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Lidl battery charger
Hodor - 13/1/16 at 10:32 PM

On offer from tomorrow, just £14 of your hard earned

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=30031&ar=11

[Edited on 13/1/16 by Hodor]

SteveWalker - 13/1/16 at 11:03 PM

I had one similar to that and it worked well for a fair few years, but then suddenly died. The ALDI replacement, that I got last year for a similar price, has an LCD display which displays mode , state of charge and voltage.

mark chandler - 13/1/16 at 11:29 PM

Mine never worked from the off so throw away

coyoteboy - 14/1/16 at 12:09 AM

been using mine for about 4 years, leave it trickling out of car batteries too.

Slimy38 - 14/1/16 at 08:16 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
Mine never worked from the off so throw away


You could have at least got a refund?

I keep missing out, they seem extremely popular near me, in Aldi and Lidl.

GeoffT - 14/1/16 at 09:22 AM

I've had a couple of the Lidl ones for years, good reliable little trickle chargers.

The only downside I've found with them is that they won't charge a totally flat battery. If the detected voltage is below around 10v on startup it assumes a faulty or incorrect battery type and refuses to start charging.

SJ - 14/1/16 at 09:35 AM

quote:

The only downside I've found with them is that they won't charge a totally flat battery. If the detected voltage is below around 10v on startup it assumes a faulty or incorrect battery type and refuses to start charging.


Mine does the same.

nick205 - 14/1/16 at 10:23 AM

Not sure where my battery charger is from - probably a panic buy from Halfords.

It works OK and doesn't complain about flat batteries either

gremlin1234 - 14/1/16 at 11:02 AM

quote:
The only downside I've found with them is that they won't charge a totally flat battery. If the detected voltage is below around 10v on startup it assumes a faulty or incorrect battery type and refuses to start charging.

the other annoying feature is if its disconnected from the battery or the mains, you have to press a button to start it again.

but they are good

Johneturbo - 14/1/16 at 11:45 AM

Do you have to disconnect the baterry while charging like the video says?

I've got an optimate had it amost 10yrs it's been excellent but where i have the toycar and a bike i have to keep swapping the charger from one to the other during winter!

so this one might be a good alternative

Slimy38 - 14/1/16 at 12:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Johneturbo
Do you have to disconnect the baterry while charging like the video says?


I might be wrong, but I've seen that on many chargers, and I've never had an issue. Is it a 'just in case we fry your electrics we want our ar$e covered' kind of thing?

r1_pete - 14/1/16 at 02:17 PM

Thanks for the heads up Hodor, I just bought a couple, one for the car and one for the bike, got one of the £3 alternator testers too to have in the toolbox.

3 year guarantee, and contact details included, so some backup seems available, unlike a lot of the eastern rubbish on that popular auction site.

Johneturbo - 14/1/16 at 03:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
quote:
Originally posted by Johneturbo
Do you have to disconnect the baterry while charging like the video says?


I might be wrong, but I've seen that on many chargers, and I've never had an issue. Is it a 'just in case we fry your electrics we want our ar$e covered' kind of thing?


Very true, i guess it does cover them if anything were fried! i know the optimate you can leave it connected as they come with a hard wired set up so you just plug it in!

will pop down to the local Lidl at the weekend see if they've got any in

GeoffT - 15/1/16 at 05:30 PM

Plenty available in my local Lidl yesterday eve (Thurs 14th, Wokingham).

They seem to be a new design with an LCD display panel rather than the LED's of the previous offering. Also noticed something about a 'pulse mode' to regenerate dead batteries so maybe these can charge totally flat batteries...?

Bluemoon - 15/1/16 at 08:06 PM

Good little chargers.

I have had three fail probably a batch problem (bought at same time). The failure is a faulty push switch (could not select the mode) disassemble quick squirt of contact cleaner and all is well, this was the old LED version.

The charger is a decent multi-stage one, you will pay three times the amount (or more ) for a branded one.

Dan

britishtrident - 15/1/16 at 11:33 PM

Back in the early days of car electronics alternator controls used germanium transistor which were much more sensitive to voltage spikes.
However care should still be taken with cars with smart PCM controlled alternators.

alfas - 16/1/16 at 12:16 AM

it works fine, as long as you dont have a battery which is heavily discharged.

i had it several times with my gel / race batteries that they had dischared below 6volt.

in that case those chargers will automatically change into the charging mode for 6Volt betteries and you cannot do anything against.

only solution...you bring up the batterie to more than 6v with an old-fashioned charger, than you use the modern charger.

HowardB - 16/1/16 at 06:53 AM

I've bought one. I'll let you know how good it is. I have a range of batteries to try it on,...

skydivepaul - 17/1/16 at 12:00 PM

Just picked one up so will see how it fares

Loads left at the lidl, Halton hill leeds if anyone is still wanting one

HowardB - 17/1/16 at 09:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by HowardB
I've bought one. I'll let you know how good it is. I have a range of batteries to try it on,...





seems to work ok..both on smaller 25AH and larger 90AH batteries. Not tried it on 6v yet.

not bad for less than £20.

Thanks for the heads up

Hodor - 17/1/16 at 10:12 PM

I got mine the other day in anticipation that i would drain the battery of my MK trying to start it up this weekend, but she fired up fine. Quite happy with that. Longer it stays in the box the better.