Not All Battery Chargers Are Created Equal

[SeanC]

You may have noticed from other posts that I have been having trouble with parasitic battery for some time. But recently the vehicle has been struggling to start at around 12.5 volts which shouldn’t be a problem. I must confess I’ve been using a Supercheap charger.

Now, awhile ago I had my Ctek charger on the floor on the passengers side. I’ve opened the door, the cord fell out and I reversed over it and ripped the plug off. So I dug up the 7 stage SCA charger and have been using that. So I finally got the plug replaced on the Ctek charger. Ran two reconditioning cycles. Still have the battery drain but now at 12.5 volts it’s starts just like it is fully charged.

“Oils ain’t oils (let’s see who remembers that) and battery chargers ain’t battery chargers.

[DiscoJeffster]

My opinion is CTEK revolutionised charging. Now there have been many copies of their product since however I’d only buy CTEK. They’re what those who own luxury multi-million dollar cars leave permanently attached to keep their batteries healthy. I did the same once. Has worked for me. Works for them. Awesome chargers.

I run mine on the disco once a month to keep mine healthy. Same on the camper batteries.

[Tombie]

I have 3 ctek units. Bike, Car and 25a for programming.

I also have 2 Victron units. 25a in Van and 15a general use.

The ctek units rarely get used now.

[matti4556]

“Oils ain’t oils (let’s see who remembers that) and battery chargers ain’t battery chargers.

"Oils aint oils - Sol" ..... and now we are showing our age Sean!

In a past life I was a senior supervisor in an electrical appliance test lab. I have had my fair share of testing battery chargers (against the standards) before they are allowed to be approved and sold on the market here in Australia and NZ. Gone are the days of iron cored transformers (due to manufacturing cost, mass and standby or quiescent current draw being not friendly to energy efficiency) and now we have switched mode chargers. and in some cases, some very elegant programming to produce excellent results. However, because an electronic charger can be designed in so many ways, with so many features; you can imagine the price-points can vary according to what the buyer wants (and the profit margin the buyer is aiming for). If you keep buying crap/cheap chargers then the buyers will think they are popular and keep stocking them.
The brands usually mentioned as quality units deserve the praise. This is because a good design is chosen/built and an appropriate price is assigned. "you get what you pay for". (A huge percentage are made in S.E Asia irrespective of the brand name on the sticker - but some of these charger factories are top shelf too - I know because I have been in them.)
Notwithstanding the above, some quality factories (and I am now speaking of those we find in heavily industrialised countries with cheap labour and materials costs) are still able to produce high quality models (colloquially called "A+++" when dealing with them) and can also produce bargain basement designs for buyers. This is where we see the market have a few quality brands at the top end and a proliferation of cheap and nasty designs at the lower end. The quality brands have engineering departments and specify to the factory engineers exactly how they want the charger to be featured and perform and the factory makes the design changes accordingly. At the cheaper end of the market, a buyer simply purchases what the factory offers, imports a 30 foot container and whacks a 400% margin on it for you, without stepping foot in the factory to see how its made or whether the factory complies with child labour laws etc. At the end of the day the buyers are selecting product to satisfy the market demand, and in most cases when you purchase a 5 stage charger for sub-$150 you will be getting a charger that works but may not have the design quality built into it to cover the brands warranty provisions or reputation. Sure it works, but you will probably bin-it if it fails you due to the price point.

Now to my present life as one who assists manufacturers get their products tested and approved to sell on the market, I can honestly say that there is more to chargers than the initial cost of the investment. By selecting a "cheap" charger, you are risking the longevity of the expensive batteries you are charging. These batteries quite often cost more than the crappy charger you are connecting them to. Consider that.
Since 1984 I have looked inside and studied more battery charger circuit diagrams (and tested) than some people have had "hot dinners" (because i cant use the word #u(k$). They are all tested the same way for approval purposes and they pass. They are not tested soley for performance, but if you think of what myth busters do to things, that's what an appliance test lab does to them.
My advice is buy the best you can afford and really look after your expensive batteries when they require charging.
Yes, I am very familiar with the brands and know exactly whats inside and makes them tick. A cheap charger is not your friend.
When you think of it this way, 4 tanks of diesel = around $360. This will easily buy you an quality charger to look after your $300-$600 batteries - and around $1000+ for a "real" Lithium battery which does need a specific charge algorithm like all battery chemistries do.
In this case "Oils ain't Oils Sol" and just like oil, don't cheap-out, because the product is protecting an even more expensive commodity (Engine or batteries)
Matti

[Tombie]

I really like the broad experiences of people on this forum!

Excellent post Mate!

[trout1105]

I have owned dozens of 12v battry charges over the years (usually cheap and nasty ones) and i still have a few stashed away in the shed But this is by FAR the best carger i have ever bought.
It wasn't cheap But it is a bloody ripper of a charger[thumbsupbig]

157456

[Hugh Jars]

I will be avoiding Projecta products in the future. I had a 25a charger, which shorted out and could not be turned off.
I managed to fix the poor quality PCB and wiring, and got another 6 months out of it before the transformer exploded. Yes, exploded. And that was without any load.
They look pretty on the outside, but the board looked like it was assembled by the work experience kid. A kid assembling DSE Funway kits could do better.

I've since gone with Victron, and will stay with their products...

[SeanC]

I will be avoiding Projecta products in the future. I had a 25a charger, which shorted out and could not be turned off.
I managed to fix the poor quality PCB and wiring, and got another 6 months out of it before the transformer exploded. Yes, exploded. And that was without any load.
They look pretty on the outside, but the board looked like it was assembled by the work experience kid. A kid assembling DSE Funway kits could do better.

I've since gone with Victron, and will stay with their products...

I have a Victron for my Lithiums.

[101RRS]

My Supercheapo 12a multistage charger has been running faithfully for about 12 years and is still running well.

[modman]

Have wired two sheds recently for car collections
Both are using the ALDI battery chargers for maintenance and storage.
They’ve put plugs on the 12v side.
I bought 2 to try.
So far happy with the results

[DiscoMick]

I have two Projectas and have never had a problem with them.

[DiscoJeffster]

The key difference between a good charger and bad is what happens when you leave it on the car all year? Many will completely destroy a battery as their trickle cycles are not appropriate for long term use. This is what made C-Tek popular in stored car maintenance. A great long term cycle that promoted battery health. Since their first charger, many others have copied their product so we see their tech and charge models flowing down to most recent electronic chargers.