Which OptiMate?

[billyboanerges]

I need to get an Optimate soon! Do I need to pay for an Optimate 6 (£85) or does the Optimate 4(£50) do all I need it to do? ie. keep the battery on my '7' ready to go!

Thanks,

Tony

[Jonathan Kay]

If your need is the usual one: one 7 and stays on it all the time, then the cheaper one is fine, as long as it matches your battery capacity. The Accumate may be a bit cheaper and is also fine.

 

Jonathan

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

My Optimate 3 works fine.

[bspeed]

Halfords version at 1/2 the price.

[Bradders]

I use one that I used on my bike. Works a treat.

[Roger Ford]

£15 Lidl/Aldi one seems to work pretty well. Have to wait for it to be on special though.

[CageyH]

For £45 you can get a Ctek XS3600. More power than an optimate or accumate for charging a flat battery, and does the same job.

[CageyH]

£50 for a 5 amp version - New CTEK Multi MXS 5.0 12V

[Dr Slotter]

I have a CTEK 5.0

[billyboanerges]

Thanks for replies. Decision time soon but I've got some Freebee Amazon vouchers!

Tony

[MacP]

I have both the Ctek XS3600 (here) and the Optimate 4 (in France).

 

For the 7 either will be fine. I have also used both of them on much bigger batteries.

 

The CTEK is smaller and lighter which means less chance of denting something if you set off with it connected (guess how I know) 😳. Plus it has a much higher capacity (up to 120 Amp/Hour vs . 50 for the Optimate). I suspect that if it will charge this, it will charge anything Prius.

 

However, the Optimate is a substantial piece of kit and the lights on the front give you a better feel for what it's doing.

 

I was a serial battery abuser and have also managed to do clever things such as starting the engine while the charger was still connected to the mains, without anything going wrong. So I am a big fan of both the CTEK and the Optimate, which are great tools that inspire confidence.

 

Twice the price is still only £25 more and AFAIK the equivalent Halfords item is actually £40 as well as being somewhat bulky and three times heavier than the CTEK.

[Molecular--Bob]

I have a numax 12v/10A that will condition and charge when flat. Well made with digital readout and all required cables for permanent car instalation. think this is what powervamp used to supply for use with their dry-cells.

 

Often on ebay around the £55.00 mark such as here.

[Nick Chan]

Hi Tony,

 

I have the Optimate 4 and 3 (plus a few others) and both work perfectly well on the seven. I can't see much point in spending the extra on the 6.

 

Nick