smart battery chargers

[Stewart]

What do you guys out there consider to be the best smart charger that can be left all winter to maintain a battery

[kevin the chicken]

CTEK. Used on all cambridgeshire fire and rescue service front line vehicles for years.  Not cheap though 

[brumster]

I've got an optimate 3 which I've had for *utterly ages* (like, 20 years) and it does my dry cell batteries fine - I've used it on motorbikes and also the dry batteries in the kit car and a competition car. More recently I purchased a NOCO and I must say I am really impressed with it for the money; I bought it because I needed 2 connected at the same time and also I'd bought a Lithium battery for the motorbike - the optimate wouldn't do that, being so old. If you're only looking to maintain a battery, then the base model 1 amp NOCO will be perfectly fine and at £33 honestly, it's a cracking bit of kit and a bargain at that.

If you was after something to charge up a flat battery in a short period of time then sure, no, it's going to struggle - but if you're just after a maintainer it will do you proud.

[Steve49er]

I have one's from Aldi and Lidl which seem to work well just make sure when you purchase it states on the box for continuous Charging or Maintaining they are not normally that expensive I also have one called a Multimate I think will look later and update, that one has been on for nearly 15 years.

Just check when you buy it is for continued charging and monitoring.

[geordie40]

I just picked one of these up from Lidl (about £15) after good recommendations on another group. Haven't used it but for the price got to be worth a shot

[alanh65]

I use that one and it is connected permanently to my battery at present as I try to use the car on dry days. 

Unfortunately the car just sits on the drive in all weathers and the cold can play havoc with the battery, hence keeping it constantly topped up.