
0113 213 2000
PRICE from
www.justcarbatteries.co.uk
WEB
www.ringautomotive.co.uk
PERFORMANCE
11/14
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
5/6
OVERALL SCORE
16/20
Ring SmartCharger +12
Most peoples’ idea of a budget battery charger is something that costs less
than £5 from a garage. But if you like the CTEK, but don’t have £100 to
spare, this is the charger to go for. Like the Best Buy, there’s a dedicated
mode for restoring tired batteries, plus other high-tech features such as
charging the battery while it’s connected to the car, a conditioning mode
for long-term maintenance, and that detritus-loosening pulse at the start of
the charge. Ring reckon it can be used with batteries up to 300 AH, which
is a little optimistic, even considering the
12 amp maximum output.
PRICE
£64.99
CONTACT
0113 213 2000
PRICE from
www.halfords.com
WEB
www.ringautomotive.co.uk
PERFORMANCE
8/14
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
6/6
OVERALL SCORE
14/20
Polco 12-Amp
Smart Charger
Polco claim this charger is best suited
to batteries ranging between 36-84 AH,
even though the maximum output is a very
respectable 12 amps. Overall, this is a
pretty good unit, but the biggest bugbear
is that it’s dearer than Ring’s Best Budget
Buy while not being as good. The charge
cycle is less sophisticated and we’re not
keen on the automatic desulphation
process. Desulphation cycles are
not good for a battery’s longterm health if they’re repeated
too frequently, hence why we
prefer manual control.
PRICE
£67.95
CONTACT
01488 662770
PRICE from
www.tooled-up.com
WEB
www.caeurope.co.uk
PERFORMANCE
7/14
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
6/6
OVERALL SCORE
13/20
TURN
September 2013 Car Mechanics 27
Battery Chargers
Sealey HFC16
£118.75
01284 757500
A stylish designed unit from Sealey PRICE from
www.pvrdirect.co.uk
that, unlike the other chargers in
WEB
www.sealey.co.uk
the test, actually provides
PERFORMANCE
8/14
somewhere to store the leads
– which is just as well as they’re IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
4/6
longer than average. Another
OVERALL SCORE
12/20
CONTACT
practical feature we like is the
lack of any ventilation grilles or other points of ingress for airborne dampness.
In theory, this means that sheltered outdoor usage is OK, but the instructions
stop short of confirming it. Ultimately, the unit is rather basic considering its price.
There are no special cycles for different battery technologies, and even the usual
desulphation mode is omitted. Having said that, the maximum current output of 16
amps allows use with a wide range of battery sizes from 25-300 AH.
Draper
11953
After all the smart chargers, this traditional
unit makes a refreshing change. Forget
specialist modes for different battery
technologies as your choices are limited to
12 or 24 volts and normal or fast charging.
It’s tempting to say that the simplicity
makes the unit easy to use, but it doesn’t.
In fact, you’ll need to keep a close eye on
the ammeter to ensure you turn the unit
off at the end of the charge – few modern
batteries withstand excessive
gassing for long.
But, these
niggles aside,
this is a
no-nonsense fast
charger capable of
dealing with batteries
ranging from 60-200 AH.
PRODUCT TEST continued
PRICE
Sealey
Autocharge10D
PRICE
£51.77
CONTACT
023 8049 4333
PRICE from
www.pvrdirect.co.uk
WEB
www.drapertools.com
PERFORMANCE
5/14
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
6/6
OVERALL SCORE
11/20
PRICE
£47.47
01284 757500
PRICE from
www.pvrdirect.co.uk
WEB
www.sealey.co.uk
PERFORMANCE
4/14
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
5/6
OVERALL SCORE
9/20
CONTACT
After being surprised by the lack of
advanced features on Sealey’s HFC16
smart charger, it’s even odder that this
significantly cheaper Sealey model boasts
the dedicated cycles for AGM, Gel and
regular batteries. While there’s still no desulphation mode,
the unit does have a conditioning cycle at the end of
the charge, meaning it’s safe to leave it connected
for long periods. Although the
charger has plenty of smart
features, its weight suggests
pretty conventional
components inside,
which is probably
why, despite
the 10 amps
maximum current,
the recommended
battery range is just 5-100
AH. A good all-rounder
spoiled by rather short leads.
28 Car Mechanics September 2013
Draper 07265
Just like Sealey’s Autocharge 10D,
this unit uses a small computer to
drive generally conventional circuitry.
The result is similar: a handful of
clever features and modes, but a
slightly restricted battery range of
8-130 AH. Although different battery
technologies aren’t specifically
catered for, you do get the everuseful conditioning and desulphation
cycles. Plus, unlike any other unit
here, this one caters for 6, 12, and
24-volt batteries. The big question is
whether the versatility over battery
voltages justifies the high price. Given
the rather average maximum current
output and the annoyingly short lead
lengths, we say no.
PRICE
£142.76
CONTACT
0238 0494333
PRICE from www.lawson-his.co.uk
WEB
www.drapertools.com
PERFORMANCE
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
OVERALL SCORE
7/14
1/6
8/20
www.greatmagazines.co.uk/carmechanics
As the cheapest charger in the group,
you won’t be surprised to learn that
this uses completely conventional
electronics and doesn’t have fancy
modes for recovering tired batteries
or optimising charge times for different
battery technologies. It’s not all bad
news, though, because the unit deals
with both 6- and 12-volt batteries,
and its battery range of 28-112 AH
is respectable enough for a budget
charger. But, like Draper’s 11953,
this is a completely basic manual
charger. Left to its own devices, it
will continue charging until it’s
physically switched off, which could
potentially damage sealed modern
batteries. And, budget priced or not,
the 12-volt leads are simply too short.
PRICE
CONTACT
£41.99
01992 565300
PRICE from
www.machinemart.co.uk
WEB www.clarkeinternational.com
PERFORMANCE
3/14
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
4/6
OVERALL SCORE
7/20
OTHER BENEFITS OF SMART CHARGERS
Faster charging
Batteries can absorb very smooth DC
better than the ‘lumpy’ DC produced by
conventional transformers and rectifiers,
and the units can monitor the charge
more accurately and consequently
push the battery harder. Specific modes
for different battery technologies often
reduce charge times, too.
Safe on-car charging
As a result of the close monitoring of
the charge process, battery terminal
voltage always stays at safe levels. The
absence of high terminal voltages or
spikes, often produced by conventional
chargers, means that ECUs are safe
even if the battery is still connected to
the car during the charge. Not needing
to disconnect the battery means you
don’t have to reset memories on
stereos and other electronic devices.
Compact & lightweight
Switch-mode electronics inside a smart
charger work more efficiently than the
traditional transformers and rectifiers
found in conventional chargers. High
output chargers, such as Ring’s PRO25,
would be seriously big and heavy if
reliant on conventional technology.
Compatibility with a
wide range of batteries
While any charger is compatible with
lead acid batteries, many other battery
typres – such as sealed, gel and AGM –
are extremely sensitive to overcharging
and gassing. Consequently, the fullyautomatic and closely-monitored charge
cycle of a smart charger ensures safe
charging even if the unit is left to its own
devices for weeks on end. In contrast,
old-fashioned manual chargers need
to be closely monitored, especially
towards the end of the charge.
PRODUCT TEST continued
Clarke CC80
VERDICT
Another handy CTEK feature is this auxiliary
lead, which is left permanently attached
to the battery. The plug on the other end
is routed to a convenient location, which
makes charging easier on vehicles that are
frequently laid up or have a battery in an
awkward location.
Clarke CC120
PRICE
£43.19
01992 565300
September 2013 Car Mechanics 29
Battery Chargers
CONTACT
Clarke’s second offering is much like its
PRICE from
first, minus the 6-volt option. But, in its
www.machinemart.co.uk
favour, maximum output rises to 8.5 amps,
WEB www.clarkeinternational.com
making it suitable for batteries of 40-160
PERFORMANCE
2/14
AH. Again, the biggest bugbear with the
charger is its completely manual operation. IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
1/6
Modern battery technologies like calciumOVERALL SCORE
3/20
calcium and calcium-silver really don’t
tolerate being gassed or overcharged. Yet that’s exactly
what will happen unless you keep a close eye on the
unit’s ammeter and switch if off at the appropriate time.
Another niggle is the lead lengths – at least
the cheaper Clarke had a reasonably
long mains lead, but, on this, both
the mains and 12-volt leads are
almost unusably short.
Potentially, smart chargers have
many advantages over old-fashioned
conventional units. Yet the only product
here that seems to feature all of them is
CTEK’s MXS 7.0. Unsurprisingly, it takes
the Best Buy title.
On the face of it, the Best Buy seems
outclassed by Ring’s Recommended
SmartCharger PRO25. Yet while the MXS
7.0 cannot compete with the Ring in terms
of maximum current output, or the size
range of batteries that can be charged
effectively, there’s still one feature found
on the CTEK that’s sadly missing from
the Ring: safely charging a battery while
it’s still connected to the vehicle is a big
advantage of smart chargers, but what
happens if you don’t have a garage?
The CTEK’s sealed construction is rated
to work in damp, but not directly wet,
environments, such as under a closed
bonnet on a driveway. The ventilation
grilles on the Ring obviously run the risk
of letting in dampness, even if you’d have
to be very unlucky for this to actually
cause a problem.
Our final award winner is another Ring:
the Best Budget Buy SmartCharger +12.
Although not quite such an all-rounder as
CTEK’s Best Buy, it boasts a high output,
plus most of the features that make
smart chargers desirable, all at a
very competitive price.